Your God Will Sing
An EasyEnglish Bible version with comments (1200 word vocabulary) on the Book of Zephaniah
Roy Rohu
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Words in boxes are comments on the text.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
Zephaniah was a man who knew God. He was a *prophet. He lived when Josiah was king of God’s people. These were the people who lived in *Judah.
Zephaniah wrote this book between the years 630 and 625 before Christ lived on earth (B.C.). The book is in three parts or chapters. In the first two chapters, Zephaniah was speaking to many countries. These were the countries on every side of *Judah. He told them that God was angry with them. He also told them that God would *punish them. The third chapter is a message to the people in *Judah.
At that time also, the *prophets Jeremiah and Habakkuk were giving God’s message to the people in *Judah. All three *prophets said that God loved his people in *Judah. But these *prophets taught that God was also angry. He was angry because the people had done what God does not like. If the people in *Judah began to love God again, God would be very kind to them. If they did not stop doing bad things, God would *punish them.
King Josiah was a good man. He listened to the *prophets. He *punished the *false *prophets. He took away the false gods that they had made out of wood or stone or metal. He also broke down the special tables of stone on which they burned gifts to God (sacrifices).
Some people in *Judah listened to the *prophets. Then those people decided to love God (3:12). But many people did not listen. So about 40 years later, God sent the army of Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. Jerusalem was the city where the Temple (God’s *holy house) was. Babylon was an important city in another country. This happened in the year 586 B.C. Four more kings had ruled *Judah after Josiah.
The people from Babylon began to take *Judah’s people away from their homes to Babylon. In that way, God *punished *Judah’s people, because they had done what he does not like. But God had not finished with his people. He had said that his people would go home to *Judah at some time. Then, the people would really love God and obey him. Then, there would be a good and happy time.
In this book, God had also said that he would destroy Babylon. He would send some people to do it. In the year 539 B.C., that happened. The people who really loved God began to go home to *Judah. God gave them a leader, a man called Zerubbabel. But many people stayed in Babylon. 94 years later, more people were ready to go home to *Judah. God gave these people a leader called Ezra. But still some people were not ready to go home. 13 years later, the last group returned to *Judah with their leader, Nehemiah.
So God had kept his promise to the people in *Judah. This was the promise that God had given to Zephaniah.
v1 This is the *Lord’s message, which came to Zephaniah, Cushi’s son. Cushi’s father was Gedaliah. Gedaliah’s father was Amariah, and Amariah’s father was Hizkiah. The *Lord’s message came to Zephaniah when Josiah was king. Josiah was the son of King Amon.
v2 It is the *Lord who is speaking now.
I will destroy everything in this land.
v3 I will destroy the birds that fly in the air.
I will also destroy the fish that live in the sea.
I will destroy all bad people.
Bad people cause trouble for other people.
Yes, I will make this land empty.
It is the *Lord who is speaking.
v4 I will destroy *Judah.
I will destroy all the people who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy all those who believe in the *false god Baal.
I will destroy Baal’s *priests.
v5 Some people stand on the roof tops to *worship the stars. I will destroy those people.
Some people say that they love me. But they say also that they love Malcham (another false god). So I will destroy them, too.
Verse 4
*priests: See 2 Kings 23:5.
Verse 5
stars: Many people in *Judah *worshipped the stars. See 2 Kings 23:11; Jeremiah 19:13; Ezekiel 8:16.
Malcham, a *false god: The people who *worshipped the *false god Malcham killed their own children. They did this to please him.
v6 I will destroy those who have turned away from me.
I will also destroy those who decide things without me.
v7 Be quiet! God is here.
The *day of the Lord is near.
The *Lord has made his *sacrifice ready.
He has made the people ready who will make the *sacrifice to him.
Verse 6
day of the *Lord: the time when God sent a cruel army, called *Chaldeans, to fight against *Judah.
Verse 7
*sacrifice: Here, this does not mean an animal. It means the people who *worshipped *false gods.
the people whom God made ready: the army of the *Chaldeans.
v8 When it is time for the *Lord’s *sacrifice, the king’s sons will die.
On that same day, the king’s great men will also die.
The people who wear heathen clothes will die, too.
Verse 8
heathen clothes: Long ago, there were two *false gods called Mars and Venus. To *worship them, men wore women’s clothes. And women wore men’s clothes. God does not like that (see Deuteronomy 22:5). Some people think that some people in *Judah *worshipped Mars and Venus and other gods.
v9 I will also *punish the people who rush into other people’s houses. They do that because they want to *steal things.
On that same day, I will also *punish other people who *steal things. These people fill their masters’ houses with the things that they *steal.
v10 On that day, shouts will come from one gate of the city, called Fish Gate.
More shouts will come from another gate.
