Zephaniah 3:4
New International Version
Her prophets are unprincipled; they are treacherous people. Her priests profane the sanctuary and do 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.

English Standard Version
Her prophets are fickle, treacherous men; her priests profane what is holy; they do violence to the law.

Berean Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

King James Bible
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

New King James Version
Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have done 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.

NASB 1995
Her prophets are reckless, treacherous men; Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

NASB 1977
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.

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].

Christian Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless — treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless— treacherous men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to instruction.

American Standard Version
Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Her Prophets act lewdly and are evil men, and her Priests have defiled the Holy Place and they have done violence to the Law

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Her prophets are light and scornful men: her priests profane the holy things, and sinfully transgress the law.

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

Douay-Rheims Bible
Her prophets are senseless men without faith: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have acted unjustly against 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Its prophets are reckless and unfaithful. Its priests contaminate what is holy. They violate the teachings.

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.

International Standard Version
Its prophets are arrogant and treacherous. Its priests have contaminated the sanctuary. They give perverse interpretations of the Law.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Her prophets are wanton And treacherous persons; Her priests have profaned that which is holy, They have done violence to the law.

Literal Standard Version
Her prophets unstable—men of treachery, | Her priests have defiled the sanctuary, | They have violated the Law.

Majority Standard Bible
Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.

New American Bible
Its prophets are reckless, treacherous people; Its priests profane what is holy, and do violence to the law.

NET Bible
Her prophets are proud; they are deceitful men. Her priests defile what is holy; they break God's laws.

New Revised Standard Version
Its prophets are reckless, faithless persons; its priests have profaned what is sacred, they have done violence to the law.

New Heart English Bible
Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. 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.

World English Bible
Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done 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.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Judgment on Jerusalem
3Her princes are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves, leaving nothing for the morning. 4Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law. 5The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong. He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.…

Cross References
Judges 9:4
So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-berith, with which Abimelech hired some worthless and reckless men to follow him.

Jeremiah 23:11
"For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:32
"Indeed," declares the LORD, "I am against those who prophesy false dreams and retell them to lead My people astray with their reckless lies. It was not I who sent them or commanded them, and they are of no benefit at all to these people," declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 34:19
The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,

Ezekiel 22:26
Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 44:23
They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean.

Malachi 1:6
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?" says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. "But you ask, 'How have we despised Your name?'


Treasury of Scripture

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.

light.

Isaiah 9:15
The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Isaiah 56:10-12
His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber…

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?

her priests.

1 Samuel 2:12-17,22
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD…

Ezekiel 22:26
Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Ezekiel 44:7,8
In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations…

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Arrogant Deceit Faithless Full Good-For-Nothing Holy Law Persons Polluted Priests Profane Profaned Prophets Reckless Sacred Sanctuary Treacherous Treachery Unclean Violated Violence Violently Wanton
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Arrogant Deceit Faithless Full Good-For-Nothing Holy Law Persons Polluted Priests Profane Profaned Prophets Reckless Sacred Sanctuary Treacherous Treachery Unclean Violated Violence Violently Wanton
Zephaniah 3
1. A sharp reproof of Jerusalem for various sins.
8. An exhortation to wait for the restoration of Israel,
14. and to rejoice for their salvation by God.














Verse 4. - Her prophets. These are the false prophets, who have no true mission from God (comp. Micah 2:11; Micah 3:5). Light; either, frivolous or empty boasters. The word means properly, "boiling over," like water. Vulgate, vesani; Septuagint, πνευματοφόροι, which means, probably, not "inspired by an (evil) spirit," but "carried away by the wind," "light" (comp. Matthew 11:7). Treacherous persons; literally, men of treacheries, who uttered their own fancies as if they were commissioned by God, and so really opposed him whom they professed to represent (Jeremiah 23:32). Her priests have polluted the sanctuary (what is holy). Not the temple only, but all that has to do with God's service, worship, rites, sacrifices; they make no distinction between what is sacred and what is profane (Ezekiel 22:26). They have done violence to the Law. Chiefly, doubtless, by distorting its meaning, and neither observing it themselves nor teaching others to keep it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Her prophets
נְבִיאֶ֙יהָ֙ (nə·ḇî·’e·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5030: A spokesman, speaker, prophet

are reckless,
פֹּֽחֲזִ֔ים (pō·ḥă·zîm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 6348: To bubble up, froth, to be unimportant

faithless
בֹּֽגְד֑וֹת (bō·ḡə·ḏō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 900: Treacheries

men.
אַנְשֵׁ֖י (’an·šê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 582: Man, mankind

Her priests
כֹּהֲנֶ֙יהָ֙ (kō·hă·ne·hā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3548: Priest

profane
חִלְּלוּ־ (ḥil·lə·lū-)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

the sanctuary;
קֹ֔דֶשׁ (qō·ḏeš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6944: A sacred place, thing, sanctity

they do violence to
חָמְס֖וּ (ḥā·mə·sū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 2554: To treat violently or wrong

the law.
תּוֹרָֽה׃ (tō·w·rāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8451: Direction, instruction, law


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OT Prophets: Zephaniah 3:4 Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people (Zeph. Zep Zp)
Zephaniah 3:3
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