< Zefania 1 >

1 Atĩrĩrĩ, ĩno nĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩrĩa yakinyĩrĩire Zefania mũrũ wa Kushi, mũrũ wa Gedalia, mũrũ wa Amaria, mũrũ wa Hezekia, rĩrĩa Mũthamaki Josia mũrũ wa Amoni aathamakaga Juda.
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 Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova ekuuga ũũ: “Nĩnganiina indo ciothe ithire biũ, ithire kũndũ guothe gũkũ thĩ.
I will completely sweep away everything from the face of the earth, declares the Lord.
3 Nĩnganiina andũ o na nyamũ; njooke niine nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ, na thamaki cia iria-inĩ. Andũ arĩa aaganu magaatigĩrio o hĩba cia mahuti, hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ngaaniina andũ mathire kũndũ guothe gũkũ thĩ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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 “Nĩngatambũrũkia guoko gwakwa njũkĩrĩre Juda, na njũkĩrĩre andũ othe arĩa matũũraga Jerusalemu. Nĩnganiina mĩhianano ya Baali ĩrĩa ĩtigarĩte gũkũ, na niine marĩĩtwa ma andũ arĩa matooĩ Ngai, na athĩnjĩri-ngai cia mĩhianano,
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 o acio mainamagĩrĩra, makahooya mbũtũ cia igũrũ marĩ nyũmba igũrũ, o na makainamĩrĩra, makehĩta na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova, na magacooka makehĩta na rĩĩtwa rĩa Milikomu,
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 o acio matigaga kũrũmĩrĩra Jehova magacooka na thuutha, na maticaragia Jehova, o na kana makamũrongooria.
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 Atĩrĩrĩ, kirai ki mũrĩ mbere ya Mwathani Jehova, nĩgũkorwo mũthenya wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ. Jehova nĩahaarĩirie igongona; ningĩ nĩamũrĩte andũ arĩa etĩte.
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 Mũthenya ũcio wa igongona rĩa Jehova-rĩ, nĩngaherithia anene, o na herithie ariũ a mũthamaki, hamwe na arĩa othe magaakorwo mehumbĩte nguo cia bũrũri ũngĩ.
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 Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, nĩngaherithia ataagarari othe a hingĩro, o acio maiyũragia hekarũ ya ngai ciao na haaro na maheeni.”
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 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio nĩgũkaiguuo mũkayo uumĩte Kĩhingo-inĩ gĩa Thamaki, o na kũgirĩka kuumĩte Itũũra Rĩerũ, naguo mũrurumo mũnene wa mũmomoko uume tũrĩma-inĩ.
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 Girĩkai, inyuĩ mũtũũraga rũgongo rwa ndũnyũ; mũgirĩke tondũ onjorithia anyu othe nĩmekũniinwo, na arĩa othe monjorithanagia na betha manangwo.
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 Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩngoya matawa njethe andũ Jerusalemu, na herithie arĩa meiganĩtie, arĩa mahaana ndibei ĩtiganĩirio na kĩnyita kĩayo, arĩa meciiragia atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova ndarĩ ũndũ angĩĩka, mwega kana mũũru.’
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 Ũtonga wao nĩũgatahwo, na nyũmba ciao imomorwo. Nĩmagaka nyũmba, no matigacitũũra; nĩmakahaanda mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ, no matikanyua ndibei yayo.
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 “Mũthenya ũrĩa mũnene wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ, ũrĩ hakuhĩ na nĩũrooka narua. Ta thikĩrĩriai! Kĩrĩro kĩa mũthenya ũcio wa Jehova gĩgaakorwo kĩrĩ kĩnene, nacio njamba cia ita nĩikaarĩra mũno irĩ kũu.
The great day of the Lord is near and approaching rapidly. It will be a bitter day—even warriors will cry out loud.
15 Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa mangʼũrĩ, mũthenya wa mĩnyamaro na ruo rũnene, mũthenya wa mathĩĩna na mwanangĩko, mũthenya wa nduma na mairia, mũthenya wa matu na nduma ndumanu,
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 mũthenya wa kũhuhwo karumbeta na mbugĩrĩrio ya mbaara ya gũũkĩrĩra matũũra marĩa mairigĩirwo na hinya, na gũũkĩrĩra mĩthiringo ĩrĩa mĩraihu na igũrũ.
a day of trumpet calls and battle cries against fortified cities and watchtowers.
17 Nĩngarehere andũ mĩnyamaro, nao magaathiiaga ta andũ atumumu, nĩ ũndũ nĩmehĩirie Jehova. Thakame yao nĩĩgaitwo ta rũkũngũ, nacio nyama cia nda ciao iteo ta irĩ rũrua.
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 Betha kana thahabu ciao itikahota kũmahonokia, mũthenya ũcio wa mangʼũrĩ ma Jehova. Thĩ yothe ĩkaaniinwo na mwaki wa ũiru wake, nĩgũkorwo arĩa othe matũũraga gũkũ thĩ nĩakamaniina o rĩmwe.”
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.

< Zefania 1 >