UZefaniya 1

1 Ilizwi likaThixo elafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKhushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana ka-Amariya, indodana kaHezekhiya, ekubuseni kukaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda:

The word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.

2 “Ngizakhucula konke ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.

I will utterly consume all things from off the face of the ground, saith the LORD.

3 “Ngizakhucula kokubili abantu lezinyamazana; ngizakhucula izinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle, lezithombe ezenza ababi bakhubeke. Lapho ngiqeda abantu ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.

I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the face of the ground, saith the LORD.

4 “Ngizakwelulela isandla sami koJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema. Ngizaqeda konke okukaBhali okuseleyo kule indawo, amabizo abahedeni labaphristi abakhonza izithombe

And I will stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, [and] the name of the Chemarim with the priests;

5 labo abakhothama phezu kwezindlu bakhonze ixuku lezinkanyezi, labo abakhothama bafunge ngoThixo, abafunga langoMoleki futhi,

and them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship, which swear to the LORD and swear by Malcam;

6 labo ababuyela emuva bedela ukulandela uThixo njalo abangamdinganga uThixo loba babuze ngaye.

and them that are turned back from following the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor inquired after him.

7 Thula phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi, ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. UThixo uselungise umhlatshelo; usebangcwelisile labo abanxusileyo.

Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath sanctified his guests.

8 Ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaThixo ngizajezisa izikhulu lamadodana amakhosi labo bonke labo abagqoke izigqoko zezizweni.

And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s sons, and all such as are clothed with foreign apparel.

9 Ngalolosuku ngizabajezisa bonke abaxwaya ukunyathela umbundu womnyango, abagcwalisa ithempeli labonkulunkulu babo ngodlakela langenkohliso.”

And in that day I will punish all those that leap over the threshold, which fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.

10 UThixo, uthi, “Ngalolosuku ilizwi lokukhala lizaqonga ngaseSangweni leNhlanzi, ukulila kuvelela esiGabeni eSitsha lomsindo omkhulu wokufohloza uvela emaqaqeni.

And in that day, saith the LORD, there shall be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

11 Lilani lina elihlala esigodini sokuthengisela saseMakhithashi, bonke abathengisi benu bazaqedwa, bonke abathengiselana ngesiliva bazabhujiswa.

Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone: all they that were laden with sliver are cut off.

12 Ngalesosikhathi ngizaphenya iJerusalema ngezibane ngijezise labo abangakhathaliyo, abanjengewayini elitshiywe phakathi kwensipho zalo, abathi, ‘UThixo kayikwenza lutho, oluhle loba olubi.’

And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with candles; and I will punish the men that are settled on their lees, that say in their heart, The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.

13 Inotho yabo izaphangwa, izindlu zabo zidilizwe. Bazakwakha izindlu kodwa bangahlali kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini, kodwa iwayini bangalinathi.”

And their wealth shall become a spoil, and their houses a desolation: yea, they shall build houses, but shall not inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink the wine thereof.

14 Usuku olukhulu lukaThixo seluseduze, njalo luza ngokuphangisa. Lalelani! Ukukhala ngosuku lukaThixo kuzakuba buhlungu, lokuklabalala kwebutho khonapho.

The great day of the LORD is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, [even] the voice of the day of the LORD; the mighty man crieth there bitterly.

15 Lolosuku luzakuba lusuku lolaka, usuku losizi lokudabuka; usuku lokuhlupheka lokuchitheka, usuku lomnyama lokudana, usuku lwamayezi lobumnyama,

That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

16 usuku lwecilongo lokuhlaba umkhosi wokulwa impi lamadolobho avikelweyo kanye lezinqaba zasemajikweni.

a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fenced cities, and against the high battlements.

17 “Ngizaletha usizi ebantwini njalo bazahamba njengeziphofu, ngoba bonile kuThixo. Igazi labo lizachithwa njengothuli lezibilini zabo njengamanyala.

And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung.

18 Isiliva sabo loba igolide labo kakungeke kwenelise ukubasindisa ngosuku lolaka lukaThixo. Umhlaba wonke uzatshiswa emlilweni womona wakhe ngoba uzakwenza isiphetho ngokuphangisa kubo bonke abahlala emhlabeni.”

Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD’S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land.