The Book of NEPHANIAH - Chapter Three

1 

Woe to the city of oppressors,

    rebellious and defiled!

2 

She obeys no one,

    she accepts no correction.

She does not trust in the Lord,

    she does not draw near to her God.

3 

Her officials within her

    are roaring lions;

her rulers are evening wolves,

    who leave nothing for the morning.

4 

Her prophets are unprincipled;

    they are treacherous people.

Her priests profane the sanctuary

    and do violence to the law.

5 

The Lord within her is righteous;

    he does no wrong.

Morning by morning he dispenses his justice,

    and every new day he does not fail,

    yet the unrighteous know no shame.

6 

‘I have destroyed nations;

    their strongholds are demolished.

I have left their streets deserted,

    with no one passing through.

Their cities are laid waste;

    they are deserted and empty.

7 

Of Jerusalem I thought,

    “Surely you will fear me

    and accept correction!”

Then her place of refuge would not be destroyed,

    nor all my punishments come upon her.

But they were still eager

    to act corruptly in all they did.

8 

Therefore wait for me,’

    declares the Lord,

    ‘for the day I will stand up to testify.

I have decided to assemble the nations,

    to gather the kingdoms

and to pour out my wrath on them –

    all my fierce anger.

The whole world will be consumed

    by the fire of my jealous anger.

9 

‘Then I will purify the lips of the peoples,

    that all of them may call on the name of the Lord

    and serve him shoulder to shoulder.

10 

From beyond the rivers of Cush

    my worshippers, my scattered people,

    will bring me offerings.

11 

On that day you, Jerusalem, will not be put to shame

    for all the wrongs you have done to me,

because I will remove from you

    your arrogant boasters.

Never again will you be haughty

    on my holy hill.

12 

But I will leave within you

    the meek and humble.

The remnant of Israel

    will trust in the name of the Lord.

13 

They will do no wrong;

    they will tell no lies.

A deceitful tongue

    will not be found in their mouths.

They will eat and lie down

    and no one will make them afraid.’

14 

Sing, Daughter Zion;

    shout aloud, Israel!

Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,

    Daughter Jerusalem!

15 

The Lord has taken away your punishment,

    he has turned back your enemy.

The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;

    never again will you fear any harm.

16 

On that day

    they will say to Jerusalem,

‘Do not fear, Zion;

    do not let your hands hang limp.

17 

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.’

18 

‘I will remove from you

    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,

    which is a burden and reproach for you.

19 

At that time I will deal

    with all who oppressed you.

I will rescue the lame;

    I will gather the exiles.

I will give them praise and honour

    in every land where they have suffered shame.

20 

At that time I will gather you;

    at that time I will bring you home.

I will give you honour and praise

    among all the peoples of the earth

when I restore your fortunes

    before your very eyes,’

says the Lord.

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READINGS

The Book of

ZEPHANIAH - Chapter 3

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

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STUDY - LINKS

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

David Pawson

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The Book of ZEPHANIAH - Chapter Two

1

Gather together, gather yourselves together,

    you shameful nation,

2 

before the decree takes effect

    and that day passes like windblown chaff,

before the Lord’s fierce anger

    comes upon you,

before the day of the Lord’s wrath

    comes upon you.

3 

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,

    you who do what he commands.

Seek righteousness, seek humility;

    perhaps you will be sheltered

    on the day of the Lord’s anger.

4 

Gaza will be abandoned

    and Ashkelon left in ruins.

At midday Ashdod will be emptied

    and Ekron uprooted.

5 

Woe to you who live by the sea,

    you Kerethite people;

the word of the Lord is against you,

    Canaan, land of the Philistines.

He says, ‘I will destroy you,

    and none will be left.’

6 

The land by the sea will become pastures

    having wells for shepherds

    and sheepfolds for flocks.

7 

That land will belong

    to the remnant of the people of Judah;

    there they will find pasture.

In the evening they will lie down

    in the houses of Ashkelon.

The Lord their God will care for them;

    he will restore their fortunes.

8 

‘I have heard the insults of Moab

    and the taunts of the Ammonites,

who insulted my people

    and made threats against their land.

9 

Therefore, as surely as I live,’

    declares the Lord Almighty,

    the God of Israel,

‘surely Moab will become like Sodom,

    the Ammonites like Gomorrah –

a place of weeds and salt pits,

    a wasteland for ever.

The remnant of my people will plunder them;

    the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.’

10 

This is what they will get in return for their pride,

    for insulting and mocking

    the people of the Lord Almighty.

11 

The Lord will be awesome to them

    when he destroys all the gods of the earth.

