صَفَنْيا 1

١ 1 هَذِهِ كَلِمَةُ الرَّبِّ الَّتِي أَوْحَى بِها إِلَى صَفَنْيَا بْنِ كُوشِي بْنِ جَدَلْيَا بْنِ أَمَرِيَا بْنِ حَزَقِيَّا، فِي عَهْدِ حُكْمِ يُوشِيَّا بْنِ آمُونَ مَلِكِ يَهُوذَا.

[I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.

٢ 2 يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: «سَأَمْحُو مَحْواً كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَنْ وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ.

Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.

٣ 3 أُبِيدُ الإِنْسَانَ وَالْحَيَوَانَ وَطُيُورَ السَّمَاءِ وَسَمَكَ الْبَحْرِ، وَأَقْضِي عَلَى الأَشْرَارِ وَمَعَاثِرِهِمْ، وَأَسْتَأْصِلُ الْبَشَرَ عَنْ وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ.

I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on the earth.”

٤ 4 أَمُدُّ يَدِي لأُعَاقِبَ يَهُوذَا وَكُلَّ أَهْلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ، وَأُفْنِي مِنْ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ بَقِيَّةَ عَبَدَةِ الْبَعْلِ، وَكُلَّ كَهَنَةِ الْوَثَنِ.

“[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].

٥ 5 وَالَّذِينَ يَصْعَدُونَ إِلَى السُّطُوحِ لِلسُّجُودِ لِكَوَاكِبِ السَّمَاءِ، وَالَّذِينَ يَجْثُونَ عَابِدِينَ الرَّبَّ حَالِفِينَ بِاسْمِهِ، وَبِاسْمِ مَلْكُومَ أَيْضاً.

[I will get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.

٦ 6 وَالَّذِينَ ارْتَدُّوا عَنِ اتِّبَاعِ الرَّبِّ، وَالَّذِينَ كَفُّوا عَنْ طَلَبِهِ وَالْتِمَاسِهِ.

I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]

٧ 7 اصْمُتُوا فِي مَحْضَرِ السَّيِّدِ الرَّبِّ لأَنَّ يَوْمَ الرَّبِّ بَاتَ وَشِيكاً. قَدْ أَعَدَّ الرَّبُّ ذَبِيحَةً وَقَدَّسَ مَدْعُوِّيهِ.

Be silent in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.

٨ 8 فَيَكُونُ فِي يَوْمِ ذَبِيحَةِ الرَّبِّ أَنِّي أُعَاقِبُ الرُّؤَسَاءَ وَأَبْنَاءَ الْمَلِكِ وَكُلَّ مَنْ يَرْتَدِي ثِيَاباً غَرِيبَةً وَثَنِيَّةً.

Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].

٩ 9 وَأُعَاقِبُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ كُلَّ الَّذِينَ يَقْفِزُونَ مِنْ فَوْقِ عَتَبَةِ الْهَيْكَلِ (عَلَى غِرَارِ كَهَنَةِ دَاجُونَ)، الَّذِينَ يَمْلأُونَ بَيْتَ سَيِّدِهِمْ جَوْراً وَنَهْباً.

I will punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”

١٠ 10 وَيَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ تَتَرَدَّدُ صَرْخَةٌ مِنْ بَابِ السَّمَكِ وَوَلْوَلَةٌ مِنَ الْحَيِّ الثَّانِي، وَيُدَوِّي صَوْتُ تَحْطِيمٍ فِي التِّلالِ.

Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in the hills.

١١ 11 وَلْوِلُوا يَا سُكَّانَ دَائِرَةِ السُّوقِ، لأَنَّ تُجَّارَكُمْ يَبِيدُونَ، وَكُلَّ الْمُتَاجِرِينَ بِالْفِضَّةِ قَدِ اسْتُؤْصِلُوا.

[So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.

١٢ 12 فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ أُفَتِّشُ أُورُشَلِيمَ بِمِصْبَاحٍ، وَأُعَاقِبُ النَّاسَ الْمُتَرَبِّعِينَ فَوْقَ قَاذُورَاتِهِمْ، الْقَائِلِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ: إِنَّ الرَّبَّ لَا يَضُرُّ وَلا يَنْفَعُ.

[It will be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.

١٣ 13 فَتُصْبِحُ ثَرْوَتُهُمْ غَنِيمَةً، وَبُيُوتُهُمْ خَرَاباً. يُشَيِّدُونَ بُيُوتاً وَلا يَسْكُنُونَ فِيهَا، وَيَغْرِسُونَ كُرُوماً وَلا يَشْرَبُونَ مِنْ خَمْرِهَا.

[But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”

١٤ 14 إِنَّ يَوْمَ الرَّبِّ الْعَظِيمِ قَرِيبٌ، وَشِيكٌ وَسَرِيعٌ جِدّاً. دَوِيُّ يَوْمِ الرَّبِّ مُخِيفٌ، فِيهِ يَصْرُخُ الْجَبَّارُ مُرْتَعِباً.

It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.

١٥ 15 يَوْمُ غَضَبٍ هُوَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمُ، يَوْمُ ضِيقٍ وَعَذَابٍ، يَوْمُ خَرَابٍ وَدَمَارٍ، يَوْمُ ظُلْمَةٍ وَاكْتِئَابٍ، يَوْمُ غُيُومٍ وَقَتَامٍ.

It will be a time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.

١٦ 16 يَوْمُ دَوِيِّ بُوقٍ وَصَيْحَةِ قِتَالٍ ضِدَّ الْمُدُنِ الْحَصِينَةِ وَالْبُرُوجِ الشَّامِخَةِ.

It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].

١٧ 17 فِيهِ أُضَايِقُ النَّاسَ فَيَمْشُونَ كَالْعُمْيِ، لأَنَّهُمْ أَخْطَأُوا بِحَقِّ الرَّبِّ، فَتَنْسَكِبُ دِمَاؤُهُمْ كَالتُّرَابِ، وَلَحْمُهُمْ يَتَنَاثَرُ كَالْجِلَّةِ.

Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].

١٨ 18 لَا يُنْقِذُهُمْ ذَهَبُهُمْ وَلا فِضَّتُهُمْ فِي يَوْمِ غَضَبِ الرَّبِّ، إِذْ بِنَارِ غَيْرَتِهِ تُلْتَهَمُ كُلُّ الأَرْضِ، وَفِيهِ يَضَعُ نِهَايَةً مُبَاغِتَةً كَامِلَةً سَرِيعَةً لِكُلِّ سُكَّانِ الْمَعْمُورَةِ».

At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.