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 word of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah.
2 Bwana asema, “Nitafagia kila kitu kutoka kwenye uso wa dunia.”
I will utterly consume all [things] from off the land, saith 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 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 land, saith 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 also 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 Chemarims with the 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 them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship [and] that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
6 wale wanaoacha kumfuata Bwana, wala hawamtafuti Bwana wala kutaka shauri lake.
And them that are turned back from the LORD; and [those] that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him.
7 Nyamazeni mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi, kwa maana siku ya Bwana iko karibu. Bwana ameandaa dhabihu, amewaweka wakfu wale aliowaalika.
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 bid his guests.
8 Katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana nitawaadhibu wakuu na wana wa mfalme na wale wote wanaovaa nguo za kigeni.
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
9 Katika siku hiyo nitaadhibu wote ambao hukwepa kukanyaga kizingiti, ambao hujaza hekalu la miungu yao kwa dhuluma na udanganyifu.”
In the same day also will I punish all those that leap on the threshold, which fill their masters’ houses 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.
And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD, [that there shall be] the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and an howling from the second, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Ombolezeni, ninyi mnaoishi katika eneo la sokoni; wafanyabiashara wenu wote wameangamizwa, wote ambao wanafanya biashara ya fedha wataangamizwa.
Howl, ye inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the merchant people are cut down; all they that bear silver are cut off.
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.’
And it shall come to pass at that time, [that] I will search Jerusalem with candles, and 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 Utajiri wao utatekwa nyara, nyumba zao zitabomolewa. Watajenga nyumba, lakini hawataishi ndani yake; watapanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa divai yake.
Therefore their goods shall become a booty, and their houses a desolation: they shall also build houses, but not inhabit [them; ] and they shall plant vineyards, but not drink the wine thereof.
14 “Siku kubwa ya Bwana iko karibu: iko karibu na inakuja haraka. Sikilizeni! Kilio katika siku ya Bwana kitakuwa kichungu, hata shujaa atapiga kelele.
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 shall cry there bitterly.
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 wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, 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 alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers.
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 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 the 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 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 even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
