Zephaniah 1
1 A word of YHWH that has been to Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:
Na hafiala, woadzi ɖe kasaŋku ŋu. Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe nya si va na Zefania, Kusi ƒe vi. Kusi fofoe nye Hezekia, Hezekia fofoe nye Amaria, eye Amaria fofoe nye Gedalia. Gbedeasi la va le Yuda fia Yosia, Amon ƒe vi ŋɔli.
2 “I utterly consume all from off the face of the ground,” A declaration of YHWH.
“Makplɔ nu sia nu si le miaƒe anyigba dzi la ɖa ƒioƒioƒio.” Yehowae gblɔe.
3 “I consume man and beast, I consume bird of the heavens, and fishes of the sea, And the stumbling-blocks—the wicked, And I have cut off man from the face of the ground,” A declaration of YHWH,
“Matsrɔ̃ amewo kple lãwo siaa; Matsrɔ̃ dziƒoxeviwo kple lã siwo le atsiaƒu me la hã kple nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔlawo.” “Ne metsrɔ̃ amegbetɔwo katã le anyigba dzi,” Yehowae gblɔe.
4 “And I have stretched out My hand against Judah, And against all inhabiting Jerusalem, And cut off from this place the remnant of Ba‘al, The name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,
“Mado nye asi ɖe Yuda kple ame siwo katã le Yerusalem la gbɔ. Maɖe nu siwo katã susɔ na Baal la ɖa le teƒe sia; maɖe trɔ̃nuawo kple nunɔla siwo gasubɔa trɔ̃ hã ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖa,
5 And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens, And those bowing themselves, Swearing to YHWH, and swearing by Malcham,
ame siwo dea ta agu le xɔwo tame hesubɔa dziƒoŋunuwo, hekpe ɖe ame siwo dea ta agu na Yehowa, gake wogakaa atam na Molek,
6 And those removing from after YHWH, And who have not sought YHWH, nor implored Him.”
kple ame siwo trɔ le Yehowa yome, eye womedinɛ alo biaa eta sena o la siaa ŋu.”
7 Hush! Because of Lord YHWH, For near [is the] Day of YHWH, For YHWH has prepared a sacrifice, He has sanctified His invited ones.
Mizi ɖoɖoe le Aƒetɔ Yehowa ŋkume, elabena Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke la tu aƒe. Yehowa dzra vɔsa ɖo, eye wòkɔ ame siwo wòkpe la hã ŋuti.
8 “And it has come to pass, In the day of the sacrifice of YHWH, That I have laid a charge on the heads, And on sons of the king, And on all putting on strange clothing.
“Le Yehowa ƒe vɔsagbea la, mahe to na Yuda ƒe dumegãwo kple fiaviŋutsuwo, kpakple ame siwo ta dutatɔwo ƒe avɔwo.
9 And I have laid a charge on everyone Who is leaping over the threshold in that day, Who are filling the house of their masters [With] violence and deceit.
Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, mahe to na ame siwo katã tia kpo flɔa kpui siwo le trɔ̃xɔwo nu, eye woyɔa woƒe trɔ̃xɔwo me kple ŋutasesẽ kple beble.”
10 And there has been in that day,” A declaration of YHWH, “The noise of a cry from the Fish Gate, And of a howling from the Second [Quarter], And of great destruction from the hills.
Yehowa be: “Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, avifafa aɖi tso Tɔmelãgbo la nu, asiƒunu aɖi tso dua ƒe akpa evelia, eye howɔwɔ gã aɖe aɖi tso togbɛwo dzi.
11 Howl, you inhabitants of the hollow place, For all the merchant people have been cut off, All carrying silver have been cut off.
Mifa avi, mi ame siwo le asiɖoƒe ƒe nutowo me, miaƒe asitsalawo katã atsrɔ̃, eye ame siwo katã dzraa klosalonuwo la hã atsrɔ̃.
12 And it has come to pass at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: YHWH does no good, nor does He do evil.
Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, masi akaɖi adi ɖekematsɔlemetɔwo le Yerusalem ahe to na wo, ame siwo le abe wain ƒe aƒe ene, eye wogblɔ le woƒe dzi me be, ‘Yehowa mawɔ naneke mí, eɖanye nyui alo vɔ̃ o.’
13 And their wealth has been for a spoil, And their houses for desolation, And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, And they have planted vineyards, And they do not drink their wine.”
Woava ha woƒe kesinɔnu gbogboawo adzoe, woagbã woƒe aƒewo, woatso aƒewo, ke womanɔ wo me o, woade waingblewo, ke womano wain tso wo me o.”
14 Near [is] the Great Day of YHWH, Near, and hastening exceedingly, The noise of the Day of YHWH, There a mighty one bitterly shrieks.
Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke ma tu aƒe vɔ, egbɔna kpuie. Miɖo to, le Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke ma dzi la, woado ɣli kple vevesese, aʋawɔlawo ƒe ɣlidodo ade dzi le afi ma.
15 A day of wrath [is] that day, A day of adversity and distress, A day of devastation and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of cloud and thick darkness,
Anye ŋkeke si dzi woatrɔ Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe akɔ ɖe anyi; anye hiãgbe kple xaxagbe, anye dzɔgbevɔ̃e kple tsɔtsrɔ̃gbe. Ŋkeke sia anye blukɔ kple vivitidogbe, afu kple tsizidogbe,
16 A day of horn and shouting against the fortified cities, And against the high corners.
Anye aʋakpẽkugbe kple aʋaɣlidogbe, ɖe du siwo woɖo gli sesẽwo ƒo xlãe kple gbetakpɔxɔ siwo le dzogoe dzi ŋu.
17 “And I have sent distress to men, And they have walked as the blind, For against YHWH they have sinned, And poured out is their blood as dust, And their flesh [is] as dung.”
“Mahe xaxa va ameawo dzi, eye woazɔ abe ŋkugbagbãtɔwo ene, elabena woda vo ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Woƒe ʋu akɔ ɖi abe ʋuʋudedi ene, eye woƒe dɔmenuwo akaka abe gbeɖuɖɔ ene.
18 Even their silver, even their gold, is not able to deliver them in a day of the wrath of YHWH, and in the fire of His jealousy is the whole land consumed, for He makes only a hurried end of all the inhabitants of the land!
Le Yehowa ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke sia dzi la, woƒe klosalo alo sika mate ŋu aɖe wo o.” Yehowa ƒe ŋuʋaʋã ƒe dzo afia xexea me katã, elabena atsrɔ̃ ame siwo katã le anyigba dzi la kpata.
