(The head means the elders {\cf2\super [110]} and important leaders. The tail means the prophets that speak lies.)
Zephaniah 3:4 - Easy To Read Version Her prophets {\cf2\super [20]} are always making their secret plans to get more and more. Her priests have treated holy things like they are not holy. They have done bad things to God’s teachings. Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition Her prophets are light [lacking truth, gravity, and steadiness] and men of treachery; her priests have profaned the sanctuary; [defrauding God and man by pretending their own word is God's word] they have done violence to the law. [Jer. 23:11; Ezek. 22:26; Hos. 9:7.] American Standard Version (1901) Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. Common English Bible Her prophets are reckless, men of treachery. Her priests pollute that which is holy; they do violence to the Instruction. Catholic Public Domain Version Her prophets are crazed; men without faith. Her priests have polluted what is holy; they have acted unjustly against the law. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version Her prophets are senseless men without faith: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have acted unjustly against the law. |
(The head means the elders {\cf2\super [110]} and important leaders. The tail means the prophets that speak lies.)
I am against the false prophets that preach fake dreams.” This message is from the Lord. “They mislead my people with their lies and false teachings. I did not send those prophets to teach the people. I never commanded them to do anything for me. They can’t help the people of Judah at all.” This message is from the Lord.
These are the people that walked between the two pieces of the calf when they made the Agreement before me: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the important officials of the court, the priests, and the people of the land.
The prophets tell lies.\par The priests will not do\par what they were chosen to do. {\cf2\super [36]} \par And my people love it this way!\par But what will you people do\par when your punishment comes?”\par
So I will give their wives to other men.\par I will give their fields to new owners.\par All the people of Israel want\par more and more money.\par All the people,\par from the least important\par to most important people,\par are like that.\par All the people,\par from prophets to priests,\par tell lies.\par
Your prophets saw visions for you.\par But their visions were only worthless lies.\par They didn’t preach against your sins.\par They didn’t try to make things better.\par They preached messages for you,\par but they were false messages\par that fooled you.\par
“The priests have really hurt my teachings. They don’t treat my holy things right—they don’t show they are important. They treat holy things just like things that are not holy. They treat clean {\cf2\super [177]} things just like things that are unclean. They don’t teach the people about these things. They refuse to respect my special days of rest. They treat me like I am not important.
“‘Look! In Jerusalem, every ruler of Israel made himself strong so he could kill other people.
“Also, the priests must teach my people the difference between the holy things and the things that are not holy. They must help my people know what is clean and what is unclean.
The prophet says, “Israel, learn these things: The time of punishment has come. The time has come for you to pay \{for the evil things you did\}.” But the people of Israel say, “The prophet is a fool. This man with \{God’s\} Spirit is crazy.” The prophet says, “You will be punished for your bad sins. You will be punished for your hate.”
\{These people don’t want to listen to me.\}\par But if a man came telling lies\par then they would accept him.\par They would accept a false prophet\par if he comes and says,\par “There will be good times in the future,\par with plenty of wine and beer.”\par
The judges in Jerusalem accept bribes\par to help them decide who wins in court.\par The priests in Jerusalem must be paid\par before they will teach the people.\par People must pay the prophets\par before they will look into the future.\par And then those leaders expect the Lord\par to help them. They say,\par “The Lord lives here with us.\par So nothing bad will happen to us.”\par
The Lord All-Powerful said, “Children honor their father. Servants honor their masters. I am your Father, so why don’t you honor me? I am your Master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests don’t respect my name.”
A priest should know God’s teachings. People should be able to go to a priest and learn God’s teachings. A priest should be God’s messenger to the people.”
\{The Lord said,\} “But you priests stopped following me! You used the teachings to make people do wrong. You ruined the Agreement with Levi!” The Lord All-Powerful said these things!
“Be careful of false prophets. {\cf2\super [84]} They come to you and look \{gentle\} like sheep. But they are really dangerous \{like\} wolves.
These people are not true apostles. {\cf2\super [36]} They are workers who lie. And they change themselves to \{make people think they are\} apostles of Christ.
My dear friends, many false prophets {\cf2\super [14]} are in the world now. So don’t believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are from God.
But the animal was captured. Also the false prophet {\cf2\super [149]} was captured. This false prophet was the one who did the miracles {\cf2\super [150]} for the animal. The false prophet had used these miracles to trick the people who had the mark of the animal and worshiped his idol. {\cf2\super [151]} The false prophet and the animal were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
So the leaders of Shechem gave Abimelech 70 pieces of silver. That silver was from the temple of the god Baal Berith. [77] Abimelech used the silver to hire some men. These men were worthless, reckless men. They followed Abimelech wherever he went.
Eli was very old. He heard again and again about the things his sons were doing to all the Israelites at Shiloh. Eli also heard about his sons sleeping with the women who served at the door of the Meeting Tent.