'Lord' in the Bible

O Lord, how long will I call for helpAnd You will not hear?I cry out to You, “Violence!”Yet You do not save.

[The Lord replied,] “Look among the nations! See!Be astonished! Wonder!For I am doing something in your days—You would not believe it if you were told.

Are You not from everlasting,O Lord, my God, My Holy One?We will not die.O Lord, You have appointed the Chaldeans [who rule in Babylon] to execute [Your] judgment,And You, O Rock, have established them to correct and chastise.

Then the Lord answered me and said,“Write the visionAnd engrave it plainly on [clay] tabletsSo that the one who reads it will run.

“Is it not indeed from the Lord of hostsThat peoples labor [only] for the fire [that will destroy their work],And nations grow weary for nothing [that is, things which have no lasting value]?

“But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filledWith the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,As the waters cover the sea.

“But the Lord is in His holy temple.Let all the earth hush and be silent before Him.”

O Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear.O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years,In the midst of the years make it known;In wrath [earnestly] remember compassion and love.

Did the Lord rage against the rivers,Or was Your anger against the rivers,Or was Your wrath against the [Red] Sea,That You rode on Your horses,On Your chariots of salvation?

Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!

The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feetAnd makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my high places [of challenge and responsibility].For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.

The word of the Lord which came to Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah:

“I will completely consume and sweep away all thingsFrom the face of the earth [in judgment],” says the Lord.

“I will consume and sweep away man and beast;I will consume and sweep away the birds of the airAnd the fish of the sea,And the stumbling blocks (idols) along with the wicked;And I will cut off and destroy man from the face of the earth,” declares the Lord.

And those who bow down and worship the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, and the stars] on their housetopsAnd those who bow down and swear [oaths] to [and pretend to worship] the Lord and [yet also] swear by [the pagan god called] Milcom [god of the Ammonites],

And those who have turned back from following the Lord,And those who have not sought the Lord [as their most important need] or inquired of Him.”

[Hush!] Be silent before the Lord God [there is no acceptable excuse to offer]!For the day [of the vengeance] of the Lord is near,For the Lord has prepared a sacrifice (Judah),He has set apart [for His use] those who have accepted His invitation [the Chaldeans who rule Babylon].

“On that day,” declares the Lord,“There will be the sound of crying from the Fish (Damascus) Gate [in the northern wall of Jerusalem where invaders enter]And wailing from the Second Quarter [of the city],And a loud crash from the hills.

“It will come about at that timeThat I will search Jerusalem with lampsAnd I will punish the menWho [like old wine] are stagnant in spirit,Who say in their hearts,‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’

The great [judgment] day of the Lord is near,Near and coming very quickly.Listen! The [voice of the] day of the Lord!The warrior cries out bitterly [unable to fight or to flee].

I will bring distress on menSo that they will walk like the blind [unable to find a way of escape],Because they have sinned against the Lord;Their blood will be poured out like dust [and trampled underfoot],And their flesh like dung.

Before the decree takes effect [and the time for repentance is lost]—The day passes like the chaff [whirled by the wind]—Before the burning and fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you,Before the day of the wrath of the Lord comes upon you.

Seek the Lord [search diligently for Him and regard Him as the foremost necessity of your life],All you humble of the landWho have practiced His ordinances and have kept His commandments;Seek righteousness, seek humility [regard them as vital].Perhaps you will be hidden [and pardoned and rescued]In the day of the Lord’s anger.

Woe (judgment is coming) to the inhabitants of the seacoast,The nation of the Cherethites [in Philistia]!The word of the Lord is against you,O Canaan, land of the Philistines;I will destroy youSo that no inhabitant will be left.

The seacoast will belongTo the remnant of the house of Judah;They will pasture [their flocks] on it.In the [deserted] houses of Ashkelon [in Philistia] they [of Judah] will lie down and rest in the evening,For the Lord their God will care for them;And restore their fortune [permitting them to occupy the land].

“Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts,The God of Israel,“Moab will in fact become like SodomAnd the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah,A land possessed by nettles and salt pits,And a perpetual desolation.The remnant of My people will plunder themAnd what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”

This they shall have in return for their pride, because they have taunted and become arrogant against the people of the Lord of hosts.

The Lord will be terrifying and awesome to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down and worship Him, everyone from his own place.

And the Lord will stretch out His hand against the northAnd destroy Assyria,And He will make Nineveh a desolation [a wasteland],Parched as the desert.

She did not listen and heed the voice [of God];She accepted no correction.She did not trust in the Lord [but trusted her own power];She did not draw near to her God [but to the pagan gods of Baal or Molech].

The Lord is righteous within her;He will do no injustice.Every morning He brings His justice to light;He does not fail.But the unjust person knows no shame.

“I [the Lord] have cut off and destroyed nations [as a warning to Judah];Their corner towers (battlements) are in ruins.I have made their streets desolateSo that no one passes by;Their cities are destroyedSo that there is no man, there is no inhabitant.

“Therefore [you of the godly remnant of Judah, patiently] wait for Me,” declares the Lord,“[Wait] for the day when I rise up as a witness [against the nations].For it is My decision and My right to gather the nations,To assemble kingdoms,To pour out on them My indignation,All [the heat of] My burning anger;For [in that day] all the earth shall be consumedBy the fire of My zeal.

“Then I will give to the peoples [clear and pure speech from] purified lips [which reflect their purified hearts],That all of them may call on the name of the Lord,To serve Him shoulder to shoulder (united).

“But I will leave among youA humble and lowly people,And they will take refuge and trust confidently in the name of the Lord.

The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;He has cleared away your enemies.The King of Israel, even the Lord [Himself], is in your midst;You will no longer fear disaster.

