King James Version

Zephaniah 3:4

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

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Hebrew

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נְבִיאֶ֨יהָ֙nevieyhaprophetנָבִיאnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “prophet”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5030a prophet or (generally) inspired manprophecy, that prophesy, prophet.פֹּֽחֲזִ֔יםpochazimlightפָּחַזverb, qal, participle, absolute — “light”, a verb used as a describing wordH6348to bubble up or froth (as boiling water), i.e. (figuratively) to be unimportantlight.אַנְשֵׁ֖יanshea certainאִישׁnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…בֹּֽגְד֑וֹתbogedottreacherousבֹּגְדוֹתnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “treacherous”, the ordinary formH900treacheriestreacherous.כֹּהֲנֶ֨יהָ֙kohaneyhapriestכֹּהֵןnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “priest”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3548literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)chief ruler, [idiom] own, priest, prince, principal officer.חִלְּלוּchillvbeginחָלַלverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “begin”, a completed actionH2490properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute…קֹ֔דֶשׁqodeshconsecratedקֹדֶשׁnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “consecrated”, the ordinary formH6944a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctityconsecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, ([idiom] most) holy ([idiom] day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.חָמְס֖וּchamesvmake bareחָמַסverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “make bare”, a completed actionH2554to be violent; by implication, to maltreatmake bare, shake off, violate, do violence, take away violently, wrong, imagine wrongfully.תּוֹרָֽהtorahlawתּוֹרָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “law”, the ordinary formH8451a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuchlaw.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the law.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Her prophets are light and treacherous persons; 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.

World English Bible

Her prophets are arrogant and treacherous people. Her priests have profaned the sanctuary. They have done violence to the law.

Darby Translation

Her prophets are vain-glorious, treacherous persons; her priests profane the sanctuary, they do violence to the law.

Douay-Rheims

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

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Her prophets are wanton and treacherous persons; her priests have profaned that which is holy, they have done violence to the law.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

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

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Οἱ προφῆται αὐτῆς πνευματοφόροι, ἄνδρες καταφρονηταί· ἱερεῖς αὐτῆς βεβηλοῦσι τὰ ἅγια, καὶ ἀσεβοῦσι νόμον.