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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Zephaniah 3:4

Jerusalem's prophets are proud and not to be trusted. The priests have disgraced the place of worship and abused God's Law.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Minister, Christian;   Thompson Chain Reference - Corrupt Priests;   Defilement-Cleansing;   False;   House of God;   Leaders;   Pollutions;   Priests;   Prophets;   Religious;   Temple;   Wicked, the;   The Topic Concordance - Priests;   Prophecy and Prophets;   Unjustness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Defilement;   Prophets, False;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Priest;   Ruler;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Amon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Zephaniah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Zephaniah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Prophecy, Prophets;   Zephaniah (1);  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Person;   Zephaniah, Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for February 19;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Her prophets are reckless—treacherous men.Her priests profane the sanctuary;they do violence to instruction.
Hebrew Names Version
Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her Kohanim have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.
King James Version (1611)
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie, they haue done violence to the Law.
King James Version
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
English Standard Version
Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.
New American Standard Bible
Her prophets are insolent, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the Law.
New Century Version
Its prophets are proud; they are people who cannot be trusted. Its priests don't respect holy things; they break God's teachings.
Amplified Bible
Her prophets are reckless and treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary; They have done violence to the law [by pretending their word is God's word].
Geneva Bible (1587)
Her prophets are light, and wicked persons: her priests haue polluted the Sanctuarie: they haue wrested the Lawe.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.
Legacy Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men;Her priests have profaned the sanctuary.They have done violence to the law.
Berean Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.
Complete Jewish Bible
Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; her cohanim profane the holy and do violence to Torah.
Darby Translation
Her prophets are vain-glorious, treacherous persons; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law.
Easy-to-Read Version
Her prophets are always making secret plans to get more and more. Her priests have treated holy things as if they were not holy. They have done bad things to God's teachings.
George Lamsa Translation
Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
Good News Translation
The prophets are irresponsible and treacherous; the priests defile what is sacred, and twist the law of God to their own advantage.
Lexham English Bible
Her prophets are arrogant men of treachery; her priests have defiled that which is holy; they do violence to the law.
Literal Translation
Her prophets are proud, men of deceit; her priests have profaned the sanctuary; they have done violence to the Law.
American Standard Version
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
Bible in Basic English
Her prophets are good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy place unclean and have gone violently against the law.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the law.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Her prophetes are light persons & vnfaythful men, her priestes haue polluted the sanctuarie, & haue wrested the law.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Her prophets are light and scornful men: her priests profane the holy things, and sinfully transgress the law.
English Revised Version
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
World English Bible
Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Profetis therof weren woode, vnfeithful men; prestis therof defouliden hooli thing, thei diden vniustli ayens the lawe.
Update Bible Version
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
Webster's Bible Translation
Her prophets are light [and] treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
New English Translation
Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God's laws.
New King James Version
Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have done violence to the law.
New Living Translation
Its prophets are arrogant liars seeking their own gain. Its priests defile the Temple by disobeying God's instructions.
New Life Bible
Her men who tell what is going to happen in the future are proud and cannot be trusted. Her religious leaders have made the holy place unclean. They have turned in anger against the Law.
New Revised Standard
Its prophets are reckless, faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is sacred, they have done violence to the law.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Her prophets, are reckless, treacherous men! her priests, have profaned the holy, done violence to law.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Her prophets are senseless, men without faith: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have acted unjustly against the law.
Revised Standard Version
Her prophets are wanton, faithless men; her priests profane what is sacred, they do violence to the law.
Young's Literal Translation
Her prophets unstable -- men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Hir prophetes are light personnes and vn faithfull men: hir prestes vnhalowe the Sanctuary, and do wronge vnder the pretence of the lawe.

