“The question that I want to sketch in this work is one that troubles me most deeply. As I now see it, it seems to be insoluble and assumes a serious character of historical oddness. It may be put very simply: How has it come about that the development of Christianity and the church has given birth to a society, a civilization, a culture that are completely opposite to what we read in the Bible, to what is indisputably the text of the law, the prophets, Jesus, and Paul? I say advisedly ‘completely opposite.’ There is not just contradiction on one point but on all points. On the one hand, Christianity has been accused of a whole list of faults, crimes, and deceptions that are nowhere to be found in the original text and inspiration. On the other hand, revelation has been progressively modeled and reinterpreted according to the practice of Christianity and the church. Critics have been unwilling to consider anything but this practice, this concrete reality, absolutely refusing to refer to the truth of what is said. There is not just deviation but radical and essential contradiction, or real subversion.” - Jacques Ellul, The Subversion of Christianity, 1984
1This is the word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
2“I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
3“I will sweep away man and beast; I will sweep away the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and the idols with their wicked worshipers.
I will cut off mankind from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.
4“I will stretch out My hand against Judah and against all who dwell in Jerusalem.
I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the idolatrous and pagan priests—
5those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,
6and those who turn back from following the LORD, neither seeking the LORD nor inquiring of Him.”
The Day of the LORD
7Be silent in the presence of the Lord GOD, for the Day of the LORD is near.
Indeed, the LORD has prepared a sacrifice; He has consecrated His guests.
8“On the Day of the LORD’s sacrifice I will punish the princes, the sons of the king, and all who are dressed in foreign apparel.
9On that day I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their master with violence and deceit.
10On that day,” declares the LORD, “a cry will go up from the Fish Gate, a wail from the Second District, and a loud crashing from the hills.
11Wail, O dwellers of the Hollow, for all your merchants will be silenced; all who weigh out silver will be cut off.
12And at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men settled in complacency, who say to themselves, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’
13Their wealth will be plundered and their houses laid waste.
They will build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but never drink their wine.
14The great Day of the LORD is near— near and coming quickly.
Listen, the Day of the LORD!
Then the cry of the mighty will be bitter.
15That day will be a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16a day of horn blast and battle cry against the fortified cities, and against the high corner towers.
17I will bring such distress on mankind that they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
18Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them on the Day of the LORD’s wrath.
The whole earth will be consumed by the fire of His jealousy.”
For indeed, He will make a sudden end of all who dwell on the earth.
1Gather yourselves, gather together, O shameful nation,
2before the decree takes effect and the day passes like chaff, before the burning anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the Day of the LORD’s anger comes upon you.
3Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth who carry out His justice. Seek righteousness; seek humility. Perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger.
Judgment on the Philistines
4For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins.
Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.
5Woe to the dwellers of the seacoast, O nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, land of the Philistines: “I will destroy you, and no one will be left.”
6So the seacoast will become a land of pastures, with wells for shepherds and folds for sheep.
7The coast will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will find pasture.
They will lie down in the evening among the houses of Ashkelon, for the LORD their God will attend to them and restore their captives.
Judgment on Moab and Ammon
8“I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders.
9Therefore, as surely as I live,” declares the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, “surely Moab will be like Sodom and the Ammonites like Gomorrah— a place of weeds and salt pits, a perpetual wasteland.
The remnant of My people will plunder them; the remainder of My nation will dispossess them.”
10This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts.
11The LORD will be terrifying to them when He starves all the gods of the earth.
Then the nations of every shore will bow in worship to Him, each in its own place.
Judgment on Cush and Assyria
12“You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.”
13And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria;
He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
14Herds will lie down in her midst, creatures of every kind.
Both the desert owl and screech owl will roost atop her pillars.
Their calls will sound from the window, but desolation will lie on the threshold, for He will expose the beams of cedar.
15This carefree city that dwells securely, that thinks to herself: “I am it, and there is none besides me,” what a ruin she has become, a resting place for beasts.
Everyone who passes by her hisses and shakes his fist.
Her priests profane the sanctuary; they do violence to the law.
5The LORD within her is righteous; He does no wrong.
He applies His justice morning by morning; He does not fail at dawn, yet the unjust know no shame.
Purification of the Nations
6“I have cut off the nations; their corner towers are destroyed.
I have made their streets deserted with no one to pass through.
Their cities are laid waste, with no man, no inhabitant.
7I said, ‘Surely you will fear Me and accept correction.’
Then her dwelling place would not be cut off despite all for which I punished her.
But they rose early to corrupt all their deeds.
8Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “until the day I rise to testify.
For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation— all My burning anger.
For all the earth will be consumed by the fire of My jealousy.
A Faithful Remnant
9For then I will restore pure lips to the peoples, that all may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
10From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, My scattered people, will bring Me an offering.
11On that day you will not be put to shame for any of the deeds by which you have transgressed against Me.
For then I will remove from among you those who rejoice in their pride, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.
12But I will leave within you a meek and humble people, and they will trust in the name of the LORD.
13The remnant of Israel will no longer do wrong or speak lies, nor will a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths.
But they will feed and lie down, with no one to make them tremble.”
Israel’s Restoration
14Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15The LORD has taken away your punishment; He has turned back your enemy.
Israel’s King, the LORD, is among you; no longer will you fear any harm.
16On that day they will say to Jerusalem: “Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands fall limp.
