Zefania 1
1 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.
[I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.
2 “Makplɔ nu sia nu si le miaƒe anyigba dzi la ɖa ƒioƒioƒio.” Yehowae gblɔe.
Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.
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 birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on 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,
“[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].
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 get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.
6 kple ame siwo trɔ le Yehowa yome, eye womedinɛ alo biaa eta sena o la siaa ŋu.”
I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]
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 in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.
8 “Le Yehowa ƒe vɔsagbea la, mahe to na Yuda ƒe dumegãwo kple fiaviŋutsuwo, kpakple ame siwo ta dutatɔwo ƒe avɔwo.
Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].
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 punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”
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.
Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in 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.
[So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.
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.’
[It will be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.
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.”
[But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”
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.
It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.
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 time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.
16 Anye aʋakpẽkugbe kple aʋaɣlidogbe, ɖe du siwo woɖo gli sesẽwo ƒo xlãe kple gbetakpɔxɔ siwo le dzogoe dzi ŋu.
It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].
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.
Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].
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.
At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.
