Zephaniah 2 – NIV & ASCB

New International Version

Zephaniah 2:1-15

Judah and Jerusalem Judged Along With the Nations

Judah Summoned to Repent

1Gather together, gather yourselves together,

you shameful nation,

2before the decree takes effect

and that day passes like windblown chaff,

before the Lord’s fierce anger

comes upon you,

before the day of the Lord’s wrath

comes upon you.

3Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,

you who do what he commands.

Seek righteousness, seek humility;

perhaps you will be sheltered

on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Philistia

4Gaza will be abandoned

and Ashkelon left in ruins.

At midday Ashdod will be emptied

and Ekron uprooted.

5Woe to you who live by the sea,

you Kerethite people;

the word of the Lord is against you,

Canaan, land of the Philistines.

He says, “I will destroy you,

and none will be left.”

6The land by the sea will become pastures

having wells for shepherds

and pens for flocks.

7That land will belong

to the remnant of the people of Judah;

there they will find pasture.

In the evening they will lie down

in the houses of Ashkelon.

The Lord their God will care for them;

he will restore their fortunes.2:7 Or will bring back their captives

Moab and Ammon

8“I have heard the insults of Moab

and the taunts of the Ammonites,

who insulted my people

and made threats against their land.

9Therefore, as surely as I live,”

declares the Lord Almighty,

the God of Israel,

“surely Moab will become like Sodom,

the Ammonites like Gomorrah—

a place of weeds and salt pits,

a wasteland forever.

The remnant of my people will plunder them;

the survivors of my nation will inherit their land.”

10This is what they will get in return for their pride,

for insulting and mocking

the people of the Lord Almighty.

11The Lord will be awesome to them

when he destroys all the gods of the earth.

Distant nations will bow down to him,

all of them in their own lands.

Cush

12“You Cushites,2:12 That is, people from the upper Nile region too,

will be slain by my sword.”

Assyria

13He will stretch out his hand against the north

and destroy Assyria,

leaving Nineveh utterly desolate

and dry as the desert.

14Flocks and herds will lie down there,

creatures of every kind.

The desert owl and the screech owl

will roost on her columns.

Their hooting will echo through the windows,

rubble will fill the doorways,

the beams of cedar will be exposed.

15This is the city of revelry

that lived in safety.

She said to herself,

“I am the one! And there is none besides me.”

What a ruin she has become,

a lair for wild beasts!

All who pass by her scoff

and shake their fists.

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Sefania 2:1-15

1Mommoaboa mo ho ano, mommoaboa mo ho ano,

Ao, animguaseɛ ɔman,

2ansa 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.

3Monhwehwɛ Awurade, ahobrɛasefoɔ a mowɔ asase so,

mo a moyɛ nʼahyɛdeɛ.

Monhwehwɛ tenenee, monhwehwɛ ahobrɛaseɛ;

ebia ɔbɛkora mo

Awurade abufuo ɛda no.

Atemmuo A Ɛtia Filistia

4Wɔbɛgya Gasa

na wɔagya Askelon sɛ kurofo.

Owigyinaeɛ na ɔbɛma Asdod ada mpam

na wɔatutu Ekron ase.

5Monnue mo a mote mpoano,

Ao, mo Keretifoɔ;

Awurade asɛm tia mo.

Ao, Kanaan, Filistifoɔ asase.

Mɛtɔre mo ase,

na obiara renka.

6Asase a ɛda mpoano, baabi a Keretifoɔ teɛ

bɛyɛ atenaeɛ ama nnwanhwɛfoɔ

ne wɔn nnwammuo.

7Saa 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.

Atemmuo A Ɛtia Moab Ne Amon

8“Mate Moab nsopa ne

Amonfoɔ atweetweɛ;

wɔn a wɔsopaa me nkurɔfoɔ

na wɔhunahunaa wɔn wɔ wɔn asase ho.

9Enti, 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.”

10Wɔn ahantan so akatua a wɔbɛnya nie,

sɛ wɔsopa na wɔtwetwe Asafo Awurade nkurɔfoɔ enti.

11Awurade ho suro bɛba wɔn so

ɛberɛ a ɔbɛsɛe asase no so anyame nyinaa.

Mpoano aman nyinaa bɛsɔre no,

wɔ wɔn ankasa wɔn asase so.

Atemmuo A Ɛtia Kus

12“Mo Etiopiafoɔ nso,

mʼakofena ano na wɔbɛkunkum mo.”

Atemmuo A Ɛtia Asiria

13Awurade bɛtene ne nsa wɔ atifi aman so

na wasɛe Asiria,

na wama Ninewe ada mpan koraa

na ɛso awo wesee sɛ anwea pradada so.

14Nnwankuo 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.

15Yei 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.