Zephaniah 2 | King James Version

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Posted on: 2022-11-18

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Zephaniah 2:1
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;

Author: George Leo Haydock
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Zephaniah 2:2
Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.

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Zephaniah 2

If His people have fallen under chastisement; Yet, He warns them, that unless they return to Him, they will fall under the divine anger, in the day of the Lord’s anger.
Sin corrupts the life of men, turning them into chaff, and not wheat, that would be scattered, as though by a storm, by any attack of an enemy. Whereas repentance would otherwise turn this chaff into wheat, that the wind would not scatter, but getting rid of chaff then they gather together.
He calls on them to jealously hasten to repent; as the Day of Judgment; namely the day of chastisement, draws very near. When that day dwells, the wind of divine anger will come, and the wicked will find no chance to flee; They will turn into chaff before the wind; according to the words of the Psalmist: “The ungodly are like the chaff which the wind drives away” [Ps 1:4]; And as the Lord says about the ungodly people of Ephraim: “They shall be like the morning cloud, and like the early dew that passes away, like chaf blown off from a threshing floor, and like smoke from a chimney” [Hos 13:3].
The ungodly would therefore find no place for comfort; They would neither settle down on earth, nor reach heaven; They would be like chaff that the wind scatter to every direction.
St. Augustine compares between the meek and the ungodly; About the meek, it is said: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” [Matt 5:5]; Whereas the ungodly are like chaff which the wind drives away [Ps 1:4]. Pride would blow up the ungodly, to become perpetually driven away from the face of the earth.
The ungodly are “the chaff which the wind drives away” [Ps 1:4]. The Holy Book says that a wicked man is an unhappy man; He is not even like dust, that may seem valueless, yet it actually has a kind of existence in itself …
So is the ungodly; As he denies God, he is led by vanity, to where the breath of Satan sends him. - St. Jerome
“Let them be like chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the Lord chase them” [Ps 35:5] … The wind is the temptation, and the chaff (the dust) are the ungodly. The dust would not stand before the wind. - St. Augustine

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Zephaniah 2:3
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger.

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In His call, He does not intend for them to invoke the spirit of terror into each other, but to gather together to seek the Lord; that He pours His grace upon them, have mercy on them, and realize His promises to them; He calls on them to gather together with the spirit of humility, as someone sick, asks the heavenly Physician to stretch His hand to heal and cure him. That is why He calls them “All you meek of the earth”.
He calls on the ‘meek of the earth’ to seek the Lord Himself, and to ask Him to cover them with righteousness and humility, on the day of His wrath. There is no other way to avoid the divine wrath, except by resorting to the Lord, by hiding in Him, and by enjoying righteousness and humility that covers their weaknesses, and turn them into wheat instead of chaff before the blowing wind.
This call was also proclaimed by the Lord in the book of Isaiah: “Come My people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you, Hide yourself as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For the Lord, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity” [Isa 26:20-21]; And in Amos: “For thus says the Lord to the house of Israel: ‘Seek Me and live; … Seek the Lord and live, Lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel’” [Amos 5:4-6].
Some believe that the talk here is addressed to the meek and the poor who fell under oppression, because of the corruption that came over the land; and the abuse by the rich and by those in authority. But because the poor, themselves, partook of the corruption and the abominations, the prophet calls on them to return to the Lord, and to seek His mercy through repentance in humility and walking in righteousness; As the oppression that befall them would not justify them on the day of the Lord’s wrath, unless they return to Him with all their hearts.
He probably also means by the meek here, the Jews, who, although they have crucified Christ and blasphemed Him; If they recognize and seek Him by the spirit of humility, He will again embrace and keep them from the wrath that came upon them because of their denial; according to the words of the prophet Isaiah: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near” [Isa 55:6].
St. Cyprian sees in the call: “Seek the Lord” , an invitation to us to forsake everything else, and to seek the Lord, His Kingdom, and righteousness; Then all these things shall be added to us; according to the promise of the Lord Christ Himself [Matt 6:31-33].
As long as there is still time, look forward to the eternal true salvation; And as the end of the world draws near, turn your minds by the fear of God to Him. Don’t rejoice over your vain authority on the righteous and the meek … But ”Seek the Lord and live” [Amos 5:6]. Recognize the Lord, even if it seems too late … Believe in Him, who would never deceive you … Believe in Him, who has told about these things beforehand … Believe in Him, who will grant the eternal life to those who believe … Believe in Him, who, by the fire of hell, will punish those who do not believe. - Cyprian, the martyr
Thus, we have no refuge from the Lord’s wrath, except by fleeing to Him, and hiding in Him.
Before seeking the Lord, we were weak and burdened; But now, having our hearts settled on Him, we are strong and have courage. - St. Jerome

