1A message from the Lord came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi. Cushi was the son of Gedaliah. Gedaliah was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of King Hezekiah. The Lord spoke to Zephaniah during the rule of Josiah. He was king of Judah and the son of Amon.
The Lord Will Judge the Whole World
2“I will sweep away everything
from the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
3“I will destroy people and animals alike.
I will wipe out the birds in the sky
and the fish in the waters.
I will destroy the statues of gods that cause evil people to sin.
That will happen when I destroy all human beings on the face of the earth,”
announces the Lord.
4“I will reach out my powerful hand against Judah.
I will punish all those who live in Jerusalem.
I will destroy from this place
what is left of Baal worship.
The priests who serve other gods
will be removed.
5I will destroy those who bow down on their roofs
to worship all the stars.
I will destroy those who make promises
not only in my name but also in the name of Molek.
6I will destroy those who stop following the Lord.
They no longer look to him or ask him for advice.
7Be silent in front of him.
He is the Lord and King.
The day of the Lord is near.
The Lord has prepared a sacrifice.
He has set apart for himself
the people he has invited.
8When the Lord’s sacrifice is ready to be offered,
I will punish the officials and the king’s sons.
I will also judge all those who follow
the practices of other nations.
9At that time I will punish
all those who worship other gods.
They fill the temples of their gods
with lies and other harmful things.
10“At that time people at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem
will cry out,” announces the Lord.
“So will those at the New Quarter.
The buildings on the hills will come crashing down
with a loud noise.
11Cry out, you who live in the market places.
All your merchants will be wiped out.
Those who trade in silver will be destroyed.
12At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps.
I will punish those who are so contented.
They are like wine that has not been shaken up.
They think, ‘The Lord won’t do anything.
He won’t do anything good or bad.’
13Their wealth will be stolen.
Their houses will be destroyed.
They will build houses.
But they will not live in them.
They will plant vineyards.
But they will not drink the wine they produce.
14The great day of the Lord is near.
In fact, it is coming quickly.
The cries on that day are bitter.
The Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.
15At that time I will pour out my anger.
There will be great suffering and pain.
It will be a day of horrible trouble.
It will be a time of darkness and gloom.
It will be filled with the blackest clouds.
16Trumpet blasts and battle cries will be heard.
Soldiers will attack cities
that have forts and corner towers.
17I will bring great trouble on all people.
So they will feel their way around like blind people.
They have sinned against the Lord.
Their blood will be poured out like dust.
Their bodies will lie rotting on the ground.
18Their silver and gold
won’t save them
on the day the Lord pours out his anger.
The whole earth will be burned up
when his jealous anger blazes out.
Everyone who lives on earth
will come to a sudden end.”
11:1 2Ath 22:1; 1Maũ 3:14Atĩrĩrĩ, ĩno nĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩrĩa yakinyĩrĩire Zefania mũrũ wa Kushi, mũrũ wa Gedalia, mũrũ wa Amaria, mũrũ wa Hezekia, rĩrĩa Mũthamaki Josia mũrũ wa Amoni aathamakaga Juda.
Juda Gũtuĩrwo Ciira
2Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova ekuuga ũũ:
“Nĩnganiina indo ciothe ithire biũ,
ithire kũndũ guothe gũkũ thĩ.
31:3 Jer 50:3; Ezek 14:17Nĩnganiina andũ o na nyamũ;
njooke niine nyoni cia rĩera-inĩ,
na thamaki cia iria-inĩ.
Andũ arĩa aaganu magaatigĩrio o hĩba cia mahuti,
hĩndĩ ĩrĩa ngaaniina andũ mathire kũndũ guothe gũkũ thĩ,”
ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
41:4 Mik 5:13; Hos 10:5“Nĩngatambũrũkia guoko gwakwa njũkĩrĩre Juda,
na njũkĩrĩre andũ othe arĩa matũũraga Jerusalemu.
