Discovery BoxZephaniah 3:8-9 
Context3:8 Therefore you must wait patiently 1 for me,” says the Lord,
“for the day when I attack and take plunder. 2
I have decided 3 to gather nations together
and assemble kingdoms,
so I can pour out my fury on them –
all my raging anger.
For 4 the whole earth will be consumed
by my fiery anger.
3:9 Know for sure that I will then enable
the nations to give me acceptable praise. 5
All of them will invoke the Lord’s name when they pray, 6
and will worship him in unison. 7
1 tn The second person verb form (“you must wait patiently”) is masculine plural, indicating that a group is being addressed. Perhaps the humble individuals addressed earlier (see 2:3) are in view. Because of Jerusalem’s sin, they must patiently wait for judgment to pass before their vindication arrives.
2 tn Heb “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes עַד (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term עֵד (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV). In this case the Lord uses a legal metaphor to picture himself as testifying against his enemies. Adele Berlin takes לְעַד (lÿ’ad) in a temporal sense (“forever”) and translates “once and for all” (Zephaniah [AB 25A], 133).
3 tn Heb “for my decision is.”
4 tn Or “certainly.”
5 tn Heb “Certainly [or perhaps, “For”] then I will restore to the nations a pure lip.”
sn I will then enable the nations to give me acceptable praise. This apparently refers to a time when the nations will reject their false idol-gods and offer genuine praise to the one true God.
6 tn Heb “so that all of them will call on the name of the
7 tn Heb “so that [they] will serve him [with] one shoulder.”