Loud noises will come from the hills.
v11 Shout out, you who live in Maktesh! Weep!
The *Lord will destroy those who do business in your town.
Some people have lots of money there. But all those people will be dead then.
Verses 10-11
This will happen to *Judah’s people when the army of the *Chaldeans comes.
v12 When the time comes,
I will look in all Jerusalem’s dark corners. I will take lights with me.
I will find the drunks and *punish them. These people say in their minds,
‘The *Lord will do neither good nor bad to us.’
v13 So I will take away from them everything that they have.
I will take away their houses also.
They will build houses, but they will never live in them.
They will plant plants to get *grapes. But they will never have *wine from them.
v14 The great *day of the Lord is near, very near.
It will come quickly.
Strong men will weep when they hear the noise of it.
v15 The *Lord will be very angry at that time.
It will be a time when there will be trouble.
On that day, he will destroy everything bad.
It will be very dark. At that time, there will be thick dark clouds.
v16 At that time, people will make a noise with trumpets. (You use your mouth to make music with a trumpet.) They will shout when they go into battle (a big fight between a lot of people).
In the battle, they will try to destroy the strong walls of cities.
And they will try to destroy the strong high parts of the walls.
v17 I will bring trouble on people.
They will walk like people with weak eyes.
This is because they have not obeyed the *Lord.
Their blood will fall to the ground.
Yes, they will fall to the ground and die. After that, they will be nothing.
v18 Their money will not save them
on the day when the *Lord is angry.
He watches and he cares.
So, he will send fire on the earth.
Yes, he will destroy all the people who live in *Judah quickly.
v1 Come together!
Yes, you people, come together and think.
You do not know how to be ashamed!
v2 Before the time comes for me to punish you, look for me.
Before this time is past, look for me.
Look for me, before I become very, very angry with you.
A day will come when God will be angry. Look for me, before that day comes.
v3 Yes, look for the *Lord, all you people who want to *please him.
You have done what the *Lord wants.
Continue to do what is good.
But you are not greater than you really are. Do not think this.
Perhaps you will find a safe place
on the day when God is angry.
v4 Then, the people who have lived in Gaza city and Ashkelon city will not be there.
God will also *punish the people in Ashdod city and Ekron city.
v5 It will be very bad for you people called Cherethites, who live by the sea!
The *Lord is against you.
I will also destroy all you people called Philistines, who live in the country called Canaan!
You will all die.
v6 By the sea, there will be houses for people who feed sheep.
There will be safe places for their sheep.
v7 Those people in *Judah who love God will live there, by the sea.
They will have food there.
They will lie down to sleep in Ashkelon city’s houses.
The *Lord, their God, will be with them.
He will stop their troubles.
v8 I have heard the cruel people in the countries called Moab and Ammon.
They laugh at you, my people.
They have thought that they were greater than you.
They have come against you.
v9 The *Lord God of all people,
the God of Israel, says this.
You can be sure that I live.
In the same way, you can also be sure that my people will take everything.
It will be theirs to keep.
God will destroy Moab as he destroyed Sodom (a town that God was angry with).
He will destroy Ammon as he destroyed Gomorrah (another town like Sodom).
After this, the ground will have lots of salt on it. Weeds will grow there.
Nobody will build anything there again.
v10 That will happen to all *proud people.
The *proud people were cruel to the people of God.
The cruel people thought that they were greater than God’s people.
v11 The *Lord will make things difficult for them.
He will destroy all the *false gods.
People will love the true God. Every person, in his own place, will love God.
They will also love him in the places where the people now believe in *false gods.
v12 I will also *punish you people in the country called Ethiopia.
Other people will kill you with a big knife.
v13 The *Lord will go against the north.
There, he will destroy the country called Assyria.
He will also destroy Nineveh city. That place will become only dry sand.
v14 Sheep will lie down there.
All the wild animals of that place will live together there.
Vultures (big birds that eat dead bodies) and owls (birds that fly in the night) will rest on top of the high, thin parts of the buildings.
They will sing in the windows.
Bits of doors will lie on the ground.
The *Lord will tear down all the things in the houses that they have made out of dear wood.
v15 All this will happen to that city, the *proud city.
That city’s people said in their minds,
‘Here we are. We are greater than all the other people.’
But then, other people will destroy their city! Only bits of it will still be there.
Then wild animals will come and they will lie down in it. People will see this.
So, any people who pass by the city will make noises with their lips.
And they will hold their fists up. In this way, they will show that they think bad things about the city.
v1 How bad it will be for the city!
Her people love to fight. They also love to do bad things.
v2 They do not listen to anyone’s voice.
They accept no *correction.
They do not *trust in the *Lord.
They do not come near to their God.
v3 The rulers of the city make a very loud noise with their voices like big wild animals.