Nĩnganiina mĩhianano ya Baali ĩrĩa ĩtigarĩte gũkũ,
na niine marĩĩtwa ma andũ arĩa matooĩ Ngai,
na athĩnjĩri-ngai cia mĩhianano,
5o acio mainamagĩrĩra,
makahooya mbũtũ cia igũrũ marĩ nyũmba igũrũ,
o na makainamĩrĩra, makehĩta na rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova,
na magacooka makehĩta na rĩĩtwa rĩa Milikomu,
61:6 Isa 1:4; Hos 7:7o acio matigaga kũrũmĩrĩra Jehova magacooka na thuutha,
na maticaragia Jehova, o na kana makamũrongooria.
71:7 Joel 3:14; Jer 46:10Atĩrĩrĩ, kirai ki mũrĩ mbere ya Mwathani Jehova,
nĩgũkorwo mũthenya wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ.
Jehova nĩahaarĩirie igongona;
ningĩ nĩamũrĩte andũ arĩa etĩte.
81:8 Isa 24:21; Jer 39:6Mũthenya ũcio wa igongona rĩa Jehova-rĩ,
nĩngaherithia anene, o na herithie ariũ a mũthamaki,
hamwe na arĩa othe magaakorwo mehumbĩte nguo cia bũrũri ũngĩ.
91:9 1Sam 5:5Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, nĩngaherithia ataagarari othe a hingĩro,
o acio maiyũragia hekarũ ya ngai ciao na haaro na maheeni.”
101:10 2Maũ 33:14; Amos 5:16Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio
nĩgũkaiguuo mũkayo uumĩte Kĩhingo-inĩ gĩa Thamaki,
o na kũgirĩka kuumĩte Itũũra Rĩerũ,
naguo mũrurumo mũnene wa mũmomoko uume tũrĩma-inĩ.
11Girĩkai, inyuĩ mũtũũraga rũgongo rwa ndũnyũ;
mũgirĩke tondũ onjorithia anyu othe nĩmekũniinwo,
na arĩa othe monjorithanagia na betha manangwo.
121:12 Ezek 8:12; Ayub 22:13Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩngoya matawa njethe andũ Jerusalemu,
na herithie arĩa meiganĩtie,
arĩa mahaana ndibei ĩtiganĩirio na kĩnyita kĩayo,
arĩa meciiragia atĩrĩ,
‘Jehova ndarĩ ũndũ angĩĩka, mwega kana mũũru.’
131:13 2Ath 24:13; Amos 5:11Ũtonga wao nĩũgatahwo,
na nyũmba ciao imomorwo.
Nĩmagaka nyũmba,
no matigacitũũra;
nĩmakahaanda mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ,
no matikanyua ndibei yayo.
Mũthenya ũrĩa Mũnene wa Jehova
14“Mũthenya ũrĩa mũnene wa Jehova ũrĩ hakuhĩ,
ũrĩ hakuhĩ na nĩũrooka narua.
Ta thikĩrĩriai! Kĩrĩro kĩa mũthenya ũcio wa Jehova gĩgaakorwo kĩrĩ kĩnene,
nacio njamba cia ita nĩikaarĩra mũno irĩ kũu.
151:15 Isa 22:5; Mar 13:24-25Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa mangʼũrĩ,
mũthenya wa mĩnyamaro na ruo rũnene,
mũthenya wa mathĩĩna na mwanangĩko,
mũthenya wa nduma na mairia,
mũthenya wa matu na nduma ndumanu,
161:16 Jer 4:19; Gũcook 28:52mũthenya wa kũhuhwo karumbeta na mbugĩrĩrio ya mbaara
ya gũũkĩrĩra matũũra marĩa mairigĩirwo na hinya,
na gũũkĩrĩra mĩthiringo ĩrĩa mĩraihu na igũrũ.
171:17 Thab 79:3Nĩngarehere andũ mĩnyamaro,
nao magaathiiaga ta andũ atumumu,
nĩ ũndũ nĩmehĩirie Jehova.
Thakame yao nĩĩgaitwo ta rũkũngũ,
nacio nyama cia nda ciao iteo ta irĩ rũrua.
181:18 Zef 3:8; Kĩam 6:7Betha kana thahabu ciao
itikahota kũmahonokia,
mũthenya ũcio wa mangʼũrĩ ma Jehova.
Thĩ yothe ĩkaaniinwo
na mwaki wa ũiru wake,
nĩgũkorwo arĩa othe matũũraga gũkũ thĩ
nĩakamaniina o rĩmwe.”
