< Zefania 2 >

1 Miƒo ƒu! Miƒo ƒu! O, dukɔ si ŋu mekpena o,
Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired;
2 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.
Before the decree bring forth, [before] the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD’s anger come upon you.
3 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.
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.
4 Gaza azu aƒedo, eye Askelon azu gli gbagbã. Le ŋdɔkutsu me woalɔ Asdod ƒioƒioƒio, eye woaho Ekron kple ke.
For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ashkelon a desolation: they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day, and Ekron shall be rooted up.
5 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.”
Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the nation of the Cherethites! the word of the LORD [is] against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines, I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
6 Keretitɔwo ƒe nɔƒe si le ƒuta la, azu alẽkpo kple nɔƒe na alẽkplɔlawo.
And the sea coast shall be dwellings [and] cottages for shepherds, and folds for flocks.
7 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.
And the coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon: in the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening: for the LORD their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity.
8 “Mese Moab ƒe alɔmeɖeɖe kple Amon ƒe viwo ƒe vlododo, ame siwo dzi nye dukɔ, eye woɖo nugbe ɖe woƒe anyigba ŋuti.
I have heard the reproach of Moab, and the revilings of the children of Ammon, whereby they have reproached my people, and magnified [themselves] against their border.
9 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.”
Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.
10 Woaxɔ woƒe dada ƒe fetu, elabena woɖu fewu le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe dukɔ ŋuti.
This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified [themselves] against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11 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.
The LORD [will be] terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and [men] shall worship him, every one from his place, [even] all the isles of the heathen.
12 “Mi Kustɔwo, woatsrɔ̃ miawo hã kple yi.”
Ye Ethiopians also, ye [shall be] slain by my sword.
13 Nenema kee nye anyiehetɔwo hã; atsrɔ̃ Asiria kple eƒe toxɔdu Ninive xɔŋkɔ la gbidigbidi, eye wòanɔ abe dzogbe ene.
And he will stretch out his hand against the north, and destroy Assyria; and will make Nineveh a desolation, [and] dry like a wilderness.
14 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.
And flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, all the beasts of the nations: both the cormorant and the bittern shall lodge in the upper lintels of it; [their] voice shall sing in the windows; desolation [shall be] in the thresholds: for he shall uncover the cedar work.
15 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.
This [is] the rejoicing city that dwelt carelessly, that said in her heart, I [am], and [there is] none beside me: how is she become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in! every one that passeth by her shall hiss, [and] wag his hand.

< Zefania 2 >