< Sofoni 3 >
1 Malè a sila ki fè rebèl e ki vin souye a; vil k ap oprime tout!
Terrible things will [also] happen [to Jerusalem], that city whose people have rebelled [against Yahweh] and who have become unacceptable to him [because of the sins that they have committed]. [They act violently toward others] and they (oppress/treat cruelly) [other people].
2 Fi sa ki pa t obeyi a okenn vwa a. Li pa t dakò resevwa enstriksyon. Li pa t mete konfyans nan SENYÈ a. Li pa t rapwoche de Bondye li a.
[The people there] do not pay attention to people who tell them [the wrong things that they are doing] and [try to] (correct them/cause them to quit doing those things). [The people in Jerusalem] do not trust in Yahweh or draw near to ask help from their God.
3 Prens anndan li yo tankou lyon voras. Jij li yo tankou lou nan aswè. Yo p ap kite anyen rete pou maten.
Their leaders are [like] [MET] roaring lions; they are [like] [MET] wolves that [attack other animals] during the evening, [and eat everything that they kill], with the result that the next morning there is nothing left [of those animals to eat].
4 Pwofèt li yo se moun trèt san prensip. Prèt li yo te souye sanktyè a. Yo te fè vyolans a lalwa.
The prophets in Jerusalem are proud, [and they give messages that are] not to be trusted. Their priests cause the temple to be unholy by doing things that are opposed to the laws [of Moses].
5 SENYÈ a plen ladwati nan mitan li. Li p ap fè okenn enjistis. Chak maten Li fè jistis pa li vin parèt nan limyè. Li pa janm pa reyisi, men moun enjis yo pa gen wont menm.
But Yahweh is [also] in the city; and he never does what is wrong. He treats people justly/fairly; he does that every day, but wicked people are never ashamed [about their doing what is wrong].
6 Mwen te detwi nasyon yo. Ranpa yo dezole nèt. Ri yo te vin gate, pou pèsòn moun pa pase. Vil yo fin detwi nèt, pou pa gen moun, pou pa gen pèsòn ki rete ladan yo.
[Yahweh says this]: “I have destroyed [many] nations; I have destroyed their strong/high city walls and towers. [Now] I have caused the streets in those cities to be completely deserted [DOU]; the cities are ruined. There are no people [still alive] in the cities; they are all dead [LIT].
7 Mwen te di: “Sèlman gen lakrent Mwen. Resevwa enstriksyon”. Konsa, kote nou rete a pa p vin koupe retire nèt, selon tout sa ke Mwen te deziye pou rive l. Men yo te leve bonè e te konwonpi nan tout zèv yo.
[So] I thought [to myself], ‘[Because of what I have done to those other nations], surely the people [of Jerusalem] will revere me [now], and they will accept (my correcting them/my telling them to quit doing what is wrong). [If they do that, I] will not destroy their houses; I will not punish them like I said that I would do.’ But [in spite of knowing how I punished those other nations], they were still eager to get up early each morning and continue to do evil things.
8 “Akoz sa, tann Mwen, deklare SENYÈ a, jis rive jou ke M leve pran piyaj la. Anverite, se desizyon Mwen pou rasanble nasyon yo, pou mete wayòm yo ansanm, pou M ka vide sou yo tout chalè kòlè Mwen, tout kòlè vyolan Mwen an. Paske tout tè a va vin devore avèk dife jalouzi Mwen an.
Therefore I, Yahweh, say, ‘Wait for the day in which I will testify [in court about your evil things].’ I have decided to gather the people of the kingdoms [of the earth] [DOU] and cause them to know that I am very angry with them. All [over] the earth I will punish and destroy people; my being angry with them because I (am jealous/want people to worship no other god) is [like] [MET] a (raging/very hot) fire.
9 Paske nan lè sa a, Mwen va bay a pèp nasyon yo lèv ki pirifye, pou yo tout ka rele non SENYÈ a, pou sèvi Li de zepòl a zepòl.
When that happens, I will cause [all] people [MTY] to be changed and enable them to speak [only] what is (pure/pleasing to me), in order that everyone can worship me [MTY] and unitedly/together serve me [MTY].
