Zephaniah 1
1 The word of Yahweh which came unto Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, —in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.
Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Sefania a ɔyɛ Kusi ba, Gedalia ba, Amaria ba, Hesekia ba nkyɛn nie. Ɛbaa Yudahene Yosia a ɔyɛ Amon ba berɛ so.
2 I will take clean away everything from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.
“Mɛpra biribiara afiri asase so” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie,
3 I will take away man and beast, I will take away the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks, even them who are lawless, —and will cut off mankind, from off the face of the ground, Declareth Yahweh.
“Mɛpra nnipa ne mmoa nyinaa; mɛpra nnomaa a wɔwɔ ewiem ne mpataa a wɔwɔ ɛpo mu nyinaa. Atirimuɔdenfoɔ bɛnya wira a ɛsum hɔ nko ara sɛ mesɛe adasamma a wɔwɔ asase yi so a,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
4 And I will stretch out my hand—over Judah, and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, —and will cut off out of this place, the name of Baal, the name of the priestlings, with the priests;
“Mɛtene me nsa wɔ Yuda ne wɔn a wɔte Yerusalem nyinaa so; na mɛsɛe Baal ho biribiara a aka wɔ ha, na masɛe abosonsomfoɔ ne abosomfoɔ asɔfoɔ no din
5 And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens, —and them who bow down—who swear to Yahweh, and swear by Milcom;
wɔn a wɔkoto sɔre wɔn adan atifi, de sɔre abɔdeɛ a ɛwɔ ewiem, wɔn a wɔkoto de Awurade ka ntam na wɔde Molek nso ka ntam,
6 And them who turn away from following Yahweh, —and have neither sought Yahweh, nor enquired for him.
wɔn nso a wɔgyae Awurade akyiridie na wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade anaa wɔmmisa nʼase.”
7 Hush! at the presence of My Lord, Yahweh, —for, near, is the day of Yahweh, for Yahweh hath prepared his sacrifice, hath hallowed his guests.
Monyɛ komm wɔ Asafo Awurade anim, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ɛda no abɛn. Awurade asiesie afɔrebɔdeɛ; wadwira wɔn a wato nsa afrɛ wɔn no ho.
8 And it shall come to pass, in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, that I will punish the rulers, and the sons of the king, —and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel;
“Awurade afɔrebɔ ɛda no, mɛtwe mmapɔmma ne ahenemma ne wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ ananafoɔ ntadeɛ nyinaa aso.
9 And I will punish every one who leapeth over the threshold, in that day, —those who fill the house of their lords with violence and deceit.
Saa ɛda no mɛtwe wɔn a wɔkwati aponnwa no nyinaa aso. Wɔn a wɔde akakabensɛm ne nsisie hyehyɛ wɔn abosomfie ma no.
10 And there shall come to be, in that day, declareth Yahweh, The noise of an outcry from the fish-gate, and of a howling out of the new city, —and of a great crashing, from the hills.
“Saa ɛda no,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Esu bɛfiri Mpataa Ɛpono ano, agyaadwotwa bɛfiri Atenaeɛ Foforɔ na nnyegyeeɛ a ano yɛ den afiri nkokoɔ no so aba.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the lower city, —because destroyed are all the people of traffic, cut off are all they who were laden with silver.
Montwa adwo, mo a mote adetɔnbea hɔ no wɔbɛtɔre wɔn a mo ne wɔn di dwa ase, dwetɛ adwadifoɔ nyinaa nso wɔbɛsɛe wɔn.
12 And it shall come to pass, at that time, that I will search through Jerusalem, with lamps, —and will punish the men who are thickened upon their lees, who are saying in their heart, Yahweh, will not give blessing, neither will he bring calamity.
Mede nkanea bɛkyini ahwehwɛ Yerusalem mu na matwe wɔn a wɔgyaagyaa wɔn ho aso, wɔn a wɔte sɛ bobesa puo no, a wɔdwene sɛ, ‘Awurade nnyɛ wɔn hwee sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne.’
13 Therefore shall their goods become a booty, and their houses, a desolation, —and they shall build houses, but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
Wɔbɛfom wɔn ahonyadeɛ, na wɔabubu wɔn afie agu. Wɔbɛsisi afie, nanso wɔrentena mu wɔbɛyɛ bobe mfuo nanso wɔrennom emu nsã.”
14 Near is the great day of Yahweh, near, and very speedy, —The noise of the day of Yahweh, a strong man—there!—bitterly crying out!
Awurade ɛda kɛseɛ no abɛn, abɛn na ɛreba ntɛm so. Tie! Osu a wɔbɛsu Awurade ɛda no bɛyɛ ya, ɔkofoɔ a ɔwɔ hɔ nso nteamu bɛyɛ saa ara.
15 A day of indignation, —that day! day of danger and distress, day of rush, and of crash, day of obscurity, and deep gloom, day of cloud, and thick darkness;
Saa ɛda no bɛyɛ abufuo ɛda, ɛyɛ ahoyera ne ɔyea ɛda; ɛyɛ amanehunu ne ɔsɛeɛ ɛda, ɛyɛ esum ne kusukuukuu ɛda ɛyɛ omununkum ne kusuuyɛ ɛda,
16 day of horn, and war-shout, —against the fortified cities, and against the high towers.
ɛyɛ totorobɛnto hyɛn ne ɔko nteam a ɛtia nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ ne ntwɛtwɛaso abantenten ɛda.
17 And I will bring distress to mankind, and they shall walk like them who are blind, because, against Yahweh, have they sinned, —and their blood, shall be poured out, as dust, and their bowels like dung.
“Mede awerɛhoɔ bɛba nnipa no so na wɔbɛnante sɛ anifirafoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ wɔayɛ bɔne atia Awurade. Wɔbɛhwie wɔn mogya agu sɛ mfuturo, na wɔn ayamdeɛ nso sɛ atantanneɛ.
18 Neither their silver nor yet their gold, shall be able to deliver them, in the day of the indignation of Yahweh, but, in the fire of his jealousy, shall the whole earth be consumed; For, a destruction, surely a terrible one, will he make, with all them who dwell in the earth.
Wɔn dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ rentumi nnye wɔn nkwa wɔ Awurade abufuo ɛda no.” Ne ninkuntwe mu ogya no bɛhye ɔman no nyinaa, na ɔbɛma asase no so tefoɔ nyinaa nkwa aba awieeɛ mpofirim.
