Zephaniah 1:12
New International Version
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

New Living Translation
“I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the LORD will do nothing to them, either good or bad.

English Standard Version
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

Berean Standard Bible
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

King James Bible
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

New King James Version
“And it shall come to pass at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And punish the men Who are settled in complacency, Who say in their heart, ‘The LORD will not do good, Nor will He do evil.’

New American Standard Bible
“And it will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the people Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good nor harm!’

NASB 1995
“It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’

NASB 1977
“And it will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good or evil!’

Legacy Standard Bible
And it will be at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘Yahweh will not do good or evil!’

Amplified Bible
“It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps And I will punish the men Who [like old wine] are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, ‘The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.’

Christian Standard Bible
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who settle down comfortably, who say to themselves: The LORD will do nothing—good or bad.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who settle down comfortably, who say to themselves: The LORD will not do good or evil.

American Standard Version
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And will be in that time, says LORD JEHOVAH, I shall search Jerusalem with a lamp and I shall indict against the men who despise their Watchmen and they say in their heart: “LORD JEHOVAH does no good, neither does evil!”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will search Jerusalem with a candle, and will take vengeance on the men that despise the things committed to them; but they say in their hearts, The Lord will not do any good, neither will he do any evil.

Contemporary English Version
I'll search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those people who sit there unworried while thinking, "The LORD won't do anything, good or bad."

Douay-Rheims Bible
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and will visit upon the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their hearts: The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.

English Revised Version
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are satisfied with their hardened lifestyle, who think that the LORD won't do anything-good or bad.

Good News Translation
"At that time I will take a lamp and search Jerusalem. I will punish the people who are self-satisfied and confident, who say to themselves, 'The LORD never does anything, one way or the other.'

International Standard Version
And it will come about that I will search Jerusalem with candles, punishing the self-satisfied and complacent, who say to themselves, 'The LORD will do neither good nor evil.'

JPS Tanakh 1917
And it shall come to pass at that time, That I will search Jerusalem with lamps; And I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, That say in their heart: 'The LORD will not do good, neither will He do evil.'

Literal Standard Version
And it has come to pass at that time, | I search Jerusalem with lights, | And I have laid a charge on the men | Who are hardened on their preserved things, | Who are saying in their heart: YHWH does no good, nor does He do evil.

Majority Standard Bible
And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’

New American Bible
At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps, I will punish the people who settle like dregs in wine, Who say in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do harm.”

NET Bible
At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, those who think to themselves, 'The LORD neither rewards nor punishes.'

New Revised Standard Version
At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the people who rest complacently on their dregs, those who say in their hearts, “The LORD will not do good, nor will he do harm.”

New Heart English Bible
It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, "The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil."

Webster's Bible Translation
And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

World English Bible
It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

Young's Literal Translation
And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Day of the LORD
11Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off. 12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ 13Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste. They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.…

Cross References
Jeremiah 16:16
But for now I will send for many fishermen, declares the LORD, and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from the clefts of the rocks.

Jeremiah 16:17
For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.

Jeremiah 48:11
Moab has been at ease from youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel or gone into exile. So his flavor has remained the same, and his aroma is unchanged.

Ezekiel 8:12
"Son of man," He said to me, "do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, 'The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.'"

Ezekiel 9:4
"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem," said the LORD, "and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there."

Ezekiel 9:9
He replied, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of perversity. For they say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.'

Amos 6:1
Woe to those at ease in Zion and those secure on Mount Samaria, the distinguished ones of the foremost nation, to whom the house of Israel comes.


Treasury of Scripture

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

that I.

Jeremiah 16:16,17
Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the LORD, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks…

Amos 9:1-3
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar: and he said, Smite the lintel of the door, that the posts may shake: and cut them in the head, all of them; and I will slay the last of them with the sword: he that fleeth of them shall not flee away, and he that escapeth of them shall not be delivered…

Obadiah 1:6
How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

the men.

Jeremiah 48:11
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

Amos 6:1
Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!

Revelation 2:23
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

settled.

Job 21:15
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Psalm 10:11-13
He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it

Psalm 14:1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Jump to Previous
Bad Charge Complacent Dregs Either Evil Good Hardened Heart Hearts Ill Jerusalem Lamps Preserved Punish Punishment Search Searching Settled Spirit Stagnant Stored Think Time Wine
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Bad Charge Complacent Dregs Either Evil Good Hardened Heart Hearts Ill Jerusalem Lamps Preserved Punish Punishment Search Searching Settled Spirit Stagnant Stored Think Time Wine
Zephaniah 1
1. The time when Zephaniah prophesied.
2. God's severe judgments against Judah.














Verse 12. - The third class which shall be smitten, viz. the profligate and riotous. I will search Jerusalem with candles (lights). No evil doer shall escape. The enemy whom God summons to execute his wrath shall leave no corner unsearched where the debauchees hide themselves (comp. Luke 15:8). Jerome and commentators after him refer to Josephus's account of the last siege of Jerusalem for a parallel to these predicted proceedings of the Chaldeans. Here we read how princes and priests and chieftains were dragged from sewers, and pits, and caves, and tombs, where they had hidden themselves in fear of death, and were mercilessly slain wherever they were found (Josephus, 'Bell. Jud.,' 6:09). The men that are settled on their lees; i.e. confirmed, hardened, and inveterate in their evil habits. The metaphor is derived from old wine not racked off; which retains all its flavour and odour, and becomes thick and viscid (see Isaiah 25:6; Jeremiah 48:11). The LXX. paraphrases, Υοὺς καταφρονοῦντας ἐπὶ τὰ φυλάγματα αὐτῶν, which Jerome renders, qui contemnunt custodias suas. That say in their heart. They do not openly scoff at religion, but think within themselves these infidel thoughts. The Lord will not do good, ere. Just what God says of idols (Isaiah 41:23). These "fools" (Psalm 14:1) deny God's moral government of the world; they will not see the working of Divine providence in all that happens, but, secure and careless in their worldly prosperity, they assign all events to chance or natural law, placing Jehovah in the same category as the idols worshipped by heathens (comp. Job 22:12, etc.; Psalm 10:4, etc.; Psalms 94:7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וְהָיָה֙ (wə·hā·yāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

at that
הַהִ֔יא (ha·hî)
Article | Pronoun - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1931: He, self, the same, this, that, as, are

time
בָּעֵ֣ת (bā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

I will search
אֲחַפֵּ֥שׂ (’ă·ḥap·pêś)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2664: To seek, to conceal oneself, mask

Jerusalem
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם (yə·rū·šā·lim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 3389: Jerusalem -- probably 'foundation of peace', capital city of all Israel

with lamps
בַּנֵּר֑וֹת (ban·nê·rō·wṯ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5216: A lamp, light

and punish
וּפָקַדְתִּ֣י (ū·p̄ā·qaḏ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit

the men
הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים (hā·’ă·nā·šîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

settled
הַקֹּֽפְאִים֙ (haq·qō·p̄ə·’îm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7087: To thicken, condense, congeal

in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

complacency,
שִׁמְרֵיהֶ֔ם (šim·rê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8105: Something preserved, the settlings, of wine

who say
הָאֹֽמְרִים֙ (hā·’ō·mə·rîm)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to themselves,
בִּלְבָבָ֔ם (bil·ḇā·ḇām)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

‘The LORD
יְהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

will do nothing,
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

either good
יֵיטִ֥יב (yê·ṭîḇ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing

or ill.’
יָרֵֽעַ׃ (yā·rê·a‘)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7489: To spoil, to make, good for, nothing, bad


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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 1:12 It will happen at that time that (Zeph. Zep Zp)
Zephaniah 1:11
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