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.

[I am] Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the grandson of Gedaliah, and the great-grandson of Amariah, whose father was [King] Hezekiah. Yahweh gave this message to me during the time when [King] Amon’s son Josiah was the King of Judah.

2 “Mɛpra biribiara afiri asase so” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie,

Yahweh says, “I will (sweep away/destroy) everything [HYP] that is on the earth.

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 sweep away people and animals. I will sweep away birds and fish. I will get rid of wicked people; there will be no more [wicked] [HYP] people on the earth.”

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

“[These are some of the things that I will do]: I will punish the people who live in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. I will destroy everything that has been used in the worship of Baal. I will cause [people] to no longer remember the names of the pagan priests or the [other] priests [who have turned away from me].

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,

[I will get rid of] those who go up on the roofs [of their houses] and worship the sun and moon and stars, those who claim that they worship me but [also] worship [their god] Molech.

6 wɔn nso a wɔgyae Awurade akyiridie na wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade anaa wɔmmisa nʼase.”

I will get rid of all those who previously worshiped me but no longer do, those who no [longer] seek my [help or ask me to tell them what they should do.”]

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 in front of Yahweh the Lord, because it will soon be the time/day when Yahweh [will judge and punish people]. Yahweh has prepared to get rid of [the people of Judah]; they will be like [MET] animals that are slaughtered for sacrifices, and he has chosen [their enemies] to be the ones who will get rid of them.

8 “Awurade afɔrebɔ ɛda no, mɛtwe mmapɔmma ne ahenemma ne wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ ananafoɔ ntadeɛ nyinaa aso.

Yahweh says, “On that day when I will get rid of [the people of Judah], [I will punish] their officials and the king’s sons, and [I will punish] all those who worship foreign gods [MTY].

9 Saa ɛda no mɛtwe wɔn a wɔkwati aponnwa no nyinaa aso. Wɔn a wɔde akakabensɛm ne nsisie hyehyɛ wɔn abosomfie ma no.

I will punish those who [show that they revere their god Dagan] by avoiding stepping on the threshold [of his temple], and those who do violent things and tell lies in the temples of their gods.”

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.

Yahweh [also] says, “On that day, people will cry [out] at the Fish Gate [of Jerusalem]. People will wail in the newer part of the city, and [people will hear] a loud crash [of buildings collapsing] in 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.

[So, all you] people who live in the market area [of Jerusalem] should wail, because all those who sell goods and weigh out silver will be slaughtered.

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 be as though] I will light lanterns to search in [dark places in] Jerusalem for those who have become very satisfied with their behavior and complacent [about their sins]. They think that [I], Yahweh, will do nothing to them, neither good things nor bad things.

13 Wɔbɛfom wɔn ahonyadeɛ, na wɔabubu wɔn afie agu. Wɔbɛsisi afie, nanso wɔrentena mu wɔbɛyɛ bobe mfuo nanso wɔrennom emu nsã.”

[But I say that] their valuable possessions will be plundered/stolen [by their enemies], and their houses will be destroyed. They will build [new] homes, but they will not live in them; they will plant vineyards, but they will never drink [any] wine [made from grapes that grow there].”

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.

It will soon be the day/time when Yahweh [will punish people]. It will be here quickly. It will be a time [when people cry] bitterly, a time when [even] brave soldiers will cry loudly.

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,

It will be a time when [God shows that he is] very angry, a time when [people experience much] distress/suffering and trouble. [It will be] a time [when many things are] ruined and destroyed [DOU]. It will be a time when it is very gloomy and dark [DOU], when the clouds are very black.

16 ɛyɛ totorobɛnto hyɛn ne ɔko nteam a ɛtia nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ ne ntwɛtwɛaso abantenten ɛda.

It will be a time when [soldiers] will blow trumpets [to call other soldiers] to battle. [Your enemies] will tear down the walls around your cities and the high towers [at the corners of those walls].

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.

Because you sinned against Yahweh, he will cause you to experience great distress; you will walk [around groping] like [SIM] blind people do. Your blood will flow [from your bodies] like [SIM] water, and your corpses will lie on the ground and rot [SIM].

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.

At the time that [Yahweh shows that he] is very angry [with you], you will not be able to save yourselves by [giving] silver or gold [to your enemies]. Because Yahweh (is very jealous/does not want people to worship any other god), he will send a fire to burn up the entire world, and he will suddenly get rid of all the [wicked] people who live on the earth.