Sefania 3
1 Nnome nka nhyɛsofoɔ kuropɔn atuateɛ kuropɔn a ɛho agu fi!
Woe to her that is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!
2 Ɔnnyɛ ɔsetie mma obiara ɔnnye nteɛsoɔ biara nto mu. Ɔmfa ne ho nto Awurade so. Ɔntwi mmɛn ne Onyankopɔn.
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 Nʼakandifoɔ yɛ agyata a wɔbobɔ mu, ne sodifoɔ yɛ mpataku a wɔnam anadwo, a wɔnnya biribiara mma adekyeɛ.
Her princes in her midst are roaring lions: her judges are evening wolves, they leave not a bone for the morning.
4 Ne nkɔmhyɛfoɔ yɛ ahantan; wɔyɛ afatwafoɔ. Nʼasɔfoɔ 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 ɔteneneeni; ɔnnyɛ mfomsoɔ biara. Adekyeeɛ biara ɔda ne tenenee adi, na ɔnni hwammɔ da, nanso amumuyɛfoɔ deɛ wonnim aniwuo.
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; madwiri wɔn abandenden agu. Wɔn mmorɔno so adeda mpan, a obiara ntwa mu hɔ. Wɔaseɛ wɔn nkuropɔn; a obi biara 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 sɛ, ‘ampa ara wobɛsuro me na woagye nteɛsoɔ ato mu!’ Na afei ne tenaberɛ rensɛe, na mʼasotwe biara nso remma ne so. Nanso, wɔn ho peree wɔn sɛ wɔbɛkɔso ayɛ bɔne wɔn nneyɛeɛ 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,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “na ɛda no mɛsɔre adi adanseɛ. Mayɛ mʼadwene sɛ mɛboaboa amanaman ne ahennie ano na mahwie mʼabufuo agu wɔn so mʼabufuhyeɛ nyinaa. Me ninkuntwe abufuo ogya mu no, asase nyinaa bɛhye.
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 mɛdwira 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 Mʼasomfoɔ, me nkurɔfoɔ a wɔabɔ ahwete no bɛfiri nsubɔntene a ɛwɔ Kus nohoa de wɔn afɔrebɔdeɛ 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 ɛda no, wo Yerusalem, wɔrengu wʼanim ase wɔ nneyɛeɛ bɔne a woayɛ atia me ho, ɛfiri sɛ mɛyi afiri saa kuropɔn yi mu, wɔn a wodi ahantan mu ahurisie na worenyɛ ahantan bio wɔ me bepɔ 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 mɛgya wɔ wo mu wɔn a wɔdwo na wɔbrɛ wɔn ho ase, na wɔde wɔn ho to Awurade so.
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 Israel nkaeɛfoɔ renyɛ bɔne Wɔrenka nkontonpo nsɛm, na wɔn ano renka nnaadaa nsɛm wɔbɛdidi 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 Ao, Ɔbabaa Sion; team denden Ao, Israel! Ma wʼani nnye, na di ahurisie wɔ wʼakoma nyinaa mu, Ao, Ɔbabaa Yerusalem!
Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; rejoice and be glad with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ayi wʼasotweɛ afiri wo so, wama wo ɔtamfoɔ asane 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 ɛda no, wɔbɛka akyerɛ Yerusalem sɛ, “Mma nsuro, Ao Sion! Mma wo nsa mu nhodwo.
On that day shall it be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [to] Zion, Let not thy hands become weak.
17 Awurade wo Onyankopɔn ne wo wɔ hɔ, Ɔyɛ ɔgyefoɔ ɔhoɔdenfoɔ. Nʼani bɛgye wo ho ɔfiri ne dɔ mu bɛdwodwo wo, ɔde nnwontoɔ bɛma nʼani agye wo ho.
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 “Mo awerɛhoɔ to bɛtwa ɛfiri sɛ mobɛnya ɛkwan adi mo afahyɛ no; mo anim rengu ase bio.
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 ɛberɛ no me ne wɔn a wɔhyɛɛ wo so nyinaa bɛdi; Mɛgye mmerɛyɛfoɔ na mɛboaboa wɔn a wɔabɔ wɔn ahwete no ano. Mɛkamfo wɔn ahyɛ wɔn animuonyam asase biara a wɔguu 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 ɛda no, mɛboaboa wo ano, na mede wo aba fie. Mɛhyɛ wo animuonyam na makamfo wo wɔ asase so nnipa nyinaa mu na mede wʼahonyadeɛ bɛsane ama wo na wode wʼani bɛhunu,” sɛdeɛ Awurade ka nie.
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.
