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.

This is the word of Yahweh that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi son of Gedaliah son of Amariah son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah.

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

“I will utterly destroy everything from off the surface of the earth—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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 destroy man and beast; I will destroy the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, the ruins along with the wicked. For I will cut off man from the surface of the earth—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

I will reach out with my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off every remnant of Baal from this place and the names of the idolatrous people among 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,

the people who on the housetops worship the heavenly bodies, and the people who worship and swear to Yahweh but who also swear by their king.

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

I will also cut off those who have turned away from following Yahweh, those who neither seek Yahweh nor ask for his guidance.”

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 Lord Yahweh! For the day of Yahweh is near; Yahweh has prepared the sacrifice and set apart his guests.

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

“It will come about on the day of Yahweh's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes and the king's sons, and everyone dressed in foreign clothes.

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

On that day I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, those who fill their master's house with violence 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.

So it will be on that day—this is Yahweh's declaration— that a cry of distress will come from the Fish Gate, wailing from the Second District, and a great crashing sound 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.

Wail, inhabitants of the Market District, for all the merchants will be ruined; all those who weigh out silver will be cut off.

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 come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish the men who have settled into their wine and say in their heart, 'Yahweh will not do anything, either good or evil.'

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

Their wealth will become plunder, and their houses will be an abandoned devastation! They will build houses but not live in them, and plant vineyards but 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 Yahweh is near, near and hurrying quickly! The sound of the day of Yahweh will be that of a warrior crying bitterly!

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 will be a day of fury, a day of distress and anguish, a day of storm and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness.

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

It will be a day of trumpets and alarms against the fortified cities and the high battlements.

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.

For I will bring distress upon mankind, so that they will walk about like blind men since they have sinned against Yahweh. Their blood will be poured out like dust, and their inner parts like 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 their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of Yahweh's fury. In the fire of his jealousy the whole earth will be consumed, for he will bring a complete, a terrible end of all the inhabitants of the earth.”