The Holy One (God) of Israel says, “You people have refused to accept this message from the Lord. You people want to depend on fighting and lies to help you.
Zephaniah 3:1 - Easy To Read Version Jerusalem, your people fought against God! Your people hurt other people, and you have been stained with sin! Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Woe to her that is filthy and polluted, to the oppressing city! Amplified Bible - Classic Edition WOE TO her that is rebellious and polluted, the oppressing city [Jerusalem]! American Standard Version (1901) Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted! to the oppressing city! Common English Bible Doom, obstinate one, the defiled one, the violent city. Catholic Public Domain Version Woe to the provocatrix and the redeemed city, the dove. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Woe to the provoking, and redeemed city, the dove. |
The Holy One (God) of Israel says, “You people have refused to accept this message from the Lord. You people want to depend on fighting and lies to help you.
The field of grapes that belongs to the Lord All-Powerful is the nation of Israel. The grapevine—the plant the Lord loves—is the man of Judah. {\cf2\super [48]}
We sinned and turned against the Lord.\par We turned away from him and left him.\par We planned evil things.\par We planned things that are against God.\par We have thought of these things\par and planned them in our hearts.\par
These webs can’t be used for clothes. You can’t cover yourself with those webs.
“Jehoiakim, your eyes look\par only for what benefits yourself.\par You are always thinking about\par getting more for yourself.\par You are willing to kill innocent people.\par You are willing to steal things\par from other people.”\par
But the people of Judah are stubborn.\par They are always planning ways\par to turn against me.\par They turned away from me\par and left me.\par
This is what the Lord All-Powerful says:\par “Cut down the trees around Jerusalem.\par And build a siege mound {\cf2\super [40]} against it.\par This city should be punished.\par Inside this city is nothing but oppression.\par
A well keeps its water fresh.\par In the same way,\par Jerusalem keeps its wickedness fresh.\par I hear about the looting and violence\par in this city all the time.\par I see the pain and sickness in Jerusalem\par all the time.\par
“The common people take advantage of each other. They cheat and steal from each other. They get rich by taking advantage of poor helpless beggars. And they really cheat the foreigners-they are not fair to them at all!
People in Jerusalem don’t respect their parents. They hurt foreigners in that city. They cheat orphans and widows {\cf2\super [170]} in that place.
“I asked the people to \{change their lives and\} protect their country. I asked people to fix the walls. I wanted them to stand by those holes in the wall and fight to protect their city. But no person came to help!
The priest must remove the bird’s crop [8] and feathers and throw them on the east side of the altar. This is the place where they put the ashes from the altar.
Listen to me, you cows of Bashan {\cf2\super [48]} on Samaria’s mountain. You hurt poor people. You crush those poor people. You tell your husbands, {\cf2\super [49]} “Bring us something to drink!”
They want fields,\par so they take them.\par They want houses,\par so they take them.\par They cheat a man\par and take his house.\par They cheat a man\par and take his land from him.\par
Don’t hurt widows and orphans, {\cf2\super [19]} \par strangers, or poor people.\par Don’t even think of doing bad things\par to each other!”\par
Then I will come to you—and I will do the right thing. I will be like a person that is ready to tell the judge about the bad things people did. Some people do evil magic. Some people do the sin of adultery. {\cf2\super [19]} Some people make false promises. Some people cheat their workers—they don’t pay them the money they promised. People don’t help widows and orphans. {\cf2\super [20]} People don’t help strangers. People don’t respect me!” The Lord All-Powerful said these things.