Zephaniah 3:2 - Easy To Read Version Your people didn’t listen to me! They didn’t accept my teachings. Jerusalem didn’t trust the Lord. Jerusalem didn’t go to her God. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in the LORD; she drew not near to her God. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition She did not listen to and heed the voice [of God]; she accepted no correction or instruction; she trusted not in the Lord [nor leaned on or was confident in Him, but was confident in her own wealth]; she drew not near to her God [but to the god of Baal or Molech]. American Standard Version (1901) She obeyed not the voice; she received not correction; she trusted not in Jehovah; she drew not near to her God. Common English Bible She listened to no voice; she accepted no discipline. She didn’t trust in the LORD, nor did she draw near to her God. Catholic Public Domain Version She has not heeded the voice, nor has she accepted discipline. She has not trusted in the Lord; she did not draw near to her God. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version She hath not hearkened to the voice, neither hath she received discipline: she hath not trusted in the Lord, she drew not near to her God. |
And then they turned against you!\par They threw away your teachings!\par They killed your prophets.\par Those prophets warned the people.\par They tried to bring them back to you.\par But our ancestors {\cf2\super [55]} did terrible things\par against you!\par
Bad people are too proud to follow God.\par They make all their evil plans.\par And they act like there is no God.\par
So why do you hate it when I correct you?\par Why do you ignore the things I say?\par
As for me, I have come to God.\par And that is good for me.\par I have made the Lord my Master\par my place of safety.\par God, I have come to tell about\par all the things you have done.\par
Why? Because the people did not trust him.\par They did not believe God could save them.\par
The first thing a person must learn is to respect and obey the Lord—that leads to true wisdom. But evil people hate discipline and true wisdom.
\{God says,\} “Why should I continue to punish you people? \{I punished you, but you did not change.\} You continue to rebel against me. Now every head and every heart is sick.
My Master says, “These people say they love me. They show honor to me with words from their mouths. But their hearts are far from me. The honor they show me is nothing but human rules they have memorized.
Look at the people going down to Egypt for help. The people ask for horses. They think horses will save them. The people hope the chariots {\cf2\super [289]} and horse soldiers from Egypt will protect them. The people think they are safe because that army is very big. The people don’t trust the Holy One of Israel (God). The people don’t ask the Lord for help.
“Jacob, you did not pray to me. Why? Because you, Israel, have become tired of me.
The Lord will bring the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west. Those enemies will defeat Israel with their armies. But the Lord will still be angry with Israel. The Lord will still be ready to punish the people.
These are the things that will happen to you.\par This is your part in my plans.”\par
“I punished you people of Judah,\par but it did not help.\par You did not come back when you were punished.\par You killed with your swords the prophets that came to you.\par You were like a dangerous lion and you killed the prophets.”\par
Judah, you felt safe.\par But I warned you!\par I warned you,\par but you refused to listen.\par You have lived like this\par from the time you were young.\par And from the time you were young,\par you have not obeyed me, Judah.\par
“Those people should have come to me for help. But they turned their backs to me. I tried to teach those people again and again. But they would not listen to me. I tried to correct them, but they would not listen.
The Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: “Jeremiah, go and tell this message to the men of Judah and to the people of Jerusalem: You people should learn a lesson and obey my message.” This message is from the Lord.
So the Lord God All-Powerful, the God of Israel, says: “I said many bad things would happen to Judah and Jerusalem. I will soon make all those bad things happen. I spoke to those people, but they refused to listen. I called out to them, but they didn’t answer me.”
Lord, I know that you want people\par to be loyal to you.\par You hit the people of Judah,\par but they did not feel any pain.\par You destroyed them,\par but they refused to learn their lesson.\par They became very stubborn.\par They refused to be sorry\par for the bad things they did.\par
“Son of man, {\cf2\super [174]} speak to Israel. Tell her that she is not pure. {\cf2\super [175]} I am angry at that country, so that country has not received its rain.
“‘You sinned against me\par and became stained with sin.\par I wanted to wash you and make you clean.\par But the stains would not come out.\par I won’t try washing you again\par until my hot anger is finished with you!\par
Some people turned away from the Lord. They quit following me. Those people stopped asking the Lord for help. So I will remove those people from that place.”
We have been cleansed and made free from feelings of guilt. And our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere (true) heart, feeling sure because of our faith.