Zephaniah 1:12 (YLT)

Passage

And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

Nearby Context

Zephaniah 1:10 And there hath been in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, The noise of a cry from the fish-gate, And of a howling from the Second, And of great destruction from the hills.

Zephaniah 1:11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.

Zephaniah 1:12 And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

Zephaniah 1:13 And their wealth hath been for a spoil, And their houses for desolation, And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, And they have planted vineyards, And they do not drink their wine.

Zephaniah 1:14 Near <FI>is<Fi> the great day of Jehovah, Near, and hasting exceedingly, The noise of the day of Jehovah, Bitterly shriek there doth a mighty one.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "hath", "come", "pass", "time", "search", "jerusalem", and "lights". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "Howl ye inhabitants of the hollow place..." into verse 13's "And their wealth hath been for a...", so "light" and "hath" belong inside that flow. In Zephaniah context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.