< 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 Yahweh - which it came to 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 [the] king of Judah.
2 Bwana asema, “Nitafagia kila kitu kutoka kwenye uso wa dunia.”
Utterly I will bring to an end everything from on [the] surface of the ground [the] utterance of Yahweh.
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 bring to an end human being and animal I will bring to an end [the] bird[s] of the heavens and [the] fish of the sea and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked [people] and I will cut off humankind from on [the] surface of the ground [the] utterance of Yahweh.
4 “Nitaiadhibu Yuda na wote wakaao Yerusalemu. Kutoka mahali hapa nitakatilia mbali kila mabaki ya Baali, majina ya wapagani na makuhani waabuduo sanamu:
And I will stretch out hand my on Judah and on all [the] inhabitants of Jerusalem and I will cut off from the place this [the] remnant of Baal [the] name of the pagan priests 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 those [who] bow down on the roofs to [the] host of the heavens and those [who] bow down those [who] swear an oath to Yahweh and those [who] swear an oath by Milcom.
6 wale wanaoacha kumfuata Bwana, wala hawamtafuti Bwana wala kutaka shauri lake.
And those [who] have turned back from after Yahweh and [those] who not they have sought Yahweh and not they have sought him.
7 Nyamazeni mbele za Bwana Mwenyezi, kwa maana siku ya Bwana iko karibu. Bwana ameandaa dhabihu, amewaweka wakfu wale aliowaalika.
Hush! from before [the] Lord Yahweh for [is] near [the] day of Yahweh for he has prepared Yahweh a sacrifice he has consecrated invited [ones] his.
8 Katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana nitawaadhibu wakuu na wana wa mfalme na wale wote wanaovaa nguo za kigeni.
And it will be on [the] day of [the] sacrifice of Yahweh and I will visit [judgment] on the princes and on [the] sons of the king and on all those [who] are clothed clothing foreign.
9 Katika siku hiyo nitaadhibu wote ambao hukwepa kukanyaga kizingiti, ambao hujaza hekalu la miungu yao kwa dhuluma na udanganyifu.”
And I will visit [judgment] on every [one who] leaps over the threshold on the day that those [who] fill [the] house of lord their 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 will be on the day that [the] utterance of Yahweh [the] sound of a cry of distress from [the] gate of the fish and wailing from the second district and a crashing great from the hills.
11 Ombolezeni, ninyi mnaoishi katika eneo la sokoni; wafanyabiashara wenu wote wameangamizwa, wote ambao wanafanya biashara ya fedha wataangamizwa.
Wail O inhabitants of the Mortar for it will be destroyed all [the] people of Canaan they will be cut off all [the] weighers of silver.
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 will be at the time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps and I will visit [judgment] on the people who are thickening on lees their who are saying in heart their not he will do good Yahweh and not he will do harm.
13 Utajiri wao utatekwa nyara, nyumba zao zitabomolewa. Watajenga nyumba, lakini hawataishi ndani yake; watapanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa divai yake.
And it will become wealth their plunder and houses their a desolation and they will build houses and not they will dwell [in them] and they will plant vineyards and not they will drink wine their.
14 “Siku kubwa ya Bwana iko karibu: iko karibu na inakuja haraka. Sikilizeni! Kilio katika siku ya Bwana kitakuwa kichungu, hata shujaa atapiga kelele.
[is] near [the] day of Yahweh great near and hurrying exceedingly [the] sound of [the] day of Yahweh bitter [is] shouting out there a 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,
[will be] a day of Fury the day that a day of trouble and distress a day of devastation and desolation a day of darkness and gloom a day of cloud and thick darkness.
16 siku ya tarumbeta na mlio wa vita dhidi ya miji yenye ngome na dhidi ya minara mirefu.
A day of trumpet and battle-cry on the cities fortified and on the corners high.
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 cause distress to humankind and they will walk like blind [people] for to Yahweh they have sinned and it will be poured out blood their like dust and bowel[s] their like 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 silver their nor gold their not it will be able to deliver them on [the] day of [the] fury of Yahweh and in [the] fire of jealousy his it will be consumed all the earth for complete destruction surely a terrible [thing] he will make with all [the] inhabitants of the earth.

< Sefania 1 >