< Sefania 1 >

1 Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Sefania a ɔyɛ Kusi ba, Gedalia ba, Amaria ba, Hesekia ba nkyɛn nie. Ɛbaa Yudahene Yosia a ɔyɛ Amon ba berɛ 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 afiri asase so” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie,
“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 ewiem ne mpataa a wɔwɔ ɛpo mu nyinaa. Atirimuɔdenfoɔ bɛnya wira a ɛsum hɔ nko ara sɛ mesɛe adasamma a wɔwɔ asase yi so a,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
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 “Mɛtene me nsa wɔ Yuda ne wɔn a wɔte Yerusalem nyinaa so; na mɛsɛe Baal ho biribiara a aka wɔ ha, na masɛe abosonsomfoɔ ne abosomfoɔ asɔfoɔ 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 wɔkoto sɔre wɔn adan atifi, de sɔre abɔdeɛ a ɛwɔ ewiem, wɔn a wɔkoto 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 wɔgyae Awurade akyiridie na wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade anaa wɔmmisa 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, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ɛda no abɛn. Awurade asiesie afɔrebɔdeɛ; 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 ɛda no, mɛtwe mmapɔmma ne ahenemma ne wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ ananafoɔ ntadeɛ 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 ɛda no mɛtwe wɔn a wɔkwati aponnwa no nyinaa aso. Wɔn a wɔde akakabensɛm ne nsisie hyehyɛ wɔn abosomfie ma 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 ɛda no,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Esu bɛfiri Mpataa Ɛpono ano, agyaadwotwa bɛfiri Atenaeɛ Foforɔ na nnyegyeeɛ a ano yɛ den afiri nkokoɔ 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 Montwa adwo, mo a mote adetɔnbea hɔ no wɔbɛtɔre wɔn a mo ne wɔn di dwa ase, dwetɛ adwadifoɔ 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 nkanea bɛkyini ahwehwɛ Yerusalem mu na matwe wɔn a wɔgyaagyaa wɔn ho aso, wɔn a wɔte sɛ bobesa puo no, a wɔdwene sɛ, ‘Awurade nnyɛ wɔn hwee sɛ ɛyɛ papa anaa bɔne.’
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 ahonyadeɛ, na wɔabubu wɔn afie agu. Wɔbɛsisi afie, nanso wɔrentena mu wɔbɛyɛ bobe mfuo nanso wɔrennom emu nsã.”
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 ɛda kɛseɛ no abɛn, abɛn na ɛreba ntɛm so. Tie! Osu a wɔbɛsu Awurade ɛda no bɛyɛ ya, ɔkofoɔ a ɔwɔ hɔ nso nteamu 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 ɛda no bɛyɛ abufuo ɛda, ɛyɛ ahoyera ne ɔyea ɛda; ɛyɛ amanehunu ne ɔsɛeɛ ɛda, ɛyɛ esum ne kusukuukuu ɛda ɛyɛ omununkum ne kusuuyɛ ɛda,
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 totorobɛnto hyɛn ne ɔko nteam a ɛtia nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ ne ntwɛtwɛaso abantenten ɛda.
It will be a day of trumpets and alarms against the fortified cities and the high battlements.
17 “Mede awerɛhoɔ bɛba nnipa no so na wɔbɛnante sɛ anifirafoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ wɔayɛ bɔne atia Awurade. Wɔbɛhwie wɔn mogya agu sɛ mfuturo, na wɔn ayamdeɛ nso sɛ atantanneɛ.
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 abufuo ɛda no.” Ne ninkuntwe mu ogya no bɛhye ɔman no nyinaa, na ɔbɛma asase no so tefoɔ nyinaa nkwa aba awieeɛ 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.”

< Sefania 1 >