< Sefania 3 >

1 Nnome nka nhyɛsofo kuropɔn atuatew kuropɔn a ho agu fi!
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 Ɔnyɛ osetie mma obiara onnye nteɛso biara nto mu. Ɔmfa ne ho nto Awurade so. Ontwiw mmɛn ne Nyankopɔn.
She hearkened not to any voice; she accepted no correction; in the Lord she did not trust; to her God she drew not near.
3 Nʼakannifo yɛ gyata a wɔbobɔ mu, ne sodifo yɛ mpataku a wɔnam anadwo, a wonnya biribiara mma adekyee.
Her princes in her midst are roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they leave not a bone for the morning.
4 Ne nkɔmhyɛfo yɛ ahantan; wɔyɛ afatwafo. Nʼasɔfo gu kronkronbea ho fi. Wɔnam mmara no so di nsɛmmɔne.
Her prophets are thoughtless men of treachery: her priests have profaned the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
5 Awurade a ɔte ne mu no yɛ ɔtreneeni; ɔnyɛ mfomso biara. Adekyee biara, ɔda ne trenee adi, na onni huammɔ da, nanso amumɔyɛfo de, wonnim aniwu.
The just Lord is in her midst, he will not do wrong; morning after morning doth he bring his justice to the light [of day], it never faileth; but the unjust knoweth no shame.
6 “Masɛe amanaman; madwiriw wɔn abandennen agu. Wɔn mmorɔn so adeda mpan, a obiara ntwa mu hɔ. Wɔasɛe wɔn nkuropɔn; a obiara renka.
I have cut off nations; destroyed are their battlements; I have laid in ruins their streets, so that none passeth through; their cities are wasted, without a man, without an inhabitant.
7 Meka kyerɛɛ kuropɔn no se, ‘ampa ara wubesuro me na woagye nteɛso ato mu!’ Na afei ne tenabea rensɛe, na mʼasotwe biara nso remma no so. Nanso wɔn ho peree wɔn sɛ wɔbɛkɔ so ayɛ bɔne, wɔn nneyɛe nyinaa mu.
I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt accept correction; so that her dwelling should not be cut off, all that I had decreed to bring over her; but they rose up early, they acted corruptly in all their doings.
8 Enti twɛn me,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “na da no mɛsɔre adi adanse. Mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛboaboa amanaman ne ahenni ano na mahwie mʼabufuw agu wɔn so mʼabufuwhyew nyinaa. Me ninkutwe abufuw gya mu no, asase nyinaa bɛhyew.
Therefore wait but for me, saith the Lord, for the day that I rise up to the prey; for my judgment [cometh] to gather the nations, for me to assemble the kingdoms, to pour over them my indignation, all the fierceness of my anger; for through the fire of my jealousy shall all the earth be devoured.
9 “Afei medwira nnipa no ano, na wɔn nyinaa abɔ Awurade din na wɔaka abɔ mu asom no.
Yea then will I change unto the people a pure language, that they may all call on the name of the Lord, to serve him with one accord.
10 Mʼasomfo, me nkurɔfo a wɔabɔ ahwete no befi nsubɔnten a ɛwɔ Kus nohɔ de wɔn afɔrebɔde abrɛ me.
From beyond the rivers of Cush shall they bring my suppliants, even the assembly of my dispersed, as an offering unto me.
11 Saa da no, wo Yerusalem, wɔrengu wʼanim ase wɔ nneyɛe bɔne a woayɛ atia me ho, efisɛ meyi afi saa kuropɔn yi mu, wɔn a wodi ahantan mu ahurusi, na worenyɛ ahantan bio wɔ me bepɔw kronkron no so.
On that day shalt thou not be ashamed because of all thy doings, whereby thou hast transgressed against me; for then will I remove out of the midst of thee those that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt never more be haughty again on my holy mount.
12 Nanso megyaw wɔ wo mu wɔn a wodwo na wɔbrɛ wɔn ho ase, na wɔde wɔn ho to Awurade so no.
And I will leave remaining in the midst of thee a humble and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord.
13 Wɔrenyɛ bɔne biara; wɔrenka nkontomposɛm, na wɔn ano renka nnaadaasɛm wobedidi na wɔada, na obiara renyi wɔn hu.”
The remnant of Israel shall not do injustice, nor speak lies; and there shall not be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue; for they shall feed and lie down, with none to make them afraid.
14 To dwom, Ɔbabea Sion; teɛ mu dennen, Israel! Ma wʼani nnye, na di ahurusi wɔ wo koma nyinaa mu, Ɔbabea Yerusalem!
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 Efisɛ Awurade ayi wʼasotwe afi wo so, wama wo tamfo asan nʼakyi. Awurade, Israelhene ka wo ho; worensuro ɔhaw biara bio.
The Lord hath removed thy punishment, he hath cleared away thy enemy: the king of Israel, the Lord, is in the midst of thee; thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 Saa da no, wɔbɛka akyerɛ Yerusalem se, “Nsuro, Sion! Mma wo nsa mu ngow.
On that day shall it be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [to] Zion, Let not thy hands become weak.
17 Awurade wo Nyankopɔn ne wo wɔ hɔ, Ɔyɛ ogyefo ɔhoɔdenfo. Nʼani begye wo ho ne dɔ mu, ɔrenka wʼanim bio, ɔde nnwonto bedi wo ho anigye.”
The Lord thy God is in the midst of thee, the mighty one who will save; he will be glad over thee with rejoicing; he will be silent in his love, he will exult over thee with song.
18 “Meyi wɔn a wodi awerɛhow wɔ wʼafahyɛnna ahorow a woahwere; a ayɛ adesoa ne animguase ama wo no ho.
Those that mourn far away from the festive assembly do I gather, those that were separated from thee, [that have borne] for thee the burden of reproach.
19 Saa bere no me ne wɔn a wɔhyɛɛ wo so nyinaa bedi. Megye mmerɛwyɛfo na mɛboaboa wɔn a wɔabɔ wɔn ahwete no ano. Mɛkamfo wɔn ahyɛ wɔn anuonyam asase biara a woguu wɔn anim ase wɔ so no so.
Behold, I will deal [severely] with all that afflict thee at that time: and I will save her that halteth, and her that was driven off will I gather; and I will render them a praise and a famous name on all the earth where they have been put to shame.
20 Saa bere no, mɛboaboa mo ano; saa bere no, mede mo bɛba fie. Mɛhyɛ wo anuonyam na makamfo mo wɔ asase so nnipa nyinaa mu bere a mede mo ahonyade bɛsan ama wo na mode mo ani behu no,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
At that time will I bring you back, even in the time that I gather you; for I will make you for a name and for a praise among all people of the earth, when I bring back again your captives before your eyes, saith the Lord.

< Sefania 3 >