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 word which 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, king of Judah.
2 Nitaangamiza kabisa kila kitu kutoka usoni mwa dunia - hili ni tamko la Bwana mwenyewe.
I will utterly sweep away everything from the surface 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 man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface 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 against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place—the name of the idolatrous and pagan 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.
those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by the LORD and also swear by Malcam,
6 Nitawafutilia mbali pia wale ambao wamegeuka nyuma kutoka kumfuata Yahwe, wale ambao pia humtafuta Yahwe pasipo kuuliza ulinzi wake.
those who have turned back from following the LORD, and those who haven’t sought the LORD nor enquired after him.
7 Uwe kimya mbele ya Bwana Yahwe! Kwa kuwa siku ya Yahwe ni karibu, Yahwe ameandaa dhabihu na amewatenga wageni wake.
Be silent at the presence of the Lord GOD, for the day of the LORD is at hand. For the LORD has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.
8 “Itakuja katika siku ya dhabihu ya Bwana, hivyo nitawapiga wakuu na wana wa mfalme, na kila mmoja aliyevikwa mavazi ya kigeni.
It will happen in the day of the LORD’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.
9 Katika siku hiyo nitawapiga wote wale ambao huruka juu ya kizingiti, wale ambao hujaza nyumba ya bwana wao kwa vurugu na udanganyifu.
In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house 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.
In that day, says the LORD, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.
11 Pigeni yowe, wenyeji wa Soko la Wilaya, kwa wote wafanyabiashara watakuwa wameharibiwa, wote wale ambao hupima fedha watakuwa wamefutiliwa mbali.
Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.
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.'.
It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “The LORD will not do good, neither will he do evil.”
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 plunder, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.
14 Siku kubwa ya Yahwe ni karibu, karibu na inaharakisha upesi! Sauti ya siku ya Yahwe itakuwa ya kilio cha uchungu wa kishujaa!
The great day of the LORD is near. It is near and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of the LORD. The mighty man cries there bitterly.
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 distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,
16 Itakuwa siku ya parapanda na kengele dhidi ya ngome mijini na buruji ndefu.
a day of the shofar and alarm 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.
I will bring such distress on men that they will walk like blind men because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their flesh like 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 deliver them in the day of the LORD’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.
