Zephaniah 1
1 Yahweh’s word which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.
Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuZefaniya, indodana kaKushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana kaAmariya, indodana kaHezekhiya, ezinsukwini zikaJosiya, indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda.
2 I will utterly sweep away everything from the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.
Ngizaqeda lokuqeda konke kusuke ebusweni bomhlaba, itsho iNkosi.
3 I will sweep away man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.
Ngizaqeda umuntu lenyamazana, ngiqede izinyoni zamazulu, lezinhlanzi zolwandle, lezikhubekiso kanye lababi, ngiqume umuntu asuke ebusweni bomhlaba, itsho iNkosi.
4 I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place—the name of the idolatrous and pagan priests,
Futhi ngizakwelulela isandla sami phezu kukaJuda, laphezu kwabo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, ngiqume insali kaBhali isuke kulindawo, ibizo lamaKhemarimi kanye labapristi;
5 those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,
lalabo abakhonza ibutho lamazulu phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu; lalabo abakhonza bafunge ngeNkosi, njalo bafunge ngoMalikamu,
6 those who have turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven’t sought Yahweh nor inquired after him.
lababuyela emuva ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, labangayidinganga iNkosi, bengayibuzanga.
7 Be silent at the presence of the Lord Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.
Thula ebukhoneni beNkosi uJehova; ngoba usuku lweNkosi luseduze; ngoba iNkosi ilungisile umhlatshelo, yangcwelisa abanxusiweyo bayo.
8 It will happen in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
Kuzakuthi-ke ngosuku lomhlatshelo weNkosi ngijezise iziphathamandla, lamadodana enkosi, labo bonke abagqoke izigqoko zabezizwe.
9 In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.
Langalolosuku ngizajezisa bonke abeqa phezu kombundu, abagcwalisa indlu yamakhosi abo ngodlakela langenkohliso.
10 In that day, says Yahweh, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
Langalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, kuzakuba lelizwi lokukhala livela esangweni lenhlanzi, lokuqhinqa isililo kuvela kwelesibili, lokufohloza okukhulu kuvela emaqaqeni.
11 Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
Qhinqani isililo, lina bahlali beMaketeshi, ngoba bonke abantu abathengisayo baqunyelwe phansi; bonke abathwala isiliva baqunyiwe.
12 It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”
Kuzakuthi-ke ngalesosikhathi ngihlole iJerusalema ngezibane, ngijezise amadoda ajiyileyo ezinzeceni zawo, athi enhliziyweni yawo: INkosi kayiyikwenza okuhle, futhi kayiyikwenza okubi.
13 Their wealth will become a plunder, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.
Ngakho inotho yabo izakuba yimpango, lezindlu zabo zibe lunxiwa. Futhi bazakwakha izindlu, kodwa bangahlali kuzo; njalo bazahlanyela izivini, kodwa banganathi iwayini lazo.
14 The great day of Yahweh is near. It is near and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of Yahweh. The mighty man cries there bitterly.
Usuku olukhulu lweNkosi luseduze, luseduze, luyaphangisa kakhulu; ilizwi losuku lweNkosi; iqhawe lizakhala khona kabuhlungu.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
Lolosuku lusuku lolaka, usuku lokuhlupheka losizi, usuku lwencithakalo lokuchitheka, usuku lomnyama lobumnyama, usuku lwamayezi lobumnyama obunzima,
16 a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.
usuku lophondo lolomkhosi omelene lemizi ebiyelwe ngemithangala, lolumelene lezingonsi eziphakemeyo.
17 I will bring such distress on men that they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like dung.
Njalo ngizabacindezela abantu, ukuze bahambe njengeziphofu, ngoba bonile eNkosini; legazi labo lizathululwa njengothuli, lenyama yabo njengobulongwe.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
Lesiliva sabo legolide labo kakuyikuba lakho ukubakhulula ngosuku lolaka lweNkosi; kodwa ilizwe lonke lizaqedwa ngumlilo wobukhwele bayo; ngoba izaqeda, ngitsho ngesiphangiphangi, ngabo bonke abahlali belizwe.
