Sefania 1

1 Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Sefania a ɔyɛ Kusi ba, Gedalia ba, Amaria ba, Hesekia ba nkyɛn ni. Ɛbaa Yudahene Yosia a ɔyɛ Amon ba no bere so.

The word of the Lord that 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 “Mɛpra biribiara afi asase so” nea Awurade se ni,

While gathering, I will gather together all things from the face of the earth, says the Lord.

3 “Mɛpra nnipa ne mmoa nyinaa; mɛpra nnomaa a wɔwɔ wim ne mpataa a wɔwɔ po mu nyinaa. Atirimɔdenfo benya wura a esum hɔ nko ara, sɛ mesɛe adesamma a wɔwɔ asase yi so a,” nea Awurade se ni.

I will gather man and cattle; I will gather the flying things of the air and the fish of the sea. And the impious will be a catastrophe. And I will disperse men before the face of the earth, says the Lord.

4 “Mɛteɛ me nsa wɔ Yuda ne wɔn a wɔte Yerusalem nyinaa so; na mɛsɛe Baal ho biribiara a aka wɔ ha, na masɛe abosonsomfo ne akɔmfo asɔfo no din

And I will extend my hand over Judah and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will disperse from this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the administrators along with the priests,

5 wɔn a wɔkotow sɔre wɔn adan atifi, de sɔre abɔde a ɛwɔ wim, wɔn a wɔkotow de Awurade ka ntam na wɔde Molek nso ka ntam,

and those who adore the military campaign over the ceiling of the sky, both those who adore and swear by the Lord, and those who swear by Melchom,

6 wɔn nso a wogyae Awurade akyidi na wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade anaa wommisa nʼase.”

both those who turn aside from following after the Lord, and those who have not sought the Lord, nor inquired about him.

7 Monyɛ komm wɔ Asafo Awurade anim, efisɛ, Awurade da no abɛn. Awurade asiesie afɔrebɔde; wadwira wɔn a wato nsa afrɛ wɔn no ho.

Be silent before the face of the Lord God. For the day of the Lord is near; for the Lord has prepared a victim, he has sanctified those he has called.

8 “Awurade afɔrebɔ da no, mɛtwe mmapɔmma ne ahenemma ne wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ ananafo ntade nyinaa aso.

And this shall be: in the day of the victim of the Lord, I will visit upon the leaders, and upon the sons of the king, and upon all who have been clothed with strange garments.

9 Saa da no mɛtwe wɔn a wɔkwati apongua no nyinaa aso. Wɔn a wɔde akakabensɛm ne asisi hyehyɛ wɔn abosomfi amaama no.

And I will visit upon all who enter arrogantly over the threshold in that day, those who fill the house of the Lord their God with iniquity and deceit.

10 “Saa da no,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “Osu befi Mpataa Pon ano, agyaadwotwa befi Atenae Foforo na nnyigyei a ano yɛ den afi nkoko no so aba.

And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: the voice of an outcry from the fish gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great contrition from the hills.

11 Muntwa adwo, mo a mote adetɔnbea hɔ no wɔbɛtɔre wɔn a mo ne wɔn di gua ase, dwetɛ aguadifo nyinaa nso wɔbɛsɛe wɔn.

Howl, inhabitants of the Pillar. All the people of Canaan have fallen silent. All were ruined who had been wrapped in silver.

12 Mede akanea bekyin ahwehwɛ Yerusalem mu na matwe wɔn a wogyaagyaa wɔn ho aso, wɔn a wɔte sɛ bobesa puw no, a wodwen se, ‘Awurade renyɛ hwee sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne no.’

And this shall be in that time: I will scrutinize Jerusalem with lamps, and I will visit upon the men who have become stuck in the dregs, who say in their hearts, “The Lord will not do good, and he will not do evil.”

13 Wɔbɛfom wɔn ahonyade, na wɔabubu wɔn afi agu. Wobesisi afi, nanso wɔrentena mu wɔbɛyɛ bobe mfuw nanso wɔrennom mu nsa.”

And their strength will be in plundering, and their houses in the desert. And they will build houses and not dwell in them, and they will plant vineyards and not drink their wine.

14 Awurade da kɛse no abɛn, abɛn na ɛreba ntɛm so. Tie! Osu a wobesu Awurade da no bɛyɛ yaw, ɔkofo a ɔwɔ hɔ nso nteɛmu bɛyɛ saa ara.

The great day of the Lord is near; it is near and exceedingly swift. The voice of the day of the Lord is bitter; the strong will be tested there.

15 Saa da no bɛyɛ abufuw da, ɛyɛ ahoyeraw ne ɔyaw da; ɛyɛ amanehunu ne ɔsɛe da, ɛyɛ esum ne kusukuukuu da ɛyɛ omununkum ne kusuuyɛ da,

That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and anguish, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and whirlwinds,

16 ɛyɛ ntorobɛntohyɛn ne ɔko nteɛmu a etia nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ ne ntwɔtwɔw so abantenten da.

a day of the trumpet and the trumpet blast over fortified cities and over exalted ramparts.

17 “Mede awerɛhow bɛba nnipa no so na wɔbɛnantew sɛ anifuraefo, efisɛ wɔayɛ bɔne atia Awurade. Wobehwie wɔn mogya agu sɛ mfutuma, na wɔn ayamde nso sɛ atantanne.

And I will trouble men, and they will walk like the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord. And their blood will be poured out like soil, and their bodies like manure.

18 Wɔn dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ rentumi nnye wɔn nkwa wɔ Awurade abufuw da no.” Ne ninkutwe mu gya no bɛhyew ɔman no nyinaa, na ɔbɛma asase no so tefo nyinaa nkwa aba awiei mpofirim.

Neither their silver, nor their gold, will be able to free them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. All the land will be devoured in the fire of his zeal, for with all speed, he will bring to consummation every inhabitant of the land.