17The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”
18“I will gather those among you who grieve over the appointed feasts, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
19Behold, at that time, I will deal with all who afflict you.
I will save the lame and gather the scattered; and I will appoint praise and fame for the disgraced throughout the earth.
20At that time I will bring you in; yes, at that time I will gather you.
For I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your captives before your very eyes,” says the LORD.
In my distress I cried to the LORD, and He answered me. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue? Sharp arrows will come from the warrior, with burning coals of the broom tree!
Woe to me that I dwell in Meshech, that I live among the tents of Kedar! Too long have I dwelt among those who hate peace. I am in favor of peace; but when I speak, they want war.
Psalm 121 - I Life Up My Eyes to the Hills
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Behold, the Protector of Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is the shade on your right hand. The sun will not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul. The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
Psalm 122 - Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem
I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built up as a city united together, where the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD. For there the thrones of judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you prosper.a May there be peace within your walls, and prosperity inside your fortresses.” For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.
Psalm 123 - I Lift Up My Eyes to You
I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven. As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.
Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt. We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.
Psalm 124 - Our Help is in the Name of the Lord
If the LORD had not been on our side— let Israel now declare— if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, then they would have swallowed us alive, then the floods would have engulfed us, then the torrent would have overwhelmed us, then the raging waters would have swept us away.
Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the net is torn, and we have slipped away. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 125 - The Lord Surrounds His People
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds His people, both now and forevermore.
For the scepter of the wicked will not rest upon the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous will not put forth their hands to injustice.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to the upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel.
Psalm 126 - Zion’s Captives Restored
When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers. Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.
Restore our captives, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.
Psalm 127 - Children Are a Heritage from the LORD
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain; unless the LORD protects the city, its watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for bread to eat— for He gives sleep to His beloved.
Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. He will not be put to shame when he confronts the enemies at the gate.
Psalm 128 - The Blessed Fear of the LORD
Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in His ways! For when you eat the fruit of your labor, blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table. In this way indeed shall blessing come to the man who fears the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion, that you may see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life, that you may see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
Psalm 129 - The Cords of the Wicked
Many a time they have persecuted me from my youth— let Israel now declare— many a time they have persecuted me from my youth, but they have not prevailed against me. The plowmen plowed over my back; they made their furrows long. The LORD is righteous; He has cut me from the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. May they be like grass on the rooftops, which withers before it can grow, unable to fill the hands of the reaper, or the arms of the binder of sheaves. May none who pass by say to them, “The blessing of the LORD be on you; we bless you in the name of the LORD.”
Psalm 130 - Out of the Depths
Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.
If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.
I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning— more than watchmen wait for the morning.
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance. And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity.
Psalm 131 - I Have Stilled My Soul
My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty. I do not aspire to great things or matters too lofty for me. Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, both now and forevermore.
Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child’s balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon, there is no sense in trying
Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool’s gold mouthpiece the hollow horn Plays wasted words proves to warn That he not busy being born is busy dying
Temptation’s page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover that you’d just be one more person crying
So don’t fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It’s alright, Ma, I’m only sighing
As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don’t hate nothing at all, except hatred
Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Made everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It’s easy to see without looking too far that not much is really sacred
Our preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the President of the United States Sometimes must have to stand naked
An’ all the rules of the road have been lodged It’s only people’s games that you got to dodge And it’s alright, Ma, I can make it
Advertising signs that con you Into thinking you’re the one That can do what’s never been done That can win what’s never been won Meantime life outside goes on all around you
You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks they really found you
A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit To satisfy insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not forget That it is not he or she or them or it that you belong to
Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, Ma, to live up to
For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Do what they do just to be Nothing more than something they invest in
While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize and say, “God bless him”
While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society’s pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole that he’s in
But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it’s alright, Ma, if I can’t please him
Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn’t talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares propaganda, all is phony
While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer’s pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death’s honesty Won’t fall upon them naturally Life sometimes must get lonely
My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards False goals, I scuff at pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say, “Okay, I have had enough, what else can you show me?”
And if my thought dreams could be seen They’d probably put my head in a guillotine But it’s alright, Ma, it’s life, and life only
Bob Dylan, It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding), Bringing It All Back Home, 1965.
We should not judge their crisis like we would judge our own, the crisis of the old European countries. Ours is a crisis of historical ideals facing up to the impossibility of their realization. Theirs is a crisis of an achieved utopia, confronted with the problem of its duration and permanence. The Americans are not wrong in their idyllic conviction that they are at the centre of the world, the supreme power, the absolute model for everyone. And this conviction is not so much founded on natural resources, technologies, and arms, as on the miraculous premiss of a utopia made reality, of a society which, with a directness we might judge unbearable, is built on the idea that it is the realization of everything the others have dreamt of – justice, plenty, rule of law, wealth, freedom: it knows this, it believes in it, and in the end, the others have come to believe in it too.
In the present crisis of values, everyone ends up turning towards the culture which dared to forge right ahead and, by a theatrical masterstroke, turn those values into reality, towards that society which, thanks to the geographical and mental break effected by immigration, allowed itself to imagine it could create an ideal world from nothing. We should also not forget the fantasy consecration of this process by the cinema. Whatever happens, and whatever one thinks of the arrogance of the dollar or the multinationals, it is this culture which, the world over, fascinates those very people who suffer most at its hands, and it does so through the deep, insane conviction that it has made all their dreams come true.”