“The Lord your God is in your midst,A Warrior who saves.He will rejoice over you with joy;He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

“At that time I will bring you in,Yes, at the time I gather you together;For I will make you a name and a praiseAmong all the peoples of the earthWhen I restore your fortunes [and freedom] before your eyes,”Says the Lord.

In the second year of Darius the king [of Persia], on the first day of the sixth month (Aug 29, 520 b.c.), the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying,

“Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘These people say, “The time has not come that the Lord’s house (temple) should be rebuilt.”’”

Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,

“Is it time for you yourselves to live in your [expensive] paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins?”

Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways and thoughtfully reflect on your conduct!

Go up to the hill country, bring lumber and rebuild My house (temple), that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord [accepting it as done for My glory].

You look for much [harvest], but it comes to little; and even when you bring that home, I blow it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house, which lies in ruins while each of you runs to his own house [eager to enjoy it].

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people [who had returned from exile], listened carefully and obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, since the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [reverently] feared the Lord.

Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, spoke the Lord’s message to the people saying, “‘I am with you,’ declares the Lord.”

So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month (Oct 17, 520 b.c., the second year of Darius king of Persia), the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying,

But now be courageous, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord, ‘be courageous also, Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and be courageous, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more, in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.

I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the desirable and precious things of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory and splendor,’ says the Lord of hosts.

‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the Lord of hosts.

‘The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘and in this place I shall give [the ultimate] peace and prosperity,’ declares the Lord of hosts.”

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month (Dec 18, 520 b.c.), in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying,

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Ask the priests for a ruling:

Then Haggai answered, “‘So is this people. And so is this nation before Me,’ declares the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there [on the altar] is unclean [because they who offer it are unclean].

But now, do consider [what will happen] from this day forward: before one stone was placed on another in the temple of the Lord,

I struck you and the work of your hands with scorching wind, mildew, and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord.

And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month (Dec 18, 520 b.c.), saying,

On that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, My servant,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you [through the Messiah, your descendant] like a signet ring, for I have chosen you [as the one with whom to renew My covenant to David’s line],’” declares the Lord of hosts.

In the eighth month of the second year [of the reign] of Darius [the king of Persia], the word of the Lord came to Zechariah (the Lord remembers) the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying,

“The Lord was extremely angry with your fathers.

Therefore say to the Jews, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts (armies), “Return to Me,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and I shall return to you.

Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Repent [that is, change your way of thinking] and return now from your evil way [of life] and from your evil deeds.”’ But they did not listen or pay attention to Me,” declares the Lord.

But did not My words (warnings) and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers? Then they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts planned to do to us [in discipline and punishment], in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so has He dealt with us.’”’”

On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month (Feb 15, 519 b.c.), which is the month of Shebat, in the second year of [the reign of] Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the prophet, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, as follows:

Then I said, “O my lord, what are these?” And the angel who was speaking with me said, “I will show you what these are.”

And the Man who stood among the myrtle trees answered and said, “These are the ones whom the Lord has sent to go throughout the earth and patrol it.”

And the men on the horses answered the Angel of the Lord who stood among the myrtle trees and said, “We have gone throughout the earth [patrolling it] and behold, all the earth sits at rest [in peace and free from war].”

Then the Angel of the Lord said, “O Lord of hosts, how long will You withhold mercy and compassion from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, against which You have had indignation and anger these seventy years [of the Babylonian captivity]?”

And the Lord answered the angel who was speaking with me with gracious and comforting words.

So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I am jealous [with a burning, fiery passion] for Jerusalem and for Zion [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely mine] with a great jealousy.

Therefore, thus says the Lord, “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy and compassion. My house shall be built in it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

Proclaim again, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “My cities shall again overflow with prosperity, and the Lord shall again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”’”

Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.

For I,’ declares the Lord, ‘will be a wall of fire around her [protecting her from enemies], and I will be the glory in her midst.’”

“Hear this! Flee from [Babylon] the land of the north [which shall come under judgment],” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered you like the four winds of the heavens,” declares the Lord.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, “After glory He has sent Me against the nations which plunder you—for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.

Behold, I will wave my hand over them and they shall become plunder for their own slaves. Then you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent Me.

Sing for joy and rejoice, O Daughter of Zion; for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst,” declares the Lord.

Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day and shall be My people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.

The Lord will take possession of Judah as His portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.

“Be still before the Lord, all mankind; for He is roused (raised up) from His holy habitation [in response to His persecuted people].”

Then the guiding angel showed me Joshua the high priest [representing disobedient, sinful Israel] standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at Joshua’s right hand to be his adversary and to accuse him.

And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Even the Lord, who [now and ever] has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is this not a log snatched and rescued from the fire?”

Now Joshua was clothed with filthy (nauseatingly vile) garments and was standing before the Angel [of the Lord].

And I (Zechariah) said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with [rich] garments. And the Angel of the Lord stood by.

And the Angel of the Lord [solemnly and earnestly] admonished Joshua, saying,

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways [that is, remain faithful] and perform My service, then you will also govern My house and have charge of My courts, and I will give you free access [to My presence] among these who are standing here.

For behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua; on that one stone are seven eyes (symbolizing infinite intelligence, omniscience). Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the wickedness and guilt of this land in a single day.

In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and his fig tree [enjoying peace and prosperity in the kingdom].’”

So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”

Then the angel who was speaking with me answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”

Then he said to me, “This [continuous supply of oil] is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel [prince of Judah], saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit [of whom the oil is a symbol],’ says the Lord of hosts.

Also the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands will finish it. Then you will know (recognize, understand fully) that the Lord of hosts has sent me [as His messenger] to you.

Who [with reason] despises the day of small things (beginnings)? For these seven [eyes] shall rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the Lord which roam throughout the earth.”

And he answered me, “Do you not know what these are?” And I said, “No, my lord.”