Sefania 1
1 Neno la Bwana lililomjia Sefania mwana wa Kushi, mwana wa Gedalia, mwana wa Amaria, mwana wa Hezekia, wakati wa utawala wa Yosia mwana wa Amoni mfalme wa Yuda:
The Lord’s message, which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the time of Josiah of Judah who was son of Amon.
2 Bwana asema, “Nitafagia kila kitu kutoka kwenye uso wa dunia.”
I will utterly destroy everything from off the face of the earth, says the Lord.
3 “Nitafagilia mbali watu na wanyama; nitafagilia mbali ndege wa angani na samaki wa baharini. Wafanyao maovu watapata tu kokoto, nami nitamkatilia mbali mwanadamu atoke katika dunia,” asema Bwana.
I will sweep away human and animal, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea. I will cause the wicked to stumble, and I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the Lord.
4 “Nitaiadhibu Yuda na wote wakaao Yerusalemu. Kutoka mahali hapa nitakatilia mbali kila mabaki ya Baali, majina ya wapagani na makuhani waabuduo sanamu:
I will stretch out my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the last remnant of Baal and the name of the heathen priests,
5 wale ambao husujudu juu ya mapaa kuabudu jeshi la vitu vya angani, wale ambao husujudu na kuapa kwa Bwana na ambao pia huapa kwa Malkamu,
and those who worship on the housetops to the stars in the sky, and those worshippers of the Lord who also pay homage to Milcom,
6 wale wanaoacha kumfuata Bwana, wala hawamtafuti Bwana wala kutaka shauri lake.
and those who turn back from following the Lord, And those who do not seek the Lord nor strive to find him.
7 Nyamazeni mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi, kwa maana siku ya Bwana iko karibu. Bwana ameandaa dhabihu, amewaweka wakfu wale aliowaalika.
Be silent before the Lord God, for near is the day of the Lord, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has sanctified his guests.
8 Katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana nitawaadhibu wakuu na wana wa mfalme na wale wote wanaovaa nguo za kigeni.
On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice: I will punish the officers and the royal princes, and all those who clothe themselves in foreign apparel.
9 Katika siku hiyo nitaadhibu wote ambao hukwepa kukanyaga kizingiti, ambao hujaza hekalu la miungu yao kwa dhuluma na udanganyifu.”
On that day: I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
10 Bwana asema, “Katika siku hiyo kilio kitapanda juu kutoka lango la Samaki, maombolezo kutoka mtaa wa pili, na mshindo mkubwa kutoka vilimani.
Listen on that day, says the Lord: A cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, and a wailing from the New Quarter, and a great din from the hills.
11 Ombolezeni, ninyi mnaoishi katika eneo la sokoni; wafanyabiashara wenu wote wameangamizwa, wote ambao wanafanya biashara ya fedha wataangamizwa.
Those who live in the Mortar wail, for all the traders are silenced, the money counters wiped out.
12 Wakati huo nitasaka mji wa Yerusalemu kwa taa, na kuwaadhibu wale ambao wanakaa katika hali ya kuridhika, ambao ni kama divai iliyobaki kwenye machicha, ambao hudhani, ‘Bwana hatafanya lolote, jema au baya.’
I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, I will punish those who are at ease, who sit comfortably with their wine, who say to themselves, “the Lord brings neither prosperity nor calamity.”
13 Utajiri wao utatekwa nyara, nyumba zao zitabomolewa. Watajenga nyumba, lakini hawataishi ndani yake; watapanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa divai yake.
Their wealth will become a prey and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they will not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink wine from them.
14 “Siku kubwa ya Bwana iko karibu: iko karibu na inakuja haraka. Sikilizeni! Kilio katika siku ya Bwana kitakuwa kichungu, hata shujaa atapiga kelele.
Near is the day of the Lord! Near and rapidly approaching! Near is the bitter day of the Lord, and the scream of the warrior.
15 Siku ile ni siku ya ghadhabu, siku ya fadhaa na dhiki, siku ya uharibifu na ukiwa, siku ya giza na utusitusi, siku ya mawingu na giza nene,
That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 siku ya tarumbeta na mlio wa vita dhidi ya miji yenye ngome na dhidi ya minara mirefu.
a day of the trumpet and battle-cry, against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.
17 Nitawaletea watu dhiki, nao watatembea kama vipofu, kwa sababu wametenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana. Damu yao itamwagwa kama vumbi na matumbo yao kama taka.
And I will bring distress upon the people and they will walk as the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood will be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung.
18 Fedha yao wala dhahabu yao hazitaweza kuwaokoa katika siku hiyo ya ghadhabu ya Bwana. Katika moto wa wivu wake dunia yote itateketezwa, kwa maana ataleta mwisho wa wote wanaoishi katika dunia ghafula.”
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them. For in the day of the wrath of the Lord and in the fire of his fury the whole earth will be consumed. For he will make a speedy end of all the inhabitants of the earth.
