Zephaniah 2
1 You people [of Judah] who ought to be ashamed, gather together [DOU].
Miƒo ƒu! Miƒo ƒu! O, dukɔ si ŋu mekpena o,
2 Yahweh is extremely angry with you, [so gather together now], before it is time for him to punish [MTY] you and blow you away like [SIM] [the wind blows away] chaff.
hafi ɣeyiɣi si woɖo ɖi la naɖo, eye ŋkeke ma nava gbɔ mi abe atsa ene, hafi Yehowa ƒe dziku dziŋɔ la nava dziwò, hafi Yehowa ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke la nava dziwò.
3 All you people in Judah who are humble, worship Yahweh, and obey what he has commanded. Try to do what is right and to be humble. [If you do that], perhaps Yahweh will protect/spare you on the day when he punishes [MTY] people.
Midi Yehowa, mi anyigbadzitɔ siwo katã bɔbɔ mia ɖokui, mi ame siwo wɔa eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu. Midi dzɔdzɔenyenye, midi ɖokuibɔbɔ; ɖewohĩ woatsyɔ nu mia dzi le Yehowa ƒe dzikuŋkeke la dzi.
4 [When Yahweh punishes Philistia], Gaza and Ashkelon [cities] will be deserted/abandoned. Ashdod [city] will be attacked and the people expelled at noon [when people are resting]; the [people of Ekron city] will [also] be driven out.
Gaza azu aƒedo, eye Askelon azu gli gbagbã. Le ŋdɔkutsu me woalɔ Asdod ƒioƒioƒio, eye woaho Ekron kple ke.
5 And terrible things will happen to you people of Philistia who live near the sea, because Yahweh has decided [MTY] that he will punish [MTY] you, [also]. He will get rid of all of you; not one person will (survive/remain alive).
Baba na mi Keretitɔwo, mi ame siwo le ƒuta; O Kanaan, Filistitɔwo ƒe anyigba, Yehowa tsɔ nya ɖe mia ŋu be, “Matsrɔ̃ mi keŋkeŋkeŋ, eye ame aɖeke masusɔ o.”
6 The land [of Philistia] near the sea will become a pasture, a place for shepherds and their sheep pens.
Keretitɔwo ƒe nɔƒe si le ƒuta la, azu alẽkpo kple nɔƒe na alẽkplɔlawo.
7 The people of Judah who (survive/are still alive) will possess that land. At night they will sleep in the [deserted] houses in Ashkelon. Yahweh will take care of them; he will enable them to prosper again.
Anye ame mamlɛ siwo susɔ na Yuda ƒe aƒe la tɔ, afi mae woakpɔ lãnyiƒe le. Le fiẽ me la, woamlɔ Askelontɔwo ƒe aƒewo me. Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la akpɔ wo ta, eye wòagaɖo wo te.
8 The Commander of the armies of angels, the God to whom [we] Israeli people [belong], says [this]: “I have heard the people of Moab and Ammon when they insulted [DOU] my people, and when they said that they would conquer my people’s country.
“Mese Moab ƒe alɔmeɖeɖe kple Amon ƒe viwo ƒe vlododo, ame siwo dzi nye dukɔ, eye woɖo nugbe ɖe woƒe anyigba ŋuti.
9 So now, [as surely] as I live, [I will destroy] Moab and Ammon like [SIM] [I destroyed] Gomorrah [city]. Their land will be a place were there are nettles and salt pits; it will be ruined forever. My Israeli people who survive will take away all their valuable possessions and [also] occupy their land.”
Yehowa Ŋusẽkatãtɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔ be, Zi ale si meli la, woatsrɔ̃ Moab kple Amon abe ale si wotsrɔ̃ Sodom kple Gomora ene, eye woazu ŋuvedzeɖeƒe kple gbegbe; nye ame siwo susɔ la aha wo, eye woaxɔe le wo si.”
10 The people of Moab and Ammon will get what they deserve for being proud, because they made fun of the people who belong to the Commander of the armies of angels.
Woaxɔ woƒe dada ƒe fetu, elabena woɖu fewu le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe dukɔ ŋuti.
11 Yahweh will cause them to be terrified [when] he destroys all the gods of their countries. Then [even the people who live on] islands throughout the world will worship Yahweh, each in their own countries.
Yehowa ana nu vɔ̃ɖi geɖe nava wo dzi. Atsrɔ̃ woƒe mawuwo katã kple woƒe ŋusẽ ɖa, eye ame sia ame asubɔe le eƒe anyigba dzi le xexea me godoo.
12 [Yahweh says that] he will also slaughter the people of Ethiopia.
“Mi Kustɔwo, woatsrɔ̃ miawo hã kple yi.”
13 Yahweh will punish [IDM] and destroy Assyria, [that land] northeast of us. He will cause [its capital] Nineveh to become ruined and deserted, a place that will be as dry as the desert.
Nenema kee nye anyiehetɔwo hã; atsrɔ̃ Asiria kple eƒe toxɔdu Ninive xɔŋkɔ la gbidigbidi, eye wòanɔ abe dzogbe ene.
14 [Flocks of sheep and] herds [of cattle] and many kinds of wild animals will lie down there. Owls and crows will sit on the columns/pillars [of the destroyed buildings], and they will (hoot/cry out) through the windows. There will be rubble in the doorways, and the [valuable] cedar boards will be taken [from the ruined houses].
Du xɔŋkɔ sia azu gbeɖuƒe na alẽhawo. Gbemelã kple xe vovovowo atsɔ teƒe sia awɔ wo nɔƒee. Hlɔ̃madewo aɖe do ɖe afi ma, akagawo kple alugewo awɔ atɔ ɖe eƒe fiasãwo me, eye woadzo ɖe eƒe fesrewo nu anɔ xɔxlɔ̃m; eye akpaviãwo adzo ɖe fiasã la ƒe ʋɔtruwo nu. Mlɔeba la, ʋuƒo nyui siwo wotsɔ wɔ xɔa mee la atsi gota ŋdɔ naɖu.
15 [The people of] Nineveh were [previously] happy and proud, thinking that they were very safe. They were [always] saying, “Our city is the greatest city; there is no city as great as ours!” But now it will become a ruins, a place where wild animals make their dens. And everyone who passes by there will hiss [and scorn/ridicule that city], and shake their fists [to show that they detest that city very much].
Esiawoe nye nu siwo ava dzɔ ɖe du si kpɔ dzidzedze, eye wòle tomefafa me la dzi. Du sia gblɔ na eɖokui be, “Le xexea me katã la, du aɖeke mekpɔ ŋusẽ de nunye o.” Gake azɔ, mikpɔ ɖa, eyae nye du si gbã gudugudu, zu gbegbe na lãwo kple xewo! Azɔ ame sia ame si ava to eŋuti la ado tsiã, aʋuʋu ta, elabena maxɔe ase o.
