Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 17th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
Attention!
Take your personal ministry to the Next Level by helping StudyLight build churches and supporting pastors in Uganda.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

New Century Version

Zephaniah 3:16

On that day Jerusalem will be told, "Don't be afraid, city of Jerusalem. Don't give up.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Church;   Faith;   Zion;   Scofield Reference Index - Kingdom;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Day of the lord;   Encouragement;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - God, Names of;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zephaniah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fear;   Zephaniah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Zephaniah (1);   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Day of Judgment;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Zion;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parable;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
On that day it will be said to Jerusalem:“Do not fear;Zion, do not let your hands grow weak.
Hebrew Names Version
In that day, it will be said to Yerushalayim, "Don't be afraid, Tziyon. Don't let your hands be slack."
King James Version (1611)
In that day it shall be said to Ierusalem, Feare thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slacke.
King James Version
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
English Standard Version
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
New American Standard Bible
On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.
Amplified Bible
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.
Geneva Bible (1587)
In that day it shalbe said to Ierusalem, Feare thou not, O Zion: let not thine handes be faint.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion; Do not let your hands fall limp.
Legacy Standard Bible
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:"Do not fear, O Zion;Do not let your hands fall limp.
Berean Standard Bible
On that day they will say to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.
Contemporary English Version
Jerusalem, the time is coming, when it will be said to you: "Don't be discouraged or grow weak from fear!
Complete Jewish Bible
On that day, it will be said to Yerushalayim, "Do not fear, Tziyon! don't let your hands droop down.
Darby Translation
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not; Zion, let not thy hands be slack.
Easy-to-Read Version
At that time Jerusalem will be told, "Be strong, don't be afraid!
George Lamsa Translation
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not; and to Zion, Let not your hands be weak.
Good News Translation
The time is coming when they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not be afraid, city of Zion! Do not let your hands hang limp!
Lexham English Bible
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear not, O Zion; your hands shall not hang limp.
Literal Translation
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear not! Zion, do not let your hands droop.
American Standard Version
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack.
Bible in Basic English
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your hands be feeble.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: 'Fear thou not; O Zion, let not thy hands be slack.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
In that time it shalbe sayde to Hierusalem, Feare not: and to Sion, Let not thyne handes be flacke:
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
At that time the Lord shall say to Jerusalem, Be of good courage, Sion; let not thine hands be slack.
English Revised Version
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: O Zion, let not thine hands be slack.
World English Bible
In that day, it will be said to Jerusalem, "Don't be afraid, Zion. Don't let your hands be slack."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In that dai it schal be seid, Jerusalem, nyle thou drede; Sion, thin hondis be not clumsid.
Update Bible Version
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Don't be afraid; O Zion, don't let your hands be slack.
Webster's Bible Translation
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thy hands be slack.
New English Translation
On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Don't be afraid, Zion! Your hands must not be paralyzed from panic!
New King James Version
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak.
New Living Translation
On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, "Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid!
New Life Bible
On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: "Do not be afraid, O Zion. Do not let your hands lose their strength.
New Revised Standard
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
In that day, shall it be said - to Jerusalem, Do not fear, - O Zion, Let not thy hands hang down:
Douay-Rheims Bible
In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not: to Sion: Let not thy hands be weakened.
Revised Standard Version
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
Young's Literal Translation
In that day it is said to Jerusalem, `Fear not, O Zion, let not thy hands be feeble.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
In that tyme it shall be sayed to Ierusalem: feare not, and to Sion: let not thine hondes be slacke,
THE MESSAGE
Jerusalem will be told: "Don't be afraid. Dear Zion, don't despair. Your God is present among you, a strong Warrior there to save you. Happy to have you back, he'll calm you with his love and delight you with his songs.

