Sefania 1
1 Hili ni neno la Yahwe ambalo lilikuja kwa Sefania mwana wa Kushi mwana wa Gedalia mwana wa Amaria mwana Hezekia, katika siku za 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 Nitaangamiza kabisa kila kitu kutoka usoni mwa dunia - hili ni tamko la Bwana mwenyewe.
I will utterly destroy everything from off the face of the earth, says the Lord.
3 Nitamwangamiza mtu na mnyama; Nitawaangamiza ndege wa mbinguni na samaki wa baharini, uharibifu pamoja na waovu. Hivyo nitamfutilia mbali mtu kutoka uso wa dunia - hili ni tamko la Bwana mwenyewe.
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 Nitafika kwa mkono wangu juu ya Yuda na wote wenyeji wa Yerusalemu. Nitafutilia mbali kila mabaki ya Baali kutoka sehemu hii na majina ya watu waabuduo sanamu miongoni mwa makuhani,
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 watu ambao juu ya nyumba huabudu miili ya mbinguni, na watu ambao huabudu na kuapa kwa Yahwe bali ambao pia huapa kwa mfalme wao.
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 Nitawafutilia mbali pia wale ambao wamegeuka nyuma kutoka kumfuata Yahwe, wale ambao pia humtafuta Yahwe pasipo kuuliza ulinzi wake.
and those who turn back from following the Lord, And those who do not seek the Lord nor strive to find him.
7 Uwe kimya mbele ya Bwana Yahwe! Kwa kuwa siku ya Yahwe ni karibu, Yahwe ameandaa dhabihu na amewatenga wageni wake.
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 “Itakuja katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana, hivyo nitawapiga wakuu na wana wa mfalme, na kila mmoja aliyevikwa mavazi ya 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 nitawapiga wote wale ambao huruka juu ya kizingiti, wale ambao hujaza nyumba ya bwana wao kwa vurugu 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 Itakuwa katika siku ile - hili ni tangazo la Yahwe - kwamba kilio cha huzuni kitakuja kutoka kwenye mlango wa samaki, ikipiga yowe kutoka Wilaya ya Pili, na sauti ya kishindo kikuu 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 Pigeni yowe, wenyeji wa Soko la Wilaya, kwa wote wafanyabiashara watakuwa wameharibiwa, wote wale ambao hupima fedha watakuwa wamefutiliwa mbali.
Those who live in the Mortar wail, for all the traders are silenced, the money counters wiped out.
12 Itakuwa katika siku ile nitaitafuta Yerusalemu kwa taa na kuwapiga wanaume ambao watakuwa wamekaa kwenye mvinyo wao na kusema mioyoni mwao, 'Yahwe hatafanya chochote, ama kizuri au kiovu.'.
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 Mali zao zitakuja kuporwa, na nyumba zao zitakuwa zimetelekezwa kwa maangamizi! Watajenga nyumba lakini hawataishi humo, na kupanda mizabibu lakini hawatakunywa mvinyo wake.
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 Yahwe ni karibu, karibu na inaharakisha upesi! Sauti ya siku ya Yahwe itakuwa ya kilio cha uchungu wa kishujaa!
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 hiyo itakuwa siku ya ghadabu, siku ya huzuni na uchungu, siku ya dhoruba na maangamizi, 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 Itakuwa siku ya parapanda na kengele dhidi ya ngome mijini na buruji ndefu.
a day of the trumpet and battle-cry, against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.
17 Hivyo nitaleta dhiki juu ya wanadamu, kwa hiyo watatembea karibu kama wanaume vipofu tangu walipofanya dhambi dhidi ya Yahwe. Damu yao itamwagwa kama vumbi, na sehemu zao za ndani kama kinyesi.
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 Wala fedha zao wala dhahabu zao hazitaweza kuwaokoa juu ya ghadhabu ya Yahwe. Ndani ya moto wa wivu wake dunia yote itateketezwa, hivyo ataleta ukamilifu, miwisho wa kutisha kwa wote wakaao duniani.”
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.
