“Why is it that God All-Powerful knows when \{bad\} things are going to happen to people, but his followers can’t predict when he is going to do something \{about it\}?”
Zephaniah 1:7 - Easy To Read Version Be silent before the Lord my Master! Why? Because the Lord’s day for judging the people is coming soon! The Lord has prepared his sacrifice and he has told his invited guests to get ready. {\cf2\super [5]} Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition [Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God, for the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, and He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation. [Hab. 2:20.] American Standard Version (1901) Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand: for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath consecrated his guests. Common English Bible Hush before the LORD God, for the day of the LORD is near! The LORD has established a sacrifice; he has made holy those he has summoned. Catholic Public Domain Version Be silent before the face of the Lord God. For the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a victim, he has sanctified those he has called. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Be silent before the face of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is near, for the Lord hath prepared a victim, he hath sanctified his guests. |
“Why is it that God All-Powerful knows when \{bad\} things are going to happen to people, but his followers can’t predict when he is going to do something \{about it\}?”
God says,\par “Stop fighting\par and learn that I am God!\par I defeat the nations!\par I control the world!”\par
The Lord’s special day is near. So cry and be sad for yourselves. A time is coming when the enemy will steal your wealth. God All-Powerful will make that happen. {\cf2\super [142]}
The Lord has a special day planned. On that day, the Lord will punish the proud and boastful people. Then those proud people will be made not important.
I have punished Ariel. That city has been filled with sadness and crying. But she has always been my Ariel.
The Lord says, “This will happen when my sword in the sky is covered with blood.”
Why? Because the Lord decided there should be a time for killing in Bozrah {\cf2\super [317]} and in Edom.
I became very scared. I said, “Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure (good) enough to speak to God. And I live among people that are not pure enough to speak to God. {\cf2\super [66]} Yet I have seen the King, the Lord All-Powerful.”
“But at that time, our Master,\par the Lord All-Powerful, will win.\par At that time, he will give the punishment\par that they deserve.\par The Lord’s enemies will get the punishment\par that they should have.\par The sword will kill until it is finished.\par The sword will kill until it satisfies\par its thirst for blood.\par This will happen because there is a sacrifice\par for our Master, the Lord All-Powerful.\par That sacrifice is \{Egypt’s army\}\par in the land of the north,\par by the Euphrates River.\par
“That time of punishment has come like a plant sprouting, budding and flowering: \{God\} has given the signal, the enemy is prepared, the proud \{king\} (Nebuchadnezzar) is ready.
You people living in Israel, do you hear the whistle? The enemy is coming. That time of punishment is coming very soon! The noise of the enemy is getting louder and louder on the mountains.
Be sad! Why? Because the Lord’s special day is near. At that time, punishment will come like an attack from God All-Powerful.
The Lord calls loudly to his army.\par His camp is very large.\par That army obeys his commands.\par That army is very powerful.\par The Lord’s special day\par is a great and terrible day.\par No person can stop it.\par
The sun will be changed into darkness,\par The moon will be changed into blood.\par And then the great and wonderful\par Day of the Lord will come!\par
And when a person dies, a relative will come to get the body so he can take it out and burn it. {\cf2\super [81]} The relative will come to take away the bones. He will call to any person who might be hiding way back in the house, “Are there any other \{dead bodies\} in there with you?”
The temple {\cf2\super [99]} songs will become sad funeral songs. The Lord my Master said those things. There will be dead bodies everywhere. In silence, people will take out the dead bodies and throw them \{onto the pile\}.” {\cf2\super [100]}
\{But the Lord is different\}! The Lord is in his holy temple. So all the earth should be silent and show respect in front of the Lord.
The Lord’s special day for judging is coming soon! That day is near and coming fast. People will hear very sad sounds on the Lord’s special day of judgment. Even strong soldiers will cry!
Look, the Lord has a special day for judging. And the wealth you have taken will be divided in your city.
Everyone, be quiet!\par The Lord is coming out of his holy house.\par
“That time of judgment is coming. It will be like a hot furnace. All those proud people will be punished. All those evil people will burn like straw. At that time, they will be like a bush burning in the fire—and there will not be a branch or root left.” The Lord All-Powerful said these things.
“Then the king sent some more servants. The king said to the servants, ‘I have already invited those people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’
These things the law {\cf2\super [28]} says are for the people that are under the law. This stops all \{Jewish\} people from making excuses and brings the whole world (Jews and non-Jews) under God’s judgment.
\{Don’t ask that.\} You are only people. And people have no right to question God. A clay jar does not question the man that made it. The jar does not say, “Why did you make me like this?”
Let all people see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon.
and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have the things he prepared for you. He has prepared these things for all his people who live in the light (good).
Samuel answered, “Yes, I come in peace. I come to make a sacrifice [144] to the Lord. Prepare yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Samuel prepared Jesse and his sons. Then Samuel invited them to come and share the sacrifice.
That day Saul said nothing. He thought, “Maybe something happened to David so that he is not clean. [175] ”