Zefania 1
1 Na hafiala, woadzi ɖe kasaŋku ŋu. Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe nya si va na Zefania, Kusi ƒe vi. Kusi fofoe nye Hezekia, Hezekia fofoe nye Amaria, eye Amaria fofoe nye Gedalia. Gbedeasi la va le Yuda fia Yosia, Amon ƒe vi ŋɔli.
This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah. He was the son of Cushti, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah. This happened when Josiah, son of Amon, was king of Judah.
2 “Makplɔ nu sia nu si le miaƒe anyigba dzi la ɖa ƒioƒioƒio.” Yehowae gblɔe.
I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.
3 “Matsrɔ̃ amewo kple lãwo siaa; Matsrɔ̃ dziƒoxeviwo kple lã siwo le atsiaƒu me la hã kple nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔlawo.” “Ne metsrɔ̃ amegbetɔwo katã le anyigba dzi,” Yehowae gblɔe.
I will sweep away people and animals, I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. I will overthrow the wicked; I will destroy human beings from the face of the earth.
4 “Mado nye asi ɖe Yuda kple ame siwo katã le Yerusalem la gbɔ. Maɖe nu siwo katã susɔ na Baal la ɖa le teƒe sia; maɖe trɔ̃nuawo kple nunɔla siwo gasubɔa trɔ̃ hã ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖa,
I will strike Judah and everyone who lives in Jerusalem. I will destroy all that remains of their Baal worship along with their pagan priests so that even their names will be forgotten.
5 ame siwo dea ta agu le xɔwo tame hesubɔa dziƒoŋunuwo, hekpe ɖe ame siwo dea ta agu na Yehowa, gake wogakaa atam na Molek,
I will destroy those who go up to the rooftops to bow down before the sun, moon, and stars. They also bow down and swear allegiance to the Lord, but then they do the same to Milcom.
6 kple ame siwo trɔ le Yehowa yome, eye womedinɛ alo biaa eta sena o la siaa ŋu.”
I will destroy those who once worshiped the Lord but don't anymore. They don't seek the Lord or ask for my help.
7 Mizi ɖoɖoe le Aƒetɔ Yehowa ŋkume, elabena Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke la tu aƒe. Yehowa dzra vɔsa ɖo, eye wòkɔ ame siwo wòkpe la hã ŋuti.
Be silent before the Lord God! For the day of the Lord is near: the Lord has prepared a sacrifice and consecrated his guests.
8 “Le Yehowa ƒe vɔsagbea la, mahe to na Yuda ƒe dumegãwo kple fiaviŋutsuwo, kpakple ame siwo ta dutatɔwo ƒe avɔwo.
Then on the day of the Lord's sacrifice I will punish the officials and the king's sons, and those who follow pagan ways.
9 Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, mahe to na ame siwo katã tia kpo flɔa kpui siwo le trɔ̃xɔwo nu, eye woyɔa woƒe trɔ̃xɔwo me kple ŋutasesẽ kple beble.”
I will also punish those who jump over the threshold. On that day I will punish those who fill up their masters' houses using violence and deception.
10 Yehowa be: “Le ŋkeke ma dzi la, avifafa aɖi tso Tɔmelãgbo la nu, asiƒunu aɖi tso dua ƒe akpa evelia, eye howɔwɔ gã aɖe aɖi tso togbɛwo dzi.
On that day, declares the Lord, a cry of grief will come from the Fish Gate, a wailing from the Second Quarter, and a loud crash from the hills.
11 Mifa avi, mi ame siwo le asiɖoƒe ƒe nutowo me, miaƒe asitsalawo katã atsrɔ̃, eye ame siwo katã dzraa klosalonuwo la hã atsrɔ̃.
Those who live in the Market District will wail in sorrow, for all the merchants are destroyed, along with those who trade in silver.
12 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, masi akaɖi adi ɖekematsɔlemetɔwo le Yerusalem ahe to na wo, ame siwo le abe wain ƒe aƒe ene, eye wogblɔ le woƒe dzi me be, ‘Yehowa mawɔ naneke mí, eɖanye nyui alo vɔ̃ o.’
At that time I will search through Jerusalem with lamps and I will punish those self-satisfied people, who are like wine left on its dregs, who say to themselves, “The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.”
13 Woava ha woƒe kesinɔnu gbogboawo adzoe, woagbã woƒe aƒewo, woatso aƒewo, ke womanɔ wo me o, woade waingblewo, ke womano wain tso wo me o.”
Their possessions will be looted; their houses will be demolished. They will build houses, but not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but not drink the wine.
14 Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke ma tu aƒe vɔ, egbɔna kpuie. Miɖo to, le Yehowa ƒe ŋkeke ma dzi la, woado ɣli kple vevesese, aʋawɔlawo ƒe ɣlidodo ade dzi le afi ma.
The great day of the Lord is near and approaching rapidly. It will be a bitter day—even warriors will cry out loud.
15 Anye ŋkeke si dzi woatrɔ Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe akɔ ɖe anyi; anye hiãgbe kple xaxagbe, anye dzɔgbevɔ̃e kple tsɔtsrɔ̃gbe. Ŋkeke sia anye blukɔ kple vivitidogbe, afu kple tsizidogbe,
It will be a day of anger, a day of trouble and distress, a day of disaster and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16 Anye aʋakpẽkugbe kple aʋaɣlidogbe, ɖe du siwo woɖo gli sesẽwo ƒo xlãe kple gbetakpɔxɔ siwo le dzogoe dzi ŋu.
a day of trumpet calls and battle cries against fortified cities and watchtowers.
17 “Mahe xaxa va ameawo dzi, eye woazɔ abe ŋkugbagbãtɔwo ene, elabena woda vo ɖe Yehowa ŋu. Woƒe ʋu akɔ ɖi abe ʋuʋudedi ene, eye woƒe dɔmenuwo akaka abe gbeɖuɖɔ ene.
I will bring trouble on humanity, making them walk like blind people because they have sinned against the Lord. Their blood will be spilled like so much dust; their intestines like dung.
18 Le Yehowa ƒe dɔmedzoeŋkeke sia dzi la, woƒe klosalo alo sika mate ŋu aɖe wo o.” Yehowa ƒe ŋuʋaʋã ƒe dzo afia xexea me katã, elabena atsrɔ̃ ame siwo katã le anyigba dzi la kpata.
Their silver and their gold won't help to save them on the day of the Lord's anger. The whole earth will be burned up by the fire of his jealous anger. He will make sure the end of the people of the world is sudden and complete.
