After Being Warned, These Nations Chose to Worship False gods |
Zephaniah 3:1-20 The Book of Zephaniah [in Smaller Chunks] |
Woe to her, the oppressing city, [who] is filthy & [defiled!] She [didn't] obey His voice; & she didn't [receive] correction. She [didn't] trust in the Lord; & she [didn't] draw near to her God. Within her, her princes are roaring lions & her judges are wolves [of the] night. They [don't] gnaw the bones, [until] the [next day.] |
[Micah 3:9-12 I pray [that] you hear this, you [leaders] of the house of Jacob, & princes of the house of Israel, [who loathe justice, & divert] all equity. They build up Zion with [bloodshed,] & Jerusalem with [sinfulness.] |
The [leaders of it,] judge for reward, [a.k.a. bribes,] & the priests [of it] teach for [pay,] & the prophets [of it] divine for money. They will [still rely] on the Lord, & say, Isn't the Lord among us? [No] evil can come upon us. |
Therefore, Zion shall be plowed [like] a field, for your sake, & Jerusalem shall become [ruinous] heaps. And the mountain of the [Lord's] house, [shall become] [like] the high places of the forest.] |
Her prophets are [shallow] & treacherous [people.] Her priests have [defiled] the sanctuary & they have done violence to the Law. [Ezekiel 22:26-27 Her priests have violated My Law, & have profaned [My] holy things. They have put no difference between the holy & the [wicked.] |
Neither have they [declared] a difference between the unclean & the clean, & have [hidden] their eyes from My Sabbaths. And I Am [defiled] among them. In the midst [of it,] her princes are like [ravenous] wolves [raveging] the prey, to: shed blood; to destroy [lives;] & to get dishonest gain.] |
In [its] midst, The Lord is just, [a.k.a. impartial,] & He won't do [what is:] sinful. He [brings] His [justice] to light every morning. He [doesn't] fail, but the unjust, [a.k.a. unfair,] know no shame. I have cut off the nations & their towers are desolate. I made their streets [empty, so] that [no one] passes by. |
Their cities are destroyed, so that there isn't [any] man & [no inhabitants.] I said, Surely you will fear [respect] Me, & you will receive instruction; so [its] dwellings [wouldn't] be cut off. [Whichever way that] I punished them: they [still] rose early, & corrupted all their [actions.] |
[Jeremiah 8:5-6 Then, why [have] this people of Jerusalem [backslid with continual] backsliding? They hold [tight] [to] deceit & they refuse to return. I [paid attention] & heard, but they [didn't speak] [what is] right & no man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his [own] course, [like] the horse rushes into the battle.] |
Therefore, the Lord says, You, wait upon Me, until the day that I rise up to [plunder.] For My [decision] is to gather the nations, [so] that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour [out] My indignation, [a.k.a. anger provoked by unfair treatment,] even My fierce anger, upon them. |
For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. [Ezekiel 23:37-39 They have committed adultery, & blood is [on] their hands. And they have committed adultery with their idols. And have also caused their sons, whom they [bore] to Me, to pass through the fire, to devour them, for [idols.] |
[Additionally,] they have done this to Me. They have defiled My sanctuary [on] the same day, & have profaned My Sabbaths. For when they had [sacrificed] their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to [defile] it. And, [look,] they have done [this] in the midst of [My] house.] |
For then, I will [restore] a pure language to the people, [so] that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord, to serve HIm with one [accord, a.k.a. in agreement.] From beyond [Ethiopia's] rivers, My [petitioners,] even the daughter of My dispersed, shall bring [My] offering. |
[Ephesians 2:19 Therefore, now, you are no [longer] strangers & foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, & [those] of the household of God.] |
[On] that day, you shall not be ashamed for all your [deeds, in which] you [have sinned] against Me. For I will then take away [from] the midst of you, [all] [those, who] rejoice in your pride. And because of My holy mountain, you shall no [longer] be [wicked.] |
[Isaiah 5:15-16 And the mean man shall be brought down, & the mighty man shall be humbled, & the eyes of the [arrogant] shall be humbled. But the Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment, & God, [Who] Is Holy, shall be sanctified in righteousness.] |
I will also leave in the midst of you, an afflicted & poor people, & they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. [Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the 1/3 [portion] through the fire, & will refine them [like] silver is refined, & will [test] them [like] gold is [tested.] They shall call on My Name, & I will hear them. I will say, It is My people, & they shall say, The Lord is my God.] |
The [rest] of Israel shall [not sin,] nor speak lies. Neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; [because] they shall [eat] & lie down, & [no one] shall make them afraid. |
[Isaiah 10:20-22 And it shall [happen on] that day, that the [rest] of Israel, & [those, who] escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no [longer rely] on him, [who struck] them again; but shall [rely] upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in Truth. |
The [rest] shall return, even the [rest] of Jacob, [a.k.a. Israel,] to the mighty God. For [although] Your people, Israel [are like] the sand of the sea, [still the rest] of them shall return. The [destruction] decreed, shall [now] overflow with righteousness.] |
O daughter of Zion, sing. O Israel, shout; & be glad. O daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice with all [your] heart. The Lord has taken away your judgments & He has [thrown] out the enemy. The King of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of you & you shall not see evil anymore. |
[Revelation 7:14-16 And I said to him, Sir, you [know.] And he said to me, These are [those, who] came out of great tribulation, & have washed their robes, & made them white in the blood of the Lamb. |
Therefore, they are [in front of] the throne of God, & serve Him day & night in His temple. And He, [Who] sits on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall no [longer] hunger, & neither thirst anymore. Neither shall the sun, nor any heat [scorch] them.] |
[On] that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem, You [don't] hear. And to Zion, [Don't] let your hands be [weak.] [Isaiah 35:3-4 You, strengthen the weak hands, & [make firm] the feeble knees. |
Say to [those with] fearful [hearts,] Be strong & [don't] fear. [Look,] your God will come with vengeance, even God with a [repayment.] He will come & save you.] |
In the midst of you, the Lord your God is mighty. He will save & He will rejoice over you with joy. He will rest in His love, with singing. And He will [rejoice] over you. I will gather [those] of you, who are [repentant,] to whom the [disgrace] of it was a burden, for the solemn assembly. |
[Watch,] at that time, I will undo all [that's] afflicted you. And I will save [those, who] [are] [lame] & gather [those who were] driven out. And I will get praise & fame [for] them in every land, where they have been put to shame. |
At that time, I will [return] you again, even in the time that I gather you. For when I [return] [you] back [from] your captivity, I will make you a name [of] praise among all people of the earth, before your eyes, says the Lord. |
[Jeremiah 30:3 For the Lord says, [Look,] the days come that I will bring [back] again, [those from] the captivity of My people: Israel & Judah, says the Lord. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their [forefathers,] & they shall possess it.] |