Zephaniah 3:4

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of Zephaniah 3:4 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“Her prophets are reckless, faithless men. Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

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

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

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

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“Her prophets unstable--men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo Zephaniah 3:4 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. 1 Samuel 2:12Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD
  2. 1 Samuel 2:22Now Eli was very old, and he heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
  3. Isaiah 9:15The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.
  4. Isaiah 56:10Israel’s watchmen are blind, they are all oblivious; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they are dreamers lying around, loving to slumber.
  5. Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
  6. Jeremiah 6:13“For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
  7. Jeremiah 8:10Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all practice deceit.
  8. Jeremiah 14:13“Ah, Lord GOD!” I replied, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword or suffer famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”
  9. Jeremiah 23:9As for the prophets: My heart is broken within me, and all my bones tremble. I have become like a drunkard, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD, because of His holy words.
  10. Jeremiah 23:10For the land is full of adulterers— because of the curse, the land mourns and the pastures of the wilderness have dried up— their course is evil and their power is misused.
  11. Jeremiah 23:11“For both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD.
  12. Jeremiah 23:25“I have heard the sayings of the prophets who prophesy lies in My name: ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
  13. 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.
  14. Jeremiah 27:14Do not listen to the words of the prophets who say, ‘You must not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they are prophesying to you a lie.
  15. Lamentations 2:14The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.
  16. Ezekiel 13:3This is what the Lord GOD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit, yet have seen nothing.
  17. Ezekiel 22:6See how every prince of Israel within you has used his power to shed blood.
  18. Ezekiel 22:26Her 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.
  19. Ezekiel 44:7In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant.
  20. Hosea 4:6My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.
  21. Hosea 9:7The days of punishment have come; the days of retribution have arrived— let Israel know it. The prophet is called a fool, and the inspired man insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and hostility.
  22. Micah 2:11If a man of wind were to come and say falsely, “I will preach to you of wine and strong drink,” he would be just the preacher for this people!
  23. Micah 3:5This is what the LORD says: “As for the prophets who lead My people astray, who proclaim peace while they chew with their teeth, but declare war against one who puts nothing in their mouths:
  24. Micah 3:11Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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