< 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.
The Lord’s message, which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the time of Josiah of Judah who was son of Amon.
2 “Makplɔ nu sia nu si le miaƒe anyigba dzi la ɖa ƒioƒioƒio.” Yehowae gblɔe.
I will utterly destroy everything from off the face of the earth, says 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 human and animal, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea. I will cause the wicked to stumble, and I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the Lord.
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 stretch out my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the last remnant of Baal and the name of the heathen priests,
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,
and those who worship on the housetops to the stars in the sky, and those worshippers of the Lord who also pay homage to Milcom,
6 kple ame siwo trɔ le Yehowa yome, eye womedinɛ alo biaa eta sena o la siaa ŋu.”
and those who turn back from following the Lord, And those who do not seek the Lord nor strive to find him.
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 near is the day of the Lord, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has sanctified his guests.
8 “Le Yehowa ƒe vɔsagbea la, mahe to na Yuda ƒe dumegãwo kple fiaviŋutsuwo, kpakple ame siwo ta dutatɔwo ƒe avɔwo.
On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice: I will punish the officers and the royal princes, and all those who clothe themselves in foreign apparel.
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.”
On that day: I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
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.
Listen on that day, says the Lord: A cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, and a wailing from the New Quarter, and a great din 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 Mortar wail, for all the traders are silenced, the money counters wiped out.
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.’
I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, I will punish those who are at ease, who sit comfortably with their wine, who say to themselves, ‘the Lord brings neither prosperity nor calamity.’
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 wealth will become a prey and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they will not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink wine from them.
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.
Near is the day of the Lord! Near and rapidly approaching! Near is the bitter day of the Lord, and the scream of the warrior.
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,
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 Anye aʋakpẽkugbe kple aʋaɣlidogbe, ɖe du siwo woɖo gli sesẽwo ƒo xlãe kple gbetakpɔxɔ siwo le dzogoe dzi ŋu.
a day of the trumpet and battle-cry, against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.
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.
And I will bring distress upon the people and they will walk as the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood will be poured out as dust and their flesh as 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.
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them. For in the day of the wrath of the Lord and in the fire of his fury the whole earth will be consumed. For he will make a speedy end of all the inhabitants of the earth.

< Zefania 1 >