1 This is the message that the Lord gave to Zephaniah during the time that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah. (Zephaniah was descended from King Hezekiah through Amariah, Gedaliah, and Cushi.)
The Day of the Lord's Judgment
2 The Lord said, “I am going to destroy everything on earth, 3 all human beings and animals, birds and fish. I will bring about the downfall of the wicked. I will destroy everyone, and no survivors will be left. I, the Lord, have spoken.
4 “I will punish the people of Jerusalem and of all Judah. I will destroy the last trace of the worship of Baal there, and no one will even remember the pagan priests who serve him. 5 I will destroy anyone who goes up on the roof and worships the sun, the moon, and the stars. I will also destroy those who worship me and swear loyalty to me, but then take oaths in the name of the god Molech. 6 I will destroy those who have turned back and no longer follow me, those who do not come to me or ask me to guide them.”
7 The day is near when the Lord will sit in judgment; so be silent in his presence. The Lord is preparing to sacrifice his people and has invited enemies to plunder Judah. 8 “On that day of slaughter,” says the Lord, “I will punish the officials, the king's sons, and all who practice foreign customs. 9 I will punish all who worship like pagans and who steal and kill in order to fill their master's house with loot.
10 “On that day,” says the Lord, “you will hear the sound of crying at the Fish Gate in Jerusalem. You will hear wailing in the newer part of the city and a great crashing sound in the hills. 11 Wail and cry when you hear this, you that live in the lower part of the city, because all the merchants will be dead!
12 “At that time I will take a lamp and search Jerusalem. I will punish the people who are self-satisfied and confident, who say to themselves, ‘The Lord never does anything, one way or the other.’ 13 Their wealth will be looted and their houses destroyed. They will never live in the houses they are building or drink wine from the vineyards they are planting.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near—very near and coming fast! That day will be bitter, for even the bravest soldiers will cry out in despair! 15 It will be a day of fury, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and destruction, a day of darkness and gloom, a black and cloudy day, 16 a day filled with the sound of war trumpets and the battle cry of soldiers attacking fortified cities and high towers.
17 The Lord says, “I will bring such disasters on the human race that everyone will grope about like someone blind. They have sinned against me, and now their blood will be poured out like water, and their dead bodies will lie rotting on the ground.”
18 On the day when the Lord shows his fury, not even all their silver and gold will save them. The whole earth will be destroyed by the fire of his anger. He will put an end—a sudden end—to everyone who lives on earth.
1 Yaawe* ye ñiŋ kiilaariyaa kumoo le lankenemayandi Sefaniya ma.
Sefaniya mu Kusi dinkewo le ti, Kusi mu Kedaliya dinkewo ti, Kedaliya mu Amariya dinkewo ti, Amariya mu Hesekiya dinkewo ti. Kiilaariyaa ñiŋ keta Mansa Yosiya, Amoni dinkewo la maraloo waatoo le la Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ.
Kiitiyo luŋo be naa kaŋ
2 Yaawe ko:
“Feŋ-wo-feŋ be duniyaa kono,
m be a bee le bondi la jee.
3 Hadamadiŋ wo, beeyaŋ wo, kunu wo, ñee wo,
m be ì bee le bondi la duniyaa kono,
ŋa moo kuruŋolu la kuwo jindi.
M be hadamadiŋolu bee le kasaara la.
Nte Yaawe le ye a fo.
4 M bulu be laa la Yerusalaamunkoolu kaŋ ne,
aniŋ Yahuuda bankoo moolu bee.
M be Baali* jalambatoo bee daŋ na ñiŋ dulaalu to le.
M be jalambatu kuntiyolu toolu bo la le,
ŋa piriisoolu* kasaara mennu ye ì koo dii n na.
5 M be moolu fanaa kasaara la le,
mennu ka sujudi saŋo santo malafeŋolu ye,
ì la buŋolu kaŋ santo,
moolu fanaa mennu ka sujudi n ye,
ì ka kali n na,
ì ka naa muru ì ka kali Moleki jalaŋo fanaa la.