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Zephaniah 2:4
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.

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The Lord will chasten the main cities of Palestine: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, and Ekron; that took pride in their strength and prosperity. Gaze shall be forsaken like a barren wilderness; and was almost utterly destroyed by Alexander the Great; Hence its Hebrew name, “Gazubah”, which hints to (nonexistence).. Ekron, in Hebrew, came as “Ekron teeaker”. As for Ashdod that shall be driven out at noonday; the people of the east used to sleep, and even stop military action at noon because of the hot weather [2Sam 4:5].
It is to be noticed that ‘Gath’, the fifth famous city in Palestine, was not mentioned here, as it was not mentioned in Amos [Amos 1:6], [Jer 25:20], [Zech 9:5-6]; because at that time, it was under Jewish authority.
What is said here about those four main cities, refers to what would befall the unrepentant man; namely, to suffer isolation; to become forsaken, desolate, where he is not dwelt by the divine righteousness, horrified, through living as a fugitive, though nobody is after him, and uprooted, having the same end of the devil himself.
This is the divine warning to every man, who chooses for himself to be an opponent against the divine truth, and to give his back to God, the Grantor of life, fulfillment, peace, and happiness. He would moan, together with Zion, which, assuming in her bitterness, that the Lord has forsaken and forgotten her [Isa 49:14]; says: “There I was left alone” [Isa 49:21]; And would become as is said by prophet Jeremiah: “Every city shall be forsaken, and not a man shall dwell in it” [Jer 4:29]; And as is said by prophet Isaiah: “Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish, and they will be driven into darkness” [Isa 9:22]; And as is said by the Psalmist: “Let their habitation be desolate; Let no one dwell in their tents” [Ps 69:25]; “Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!” [Ps 73:19]. And as it came in the Maccabees: “He did away with all the renegades and outlaws” [1Macc 14:14].
“How they are brought to desolation, as in a moment” [Ps 73:19]; He marvels at them, realizing what will come over them in the end. They, like smoke, will eventually vanish as it rises up … “They are utterly consumed … As a dream when one awake” [Ps 73:20]… Like when someone dreams that he found a treasure, to find out that he has got nothing when he gets up; So are the evildoers, they will wake up to realize the misery they have prepared for themselves. - St. Augustine
Evil destroys man and deprives him of every vitality, to become as though forsaken in isolation, desolate, and uprooted; God allows that, to uproot the evil in him, and to plant him anew; Namely, to renew his life and his nature, and to set His righteousness in him, by His Holy Spirit; as is said by the Psalmist: “You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted” [Ps 44:2].

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Zephaniah 2:5
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.

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Zephaniah 2:6
And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.

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Zephaniah 2:7
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.

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Zephaniah 2:8
I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified [themselves] against their border.

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Zephaniah 2:9
Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.

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Zephaniah 2:10
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the LORD of hosts.