Contextual Overview

1 Too bad for that disgusting, corrupt, and lawless city! 2 Forever rebellious and rejecting correction, Jerusalem refuses to trust or obey the Lord God. 3 Its officials are roaring lions, its judges are wolves; in the evening they attack, by morning nothing is left. 4 Jerusalem's prophets are proud and not to be trusted. The priests have disgraced the place of worship and abused God's Law. 5 All who do evil are shameless, but the Lord does right and is always fair. With the dawn of each day, God brings about justice. 6 The Lord wiped out nations and left fortresses crumbling in the dirt. Their streets and towns were reduced to ruins and emptied of people. 7 God felt certain that Jerusalem would learn to respect and obey him. Then he would hold back from punishing the city and not wipe it out. But everyone there was eager to start sinning again.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

light: Isaiah 9:15, Isaiah 56:10-12, Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 6:13, Jeremiah 6:14, Jeremiah 8:10, Jeremiah 14:13-15, Jeremiah 23:9-17, Jeremiah 23:25-27, Jeremiah 23:32, Jeremiah 27:14, Jeremiah 27:15, Lamentations 2:14, Ezekiel 13:3-16, Hosea 9:7, Micah 2:11, Micah 3:5, Micah 3:6, Matthew 7:15, 2 Corinthians 11:13, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 John 4:1, Revelation 19:20

her priests: 1 Samuel 2:12-17, 1 Samuel 2:22, Ezekiel 22:26, Ezekiel 44:7, Ezekiel 44:8, Hosea 4:6-8, Malachi 2:8

Reciprocal: 2 Chronicles 36:14 - all the chief Isaiah 59:6 - their works Jeremiah 9:2 - an assembly Jeremiah 23:1 - pastors Jeremiah 23:11 - both Jeremiah 23:14 - in the Jeremiah 26:7 - General Jeremiah 29:23 - and have Jeremiah 34:19 - princes Lamentations 4:13 - the sins Ezekiel 7:23 - for Ezekiel 13:2 - prophesy against Ezekiel 22:12 - taken gifts Ezekiel 22:28 - seeing Ezekiel 34:2 - Woe Ezekiel 44:10 - the Levites Ezekiel 44:23 - General 1 Corinthians 3:17 - any 2 Corinthians 1:17 - lightness

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."
Deuteronomy 29:19
You may be an Israelite and know all about the Lord 's agreement with us, but he won't bless you if you rebel against him. You may think you can get away with it, but you will cause the rest of Israel to be punished along with you.
2 Kings 1:4
Tell him that because he has done this, he's on his deathbed! And Elijah did what he was told.
2 Kings 1:6
"A man met us along the road with a message for you from the Lord ," they answered. "The Lord wants to know why you sent us to ask Baalzebub about your injury and why you don't believe there's a God in Israel. The man also told us that the Lord says you're going to die."
2 Kings 1:16
When Elijah arrived, he told Ahaziah, "The Lord wants to know why you sent messengers to Ekron to ask Baalzebub about your injury. Don't you believe there's a God in Israel? Ahaziah, because you did that, the Lord says you will die."
2 Kings 8:10
"Tell him he will," Elisha said to Hazael. "But the Lord has already told me that Benhadad will definitely die."
Psalms 10:11
They say, "God can't see! He's got on a blindfold."
2 Corinthians 2:11
I have done this to keep Satan from getting the better of us. We all know what goes on in his mind.
2 Corinthians 11:3
But now I fear that you will be tricked, just as Eve was tricked by that lying snake. I am afraid that you might stop thinking about Christ in an honest and sincere way.
1 Timothy 2:14
and the man Adam wasn't the one who was fooled. It was the woman Eve who was completely fooled and sinned.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Her prophets [are] light [and treacherous persons,.... The false prophets, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it: these seem to design the lawyers spoken of in the New Testament, whose business it was to interpret the law to the people; these were "light" men, good for nothing, of no worth and value; light in knowledge, as Kimchi gives the sense of the word; men of no brains; empty headed men, that had no substantial knowledge; giddy, unstable, and inconstant, and compliant with the humours and vices of the people; men of no gravity in their countenance, speech, and conversation. Schultens a, from the use of the word in the Arabic language, renders it "proud", as these men were, proud boasters; for, though they had but a superficial knowledge of things, they boasted of much, and carried it with a haughty and insolent air to the common people: and they were "treacherous" to God, and to his truths, and to the souls of men, and took away the key of knowledge from them; and particularly were so to Christ, of whom they were the betrayers and murderers, delivering him up into the hands of the Gentiles to be scourged and crucified, Matthew 20:18:

her priests have polluted the sanctuary; the temple; by selling, or suffering to be sold in it, various things, whereby it became a den of thieves, which once was called a house of prayer, Matthew 21:12 and also our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the sanctuary or temple was a type, by denying, blaspheming, and reproaching him, and by shedding his blood:

they have done violence to the law; by not teaching it as they should; and by their false glosses, senses, and interpretations of it; and by the traditions of the elders they preferred unto it, and whereby they made it void; see Matthew 5:1 and Matthew 15:1.

