Zefania 2

1 Miƒo ƒu! Miƒo ƒu! O, dukɔ si ŋu mekpena o,

Be ashamed within yourselves, be ashamed,

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 you become as the drifting chaff, before the anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes 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 the Lord all you meek of the earth, you who obey his law; Seek righteousness, seek meekness; perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the Lord’s wrath.

4 Gaza azu aƒedo, eye Askelon azu gli gbagbã. Le ŋdɔkutsu me woalɔ Asdod ƒioƒioƒio, eye woaho Ekron kple ke.

For Gaza will be forsaken; Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod – by noon will they rout her and Ekron be torn 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 to those who live by the sea coast, people of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines! I will destroy you so that you will be without inhabitants,

6 Keretitɔwo ƒe nɔƒe si le ƒuta la, azu alẽkpo kple nɔƒe na alẽkplɔlawo.

and you will become shepherds’ cots 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.

The sea coast will belong to the survivors of the house of Judah. They will pasture their flocks there. In the house of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening. The Lord their God will be with them and restore their fortunes.

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 taunts of Moab, and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people, and spoken boastfully concerning 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, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab will be like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a pile of nettles and saltpits, and a desolation, forever. The residue of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

10 Woaxɔ woƒe dada ƒe fetu, elabena woɖu fewu le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe dukɔ ŋuti.

This will they have for their pride, because they have taunted and spoken boastfully 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 terrify them; he will reduce all the gods of the earth; then all the peoples of the nations will worship him, each in their own land.

12 “Mi Kustɔwo, woatsrɔ̃ miawo hã kple yi.”

You, also, Ethiopians, slain by his sword are you!

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 he will make Nineveh a desolation, dry as the 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.

Herds will lie down in it, every beast of the earth, Desert owl and screech owl will lodge in its capitals. The owl will hoot in the window, the raven on the doorstep, all stripped bare of cedar.

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 exultant city which sat secure. The city who said to herself, I am and there is none else! How has she become a desolation! A lair of beasts! Every passerby hisses at her, shakes their hand.