Zephaniah 1
1 The word of Jehovah 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.
Neno la Bwana lililomjia Sefania mwana wa Kushi, mwana wa Gedalia, mwana wa Amaria, mwana wa Hezekia, wakati wa utawala wa Yosia mwana wa Amoni mfalme wa Yuda:
2 I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground, says Jehovah.
Bwana asema, “Nitafagia kila kitu kutoka kwenye uso wa dunia.”
3 I will consume man and beast. I will consume the birds of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked. And I will cut off man from off the face of the ground, says Jehovah.
“Nitafagilia mbali watu na wanyama; nitafagilia mbali ndege wa angani na samaki wa baharini. Wafanyao maovu watapata tu kokoto, nami nitamkatilia mbali mwanadamu atoke katika dunia,” asema Bwana.
4 And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarim with the priests,
“Nitaiadhibu Yuda na wote wakaao Yerusalemu. Kutoka mahali hapa nitakatilia mbali kila mabaki ya Baali, majina ya wapagani na makuhani waabuduo sanamu:
5 and those who worship the host of heaven upon the housetops, and those who worship, who swear to Jehovah and swear by Malcam,
wale ambao husujudu juu ya mapaa kuabudu jeshi la vitu vya angani, wale ambao husujudu na kuapa kwa Bwana na ambao pia huapa kwa Malkamu,
6 and those who are turned back from following Jehovah, and those who have not sought Jehovah, nor inquired after him.
wale wanaoacha kumfuata Bwana, wala hawamtafuti Bwana wala kutaka shauri lake.
7 Hold thy peace at the presence of the lord Jehovah, for the day of Jehovah is at hand. For Jehovah has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.
Nyamazeni mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi, kwa maana siku ya Bwana iko karibu. Bwana ameandaa dhabihu, amewaweka wakfu wale aliowaalika.
8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the rulers, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
Katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana nitawaadhibu wakuu na wana wa mfalme na wale wote wanaovaa nguo za kigeni.
9 And in that day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.
Katika siku hiyo nitaadhibu wote ambao hukwepa kukanyaga kizingiti, ambao hujaza hekalu la miungu yao kwa dhuluma na udanganyifu.”
10 And in that day, says Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
Bwana asema, “Katika siku hiyo kilio kitapanda juu kutoka lango la Samaki, maombolezo kutoka mtaa wa pili, na mshindo mkubwa kutoka vilimani.
11 Wail, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone. All those who were laden with silver are cut off.
Ombolezeni, ninyi mnaoishi katika eneo la sokoni; wafanyabiashara wenu wote wameangamizwa, wote ambao wanafanya biashara ya fedha wataangamizwa.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their lees, who say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, nor will he do evil.
Wakati huo nitasaka mji wa Yerusalemu kwa taa, na kuwaadhibu wale ambao wanakaa katika hali ya kuridhika, ambao ni kama divai iliyobaki kwenye machicha, ambao hudhani, ‘Bwana hatafanya lolote, jema au baya.’
13 And their wealth shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation. Yea, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine of it.
Utajiri wao utatekwa nyara, nyumba zao zitabomolewa. Watajenga nyumba, lakini hawataishi ndani yake; watapanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa divai yake.
14 The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near and hastens greatly, the voice of the day of Jehovah. The mighty man cries there bitterly.
“Siku kubwa ya Bwana iko karibu: iko karibu na inakuja haraka. Sikilizeni! Kilio katika siku ya Bwana kitakuwa kichungu, hata shujaa atapiga kelele.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Siku ile ni siku ya ghadhabu, siku ya fadhaa na dhiki, siku ya uharibifu na ukiwa, siku ya giza na utusitusi, siku ya mawingu na giza nene,
16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.
siku ya tarumbeta na mlio wa vita dhidi ya miji yenye ngome na dhidi ya minara mirefu.
17 And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah, and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.
Nitawaletea watu dhiki, nao watatembea kama vipofu, kwa sababu wametenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana. Damu yao itamwagwa kama vumbi na matumbo yao kama taka.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah's wrath, but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. For he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
Fedha yao wala dhahabu yao hazitaweza kuwaokoa katika siku hiyo ya ghadhabu ya Bwana. Katika moto wa wivu wake dunia yote itateketezwa, kwa maana ataleta mwisho wa wote wanaoishi katika dunia ghafula.”
