Zephaniah 3:12 (LSB)

Passage

But I will cause to remain in your midst A lowly and poor people, And they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 3:10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My scattered ones, Will bring My offerings.

Zephaniah 3:11 In that day you will feel no shame Because of all your deeds By which you have transgressed against Me; For then I will remove from your midst Your proud, exulting ones, And you will never again be haughty On My holy mountain.

Zephaniah 3:12 But I will cause to remain in your midst A lowly and poor people, And they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh.

Zephaniah 3:13 The remnant of Israel will do no injustice And not speak falsehood, Nor will a deceitful tongue Be found in their mouths; For they will feed and lie down With no one to make them tremble.”

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing for joy, O daughter of Zion! Make a loud shout, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cause", "remain", "midst", "lowly", "poor", "people", "take", and "refuge". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cause" and "remain", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "In that day you will feel no..." into verse 13's "The remnant of Israel will do no...", so "cause" and "remain" belong inside that flow. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cause" and "remain" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.