1Yehova anayankhula ndi Zefaniya mwana wa Kusi, mwana wa Gedaliya, mwana wa Amariya, mwana wa Hezekiya pa nthawi ya Yosiya, mwana wa Amoni, mfumu ya Yuda.
Yehova Adzaweruza Dziko Lapansi
2“Ndidzawononga kotheratu zinthu zonse
pa dziko lapansi,”
akutero Yehova.
3“Ndidzawononga anthu pamodzi ndi nyama zomwe;
ndidzawononga mbalame zamlengalenga
ndi nsomba za mʼnyanja.
Ndidzawononga anthu oyipa,
ndipo ndidzafafaniza mtundu wa anthu pa dziko lonse lapansi,”
akutero Yehova.
Chenjezo kwa Yuda
4Ndidzatambasula dzanja langa pa Yuda
ndi onse okhala mu Yerusalemu.
Ndidzawononga pamalo pano otsalira opembedza Baala,
mayina a anthu osapembedza pamodzi ndi ansembe a mafano:
5amene amagwada pa madenga a nyumba zawo
kupembedza zolengedwa zamumlengalenga,
amene amagwada ndi kulumbira mʼdzina la Yehova,
komanso mʼdzina la Moleki,
6amene abwerera mʼmbuyo osatsata Yehova,
osafunafuna kapena kupempha nzeru kwa Yehova.
7Khalani chete pamaso pa Ambuye Yehova,
chifukwa tsiku la Yehova layandikira.
Yehova wakonzekera kupereka nsembe;
wapatula iwo amene wawayitana.
8Pa tsiku la nsembe ya Yehova
ndidzalanga akalonga
ndi ana aamuna a mfumu
ndi onse amene amavala
zovala zachilendo.
9Pa tsiku limenelo ndidzalanga
onse amene safuna kuponda pa chiwundo,
amene amadzaza nyumba ya ambuye awo
ndi chiwawa ndi chinyengo.
10“Pa tsiku limenelo,” akutero Yehova,
“Kufuwula kwakukulu kudzamveka pa Chipata cha Nsomba,
kulira kwa chisoni kuchokera mʼChigawo Chatsopano,
ndi phokoso la kugumuka kochokera ku mapiri.
11Lirani mwachisoni, inu amene mumakhala kumene kuli msika;
a malonda anu onse adzapululidwa,
ndiponso onse amene ali ndi siliva adzawonongedwa.
12Pa nthawi imeneyo ndidzafufuzafufuza mu Yerusalemu ndi nyale
ndi kulanga onse amene sakulabadira,
amene ali ngati vinyo wosakhutchumulidwa,
amene amaganiza kuti, ‘Yehova sadzachita chilichonse,
chabwino kaya choyipa.’
13Chuma chawo chidzafunkhidwa,
nyumba zawo zidzagwetsedwa.
Adzamanga nyumba,
koma osakhalamo;
adzadzala minda ya mpesa
koma sadzamwako vinyo wake.”
Tsiku Lalikulu la Yehova
14Tsiku lalikulu la Yehova layandikira,
layandikira ndipo lifika msanga.
Tamverani! Kulira kwa pa tsiku la Yehova kudzakhala kowawa,
ngakhale munthu wolimba mtima adzalira kwambiri.
15Tsiku limenelo lidzakhala la ukali,
tsiku losautsa ndi lomvetsa chisoni,
tsiku la mavuto ndi la chiwonongeko,
tsiku la mdima ndi lachisoni,
tsiku la mitambo ndi la mdima wandiweyani.
16Tsiku loliza lipenga ndi la mfuwu wankhondo,
tsiku la kugwa kwa mizinda yotetezedwa
ndi nsanja za pa ngodya.
17Ndidzabweretsa msautso pa anthu
ndipo adzayenda ngati anthu osaona,
chifukwa achimwira Yehova,
magazi awo adzamwazika ngati fumbi
ndi mnofu wawo ngati ndowe.
18Ngakhale siliva wawo kapena golide wawo
sadzatha kuwapulumutsa
pa tsiku la ukali wa Yehova.
Dziko lonse lapansi lidzanyeka
mʼmoto wa nsanje yake
chifukwa adzakantha modzidzimutsa
onse okhala pa dziko lapansi.
1The word of the Lord that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah:
Judgment on the whole earth in the day of the Lord
2‘I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,’
declares the Lord.
3‘I will sweep away both man and beast;
I will sweep away the birds in the sky
and the fish in the sea –
and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble.’1:3 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
‘When I destroy all mankind
on the face of the earth,’
declares the Lord,
4‘I will stretch out my hand against Judah
and against all who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy every remnant of Baal worship in this place,
the very names of the idolatrous priests –
5those who bow down on the roofs
to worship the starry host,
those who bow down and swear by the Lord
and who also swear by Molek,1:5 Hebrew Malkam
6those who turn back from following the Lord
and neither seek the Lord nor enquire of him.’
7Be silent before the Sovereign Lord,
for the day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice;
he has consecrated those he has invited.
8‘On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice
I will punish the officials
and the king’s sons
and all those clad
in foreign clothes.
9On that day I will punish
all who avoid stepping on the threshold,1:9 See 1 Samuel 5:5.
who fill the temple of their gods
with violence and deceit.
10‘On that day,’
declares the Lord,
‘a cry will go up from the Fish Gate,
wailing from the New Quarter,
and a loud crash from the hills.
11Wail, you who live in the market district1:11 Or the Mortar;
all your merchants will be wiped out,
all who trade with1:11 Or in silver will be destroyed.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps
and punish those who are complacent,
who are like wine left on its dregs,
who think, “The Lord will do nothing,
either good or bad.”
13Their wealth will be plundered,
their houses demolished.
Though they build houses,
they will not live in them;
though they plant vineyards,
they will not drink the wine.’
14The great day of the Lord is near –
near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;
the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15That day will be a day of wrath –
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of trouble and ruin,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and blackness –
16a day of trumpet and battle cry
against the fortified cities
and against the corner towers.
17‘I will bring such distress on all people
that they will grope about like those who are blind,
because they have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust
and their entrails like dung.
18Neither their silver nor their gold
will be able to save them
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.’
In the fire of his jealousy
the whole earth will be consumed,
for he will make a sudden end
of all who live on the earth.
