Zephaniah 3
1 Woe [to] the rebelling and defiling, The oppressing city!
Ole kwa mji ulioasi! Mji wenye vurugu umenajisiwa.
2 She has not listened to the voice, She has not accepted instruction, In YHWH she has not trusted, She has not drawn near to her God.
Haukuisikiliza sauti ya Mungu, wala haukupokea masahihisho kutoka kwa Yahwe. Hakumtumaini Yahwe na hatamkaribia Mungu wake.
3 Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] wolves [as in] evening, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
Wafalme wao ni simba wanaounguruma miongoni mwao. Waamuzi wao ni mbwa mwitu wa jioni wasiobakiza kitu ambacho kitakuwa kimemung'unywa asubuhi yake.
4 Her prophets unstable—men of treachery, Her priests have defiled the sanctuary, They have violated the Law.
Manabii wake wanakiburi na wanaume wasaliti. Makuhani wake wamepanajisi mahali patakatifu na wameifanyia vurugu sheria.
5 YHWH [is] righteous in her midst, He does not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment He gives to the light, It has not been lacking, And the perverse do not know shame.
Yahwe ni mwenye haki miongoni mwao. Hawezi kufanya makosa. Kila asubuhi husimamia haki yake! Haitafichika nuruni, hata hivyo watu wasio wenye haki hawajui kuona aibu.
6 “I have cut off nations, Desolated have been their chief ones, I have laid waste their out-places without any passing by, Destroyed have been their cities, Without man, without inhabitant.
Nimeyaharibu mataifa; ngome zao zimeharibiwa. Nimeifanya mitaa yao magofu, hivyo hakuna hata mmoja anayepitia kwake. Miji yao imeharibiwa kwa hiyo hakuna mtu anayeikaa.
7 I have said: Only, you fear Me, You accept instruction, And her habitation is not cut off, All that I have appointed for her, But they have risen early, They have corrupted all their doings.
Nikasema, 'Hakika mtaniogopa mimi. Pokeeni masahihisho na msikatiliwe mbali kutoka kwenye miji yenu kwa yote yale niliyokuwa nimeyapanga kuyafanya kwenu.' Lakini walikuwa na shauku kuanza kila siku kwa kuharibu matendo yao yote.
8 Therefore, wait for Me,” A declaration of YHWH, “For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment [is] to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them My indignation, All the heat of My anger, For by the fire of My jealousy all the earth is consumed.
Kwa hiyo ningojeni - hili ni tamko la Yahwe - mpaka siku ambayo nitainuka kwa ajili ya waathirika. Uaamuzi wangu nikuwakusanya mataifa, kuzikusanya falme, na kumwaga juu yao hasira yangu, uchungu wangu wote mkali, hivyo nchi yote itamezwa kwa moto wa hasira yangu.
9 For then I turn a pure lip to peoples, To call all of them by the Name of YHWH, To serve Him [with] one shoulder.
Ndipo nitawapa midomo safi watu, kuwaita wote kwa jina la Bwana kunitumikia wakisimama bega kwa bega.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, My supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Bring My present.
Kutoka ng'ambo ya mto Ethiopia waniabuduo - watu wangu waliotawanyika - wataleta dhabihu kwa sababu yangu.
11 In that day you are not ashamed because of any of your actions, With which you have transgressed against Me, For then I turn aside from your midst The exulting ones of your excellence, And you are to be haughty no longer, In My holy mountain.
Katika siku hiyo hamtawekwa kwenye woga kwa matendo yenu yote ambayo mmeyafanya dhidi yangu, tangu wakati ule nitaondoa kutoka kwenu wale waliosherehekea fahari yenu, na kwa sababu hamtakuwa na muda mrefu kufanya majivuno juu ya mlima wangu mtakatifu.
12 And I have left in your midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the Name of YHWH.
Lakini nitawaacha kama wa chini zaidi na watu masikini, na mtapata kimbilio katika jina la Yahwe.
13 The remnant of Israel does no perversity, nor speaks lies, Nor is a deceitful tongue found in their mouth, For they have delight, and have lain down, And there is none troubling.”
Mkazi wa Israeli si muda mrefu hatafanya udhalimu au kusema uongo, na hakuna ulimi wa udanganyifu utakaoonekana mdomoni mwao; hivyo watalisha na kulala chini, na hakuna hata mmoja atakayewafanya kuogopa.”
14 Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Imba, binti Sayuni! Piga kelele, Israeli. Ufurahi na kushangilia kwa moyo wako wote, binti wa Yerusalemu.
15 YHWH has turned aside your judgments, He has faced your enemy, The King of Israel, YHWH, [is] in your midst, You see evil no more.
Yahwe ameiondoa hukumu yako; amewafukuzia mbali adui zako! Yahwe ni mfalme wa Israeli miongoni mwenu. Kamwe hamtamwogopa tena mwovu!
16 In that day it is said to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, O Zion, Do not let your hands be feeble.
Katika siku hizo watasema kwa Yerusalemi, “Usiogope, Sayuni. Usiiache mikono yako ilegee.
17 Your God YHWH [is] in your midst, A mighty one [to] save, He rejoices over you with joy, He works in His love, He delights over you with singing.”
Yahwe Mungu wako yuko katikati yenu, mwenye nguvu wa kuwaokoa. Atasherehekea juu yenu na kwa furaha atakuwa kimya juu yenu kwa upendo wake. Atakuwa na furaha juu yenu na atashangilia kwa furaha,
18 “I have gathered My afflicted from the appointed place, They have been bearing reproach from you for her sake.
katika siku maalumu ya sherehe. Nitaondoa maafa kutoka kwenu; si muda mrefu hamtabeba aibu kwa ajili yake.
19 Behold, I am dealing with all afflicting you at that time, And I have saved the halting one, And I gather the ones driven out, And have set them for a praise and for a name, In all the land of their shame.
Tazama, Niko tayari kuwashughulikia watesi wenu wote. Katika wakati ule, Nitawaokoa waliolemaa na kuwakusanya waliotupiliwa mbali. Nitawafanya kuwa sifa, na nitaibadilisha aibu yao iwe sifa katika dunia yote.
20 At that time I bring you in, Even at the time of My assembling you, For I give you for a name, and for a praise, Among all peoples of the land, In My turning back [to] your captivity before your eyes,” said YHWH!
Katika wakati ule nitawaongoza; katika wakati ule nitawakusanya pamoja. Nitawafanya mataifa yote ya dunia kuwaheshimu na kuwasifu, wakati mtakapoona hivyo, Nitakuwa nimewarudisha”, asema Yahwe.
