Zephaniah 3:9-13

The Lord will make the people pure

9 ‘Then I will give to people lips that I have made pure.

With those lips, they will call me Lord.

3:9God will cause people to use words that are honest. And he will cause them to worship him in the right way. See Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:24-28.

And then, all the people will agree to work together for me.’

10 ‘Some people live a long way beyond the rivers of Cush.

Yes, my people who pray went away to many other countries.

They will return and they will carry their gifts to me.

11 At that time, you will not have to be ashamed

of the wrong things that you have done against me.

But I will take away those who do not see anything wrong in themselves.

Those people will not call each other

“the people who live on God's holy mountain”.

12 But I will let the poor people remain there.

These are the people who have had bad times.

These are the people who will trust me. And they will call me Lord.

13 I will let those people stay there.

They will not do any bad things.

They will only say things that are true.

They will say honest things.

They will eat well and they will sleep well.

Nobody will make them afraid.’