< 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.
Okwu Onyenwe anyị nke rutere Zefanaya, nwa Kushi, nwa nwa Gedaliya, bụ nwa Amaraya. Amaraya bụ nwa Hezekaya. Ozi a bịara nʼoge Josaya nwa Amọn, bụ eze Juda.
2 Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.
“Aga m azachapụ ihe niile site nʼelu ụwa,” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
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.”
“Aga m azachapụ mmadụ na anụmanụ. Aga m azachapụ ụmụ anụ ufe niile nke dị nʼeluigwe, zachapụkwa azụ niile nke dị nʼosimiri, na arụsị niile dị iche iche nke na-eme ka ndị ajọ mmadụ sụọ ngọngọ.” “Mgbe m kpochapụrụ mmadụ niile site nʼelu ụwa,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
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].
“Aga m esetipụ aka m megide Juda, megidekwa ndị niile bi na Jerusalem. Aga m ebipụkwa ndị niile na-efe Baal fọdụrụ nʼebe a, na aha ndị nchụaja arụsị niile, ma ndị nchụaja niile na-ekpere arụsị,
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.
bụ ndị ahụ niile na-anọ nʼelu ụlọ ha na-akpọ isiala nye ọnwa na kpakpando, ha na ndị ahụ niile na-akpọrọ Onyenwe anyị isiala, na-eji aha ya nʼaṅụ iyi, ma na-ejikwa Milkọm na-aṅụ iyi,
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.”]
na ndị ahụ niile na-alaghachi azụ site nʼiso Onyenwe anyị, na ndị ahụ na-adịghị achọ Onyenwe anyị, maọbụ jụta ase site nʼaka ya.”
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.
Dere duu nʼihu Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị nʼihi na ụbọchị ikpe ya ahụ dị egwu na-abịa nso. Onyenwe anyị ejikerela ịchụ aja; o doola ndị ọ kpọrọ oriri nsọ.
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].
“Nʼụbọchị ịchụ aja nke Onyenwe anyị ahụ, aga m ata ndịisi niile na ụmụ eze niile, na ndị niile na-eyi uwe e si na mba ọzọ bubata ahụhụ.
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.”
Nʼụbọchị ahụ, aga m ata ha ahụhụ bụ ndị niile na-adịghị azọ ụkwụ nʼọnụ ụzọ mbata, ndị ji ihe ike na aghụghọ na-emejupụta ụlọ arụsị ha.
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.
“Nʼụbọchị ahụ,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya, “olu iti mkpu akwa ga-esite nʼỌnụ Ụzọ Ama Azụ daa, mkpu nke ịkwasi akwa ike ga-ada site nʼebe obibi ọhụrụ ahụ, na ụzụ oke ntiwa site nʼugwu nta niile.
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.
Kwasienụ akwa ike unu ndị niile bi nʼakụkụ ebe ahịa dị; nʼihi na a ga-egbuchapụ ndị ahịa unu niile. Ndị niile na-eji ọlaọcha azụ ahịa ka a ga-ebibi.
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.
Nʼoge ahụ, aga m eji oriọna nyobanyechaa anya nʼakụkụ niile nke Jerusalem. Aga m ata ndị ahụ niile na-anọ nʼahụ dị jụụ ahụhụ, bụ ndị ahụ dọọrọ dịka ike mmanya a ṅụfọdụrụ aṅụfọ, ndị na-eche nʼobi ha sị, ‘O nweghị ihe Onyenwe anyị ga-eme anyị, maọbụ ihe ọma, maọbụ ihe ọjọọ.’
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].”
Akụ ha ga-abụ ihe a kwakọrọ nʼike, a ga-akwatukwa ụlọ ha niile. Ọ bụ ezie na ha ga-ewu ụlọ, ma ha agaghị ebi nʼime ha; ọ bụ ezie na ha ga-akọ ubi vaịnị, ma ha agaghị aṅụ mmanya si na ha.”
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.
Oke ụbọchị Onyenwe anyị na-abịa nso, ọ na-abịakwa ọsịịsọ. Gee ntị! Iti mkpu akwa nke ụbọchị Onyenwe anyị ga-adị ilu nke ukwuu. A ga-anụkwa ụzụ ndị bụ dike nʼagha nʼebe ahụ.
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.
Ụbọchị ahụ ga-abụ ụbọchị ọnụma, ụbọchị ahụhụ na mkpagbu, ụbọchị nsogbu na mbibi, ụbọchị ọchịchịrị na oke obi ọjọọ, ụbọchị igwe ojii, na oke ọchịchịrị,
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].
ụbọchị opi ike na iti mkpu agha imegide obodo niile e wusiri ike, na imegide akụkụ ụlọ elu niile.
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].
“Aga m eme ka oke nhụju anya bịakwasị ndị mmadụ, mee ka ha jegharịa dịka ndị kpuru ìsì, nʼihi na ha emehiela megide Onyenwe anyị. A ga-awụsịkwa ọbara ha dịka uzuzu, tufukwaa anụ ahụ ha dịka nsị anụ.
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.
Ọlaọcha na ọlaedo ha agaghị azọpụta ha nʼụbọchị ọnụma nke Onyenwe anyị ahụ.” A ga-erechapụ ụwa niile site nʼọkụ ekworo ya, nʼihi na ọ bụ na mberede ka ọ ga-eme ka ndị niile bi nʼụwa gwụsịa.