God confirms that, although there is no animosity in His heart between Him and any people; Yet the arrogant, the haughty, and the blasphemer will fall under his own pride, blaspheme, and evil. As for God, He will destroy the idols, and will set out of every nation a people for Himself; Every nation, and every man, will worship Him, each from his place. There will be no need for them to go to Jerusalem, nor to worship in the temple of Solomon.
God was preparing His old people to accept the notion; that the whole earth would become for the Lord and His Christ.
“Sing to the Lord, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord” [Ps 68:32].
“Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; Yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it” [Isa 19:21]
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering” [Mal 1:11]
He is demeaning the pagan gods; showing them as wild beasts, extremely emaciated because of lack of food for an extended time; because no more sacrifices nor worship are offered to them in their temples.
Let us now listen to a prophet prophesying that the time will come when the worship of God will not be limited to one place; that all mankind will get to know the Lord; and that people shall worship Him, each one from his place; “Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations“ [Zeph 2:11 LXX]; Contrary to what prophet Moses has commanded the Jews to worship the Lord in only one place.
You heard how several prophets prophesied: that mankind will no longer be limited to worship God in one place; That people will no longer have to come from everywhere on earth to offer Him sacrifice in only one city; That everyone will be allowed to stay and to minister to God in his own house or land. What would be a more appropriate time than today for those prophecies to be realized?
Let us now see how the gospels and the apostle Paul echo the words of prophet Zephaniah: The prophet says: “of all nations”; And the apostle says: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” [Titus 2:11]. Zephaniah says: “reduce to nothing all gods of the earth”, and Paul says: “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” [Titus 2:12]. - St. John Chrysostom
+As one prophet proclaimed that all the nations of the earth will come to worship God in a certain place “The Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth” [Jer 16:19]; It was proclaimed by another prophet, saying: “The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People will worship Him, each one from his place; Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations” [Zeph 2:11] .. All peoples will come to the exalted and true God of the Christians, not physically, but by faith.
+ They will come to Him without leaving their place; As by faith, they will find Him right in their hearts.
+For a long time, the devils have kept silent in their temples concerning the things that are to come, although it was definitely known to them through the sayings of the prophets. But now, with the approach of events, the devils intended to proclaim them, lest they may look as though ignorant or defeated; Yet they stopped short of referring to certain issues that were already proclaimed since long time, like those said by prophet Zephaniah: “The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People will worship Him, each one from his place; Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations” [Zeph 2:11]. Gods, worshipped in the temples of the Gentiles, because they probably did not expect these events to apply to them; they did not wish to cause any unwarranted disturbances among their soothsayers. - St. Augustine

Verses that belong to this explanation: 10-11

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Zephaniah 2:11
The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.

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God confirms that, although there is no animosity in His heart between Him and any people; Yet the arrogant, the haughty, and the blasphemer will fall under his own pride, blaspheme, and evil. As for God, He will destroy the idols, and will set out of every nation a people for Himself; Every nation, and every man, will worship Him, each from his place. There will be no need for them to go to Jerusalem, nor to worship in the temple of Solomon.
God was preparing His old people to accept the notion; that the whole earth would become for the Lord and His Christ.
“Sing to the Lord, you kingdoms of the earth; Oh, sing praises to the Lord” [Ps 68:32].
“Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; Yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it” [Isa 19:21]
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering” [Mal 1:11]
He is demeaning the pagan gods; showing them as wild beasts, extremely emaciated because of lack of food for an extended time; because no more sacrifices nor worship are offered to them in their temples.
Let us now listen to a prophet prophesying that the time will come when the worship of God will not be limited to one place; that all mankind will get to know the Lord; and that people shall worship Him, each one from his place; “Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations“ [Zeph 2:11 LXX]; Contrary to what prophet Moses has commanded the Jews to worship the Lord in only one place.
You heard how several prophets prophesied: that mankind will no longer be limited to worship God in one place; That people will no longer have to come from everywhere on earth to offer Him sacrifice in only one city; That everyone will be allowed to stay and to minister to God in his own house or land. What would be a more appropriate time than today for those prophecies to be realized?
Let us now see how the gospels and the apostle Paul echo the words of prophet Zephaniah: The prophet says: “of all nations”; And the apostle says: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” [Titus 2:11]. Zephaniah says: “reduce to nothing all gods of the earth”, and Paul says: “teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” [Titus 2:12]. - St. John Chrysostom
+As one prophet proclaimed that all the nations of the earth will come to worship God in a certain place “The Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth” [Jer 16:19]; It was proclaimed by another prophet, saying: “The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People will worship Him, each one from his place; Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations” [Zeph 2:11] .. All peoples will come to the exalted and true God of the Christians, not physically, but by faith.
+ They will come to Him without leaving their place; As by faith, they will find Him right in their hearts.
+For a long time, the devils have kept silent in their temples concerning the things that are to come, although it was definitely known to them through the sayings of the prophets. But now, with the approach of events, the devils intended to proclaim them, lest they may look as though ignorant or defeated; Yet they stopped short of referring to certain issues that were already proclaimed since long time, like those said by prophet Zephaniah: “The Lord will be awesome to them, For He will reduce to nothing all the gods of the earth; People will worship Him, each one from his place; Indeed all the shores (and islands) of the nations” [Zeph 2:11]. Gods, worshipped in the temples of the Gentiles, because they probably did not expect these events to apply to them; they did not wish to cause any unwarranted disturbances among their soothsayers. - St. Augustine

