< Zephaniah 3 >

1 Sorrow to her who is uncontrolled and unclean, the cruel town!
Ahụhụ dịrị obodo ahụ ndị mmegbu, na ndị na-enupu isi, na ndị rụrụ arụ jupụtara nʼime ya.
2 She gave no attention to the voice, she had no use for teaching, she put no faith in the Lord, she did not come near to her God.
Ọ naghị ege onye ọbụla ntị, ọ dịghị anabata ịdọ aka na ntị. Ọ dịghị atụkwasị Onyenwe anyị obi, ọ dịkwaghị abịakwute Chineke ya nso.
3 Her rulers are like loud-voiced lions in her; her judges are wolves of the evening, crushing up the bones before the morning.
Ndịisi nọ nʼetiti ya dịka ọdụm na-agbọ ụja, ndị ọkaikpe ya dịka nkịta ọhịa na-achụ nta anyasị, nke ihe ọ chụtara na nta adịghị anọ tutu chi abọọ.
4 Her prophets are good-for-nothing persons, full of deceit: her priests have made the holy place unclean and have gone violently against the law.
Ndị amụma ya bụ ndị ndu rụrụ arụ, ha bụkwa ndị aghụghọ. Ndị nchụaja ya na-emerụ ebe nsọ na-ejikwa ike emebi iwu.
5 The Lord in her is upright; he will not do evil; every morning he lets his righteousness be seen, he is unchanging; but the evil-doer has no sense of shame.
Ma Onyenwe anyị, onye nọ nʼetiti ya bụ onye ezi omume. Ọ nakwaghị eme ihe ọjọọ. Ụtụtụ niile ka ọ na-eme ka ikpe ziri ezi ya pụta ìhè; ụbọchị ọbụla ọ naghị ahapụ igosi ya, ma ndị ajọ omume enweghị ihere.
6 I have had the nations cut off, their towers are broken down; I have made their streets a waste so that no one goes through them: destruction has overtaken their towns, so that there is no man living in them.
“Egbuchapụla m mba niile dị iche iche, kwatukwaa ebe ha niile e wusiri ike. Ahapụla m okporoụzọ ha ka ọ bụrụ ihe a gbahapụrụ agbahapụ, ọ dịkwaghị onye na-esi na ha agabiga. A laala obodo ha niile nʼiyi, ọ dịkwaghị onye fọdụrụ, ọ bụladị otu onye.
7 I said, Certainly you will go in fear of me, and come under my training, so that whatever I may send on her may not be cut off before her eyes: but they got up early and made all their works evil.
Asịrị m, banyere Jerusalem, ‘Nʼezie, ị ga-atụ egwu m, ma nabatakwa ntụziaka.’ Mgbe ahụ, agaghị ebibi ebe mgbaba ya, ma ọ bụkwanụ ntaramahụhụ m niile agaghị abịakwasịkwa ya. Ma otu ọ dị, ọ nụrụ ha ọkụ nʼobi ịga nʼihu mee omume rụrụ arụ nʼihe niile bụ nke ha mere.
8 For this reason, go on waiting for me, says the Lord, till the day when I come up as a witness: for my purpose is to send for the nations and to get the kingdoms together, so that I may let loose on them my passion, even all my burning wrath: for all the earth will be burned up in the fire of my bitter passion.
Nʼihi nke a, cherenụ m,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “nʼụbọchị ahụ m ga-ebili ịgba akaebe. Mkpebi m bụ ịchịkọta mba niile dị iche iche, na ịkpọkọta alaeze niile, ịwụkwasị ha oke iwe m, ọ bụladị ọnụma niile nke iwe m. Ọkụ, nke iwe si nʼekworo m, ka a ga-eji rechapụ ụwa niile.
9 For then I will give the people a clean language, so that they may all make prayer to the Lord and be his servants with one mind.
“Mgbe ahụ, aga m anụcha egbugbere ọnụ ndị niile dị iche iche mee ka ọ bụrụ ihe dị ọcha, ka ha niile nwee ike ịkpọku aha Onyenwe anyị, ma jikọta aka fekwaa ya ofufe.
10 From over the rivers of Ethiopia, and from the sides of the north, they will come to me with an offering.
Site nʼofe osimiri niile nke Kush, bụ ndị m a chụsasịrị achụsasị, ndị na-akpọ isiala nye m, ga-ewetara m onyinye dị iche iche.
11 In that day you will have no shame on account of all the things in which you did evil against me: for then I will take away from among you those who were lifted up in pride, and you will no longer be lifted up with pride in my holy mountain.
Nʼụbọchị ahụ, gị bụ Jerusalem, agaghị eme ka ihere mee gị, nʼihi omume njehie niile i jere megide m, nʼihi na aga m esite nʼetiti gị wezuga ndị gị niile na-aṅụrị ọṅụ na mpako ha. A gaghị ahụkwa ndị na-afụli onwe ha elu nʼugwu nsọ m.
12 But I will still have among you a quiet and poor people, and they will put their faith in the name of the Lord.
Ma aga m eme ka ndị dị nwayọọ nʼobi, na ndị dị umeala nʼobi fọdụ nʼetiti ndị Izrel, ha ga-agbabakwa nʼaha Onyenwe anyị.
13 The rest of Israel will do no evil and say no false words; the tongue of deceit will not be seen in their mouth: for they will take their food and their rest, and no one will be a cause of fear to them.
Ha agaghị emekwa ihe ọjọọ, ha agaghị ekwu okwu ụgha. Ire na-ekwu okwu aghụghọ agaghị adịkwa nʼọnụ ha. Ha ga-akpa nri ma dinakwa ala, ọ dịkwaghị onye ga-eme ka ha tụọ egwu.”
14 Make melody, O daughter of Zion; give a loud cry, O Israel; be glad and let your heart be full of joy, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Bụọ abụ, gị nwaada Zayọn; tie mkpu, gị Izrel. Ṅụrịa ọṅụ, e, jiri obi gị niile ṅụrịa ọṅụ, gị nwaada Jerusalem.
15 The Lord has taken away those who were judging you, he has sent your haters far away: the King of Israel, even the Lord, is among you: you will have no more fear of evil.
Nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị ewezugala ahụhụ dịrị gị, chụghachikwa ndị iro gị azụ. Onyenwe anyị, onye bụ Eze Izrel, nọ nʼetiti gị. Ị gaghị atụkwa egwu ihe ọjọọ ọzọ.
16 In that day it will be said to Jerusalem, Have no fear: O Zion, let not your hands be feeble.
Nʼụbọchị ahụ, ihe a ga-agwa Jerusalem ga-abụ, “Atụla egwu, gị Zayọn, ekwela ka aka gị daa mba.
17 The Lord your God is among you, as a strong saviour: he will be glad over you with joy, he will make his love new again, he will make a song of joy over you as in the time of a holy feast.
Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke gị nọ nʼetiti gị, ọ bụ Dike nʼagha nke na-enye mmeri. Ọ ga-eji ọṅụ nwee mmasị na ahụ gị; nʼihi ịhụnanya ya, ọ gaghị abakwara gị mba, kama ọ ga-eji oke iti mkpu abụ ṅụrịa ọṅụ nʼebe ị nọ.”
18 I will take away your troubles, lifting up your shame from off you.
“Nʼụbọchị mmemme a kara aka, aga m ewepụrụ gị ọdachi iru ụjụ, nke bụ ibu arụ na ihe ịta ụta dịrị gị.
19 See, at that time I will put an end to all who have been troubling you: I will give salvation to her whose steps are uncertain, and get together her who has been sent in flight; and I will make them a cause of praise and an honoured name in all the earth, when I let their fate be changed.
Nʼoge ahụ, aga m emesi ndị ahụ niile na-emegbu gị ike. Aga m azọpụta ndị ụkwụ rụrụ, chịkọtakwa ndị niile e mere ka ha gaa biri nʼala ndị ọzọ. Aga m agbanwe ihere ha ka ọ bụrụ ihe otuto nʼihe na-ewu ewu nʼụwa ebe ha natara ihere.
20 At that time I will make you come in, at that time I will get you together: for I will make you a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth when I let your fate be changed before your eyes, says the Lord.
Nʼoge ahụ, aga m akpọlata unu nʼụlọ; mgbe m ga-akpọkọta unu ọnụ. Aga m eme ka unu na-ewu ewu ka unu nwekwaa otuto nʼetiti mmadụ niile bi nʼụwa, mgbe m ga-eweghachi ihe ọma unu nʼihu anya unu.” Ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru.

< Zephaniah 3 >