Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, August 19th, 2025
the Week of Proper 15 / Ordinary 20
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Zephaniah 1:6

They have turned away from me, the Lord . They have stopped following me. They no longer ask me, the Lord , for help."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostasy;   Backsliders;   Prayerlessness;   Thompson Chain Reference - Backsliders;   Deterioration-Development;   Earnestness-Indifference;   Prayer;   Prayerlessness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Apostates;   Seeking God;  

Dictionaries:

- Easton Bible Dictionary - Baal;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Baal (1);   Zephaniah;   Zephaniah, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Milcom;   Zephaniah, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Malcam;   Zephaniah (1);   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Day of Judgment;   Smith Bible Dictionary - House;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Apostasy;   Josiah;   Zephaniah, Book of;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
and those who turn back from following the Lord,who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.
Hebrew Names Version
those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who haven't sought the LORD nor inquired after him.
King James Version (1611)
And them that are turned backe from the Lord, & those that haue not sought ye Lord, nor enquired for him.
King James Version
And them that are turned back from the Lord ; and those that have not sought the Lord , nor enquired for him.
English Standard Version
those who have turned back from following the Lord , who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him."
New American Standard Bible
And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD nor inquired of Him."
New Century Version
and those who turned away from the Lord , and those who quit following the Lord and praying to him for direction.
Amplified Bible
And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD [as their most important need] or inquired of Him."
Geneva Bible (1587)
And them that are turned backe from the Lord, and those that haue not sought the Lorde, nor inquired for him.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And those who have turned back from following the LORD, And those who have not sought the LORD or inquired of Him."
Legacy Standard Bible
And those who have turned back from following Yahweh,And those who have not sought Yahweh or inquired of Him."
Berean Standard Bible
and those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of Him."
Contemporary English Version
Nothing will remain of anyone who has turned away and rejected me.
Complete Jewish Bible
those who turned away from following Adonai , and those who haven't sought Adonai or consulted him at all."
Darby Translation
and them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.
George Lamsa Translation
And those who are turned back from the LORD; and those who have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
Good News Translation
I will destroy those who have turned back and no longer follow me, those who do not come to me or ask me to guide them."
Lexham English Bible
and those who turned back from following Yahweh, and who did not seek Yahweh, and did not inquire of him."
Literal Translation
and those drawing back from after Jehovah, and who have not sought Jehovah, nor asked of Him.
American Standard Version
and them that are turned back from following Jehovah; and those that have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him.
Bible in Basic English
And those who are turned back from going after the Lord, and those who have not made prayer to the Lord or got directions from him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Them also that are turned back from following the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired after Him.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which start backe from the Lorde, and neither seke after the Lorde nor regard hym.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
and them that turn aside from the Lord, and them that seek not the Lord, and them that cleave not to the Lord.
English Revised Version
and them that are turned back from following the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired after him.
World English Bible
those who have turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven't sought Yahweh nor inquired after him.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and whiche ben turned awei bihynde the bak of the Lord, and whiche `souyten not the Lord, nether enserchiden hym.
Update Bible Version
and those that have turned back from following Yahweh; and those that have not sought Yahweh, nor inquired after him.
Webster's Bible Translation
And them that have turned back from the LORD; and [those] that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired for him.
New English Translation
and those who turn their backs on the Lord and do not want the Lord 's help or guidance."
New King James Version
Those who have turned back from following the LORD, And have not sought the LORD, nor inquired of Him."
New Living Translation
And I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do. They no longer ask for the Lord 's guidance or seek my blessings."
New Life Bible
I will destroy those who have turned back from following the Lord, and those who have not looked for the Lord or prayed to Him."
New Revised Standard
those who have turned back from following the Lord , who have not sought the Lord or inquired of him.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And them who turn away from following Yahweh, - and have neither sought Yahweh, nor enquired for him.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And them that turn away from following after the Lord, and that have not sought the Lord, nor searched after him.
Revised Standard Version
those who have turned back from following the LORD, who do not seek the LORD or inquire of him."
Young's Literal Translation
And those removing from after Jehovah, And who have not sought Jehovah, nor besought Him.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which starte a backe from ye LORDE, and nether seke after the LORDE, ner regarde him.