Verses that belong to this explanation: 10-11

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Zephaniah 2:12
Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.

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Zephaniah 2:13
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry like a wilderness.

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Assyria will turn from being a great empire, feared by all the nations of the world, into a vast wilderness where every kind of animal will lie down; both the domesticated like the sheep, and the wild ones. It will turn into an open pasture, with no walls to protect it; Its only law will be perdition and death. As for birds, there will be only the owls to hoot, with their mourning voice that brings sadness and distress.
With desolation and destruction, the windows of the palaces will be wide open, and birds will stand on them to wail and lament. By the action of nature, the roofs of the palaces made of cedar wood, as marvelous pieces of art, will be laid bare of their splendid beauty.
If Nineveh, the symbol of the evil heart, that persists on not returning to the Lord, has become a dwelling place for owls, that keep on wailing and hooting; The spiritual Jerusalem, the symbol of the holy heart, on the other hand, shall become a dwelling place for the rejoicing turtledoves: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” [Song 2:12]. The portion of the wicked would be depression and despair; whereas that of the righteous would be joy and hope. The heart of the wicked would bear the pledge of hell; whereas that of the righteous would bear that of the joyful and heavenly, eternal kingdom.
Assyria that captivated Israel, was known for her fierce violence in dealing with the captives; Her kings used to find pleasure in cutting off their body members, especially those of the rich and noble, whom they mockingly paraded before the mob. Assyria that referred to the evil soul, filled with violence and abominations, has turned into a desolate wilderness, only dwelt by wild beasts and owls; Whereas the holy soul will become a joyful paradise planted with the trees of virtue, where the sweet voice of turtledoves is heard.
The following are some comments by St. Gregory, the Bishop of Nyssa, on what came in the Song of songs [Song 2:12]:
Having “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: ‘Peace, be still!’, the wind ceased and there was a great calm” [Mark 4:39]; Our life started to flourish like a garden adorned with flowers, that represent the virtue in our life that bears fruit in its seasons. That is why the Word of God says: “The winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” [Song 2:11-12].
The Groom says: [Behold, the pastures are adorned with the flowers of virtue! Do you see that purity in the beautyof the Narcis? Do you see the roses of humility, and the violet that represent the sweet aroma of the Lord Christ? Why don’t you make a crown for yourself of these flowers. It is the proper season, as testified by the voice of the turtledove; that is like “that voice of one crying in the wilderness” [Matt 3:3]; John the Baptist is the turtledove; who precedes that wonderful spring which provides such magnificent flowers for everyone who wish to gather. He is the one who tells us about: “the Rod that shall come forth from the stem of Jesse” [Isa 11:1]; and “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” [John 1:29]. He is the one who demonstrates to us the repentance from sin, and the life according to virtue. According to the holy text: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land”; to tell us that those who have responded to the voice of John the Baptist, were those called by the gospel, ‘the taxcollectors and the sinners’; while the rest of the people gave no heed to his preaching. - St. Gregory of Nyssa

Verses that belong to this explanation: 13-14

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Zephaniah 2:14
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.

