Zephaniah 2:2

before God’s decree becomes reality ¹  and the day of opportunity disappears like windblown chaff, ²  before the Lord’s raging anger ³  overtakes ⁴  you – before the day of the Lord’s angry judgment overtakes you!

2Ki 22:16,17; 2Ki 23:26,27; 2Ch 36:16,17; Job 21:18; Ps 1:4; Ps 2:12; Ps 50:22; Ps 95:7,8; Isa 17:13; Isa 41:15,16; Jer 23:20; La 4:11; Eze 12:25; Ho 13:3; Na 1:6; Zep 1:18; Zep 3:8; Mal 4:1,2; Mt 24:35; Lu 13:24-28; 2Pe 3:4-10

¹ tn Heb “before the giving birth of a decree.” For various alternative readings, see J. J. M. Roberts, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (OTL), 187-88.

² tn The second half of the line reads literally, “like chaff it passes by a day.” The translation above assumes the “day” is the brief time God is giving the nation to repent. The comparison of this quickly passing opportunity to chaff is consistent with the straw imagery of v. 1.

³ tn Heb “the fury of the anger of the Lord.” The synonyms are combined to emphasize the extreme degree of the Lord’s anger.

⁴ tn Heb “comes upon.” This phrase occurs twice in this verse.