10 Soti byen lwen rivyè Ethiopie yo, moun ki adore Mwen yo, menm fi dispèse Mwen an va vin pote ofrann ban Mwen.
[Then] my people who [were forced to go to other countries], those who live along the upper part of the [Nile] River in Ethiopia will come to me and bring offerings to me.
11 Nan jou sa a, ou p ap vin gen okenn wont pou zak avèk sila ou te fè rebèl kont Mwen yo; paske nan lè sa a Mwen va retire nan mitan nou, sila ki plen ak ògèy nou yo. Konsa, nou p ap janm vin awogan ankò sou mòn sen Mwen an.
At that time, you [people in Jerusalem] will no [longer] be ashamed [about what has happened to you], because you no longer will be rebelling against me. I will get rid of all the people among you who are very proud [DOU]. No one on [Zion], my holy hill, will [strut around] proudly.
12 Men Mwen va kite pami nou yon pèp ki aflije, ki malere, e yo va chache pwoteksyon yo nan non SENYÈ a.
Those who are still alive in Israel will be poor and humble; they will be people who trust in me [MTY].
13 Retay Israël la p ap fè okenn inikite, ni yo p ap bay manti, ni yon lang twonpe moun p ap twouve nan bouch yo. Paske yo va manje, e kouche, e pèsòn moun p ap fè yo pè.”
Those people who are still alive [there] in Israel will not do [things that are] wrong; they will not tell lies or deceive [MTY] people. They will eat and sleep [safely], [because] no one will cause them to be afraid.”
14 Chante, O fi a Sion an! Rele fò, O Israël! Se pou ou kontan e rejwi ak tout kè ou, O fi Jérusalem nan!
You people who live in Jerusalem [DOU] and [other places in] Israel, sing and shout loudly! Be glad, and rejoice [DOU] greatly,
15 SENYÈ a te retire jijman ou yo. Li te chase tout ènmi ou yo. Wa Israël la, SENYÈ a, la nan mitan nou. Ou pa gen pou pè gwo dega ankò.
[because] Yahweh will stop punishing [MTY] you, and he will send away from you [the armies of] your enemies! And Yahweh [himself], the king of [us] Israeli people, will live among us, and never again will we be afraid that [others will] harm us.
16 Nan jou sa a, sa va di a Jérusalem: Pa pè anyen, O Sion! Pa kite men ou vin fèb.
At that time, [other people] will say to us people of Jerusalem, “[You people of] [APO] Jerusalem, do not be afraid; do not become afraid or discouraged,
17 SENYÈ a, Bondye ou a nan mitan ou; yon plen pwisans ki va sove a. Li va rejwi sou ou avèk jwa. Li va fè ou vin kalm ak lanmou Li. Li va chante fè fèt lajwa sou ou.
[because] Yahweh your God is [living] among you. He is mighty, and he will rescue/save you. He will be very happy with you; because he loves you, he will cause you to not be afraid; he will sing loudly to rejoice over you.”
18 Mwen va retire de nou sa yo ki gen chagren pou fèt deziye yo. Se yon repwoch yo ye pou ou.
[Yahweh says, ] “You people were sad and ashamed because [you were unable to attend] your religious festivals; but I will cause you to no longer be disgraced.
19 Gade byen, nan lè sa a, Mwen va regle ak tout sila k ap oprime ou yo. Mwen va sove sila ki bwate yo, e rasanble sila ki te rejte yo. M ap bay lwanj ak lonè a sa yo ki p at gen plis ke wont sou tout latè.
Truly, I will [severely] punish all those who (oppressed you/caused you to suffer). I will rescue those who are helpless and those who were forced to go to other countries. I will enable them to be praised and honored in every country to which they were (exiled/forced to go), places where they were disgraced.
20 Nan lè sa a, Mwen va fè nou antre e nan menm lè sa a, Mwen va rasanble nou ansanm. Anverite, mwen va bannou lonè ak lwanj pami tout nasyon pèp sou latè yo, lè Mwen mennen retounen tout bonè nou devan zye nou, pale SENYÈ a.
At that time, I will gather you together and bring you [back] home [to Israel]. I will cause you to (have a good reputation/be honored) and be [greatly] praised among all the nations of the earth. You [MTY] will see me causing you to prosper again. [That will surely happen because I, ] Yahweh, have said it.”