Her *judges are like hungry wolves (wild animals, like very big dogs, that eat other animals).
They are like wolves that have even eaten all an animal’s bones before morning.
v4 Her *prophets do not know what to think.
People do not *trust them.
Her *priests have done wrong things,
even in God’s *holy house.
They have also made changes to God’s rules.
They have made changes that they want.
v5 But the *Lord is among all the people in the city.
He will do what is right.
He is always the honest *judge.
He never fails.
But the bad people do not know how to be ashamed.
Verse 5
But the *Lord is among all the people in the city: He is always present. He sees everything. He knows everything. He is with his people. He will do what is right for them.
v6 I have destroyed *nations.
Nobody lives in their strong houses now.
I have made their streets empty, so no people are there.
I have destroyed their cities.
So, nobody lives in them now.
v7 I hoped that the people in the city would obey me.
I thought that they would accept *correction.
The people would have been safe if they had accepted it.
Then I would not have to destroy them.
But it did not happen. I had to *punish them.
Still, the people did bad things from morning to night.
v8 So wait for me, says the *Lord.
I will stand up and *punish the *nations.
I have decided to bring together the *nations and the people that kings rule over.
Then I will *punish them very, very much.
They will see how angry I am.
They will see it because, on that day, I will burn all the earth.
v9 Then I will give to people a clean new language.
With that language, they will call me *Lord.
And then, all the people will *please me.
Verse 9
a clean new language: words that are honest; *worship that is not *false. See Ezekiel 11:17-20; 36:24-28.
v10 Some people live far beyond the rivers of Ethiopia.
They will carry their gifts to me.
Yes, my people who pray to me will come from every side.
v11 At that time, you will not have to be ashamed
of the wrong things that you have done against me.
But I will take away those who see nothing wrong in themselves.
Those people will not call each other
‘the people who live on God’s *holy mountain’.
v12 But I will let the poor people remain there.
These are the people who have had bad times.
These are the people who will *trust me. And they will call me *Lord.
v13 I will let those people stay there.
They will not do any bad things.
They will only say things that are true.
They will say honest things.
They will eat well and sleep well.
Nobody will make them afraid.
v14 Sing, you people in Zion (another name for Jerusalem). You are my own people, like my own daughter.
Shout, you people in Israel!
Be very, very happy, my people in Jerusalem!
v15 The *Lord has not *punished you as he would have done.
He has sent your enemy away.
I, the King of Israel, am with you!
The bad times have gone.
They will not happen again!
v16 On that special day, this will be my message for Jerusalem.
‘Do not be afraid now! Do not be weak now!’
v17 The *Lord, your God, is with you.
He is strong. He will save you.
He will be very happy about you!
He will help you to love him. You will love him as you should do.
He will sing, because he is so happy about you!
v18 I will bring together those people among you who want to meet together again.
You want to meet again to pray. And you want to meet again to praise God (say that he is good).
You have had enough cruel words from your enemies.
v19 Look! At that time, I will destroy
all those people who are against you.
I will save those who are weak.
I will bring back the people that the enemy has sent away.
I will help people in every country to know about you. I will help them to praise you (say that you are good).
v20 At that time, I will bring you back to your home.
I will give you a good name among all the people on the earth.
That is what I will do. I will stop your troubles.
Chaldeans ~ people who fought against Israel.
correction ~ when somebody tells the right thing to a person who is wrong.
day of the Lord ~ the time when God sent a cruel army, called *Chaldeans, to fight against *Judah.
false ~ not true or good.
grape ~ a small, sweet fruit that people make a drink (*wine) from.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; completely clean; for God to use in a special way.
Judah ~ a part of the country of God’s people.
judge ~ a person who can decide what is right.
Lord ~ a name that we call God. It means that we want to obey him.
nation ~ a group of people who have the same ruler or king.
please ~ to do something that makes a person happy; or to say something that makes a person happy.
priest ~ a person who made *sacrifices to God or to a *false god.
prophet ~ a person who got messages from God for the people.
proud ~ a proud person thinks that he is better than other people.
punish ~ to bring trouble to another person because that person has done something wrong.
sacrifice ~ when they killed an animal and burned it on a special table. They did this to *please God.
steal ~ to take something that is not yours.
trust ~ to believe that someone will always do right things.
wine ~ a kind of drink that people make from a fruit called grapes.
worship ~ to give thanks to God.
The Century Bible ~ Minor Prophets
Calvin’s Commentaries
Matthew Poole ~ Commentary on the Holy Bible
Jamieson, Faussett and Brown ~ Bible Commentary
Matthew Henry ~ Bible Commentary
Bibles ~ New King James Version, Young’s Literal Translation, Bible in 26 Translations, Contemporary English Version
© 1999-2003, Wycliffe Associates (UK)
This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level A (1200 words).
May 2003
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