Zeffaniya 1
1 Ekigambo kya Mukama ekyajjira Zeffaniya mutabani wa Kuusi, muzzukulu wa Gedaliya, muzzukulu wa Amaliya, muzzukulu wa Keezeekiya, mu mirembe gya Yosiya mutabani wa Amoni, Kabaka wa Yuda.
[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 “Ndizikiririza ddala byonna okuva ku nsi,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.
3 “Ndizikiriza abantu wamu n’ensolo; ndizikiriza ebinyonyi eby’omu bbanga n’ebyennyanja; ababi balisigaza ntuumu ya kafakalimbo; bwe ndimalawo abantu okuva ku nsi,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
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 Ndigololera ku Yuda omukono gwange, era ne ku abo bonna abali mu Yerusaalemi; era ekitundu kya Baali ekifisseewo n’ennyumba ya Bakemali, bakabona abasinza ebifaananyi, ndibazikiriza okuva mu kifo kino,
“[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 abo abavuunamira eggye ery’omu ggulu ku nnyumba waggulu, ne balisinza n’abo abalayira mu linnya lya Mukama, ate nga balayira ne mu linnya lya Malukamu,
[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 abo abadda emabega obutagoberera Mukama, wadde abo abatamunoonya newaakubadde okumwebuuzaako.
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 Siriikirira awali Mukama Katonda, kubanga olunaku lwa Mukama luli kumpi. Mukama ategese ssaddaaka, era atukuzizza abagenyi be.
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 Ku lunaku olwa ssaddaaka ya Mukama, ndibonereza abakungu n’abaana ba Kabaka, n’abo bonna abambadde ebyambalo ebitasaana.
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 Awo ku lunaku olwo ndibonereza abo bonna abeewala okulinnya ku muziziko, n’abo abajjuza ennyumba ya Mukama waabwe ebikolwa eby’obukambwe n’obulimba.
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 Ku lunaku olwo, bw’ayogera Mukama, eddoboozi ery’okukaaba liriwulikika ku Mulyango ogw’Ebyennyanja, okukaaba okuva ku luuyi olwokubiri, n’okubwatuka okunene okuva ku nsozi.
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 Mwekaabireko, mmwe abali mu matwale g’akatale; abasuubuzi bammwe bonna zibasanze, n’abo abeebinika ffeeza balizikirizibwa.
[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 Awo olulituuka mu biro ebyo ndimulisa Yerusaalemi n’ettabaaza nga nnoonya, mbonereze abo bonna abalagajjavu abali ng’omwenge ogutanasengejjebwa, abalowooza nti Mukama talibaako ne ky’akolawo.
[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 Obugagga bwabwe bulinyagibwa, n’ennyumba zaabwe zimenyebwemenyebwe. Ne bwe balizimba ennyumba tebalizituulamu, era balisimba ennimiro ez’emizabbibu nazo tebalinywa wayini wamu.
[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 Olunaku lwa Mukama olukulu luli kumpi; ddala lunaatera okutuuka. Wuliriza! Omulwanyi alikaabira eyo ng’aliko obuyinike bungi, n’okukaaba ku lunaku lwa Mukama kujja kuba kungi nnyo.
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 Olunaku olwo lunaku lwa busungu, lunaku lwa buyinike n’okulaba ennaku, lunaku lwa mutawaana n’okuzikirira, olunaku olw’ekikome n’ekizikiza, olunaku lw’ebire n’ekizikiza ekikutte ennyo;
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 olunaku olw’okufuuwa ekkondeere n’okulangirira olutalo ku bibuga ebiriko ebigo n’eri eminaala emigulumivu.
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 Ndireeta, obuyinike ku bantu, batambule ng’abazibe b’amaaso, kubanga bakoze ebibi mu maaso ga Mukama, omusaayi gwabwe guliyiyibwa ng’enfuufu, n’ebyenda byabwe bivundire kungulu.
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 Effeeza yaabwe ne zaabu yaabwe tebiriyinza kubataasa ku lunaku olw’obusungu bwa Mukama. Ensi yonna erizikirizibwa omuliro gw’obuggya bwe, era alimalirawo ddala abo bonna abali mu nsi.
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.
