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.
[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 Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova ekuuga ũũ: “Nĩnganiina indo ciothe ithire biũ, ithire kũndũ guothe gũkũ thĩ.
Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.
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 birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on 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,
“[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 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 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 o acio matigaga kũrũmĩrĩra Jehova magacooka na thuutha, na maticaragia Jehova, o na kana makamũrongooria.
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 Atĩrĩrĩ, kirai ki mũrĩ mbere ya Mwathani Jehova, nĩgũkorwo mũthenya wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ. Jehova nĩahaarĩirie igongona; ningĩ nĩamũrĩte andũ arĩa etĩte.
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 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.
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 Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, nĩngaherithia ataagarari othe a hingĩro, o acio maiyũragia hekarũ ya ngai ciao na haaro na maheeni.”
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 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.
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 Girĩkai, inyuĩ mũtũũraga rũgongo rwa ndũnyũ; mũgirĩke tondũ onjorithia anyu othe nĩmekũniinwo, na arĩa othe monjorithanagia na betha manangwo.
[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 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.’
[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 Ũtonga wao nĩũgatahwo, na nyũmba ciao imomorwo. Nĩmagaka nyũmba, no matigacitũũra; nĩmakahaanda mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ, no matikanyua ndibei yayo.
[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 “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.
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 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 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 mũthenya wa kũhuhwo karumbeta na mbugĩrĩrio ya mbaara ya gũũkĩrĩra matũũra marĩa mairigĩirwo na hinya, na gũũkĩrĩra mĩthiringo ĩrĩa mĩraihu na igũrũ.
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 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.
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 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.”
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.