Distant nations will bow down to him,

    all of them in their own lands.

12 

‘You Cushites, too,

    will be slain by my sword.’

13 

He will stretch out his hand against the north

    and destroy Assyria,

leaving Nineveh utterly desolate

    and dry as the desert.

14 

Flocks and herds will lie down there,

    creatures of every kind.

The desert owl and the screech owl

    will roost on her columns.

Their hooting will echo through the windows,

    rubble will fill the doorways,

    the beams of cedar will be exposed.

15 

This is the city of revelry

    that lived in safety.

She said to herself,

    ‘I am the one! And there is none besides me.’

What a ruin she has become,

    a lair for wild beasts!

All who pass by her scoff

    and shake their fists.

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READINGS

The Book of

ZEPHANIAH - Chapter 2

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

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STUDY - LINKS

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

David Pawson

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The Book of ZEPHANIAH - Chapter One

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

1 The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:

2 

‘I will sweep away everything

    from the face of the earth,’

declares the Lord.

3 

‘I will sweep away both man and beast;

    I will sweep away the birds in the sky

    and the fish in the sea –

    and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.’

‘When I destroy all mankind

    on the face of the earth,’

declares the Lord,

4 

‘I will stretch out my hand against Judah

    and against all who live in Jerusalem.

I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,

    the very names of the idolatrous priests –

5 

those who bow down on the roofs

    to worship the starry host,

those who bow down and swear by the Lord

    and who also swear by Molek,

6 

those who turn back from following the Lord

    and neither seek the Lord nor enquire of him.’

7 

Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,

    for the day of the Lord is near.

The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;

    he has consecrated those he has invited.

8 

‘On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice

    I will punish the officials

    and the king’s sons

and all those clad

    in foreign clothes.

9 

On that day I will punish

    all who avoid stepping on the threshold,

who fill the temple of their gods

    with violence and deceit.

10 

‘On that day,’

    declares the Lord,

‘a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,

    wailing from the New Quarter,

    and a loud crash from the hills.

11 

Wail, you who live in the market district;

    all your merchants will be wiped out,

    all who trade with silver will be destroyed.

12 

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.”

13 

Their wealth will be plundered,

    their houses demolished.

Though they build houses,

    they will not live in them;

though they plant vineyards,

    they will not drink the wine.’

14 

The great day of the Lord is near –

    near and coming quickly.

The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;

    the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.

15 

That day will be a day of wrath –

    a day of distress and anguish,

        a day of trouble and ruin,

    a day of darkness and gloom,

        a day of clouds and blackness –

16 

    a day of trumpet and battle cry

against the fortified cities

    and against the corner towers.

17 

‘I will bring such distress on all people

    that they will grope about like those who are blind,

    because they have sinned against the Lord.

Their blood will be poured out like dust

    and their entrails like dung.

18 

Neither their silver nor their gold

    will be able to save them

    on the day of the Lord’s wrath.’

In the fire of his jealousy

    the whole earth will be consumed,

for he will make a sudden end

    of all who live on the earth.

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READINGS

The Book of

ZEPHANIAH - Chapter 1

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

https://youtu.be/oFZknKPNvz8

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STUDY - LINKS

The Book of ZEPHANIAH

David Pawson

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JULY - READINGS

JULY -  READINGS

from the New International Version (UK)

The Second Letter of PAUL to the THESSALONIANS - Chapter Three

 

1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honoured, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.

———————

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, labouring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’

11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

——————

16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

17 I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark in all my letters. This is how I write.

18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

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Word by Word Meditations 

by Fred Ursell

2^nd Thessalonians 3: “honoured” (v.1)

What does Paul say a fellowship should do for the cause of Christ elsewhere, apart from in their own vicinity?  He asks them to “pray” (v.1):

[A] it’s God’s business; we’re just ‘employees’ who are around to cooperate; 

[B] “for us” his human emissaries and channels needing his help; 

[C] “that the message of the Lord” be communicated in a clear and effective way; 

[D] “may spread” widely and extensively; 

[E] and “rapidly” because of the importance and urgency of the world’s need; 

[F] “and be honoured” through a heartfelt acceptance of the word by many hearers in trusting faith. Amen!

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READINGS

The Second Letter of PAUL to 

The THESSALONIANS 

Chapter Three

Read by Sir David Suchet

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OVERVIEW 

The Second Letter of PAUL to 

The THESSALONIANS 

 - Overview -

The Bible Project 

2 Thessalonians "The Bible in 5" 

Tim Mackie (The Bible Project)

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STUDY - LINKS

The Second Letter of Paul to the 

THESSALONIANS

David Pawson

Part 1

Part 2 

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