a Animadv. Philol. in Job, p. 144.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Her prophets are light - , boiling and bubbling, up, like water boiling over , empty boasters claiming the gift of prophecy, which they have not; “boldly and rashly pouring out what they willed as they willed;” promising good things which shall not be. So they are “her” prophets, to whom they “prophesy smooth things” (see Micah 2:11), “the prophets of this people” not the prophets of God; “treacherous persons” (literally, men of treacheries) wholly given to manifold treacheries against God in whose Name they spake and to the people whom they deceived. Jerome: “They spake as if from the mouth of the Lord and uttered everything against the Lord.” “The leaders of the people,” those who profess to lead it aright, Isaiah says, “are its misleaders” (Isaiah 9:15 (Isaiah 9:16 in English)). “Thy prophets,” Jeremiah says, “have seen vain and foolish things for thee; they have seen for thee false visions and causes of banishment” Lamentations 2:14.

Her priests have polluted her sanctuary - Literally, “holiness,” and so holy rites, persons Ezra 8:28, things, places (as the sanctuary), sacrifices. All these they polluted, being themselves polluted; they polluted first themselves, then the holy things which they handled, handling them as they ought not; carelessly and irreverently, not as ordained by God; turning them to their own use and self-indulgence, instead of the glory of God; then they polluted them in the eyes of the people, “making them to abhor the offering of the Lord” 1 Samuel 2:17, since, living scandalously, they themselves regarded the Ministry entrusted to them by God so lightly. Their office was to “put difference between holy and unholy and between clean and unclean, and to teach the children all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by Moses” Leviticus 10:10-11; that they “should sanctify themselves and be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 19:2, etc.). But they on the contrary, God says by Ezekiel, “have done violence to My law and have profaned My holy things; they have made no difference between holy and profane, and have taught none between clean and unclean” Ezekiel 22:26. “Holy” and “unholy” being the contradictory of each other, these changed what God had hallowed into its exact contrary. It was not a mere short-coming, but an annihilation (so to speak), of God’s purposes.

Cyril: “The priests of the Church then must keep strict watch, not to profane holy things. There is not one mode only of profaning them, but many and divers. For priests ought to be purified both in soul and body, and to cast aside every form of abominable pleasure. Rather should they be resplendent with zeal in well-doing, remembering what Paul saith, ‘walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh’ Galatians 5:16.”

They have oppressed, done violence, to the law - Openly violating it ; or straining it, or secretly wresting and using its forms to wrong and violence, as in the case of Naboth and of Him, of whom Naboth thus far bore the Image. “‘We have a law, and by our law He ought to die’ John 19:7. Law exists to restrain human violence; these reversed God’s ordinances; violence and law changed places: first, they did violence to the majesty of the law, which was the very voice of God, and then, through profaning it, did violence to man. Forerunners herein of those, who, when Christ came, “transgressed the commandment of God, and made it of none effect by their traditions” Matthew 15:6; omitting also the weightier matters of the law, judgment and mercy and faith; full of extortion and excess!” Matthew 23:23, Matthew 23:25.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 4. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons — They have no seriousness, no deep conviction of the awful nature of their office, no concern for the immortal souls of the people. Treacherous persons - they betray the souls of the people for the sake of worldly honour, pleasure, and profit. Even in our own enlightened country we find prophets who prefer hunting the hare or the fox, and pursuing the partridge and pheasant, to visiting the sick, and going after the strayed, lost sheep of the house of Israel. Poor souls! They know neither God nor themselves; and if they did visit the sick, they could not speak to them to exhortation, edification, or comfort. God never called them to his work; therefore they know nothing of it. But O, what an account have these pleasure-taking false prophets to render to the Shepherd of souls!

They have done violence to the law. — They have forced wrong constructions on it in order to excuse themselves, and lull the people into spiritual slumber. So we find that it was an ancient practice for men to wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction.


 
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