Contextual Overview

14 Sing, Jerusalem. Israel, shout for joy! Jerusalem, be happy and rejoice with all your heart. 15 The Lord has stopped punishing you; he has sent your enemies away. The King of Israel, the Lord , is with you; you will never again be afraid of being harmed. 16 On that day Jerusalem will be told, "Don't be afraid, city of Jerusalem. Don't give up. 17 The Lord your God is with you; the mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you. You will rest in his love; he will sing and be joyful about you." 18 "I will take away the sadness planned for you, which would have made you very ashamed. 19 At that time I will punish all those who harmed you. I will save my people who cannot walk and gather my people who have been thrown out. I will give them praise and honor in every place where they were shamed. 20 At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you back home. I will give you honor and praise from people everywhere when I make things go well again for you, as you will see with your own eyes," says the Lord .

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

be said: Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:4, Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 41:10, Isaiah 41:13, Isaiah 41:14, Isaiah 43:1, Isaiah 43:2, Isaiah 44:2, Isaiah 54:4, Jeremiah 46:27, Jeremiah 46:28, Haggai 2:4, Haggai 2:5, Zechariah 8:15, John 12:12, Hebrews 12:12

slack: or, faint, 2 Corinthians 4:1, Galatians 6:9, Ephesians 3:13, Hebrews 12:3-5, Revelation 2:3

Reciprocal: Joshua 18:3 - How long are 2 Samuel 4:1 - his hands Isaiah 2:11 - in that day Jeremiah 30:10 - fear Joel 2:21 - Fear John 4:22 - for John 12:15 - Fear 2 Thessalonians 3:13 - be not weary

Cross-References

Genesis 3:1
Now the snake was the most clever of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day the snake said to the woman, "Did God really say that you must not eat fruit from any tree in the garden?"
Genesis 3:6
The woman saw that the tree was beautiful, that its fruit was good to eat, and that it would make her wise. So she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
Genesis 3:7
Then, it was as if their eyes were opened. They realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made something to cover themselves.
Genesis 3:8
Then they heard the Lord God walking in the garden during the cool part of the day, and the man and his wife hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.
Genesis 3:9
But the Lord God called to the man and said, "Where are you?"
Genesis 3:10
The man answered, "I heard you walking in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."
Genesis 3:11
God asked, "Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?"
Genesis 3:12
The man said, "You gave this woman to me and she gave me fruit from the tree, so I ate it."
Genesis 3:16
Then God said to the woman, "I will cause you to have much trouble when you are pregnant, and when you give birth to children, you will have great pain. You will greatly desire your husband, but he will rule over you."
Genesis 3:17
Then God said to the man, "You listened to what your wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat. "So I will put a curse on the ground, and you will have to work very hard for your food. In pain you will eat its food all the days of your life.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, fear thou not,.... Do not be afraid of any enemies; neither outward ones, the armies of Gog and Magog, the Turk, who will threaten, and will attempt to dispossess them of their land, now returned to it; nor inward and spiritual enemies, sin, Satan, death, and hell, being all vanquished and subdued by Christ: this will be said, not by the enemies themselves, who will confess they have no power to stand before the mighty God, as Aben Ezra; but either by the prophets of the Lord, or by the people themselves, encouraging one another, every man his neighbour, as Kimchi; or rather by the Lord himself, as the Septuagint and Arabic versions supply it,

"the Lord shall say to Jerusalem;''

this will be said at the time of the Jews' conversion, when reinstated in their own land, and shall be threatened with another remove from it, which they will have no reason to fear:

[and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack; weak, remiss, hang down through fear of mind, and fainting of spirit; and so unfit to meet the enemy, or perform duty; but, on the contrary, pluck up a good heart, be of good courage, fear not the enemy, be vigorous, active, and diligent, in the performance of the service of the Lord, animated by the following considerations:

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not - For “perfect love casteth out fear” John 4:18; from where he saith, “Fear not, little flock; it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” Luke 12:32. Who then and what should the Church or the faithful soul fear, since “mightier is He that is in her, than he that is in the world? And to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack,” through faint-heartedness (see Hebrews 12:12), but work with all thy might; be ready to do or bear anything; since Christ worketh with, in, by thee, and “in due time we shall reap, if we faint not” Galatians 6:9.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Zephaniah 3:16. Fear thou not — Thou shalt have no more captivities nor national afflictions.

Let not thine hands be slack. — This may refer, first, to the rebuilding of the temple of God, after the return from Babylon; and, secondly, to their diligence and zeal in the Christian Church.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile