< Zephaniah 1 >
1 The word of Jehovah that came unto 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.
Hili ni neno la Yahwe ambalo lilikuja kwa Sefania mwana wa Kushi mwana wa Gedalia mwana wa Amaria mwana Hezekia, katika siku za Yosia mwana wa Amoni, mfalme wa Yuda. “
2 I will utterly take away everything from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah:
Nitaangamiza kabisa kila kitu kutoka usoni mwa dunia - hili ni tamko la Bwana mwenyewe.
3 I will take away man and beast; I will take away the fowl of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off mankind from off the face of the ground, saith Jehovah.
Nitamwangamiza mtu na mnyama; Nitawaangamiza ndege wa mbinguni na samaki wa baharini, uharibifu pamoja na waovu. Hivyo nitamfutilia mbali mtu kutoka uso wa dunia - hili ni tamko la Bwana mwenyewe.
4 And I will stretch forth my hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, the name of the Chemarim with the priests;
Nitafika kwa mkono wangu juu ya Yuda na wote wenyeji wa Yerusalemu. Nitafutilia mbali kila mabaki ya Baali kutoka sehemu hii na majina ya watu waabuduo sanamu miongoni mwa makuhani,
5 and them that bow down to the host of the heavens upon the housetops; and them that bow down to Jehovah, that swear by [him], and swear by Malcham;
watu ambao juu ya nyumba huabudu miili ya mbinguni, na watu ambao huabudu na kuapa kwa Yahwe bali ambao pia huapa kwa mfalme wao.
6 and them that turn back from after Jehovah, and that do not seek Jehovah, nor inquire for him.
Nitawafutilia mbali pia wale ambao wamegeuka nyuma kutoka kumfuata Yahwe, wale ambao pia humtafuta Yahwe pasipo kuuliza ulinzi wake.
7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; for Jehovah hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath hallowed his guests.
Uwe kimya mbele ya Bwana Yahwe! Kwa kuwa siku ya Yahwe ni karibu, Yahwe ameandaa dhabihu na amewatenga wageni wake.
8 And it shall come to pass in the day of Jehovah's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.
“Itakuja katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana, hivyo nitawapiga wakuu na wana wa mfalme, na kila mmoja aliyevikwa mavazi ya kigeni.
9 And in that day will I punish all those that leap over the threshold, who fill their master's house with violence and deceit.
Katika siku hiyo nitawapiga wote wale ambao huruka juu ya kizingiti, wale ambao hujaza nyumba ya bwana wao kwa vurugu na udanganyifu.
10 And in that day, saith Jehovah, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish-gate, and a howling from the second [quarter], and a great crashing from the hills.
Itakuwa katika siku ile - hili ni tangazo la Yahwe - kwamba kilio cha huzuni kitakuja kutoka kwenye mlango wa samaki, ikipiga yowe kutoka Wilaya ya Pili, na sauti ya kishindo kikuu kutoka vilimani.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh; for all the people of Canaan are cut down, all they that are laden with silver are cut off.
Pigeni yowe, wenyeji wa Soko la Wilaya, kwa wote wafanyabiashara watakuwa wameharibiwa, wote wale ambao hupima fedha watakuwa wamefutiliwa mbali.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil.
Itakuwa katika siku ile nitaitafuta Yerusalemu kwa taa na kuwapiga wanaume ambao watakuwa wamekaa kwenye mvinyo wao na kusema mioyoni mwao, 'Yahwe hatafanya chochote, ama kizuri au kiovu.'.
13 And their wealth shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation; and they shall build houses, and not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and not drink the wine thereof.
Mali zao zitakuja kuporwa, na nyumba zao zitakuwa zimetelekezwa kwa maangamizi! Watajenga nyumba lakini hawataishi humo, na kupanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa mvinyo wake.
14 The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly. The voice of the day of Jehovah: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
Siku kubwa ya Yahwe ni karibu, karibu na inaharakisha upesi! Sauti ya siku ya Yahwe itakuwa ya kilio cha uchungu wa kishujaa!
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and gross darkness,
Siku hiyo itakuwa siku ya ghadabu, siku ya huzuni na uchungu, siku ya dhoruba na maangamizi, siku ya giza na utusitusi, siku ya mawingu na giza nene.
16 a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fenced cities and against the high battlements.
Itakuwa siku ya parapanda na kengele dhidi ya ngome mijini na buruji ndefu.
17 And I will bring distress upon men, and they shall walk like blind men; for they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung:
Hivyo nitaleta dhiki juu ya wanadamu, kwa hiyo watatembea karibu kama wanaume vipofu tangu walipofanya dhambi dhidi ya Yahwe. Damu yao itamwagwa kama vumbi, na sehemu zao za ndani kama kinyesi.
18 their silver and their gold shall not 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 a full end, yea, a sudden [end], shall he make of all them that dwell in the land.
Wala fedha zao wala dhahabu zao hazitaweza kuwaokoa juu ya ghadhabu ya Yahwe. Ndani ya moto wa wivu wake dunia yote itateketezwa, hivyo ataleta ukamilifu, miwisho wa kutisha kwa wote wakaao duniani.”