Zephaniah 1:12 nasb — "It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in…

NASB

""It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'"

— Zephaniah 1:12, NASB

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Zephaniah 1:12 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

  • ASV

    “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil. ”

  • WEB

    “It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, "Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil."”

  • NET

    “At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish the people who are entrenched in their sin, those who think to themselves,‘The LORD neither rewards nor punishes.’”

  • DRB

    “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and will visit upon the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their hearts: The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.”

  • BBE

    “And it will come about at that time, that I will go searching through Jerusalem with lights; and I will send punishment on the men who have become like wine stored over-long, who say to themselves, The Lord will not do good and will not do evil.”

  • KJVA

    “And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles, and punish the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their heart, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

Zephaniah 1 — Context

9

"And I will punish on that day all who leap on the temple threshold, Who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.

10

"On that day," declares the LORD, "There will be the sound of a cry from the Fish Gate, A wail from the Second Quarter, And a loud crash from the hills.

11

"Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar, For all the people of Canaan will be silenced; All who weigh out silver will be cut off.

12

"It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'

13

"Moreover, their wealth will become plunder And their houses desolate; Yes, they will build houses but not inhabit them, And plant vineyards but not drink their wine."

14

Near is the great day of the LORD, Near and coming very quickly; Listen, the day of the LORD! In it the warrior cries out bitterly.

15

A day of wrath is that day, A day of trouble and distress, A day of destruction and desolation, A day of darkness and gloom, A day of clouds and thick darkness,

Zephaniah 1:12 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Zephaniah 1:12 say?
Zephaniah 1:12 in the NASB reads: “"It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'”
Where is Zephaniah 1:12 in the Bible?
Zephaniah 1:12 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Zephaniah, chapter 1, verse 12.
Who wrote Zephaniah?
Zephaniah is traditionally attributed to Zephaniah, a descendant of king Hezekiah. It was written c. 640–625 BC.
What is the book of Zephaniah about?
Zephaniah opens with the most thoroughgoing judgment language in the Minor Prophets — a coming day of the LORD against the whole earth — and ends with the LORD himself singing over his redeemed remnant.
What are the major themes of Zephaniah?
Zephaniah explores themes including Day of the LORD, Judgment, Remnant, Joy, Restoration. These themes shape the meaning and context of Zephaniah 1:12.
What translation should I read Zephaniah 1:12 in?
Zephaniah 1:12 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Zephaniah 1:12?
Zephaniah 1:12 reads (NASB): “"It will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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