Memories Evoked by Yom Shoah uMeshoah

וארומם ייי אבי אתה
כי אתה גבור ישעי:
אל תרפני ביום צרה
ביום שואה ומשואה:

And I raised up an acclamation: O LORD you are my father
For you are my mighty salvation!
Do not forsake me in the day of distress
In the day of disaster and desolation.

Images and transcriptions of the many manuscripts of Ben Sira can be found on www.BenSira.org. The relevant verse is in MS B XX verso.

YHWH’s word to Zephaniah is set in the time of King Josiah of Judah. The Book of Zephaniah, in its present form, emerged in the early Second Temple Period.

I make use here of Adele Berlin’s translation in her Anchor Bible commentary, but with some changes based on my own work on the Book of Zephaniah

See e.g. the sentiment expressed in Hag 2:2-3:

^{חגי ב:ב} אֱמָר נָא אֶל זְרֻבָּבֶל בֶּן שַׁלְתִּיאֵל פַּחַת יְהוּדָה וְאֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶל שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם לֵאמֹר. ^ב:ג מִי בָכֶם הַנִּשְׁאָר אֲשֶׁר רָאָה אֶת הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן וּמָה אַתֶּם רֹאִים אֹתוֹ עַתָּה הֲלוֹא כָמֹהוּ כְּאַיִן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם.

^{Hag 2:2} Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, the governor of Judah, and to the high priest Joshua son of Jehozadak, and to the rest of the people: ^2:3 Who is there left among you who saw this House in its former splendor? How does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing to you.

The final verse of Zephaniah, which describes the ingathering of the exiles has become part of traditional Jewish liturgy. It concludes the לעולם יהא אדם prayer in Birkot Hashachar and reads:

^{צפניה ג:כ} בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָבִיא אֶתְכֶם וּבָעֵת קַבְּצִי אֶתְכֶם כִּי אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם לְשֵׁם וְלִתְהִלָּה בְּכֹל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר יְ־הוָה.

^{Zeph 3:20} At that time I will gather you and at that time I will bring you home. For I will make you renowned and famous among all the peoples on earth, when I restore your fortunes before their very eyes — said YHWH.