< Zephaniah 1 >

1 The word of the Lord that came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, the son of Godolias, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezechias, in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda.
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.
2 Gathering, I will gather together all things from off the face of the land, saith the Lord:
“Mɛpra biribiara afiri asase so” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie,
3 I will gather man, and beast, I will gather the birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea: and the ungodly shall meet with ruin: and I will destroy men from off the face of the land, saith the Lord.
“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.
4 And I will stretch out my hand upon Juda, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and I will destroy out of this place the remnant of Baal, and the names of the wardens of the temples with the priests:
“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
5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the tops of houses, and them that adore, and swear by the Lord, and swear by Melchom.
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,
6 And them that turn away from following after the Lord, and that have not sought the Lord, nor searched after him.
wɔn nso a wɔgyae Awurade akyiridie na wɔnhwehwɛ Awurade anaa wɔmmisa nʼase.”
7 Be silent before the face of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is near, for the Lord hath prepared a victim, he hath sanctified his guests.
Monyɛ komm wɔ Asafo Awurade anim, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ɛda no abɛn. Awurade asiesie afɔrebɔdeɛ; wadwira wɔn a wato nsa afrɛ wɔn no ho.
8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the victim of the Lord, that I will visit upon the princes, and upon the king’s sons, and upon all such as are clothed with strange apparel.
“Awurade afɔrebɔ ɛda no, mɛtwe mmapɔmma ne ahenemma ne wɔn a wɔhyehyɛ ananafoɔ ntadeɛ nyinaa aso.
9 And I will visit in that day upon every one that entereth arrogantly over the threshold: them that fill the house of the Lord their God with iniquity and deceit.
Saa ɛda no mɛtwe wɔn a wɔkwati aponnwa no nyinaa aso. Wɔn a wɔde akakabensɛm ne nsisie hyehyɛ wɔn abosomfie ma no.
10 And there shall be in that day, saith the Lord, the noise of a cry from the fish gate, and a howling from the Second, and a great destruction from the hills.
“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.
11 Howl, ye inhabitants of the Morter. All the people of Chanaan is hush, all are cut off that were wrapped up in silver.
Montwa adwo, mo a mote adetɔnbea hɔ no wɔbɛtɔre wɔn a mo ne wɔn di dwa ase, dwetɛ adwadifoɔ nyinaa nso wɔbɛsɛe wɔn.
12 And it shall come to pass at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and will visit upon the men that are settled on their lees: that say in their hearts: The Lord will not do good, nor will he do evil.
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.’
13 And their strength shall become a booty, and their houses as a desert: and they shall build houses, and shall not dwell in them: and they shall plant vineyards, and shall not drink the wine of them.
Wɔbɛfom wɔn ahonyadeɛ, na wɔabubu wɔn afie agu. Wɔbɛsisi afie, nanso wɔrentena mu wɔbɛyɛ bobe mfuo nanso wɔrennom emu nsã.”
14 The great day of the Lord is near, it is near and exceeding swift: the voice of the day of the Lord is bitter, the mighty man shall there meet with tribulation.
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.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of tribulation and distress, a day of calamity and misery, a day of darkness and obscurity, a day of clouds and whirlwinds,
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,
16 A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high bulwarks.
ɛyɛ totorobɛnto hyɛn ne ɔko nteam a ɛtia nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ ne ntwɛtwɛaso abantenten ɛda.
17 And I will distress men, and they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the Lord: and their blood shall be poured out as earth, and their bodies as dung.
“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.
18 Neither shall their silver and their gold be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord: all the land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy, for he shall make even a speedy destruction of all them that dwell in the land.
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.

< Zephaniah 1 >