Zephaniah 2
1 Gather yourselves, gather together, O shameful nation,
Zibuthaniseni, lizibuthanise, lina sizwe esingaloyisekiyo,
2 before 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.
isimiso singakazali, lalolosuku lwedlule njengamakhoba, intukuthelo yolaka lweNkosi ingakalehleli, usuku lolaka lweNkosi lungakalehleli.
3 Seek 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.
Dingani iNkosi, lina lonke abamnene bomhlaba, elenze isahlulelo sayo; dingani ukulunga, lidinge ubumnene; mhlawumbe lingafihlwa ngosuku lolaka lweNkosi.
4 For Gaza will be abandoned, and Ashkelon left in ruins. Ashdod will be driven out at noon, and Ekron will be uprooted.
Ngoba iGaza izadelwa, leAshikeloni ibe lunxiwa; bazaxotsha iAshidodi emini enkulu, leEkhironi isitshunwe.
5 Woe 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.”
Maye kwabakhileyo belizwe lolwandle, isizwe samaKerethi! Ilizwi leNkosi limelene lani. Wena Khanani, lizwe lamaFilisti, ngizakuchitha, kuze kungabi lomhlali.
6 So the seacoast will become a land of pastures, with wells for shepherds and folds for sheep.
Lelizwe lolwandle lizakuba ngamadlelo alemigodi yamanzi yabelusi, lezibaya zezimvu.
7 The 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.
Njalo ilizwe lizakuba ngelensali yendlu kaJuda; bazakudla kulo; kusihlwa bazalala ezindlini zeAshikeloni; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo izabahambela, iphendule ukuthunjwa kwabo.
8 “I have heard the reproach of Moab and the insults of the Ammonites, who have taunted My people and threatened their borders.
Ngiyizwile inhlamba kaMowabi, lokuthuka kwamadodana kaAmoni, abahlambaze ngakho abantu bami, bezikhulisa bemelene lomngcele wabo.
9 Therefore, 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.”
Ngakho kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, isibili uMowabi uzakuba njengeSodoma, labantwana bakaAmoni njengeGomora, indawo yezimbabazane, lemigodi yetshwayi, lencithakalo kuze kube phakade. Insali yabantu bami izabaphanga, labaseleyo babantu bami badle ilifa labo.
10 This they shall have in return for their pride, for taunting and mocking the people of the LORD of Hosts.
Lokhu bazakuba lakho endaweni yokuziphakamisa kwabo, ngoba bathuka, bazikhulisa bemelene labantu beNkosi yamabandla.
11 The 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.
INkosi izakwesabeka kubo, ngoba izacakisa bonke onkulunkulu bomhlaba; njalo bazakhothama kuyo, ngulowo lalowo esendaweni yakhe, zonke izihlenge zezizwe.
12 “You too, O Cushites, will be slain by My sword.”
Lani maEthiyophiya, lizakuba ngababuleweyo ngenkemba yami.
13 And He will stretch out His hand against the north and destroy Assyria; He will make Nineveh a desolation, as dry as a desert.
Njalo izakwelula isandla sayo imelene lenyakatho, ichithe iAsiriya, ibeke iNineve ibe lunxiwa, yome njengenkangala.
14 Herds 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.
Njalo imihlambi izalala phansi phakathi kwayo, zonke izinyamazana zezizwe; lalo iwunkwe kanye lenhloni kulale ezidukwini zayo; ilizwi lizahlabela ewindini, incithakalo ibe sembundwini; ngoba ezakwembula umsebenzi womsedari.
15 This 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.
Lo ngumuzi ojabulayo, obuhlezi ngokuvikeleka, owawusithi enhliziyweni yawo: Yimi, njalo kakho omunye ngaphandle kwami. Yeka ukuba kwawo yincithakalo, indawo yokulala yezinyamazana! Wonke owedlula kiwo uyancifa, anyikinye isandla sakhe.
