Sefania 2

1 Mommoaboa mo ho ano, mommoaboa mo ho ano, Ao, animguaseɛ ɔman,

Be ashamed within yourselves, be ashamed,

2 ansa na ɛberɛ a wɔahyɛ no aduru, na ɛda no resene te sɛ ntɛtɛ, ansa na Awurade abufuhyeɛ no aba mo so, ansa na Awurade abufuo ɛda no aba mo so.

before you become as the drifting chaff, before the anger of the Lord comes upon you, before the day of the Lord’s wrath comes upon you.

3 Monhwehwɛ Awurade, ahobrɛasefoɔ a mowɔ asase so, mo a moyɛ nʼahyɛdeɛ. Monhwehwɛ tenenee, monhwehwɛ ahobrɛaseɛ; ebia ɔbɛkora mo Awurade abufuo ɛda no.

Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth, you who obey his law; Seek righteousness, seek meekness; perhaps you may be hidden in the day of the Lord’s wrath.

4 Wɔbɛgya Gasa na wɔagya Askelon sɛ kurofo. Owigyinaeɛ na ɔbɛma Asdod ada mpam na wɔatutu Ekron ase.

For Gaza will be forsaken; Ashkelon a desolation; Ashdod – by noon will they rout her and Ekron be torn up!

5 Monnue mo a mote mpoano, Ao, mo Keretifoɔ; Awurade asɛm tia mo. Ao, Kanaan, Filistifoɔ asase. Mɛtɔre mo ase, na obiara renka.

Woe to those who live by the sea coast, people of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, Canaan, land of the Philistines! I will destroy you so that you will be without inhabitants,

6 Asase a ɛda mpoano, baabi a Keretifoɔ teɛ bɛyɛ atenaeɛ ama nnwanhwɛfoɔ ne wɔn nnwammuo.

and you will become shepherds’ cots and folds for flocks.

7 Saa asase no bɛyɛ Yudafie nkaeɛfoɔ no dea; ɛhɔ na wɔbɛnya mmoa adidibea. Anwummerɛ wɔbɛdeda wɔ Askelon afie mu. Na Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn bɛhwɛ wɔn, na ɔde wɔn ahonyadeɛ nyinaa bɛsane ama wɔn.

The sea coast will belong to the survivors of the house of Judah. They will pasture their flocks there. In the house of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening. The Lord their God will be with them and restore their fortunes.

8 “Mate Moab nsopa ne Amonfoɔ atweetweɛ; wɔn a wɔsopaa me nkurɔfoɔ na wɔhunahunaa wɔn wɔ wɔn asase ho.

I have heard the taunts of Moab, and the revilings of the Ammonites, how they have taunted my people, and spoken boastfully concerning their border.

9 Enti, sɛ mete ase yi,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie, “Ampa ara Moab bɛyɛ sɛ Sodom, na Amonfoɔ ayɛ sɛ Gomora, baabi a ewira ne nkyɛn amena wɔ, asase a ɛda mpan afebɔɔ. Me ɔman nkaeɛ bɛfom wɔn afa; me manfoɔ a wɔbɛnya wɔn ti adidim bɛfa wɔn asase.”

Therefore as I live, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Moab will be like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a pile of nettles and saltpits, and a desolation, forever. The residue of my people will plunder them, and the survivors of my nation will inherit them.

10 Wɔn ahantan so akatua a wɔbɛnya nie, sɛ wɔsopa na wɔtwetwe Asafo Awurade nkurɔfoɔ enti.

This will they have for their pride, because they have taunted and spoken boastfully against the people of the Lord of hosts.

11 Awurade ho suro bɛba wɔn so ɛberɛ a ɔbɛsɛe asase no so anyame nyinaa. Mpoano aman nyinaa bɛsɔre no, wɔ wɔn ankasa wɔn asase so.

The Lord will terrify them; he will reduce all the gods of the earth; then all the peoples of the nations will worship him, each in their own land.

12 “Mo Etiopiafoɔ nso, mʼakofena ano na wɔbɛkunkum mo.”

You, also, Ethiopians, slain by his sword are you!

13 Awurade bɛtene ne nsa wɔ atifi aman so na wasɛe Asiria, na wama Ninewe ada mpan koraa na ɛso awo wesee sɛ anwea pradada so.

And he will stretch out his hand against the north and destroy Assyria; And he will make Nineveh a desolation, dry as the wilderness.

14 Nnwankuo ne anantwie bɛdeda hɔ, mmoadoma nyinaa. Ɛserɛ so patuo ne ɔbonsam anoma bɛtena nʼadum no so. Wɔn su bɛgyegye mpomma mu, mmubuiɛ bɛsisi apono ano akwan, mpunan a wɔde ntweneduro ayɛ no ho bɛdeda hɔ.

Herds will lie down in it, every beast of the earth, Desert owl and screech owl will lodge in its capitals. The owl will hoot in the window, the raven on the doorstep, all stripped bare of cedar.

15 Yei ne kuropɔn a ɛdi ahurisie na ɛte asomdwoeɛ mu. Ɔhoahoa ne ho sɛ, “Me ne no, obiara nte sɛ me.” Hwɛ sɛ deɛ atete apansam, na ayɛ nkeka mmoa atenaeɛ! Obiara a ɔtwam hɔ no sere no, hugya ne nsa fɛdie so.

This is the exultant city which sat secure. The city who said to herself, I am and there is none else! How has she become a desolation! A lair of beasts! Every passerby hisses at her, shakes their hand.