'Lord' in the Bible

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.