So the Lord brought commanders from the king of Assyria’s army to attack Judah. Those commanders captured Manasseh and made him their prisoner. They put hooks in him and brass chains on his hands and took him to the country of Babylon.
Zephaniah 3:7 - Easy To Read Version I tell you these things so you will learn a lesson. I want you to fear and respect me. If you do this, then your home won’t be destroyed. If you do this, then I won’t have to punish you the way I planned.” But those bad people only wanted to do more of the same bad things they had already done! Tuilleadh leaganachaKing James Version (Oxford) 1769 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings. Amplified Bible - Classic Edition I said, Only let her [reverently and worshipfully] fear Me, receive correction and instruction, and [Jerusalem's] dwelling shall not be cut off. However, I have punished her [according to all that I have appointed concerning her in the way of punishment], but all the more they are eager to make all their doings corrupt and infamous. American Standard Version (1901) I said, Only fear thou me; receive correction; so her dwelling shall not be cut off, according to all that I have appointed concerning her: but they rose early and corrupted all their doings. Common English Bible I said, “Surely, she will fear me; she will take instruction so that her habitation won’t be cut off because of everything I did to her.” However, they rose early to corrupt their deeds. Catholic Public Domain Version I said: Nevertheless, you will fear me; you will accept discipline. And her dwelling place will not perish, despite all the things about which I have visited her. Yet truly, they arose with the dawn and corrupted all their thoughts. Douay-Rheims version of The Bible - 1752 version I said: Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive correction: and her dwelling shall not perish, for all things wherein I have visited her: but they rose early and corrupted all their thoughts. |
So the Lord brought commanders from the king of Assyria’s army to attack Judah. Those commanders captured Manasseh and made him their prisoner. They put hooks in him and brass chains on his hands and took him to the country of Babylon.
God will force those people\par to listen to his warning.\par He will command them to stop sinning.\par
\{The Lord says,\}\par “I will teach you and guide you\par on the way you should live.\par I will protect you and be your guide.\par
What more could I do for my field of grapes?\par I did everything I could.\par I hoped for good grapes to grow.\par But there were only bad grapes.\par Why did that happen?\par
The Lord said,\par “These are my people.\par These are my real children.”\par So the Lord saved those people.\par
But your ancestors did not obey me. They did not pay attention to me. Your ancestors were very stubborn. I punished them, but it did not do any good. They did not listen to me.
Those prophets said, “Change your lives! Stop doing those bad things! If you change, then you can return to the land which the Lord gave you and your ancestors {\cf2\super [200]} long ago. He gave you this land to live in forever.
Maybe the family of Judah will hear what I am planning to do to them. And maybe they will stop doing bad things. If they will do that, I will forgive them for the bad sins they have done.”
Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “The Lord God All-Powerful is the God of Israel. The Lord says, ‘If you surrender to the officials of the king of Babylon, your life will be saved and Jerusalem will not be burned down. And you and your family will live.
Listen to this warning, Jerusalem.\par If you don’t listen\par then I will turn my back on you.\par I will make your land an empty desert.\par No person will be able to live there.”\par
If you obey me, I will let you live in this place. I gave this land to your ancestors {\cf2\super [55]} for them to keep forever.
I have listened to them very carefully.\par But they don’t say what is right.\par The people are not sorry for their sins.\par The people don’t think about the bad things they have done.\par The people do things without thinking.\par They are like horses running into a battle.\par
The Israelites have gone deep into ruin like in the time of Gibeah. {\cf2\super [91]} The Lord will remember the Israelites’ sins. He will punish their sins.
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.
So be careful! Don’t sin and destroy yourselves by making false gods or statues in the shape of any living thing. Don’t make an idol that looks like a man or a woman.
The goal of this command is for people to have love. To have this love people must have a pure heart, they must do what they know is right, and they must have true faith.
The Lord is not being slow in doing what he promised—the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. God doesn’t want any person to be lost. God wants every person to change his heart and stop sinning.