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Assyria will turn from being a great empire, feared by all the nations of the world, into a vast wilderness where every kind of animal will lie down; both the domesticated like the sheep, and the wild ones. It will turn into an open pasture, with no walls to protect it; Its only law will be perdition and death. As for birds, there will be only the owls to hoot, with their mourning voice that brings sadness and distress.
With desolation and destruction, the windows of the palaces will be wide open, and birds will stand on them to wail and lament. By the action of nature, the roofs of the palaces made of cedar wood, as marvelous pieces of art, will be laid bare of their splendid beauty.
If Nineveh, the symbol of the evil heart, that persists on not returning to the Lord, has become a dwelling place for owls, that keep on wailing and hooting; The spiritual Jerusalem, the symbol of the holy heart, on the other hand, shall become a dwelling place for the rejoicing turtledoves: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” [Song 2:12]. The portion of the wicked would be depression and despair; whereas that of the righteous would be joy and hope. The heart of the wicked would bear the pledge of hell; whereas that of the righteous would bear that of the joyful and heavenly, eternal kingdom.
Assyria that captivated Israel, was known for her fierce violence in dealing with the captives; Her kings used to find pleasure in cutting off their body members, especially those of the rich and noble, whom they mockingly paraded before the mob. Assyria that referred to the evil soul, filled with violence and abominations, has turned into a desolate wilderness, only dwelt by wild beasts and owls; Whereas the holy soul will become a joyful paradise planted with the trees of virtue, where the sweet voice of turtledoves is heard.
The following are some comments by St. Gregory, the Bishop of Nyssa, on what came in the Song of songs [Song 2:12]:
Having “rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: ‘Peace, be still!’, the wind ceased and there was a great calm” [Mark 4:39]; Our life started to flourish like a garden adorned with flowers, that represent the virtue in our life that bears fruit in its seasons. That is why the Word of God says: “The winter is past, The rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; The time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land” [Song 2:11-12].
The Groom says: [Behold, the pastures are adorned with the flowers of virtue! Do you see that purity in the beautyof the Narcis? Do you see the roses of humility, and the violet that represent the sweet aroma of the Lord Christ? Why don’t you make a crown for yourself of these flowers. It is the proper season, as testified by the voice of the turtledove; that is like “that voice of one crying in the wilderness” [Matt 3:3]; John the Baptist is the turtledove; who precedes that wonderful spring which provides such magnificent flowers for everyone who wish to gather. He is the one who tells us about: “the Rod that shall come forth from the stem of Jesse” [Isa 11:1]; and “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” [John 1:29]. He is the one who demonstrates to us the repentance from sin, and the life according to virtue. According to the holy text: “The voice of the turtledove is heard in our land”; to tell us that those who have responded to the voice of John the Baptist, were those called by the gospel, ‘the taxcollectors and the sinners’; while the rest of the people gave no heed to his preaching. - St. Gregory of Nyssa

Verses that belong to this explanation: 13-14

Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty
Rank: Monk
Posted on: 2022-11-09

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Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Zephaniah 2

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Zephaniah 2:15
This [is] the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.

Author: George Leo Haydock
Rank: Author
AD: 1849
Source:

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George Leo Haydock

Zephaniah 2

Author: Tadros Yacoub Malaty
Rank: Monk
Posted on: 2022-11-09

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Tadros Yacoub Malaty

Zephaniah 2

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