6 Moo-wo-moo ye a koo dii nte Yaawe la,
m be a kasaara la le,
aniŋ mennu buka ì daa ke n na kuu to,
sako ka n na yaamaroo ñini.”
7 Ali i deyi Maarii Yaawe ñaatiliŋo la.
Yaawe la luŋo sutiyaata naŋ ne.
A be pareeriŋ ne ka a la moolu kanateyi ko beeyaŋ sadaa*,
aduŋ a ye ì jawoolu le buuñaatoo kumandi a sadaa domoo to.
8 Yaawe ko:
“Ñiŋ sadaabo luŋo la,
m be ñaatonkoolu le faa la,
mansa dinkewolu,
aniŋ mennu fanaa ye wandi aadoolu taa.
9 Wo luŋo la,
moo-wo-moo ka a siŋo sawundi bundaa kuŋo la,
jalaŋo silaŋñaa kamma la,
aniŋ moo-wo-moo ka a maarii yaa fandi feŋolu la,
a ye meŋ soto fitinoo niŋ nakaroo la,
m be ì bee le jarabi la.”
10 Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“Wo luŋo la,
ali be kumboo kaŋo moyi la,
Ñee Dundaŋ Daa to, Yerusalaamu,
lembakaŋo Saatewo Bajonkoo to,
aniŋ kasaaroo maakaŋo konkoolu to naŋ.
11 Ali kumboo alitolu mennu be Saatewo Duumoo to,
kaatu ali la safaarilaalu bee le be faa la,
kodiforo peesalaalu bee ye kasaara.
12 Wo waatoo la,
m be tara la Yerusalaamu ñini la niŋ lampu maloo le la.
M be moolu jarabi la le,
mennu be laariŋ ì faŋ na ko, ì la kuwolu be beteyaariŋ ne.
Ì ka ñiŋ miira ko, Yaawe te kuu ke la,
a jawumaa to baŋ, waraŋ fo a betemaa to.
13 Ì la fankoo bee si ñapinkaŋ ì bulu,
ì la buŋolu bee ye kasaara.
Ì ye buŋolu mennu loo,
ì te sabati la ì kono,
ì ye wayini* yiroolu mennu tutu,
ì te ì jiyo miŋ na.”
14 Yaawe la ñiŋ luŋ baa be sutiyaa kaŋ naŋ ne,
a ka naa le,
a be sutiyaa kaŋ naŋ ne famfaŋ.
Yaawe la ñiŋ luŋo la, kumboo kaŋo be moyi la le,
a niikuyaa be wara la baake.
Hani kelejawaroolu, ì be lemba la le.
15 A be ke la Yaawe la kamfaa luŋo le ti,
kataa niŋ niitooroo luŋo,
tiñaaroo niŋ kasaaroo luŋo,
diboo niŋ minaayoo,
niikaa niŋ dibi fiŋo luŋo.
16 Ñiŋ luŋo be tara la faariŋ kelebinoolu kumakaŋolu le la,
kele wuuroo be tara la keriŋ,
niŋ kelediŋolu be saatee tatariŋolu waliŋ kaŋ,
aniŋ tata jaŋolu.
17 Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“M be ñiŋ niitoora siifaa le samba la naŋ hadamadiŋolu kaŋ,
ì si taama ko finkintewo,
ì la junube kuwolu kamma la.
Ì jawoolu ye naa ì yeloo boŋ ko jiyo,
ì furewolu ye tara fayiriŋ bankoo to fo ì ye toli.”
18 Yaawe la ñiŋ kamfaa luŋo la,
sani te ì kanandi la sako kodiforo.
Duniyaa bee le be kasaara la,
a la kamfaa dimbaa la.
Moo bee la baluwo ye daŋ waati kiliŋ,
ka bo duniyaa kono.
