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 Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezechias, in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda.

2 “Mɛpra biribiara afi asase so” nea Awurade se ni,

Gathering, I will gather together all things from off the face of the land, saith 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 beast, I will gather the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea: and the ungodly shall meet with ruin: and I will destroy men from off the face of the land, saith 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 stretch out my hand upon Juda, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and I will destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the wardens of the temples 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 them that worship the host of heaven upon the tops of houses, and them that adore, and swear by the Lord, and swear by Melchom.

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

And them that turn away from following after the Lord, and that have not sought the Lord, nor searched after 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 hath prepared a victim, he hath sanctified his guests.

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

And it shall come to pass in the day of the victim of the Lord, that I will visit upon the princes, and upon the king’s sons, and upon all such as are clothed with strange apparel.

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 in that day upon every one that entereth arrogantly over the threshold: them that 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 there shall be in that day, saith the Lord, the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great destruction 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, ye inhabitants of the Morter. All the people of Chanaan is hush, all are cut off that were wrapped up 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 it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and will visit upon the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their hearts: The Lord will not do good, nor will he 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 shall become a booty, and their houses as a desert: and they shall build houses, and shall not dwell in them: and they shall plant vineyards, and shall not drink the wine of them.

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 exceeding swift: the voice of the day of the Lord is bitter, the mighty man shall there meet with tribulation.

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 distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity, 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 alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high bulwarks.

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 distress men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as earth, and their bodies as dung.

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 shall their silver and their gold be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: all the land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy, for he shall make even a speedy destruction of all them that dwell in the land.