Zephaniah 2

1 You people [of Judah] who ought to be ashamed, gather together [DOU].

Mommoaboa mo ho ano, mommoaboa mo ho ano, Ao, animguaseɛ ɔman,

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.

ansa na ɛberɛ a wɔahyɛ no aduru, na ɛda no resene te sɛ ntɛtɛ, ansa na Awurade abufuhyeɛ no aba mo so, ansa na Awurade abufuo ɛda no aba mo so.

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.

Monhwehwɛ Awurade, ahobrɛasefoɔ a mowɔ asase so, mo a moyɛ nʼahyɛdeɛ. Monhwehwɛ tenenee, monhwehwɛ ahobrɛaseɛ; ebia ɔbɛkora mo Awurade abufuo ɛda no.

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.

Wɔbɛgya Gasa na wɔagya Askelon sɛ kurofo. Owigyinaeɛ na ɔbɛma Asdod ada mpam na wɔatutu Ekron ase.

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).

Monnue mo a mote mpoano, Ao, mo Keretifoɔ; Awurade asɛm tia mo. Ao, Kanaan, Filistifoɔ asase. Mɛtɔre mo ase, na obiara renka.

6 The land [of Philistia] near the sea will become a pasture, a place for shepherds and their sheep pens.

Asase a ɛda mpoano, baabi a Keretifoɔ teɛ bɛyɛ atenaeɛ ama nnwanhwɛfoɔ ne wɔn nnwammuo.

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.

Saa asase no bɛyɛ Yudafie nkaeɛfoɔ no dea; ɛhɔ na wɔbɛnya mmoa adidibea. Anwummerɛ wɔbɛdeda wɔ Askelon afie mu. Na Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn bɛhwɛ wɔn, na ɔde wɔn ahonyadeɛ nyinaa bɛsane ama wɔn.

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.

“Mate Moab nsopa ne Amonfoɔ atweetweɛ; wɔn a wɔsopaa me nkurɔfoɔ na wɔhunahunaa wɔn wɔ wɔn asase ho.

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.”

Enti, sɛ mete ase yi,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie, “Ampa ara Moab bɛyɛ sɛ Sodom, na Amonfoɔ ayɛ sɛ Gomora, baabi a ewira ne nkyɛn amena wɔ, asase a ɛda mpan afebɔɔ. Me ɔman nkaeɛ bɛfom wɔn afa; me manfoɔ a wɔbɛnya wɔn ti adidim bɛfa wɔn asase.”

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.

Wɔn ahantan so akatua a wɔbɛnya nie, sɛ wɔsopa na wɔtwetwe Asafo Awurade nkurɔfoɔ enti.

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.

Awurade ho suro bɛba wɔn so ɛberɛ a ɔbɛsɛe asase no so anyame nyinaa. Mpoano aman nyinaa bɛsɔre no, wɔ wɔn ankasa wɔn asase so.

12 [Yahweh says that] he will also slaughter the people of Ethiopia.

“Mo Etiopiafoɔ nso, mʼakofena ano na wɔbɛkunkum mo.”

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.

Awurade bɛtene ne nsa wɔ atifi aman so na wasɛe Asiria, na wama Ninewe ada mpan koraa na ɛso awo wesee sɛ anwea pradada so.

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].

Nnwankuo ne anantwie bɛdeda hɔ, mmoadoma nyinaa. Ɛserɛ so patuo ne ɔbonsam anoma bɛtena nʼadum no so. Wɔn su bɛgyegye mpomma mu, mmubuiɛ bɛsisi apono ano akwan, mpunan a wɔde ntweneduro ayɛ no ho bɛdeda hɔ.

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].

Yei ne kuropɔn a ɛdi ahurisie na ɛte asomdwoeɛ mu. Ɔhoahoa ne ho sɛ, “Me ne no, obiara nte sɛ me.” Hwɛ sɛ deɛ atete apansam, na ayɛ nkeka mmoa atenaeɛ! Obiara a ɔtwam hɔ no sere no, hugya ne nsa fɛdie so.