Zephaniah 1
1 [I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.
Ilizwi likaThixo elafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKhushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana ka-Amariya, indodana kaHezekhiya, ekubuseni kukaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda:
2 Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.
“Ngizakhucula konke ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.
3 I will sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on the earth.”
“Ngizakhucula kokubili abantu lezinyamazana; ngizakhucula izinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle, lezithombe ezenza ababi bakhubeke. Lapho ngiqeda abantu ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.
4 “[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].
“Ngizakwelulela isandla sami koJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema. Ngizaqeda konke okukaBhali okuseleyo kule indawo, amabizo abahedeni labaphristi abakhonza izithombe
5 [I will get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.
labo abakhothama phezu kwezindlu bakhonze ixuku lezinkanyezi, labo abakhothama bafunge ngoThixo, abafunga langoMoleki futhi,
6 I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]
labo ababuyela emuva bedela ukulandela uThixo njalo abangamdinganga uThixo loba babuze ngaye.
7 Be silent in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.
Thula phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi, ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. UThixo uselungise umhlatshelo; usebangcwelisile labo abanxusileyo.
8 Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].
Ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaThixo ngizajezisa izikhulu lamadodana amakhosi labo bonke labo abagqoke izigqoko zezizweni.
9 I will punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”
Ngalolosuku ngizabajezisa bonke abaxwaya ukunyathela umbundu womnyango, abagcwalisa ithempeli labonkulunkulu babo ngodlakela langenkohliso.”
10 Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in the hills.
UThixo, uthi, “Ngalolosuku ilizwi lokukhala lizaqonga ngaseSangweni leNhlanzi, ukulila kuvelela esiGabeni eSitsha lomsindo omkhulu wokufohloza uvela emaqaqeni.
11 [So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.
Lilani lina elihlala esigodini sokuthengisela saseMakhithashi, bonke abathengisi benu bazaqedwa, bonke abathengiselana ngesiliva bazabhujiswa.
12 [It will be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.
Ngalesosikhathi ngizaphenya iJerusalema ngezibane ngijezise labo abangakhathaliyo, abanjengewayini elitshiywe phakathi kwensipho zalo, abathi, ‘UThixo kayikwenza lutho, oluhle loba olubi.’
13 [But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”
Inotho yabo izaphangwa, izindlu zabo zidilizwe. Bazakwakha izindlu kodwa bangahlali kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini, kodwa iwayini bangalinathi.”
14 It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.
Usuku olukhulu lukaThixo seluseduze, njalo luza ngokuphangisa. Lalelani! Ukukhala ngosuku lukaThixo kuzakuba buhlungu, lokuklabalala kwebutho khonapho.
15 It will be a time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.
Lolosuku luzakuba lusuku lolaka, usuku losizi lokudabuka; usuku lokuhlupheka lokuchitheka, usuku lomnyama lokudana, usuku lwamayezi lobumnyama,
16 It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].
usuku lwecilongo lokuhlaba umkhosi wokulwa impi lamadolobho avikelweyo kanye lezinqaba zasemajikweni.
17 Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].
“Ngizaletha usizi ebantwini njalo bazahamba njengeziphofu, ngoba bonile kuThixo. Igazi labo lizachithwa njengothuli lezibilini zabo njengamanyala.
18 At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.
Isiliva sabo loba igolide labo kakungeke kwenelise ukubasindisa ngosuku lolaka lukaThixo. Umhlaba wonke uzatshiswa emlilweni womona wakhe ngoba uzakwenza isiphetho ngokuphangisa kubo bonke abahlala emhlabeni.”