Contextual Overview

1 This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah. He received this message during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. Zephaniah was the son of Cushi, who was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Hezekiah. 2 The Lord says, "I will destroy everything on earth. 3 I will destroy all the people and all the animals. I will destroy the birds in the air and the fish in the sea. I will destroy the evil people and everything that makes them sin. I will remove all people from the earth." This is what the Lord said. 4 "I will punish Judah and the people living in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place any signs of Baal worship. No one will remember the priests who serve the idols there. 5 And those who go up on their roofs to worship the stars will be forgotten. They worship me, the Lord , but they also use the name of the false god Milcom to make promises. 6 They have turned away from me, the Lord . They have stopped following me. They no longer ask me, the Lord , for help."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

turned: 1 Samuel 15:11, Psalms 36:3, Psalms 125:5, Isaiah 1:4, Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 2:17, Jeremiah 3:10, Jeremiah 15:6, Ezekiel 3:20, Hosea 4:15, Hosea 4:16, Hosea 11:7, Hebrews 10:38, Hebrews 10:39, 2 Peter 2:18-22

and those: Psalms 10:4, Psalms 14:2, Psalms 14:3, Isaiah 43:22, Hosea 7:7, Romans 3:11, Hebrews 2:3

Reciprocal: Joshua 23:12 - go back Ruth 1:15 - gone back 2 Samuel 22:22 - have not Job 15:4 - castest off Job 23:11 - his way Job 34:27 - turned Psalms 44:18 - heart Psalms 53:3 - Every Psalms 101:3 - them Psalms 119:10 - my whole Proverbs 2:13 - leave Proverbs 14:14 - backslider Proverbs 21:16 - wandereth Jeremiah 10:25 - call Jeremiah 11:10 - turned Jeremiah 18:10 - do Jeremiah 34:11 - General Ezekiel 18:24 - when Hosea 4:10 - left Amos 5:7 - leave Luke 11:26 - and the John 6:66 - of his Colossians 1:23 - ye continue 2 Thessalonians 1:8 - that know 2 Peter 2:21 - to turn Revelation 3:15 - thou

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.
Genesis 1:6
Then God said, "Let there be a space to separate the water into two parts!"
Genesis 1:7
So God made the space and separated the water. Some of the water was above it, and some of the water was below it.
Genesis 1:8
God named that space "sky." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the second day.
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth grow grass, plants that make grain, and fruit trees. The fruit trees will make fruit with seeds in it. And each plant will make its own kind of seed. Let these plants grow on the earth." And it happened.
Genesis 1:12
The earth grew grass and plants that made grain. And it grew trees that made fruit with seeds in it. Every plant made its own kind of seeds. And God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:13
There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the third day.
Genesis 1:14
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky. These lights will separate the days from the nights. They will be used for signs to show when special meetings begin and to show the days and years.
Genesis 1:20
Then God said, "Let the water be filled with many living things, and let there be birds to fly in the air over the earth."
Genesis 1:22
God blessed all the living things in the sea and told them to have many babies and fill the seas. And he blessed the birds on land and told them to have many more babies.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And them that are turned back from the Lord,.... Who once were worshippers of him, but now become apostates, and had turned their backs on him and his worship. Some think this describes those who renewed their covenant with God in Josiah's time, and after that revolted from him, who must be very abominable to him; and therefore he threatens to stretch out his hand, and pour out his wrath upon them:

and [those] that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him; profane abandoned sinners, that lived without God in the world, and as if there was no God; never concerned themselves about the worship of him, having no faith in him, love to him, or fear and reverence of him; so far were they from seeking him in the first place diligently, zealously, and with their whole heart, that they never sought him at all; nor took any pains to get any knowledge of him, or of his mind and will, and manner of worship; but were altogether careless about these things, and unconcerned for them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And them that are turned back from - (Literally, have turned themselves back from following after) the Lord From this half-service, the prophet goes on to the avowed neglect of God, by such as wholly fall away from Him, not setting His will or law before them, “but turning away from” Him. It is their misery that they were set in the right way once, but themselves “turned themselves back,” now no longer “following” God, but “their own lusts, drawn away and enticed” James 1:14 by them. How much more Christians, before whose eyes Christ Jesus is set forth, not as a Redeemer only but as an Example that they should “follow His steps!” 1 Peter 2:21.

And those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for Him - This is marked to be a distinct class. “And those who.” These did not openly break with God, or turn away overtly from Him; they kept (as men think) on good terms with Him, but, like “the slothful servant,” rendered Him a listless heartless service. Both words express diligent search. God is not found then in a careless way. They who “seek” Him not “diligently” Matthew 2:8, do not find Him. “Strive,” our Lord says, “to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able” Luke 13:24. She who had lost the one piece of silver, “sought” “diligently” Luke 15:8, until she had found it.

Thus, he has gone through the whole cycle. First, that most horrible and cruel worship of Baal, the idolatrous priests and those who had the name of priests only, mingled with them, yet not openly apostatizing; then the milder form of idolatry, the star-worshipers; then those who would unite the worship of God with idols, who held themselves to be worshipers of God, but whose real king was their idol; then those who openly abandoned God; and lastly those who held with Him, just to satisfy their conscience-qualms, but with no heart-service. And so, in words of Habakkuk and in reminiscence of his awful summons of the whole world before God, he sums up;

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 6. Them that are turned back — Who have forsaken the true God, and become idolaters.

Nor inquired for him — Have not desired to know his will.


 
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