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.

[I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.

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

Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.

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 sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on the earth.”

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

“[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].

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,

[I will get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.

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

I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]

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 in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.

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

Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].

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

I will punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”

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.

Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in 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.

[So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.

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.’

[It will be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.

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

[But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”

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.

It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.

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,

It will be a time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.

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

It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].

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.

Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].

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.

At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.