Zephaniah 1
1 The Lord’s message, which came to Zephaniah, son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezekiah, in the time of Josiah of Judah who was son of Amon.
Ngeyomqondisi womculo. Ezigincini zami. Ilizwi likaThixo elafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKhushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana ka-Amariya, indodana kaHezekhiya, ekubuseni kukaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda:
2 I will utterly destroy everything from off the face of the earth, says the Lord.
“Ngizakhucula konke ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.
3 I will sweep away human and animal, the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea. I will cause the wicked to stumble, and I will cut off humanity from the face of the earth, says the Lord.
“Ngizakhucula kokubili abantu lezinyamazana; ngizakhucula izinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle, lezithombe ezenza ababi bakhubeke. Lapho ngiqeda abantu ebusweni bomhlaba,” kutsho uThixo.
4 I will stretch out my hand over Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the last remnant of Baal and the name of the heathen priests,
“Ngizakwelulela isandla sami koJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema. Ngizaqeda konke okukaBhali okuseleyo kule indawo, amabizo abahedeni labaphristi abakhonza izithombe
5 and those who worship on the housetops to the stars in the sky, and those worshippers of the Lord who also pay homage to Milcom,
labo abakhothama phezu kwezindlu bakhonze ixuku lezinkanyezi, labo abakhothama bafunge ngoThixo, abafunga langoMoleki futhi,
6 and those who turn back from following the Lord, And those who do not seek the Lord nor strive to find him.
labo ababuyela emuva bedela ukulandela uThixo njalo abangamdinganga uThixo loba babuze ngaye.
7 Be silent before the Lord God, for near is the day of the Lord, for the Lord has prepared a sacrifice, he has sanctified his guests.
Thula phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi, ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze. UThixo uselungise umhlatshelo; usebangcwelisile labo abanxusileyo.
8 On the day of the Lord’s sacrifice: I will punish the officers and the royal princes, and all those who clothe themselves in foreign apparel.
Ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaThixo ngizajezisa izikhulu lamadodana amakhosi labo bonke labo abagqoke izigqoko zezizweni.
9 On that day: I will punish all who leap over the threshold, who fill the house of their lord with violence and deceit.
Ngalolosuku ngizabajezisa bonke abaxwaya ukunyathela umbundu womnyango, abagcwalisa ithempeli labonkulunkulu babo ngodlakela langenkohliso.”
10 Listen on that day, says the Lord: A cry will be heard from the Fish Gate, and a wailing from the New Quarter, and a great din from the hills.
UThixo, uthi, “Ngalolosuku ilizwi lokukhala lizaqonga ngaseSangweni leNhlanzi, ukulila kuvelela esiGabeni eSitsha lomsindo omkhulu wokufohloza uvela emaqaqeni.
11 Those who live in the Mortar wail, for all the traders are silenced, the money counters wiped out.
Lilani lina elihlala esigodini sokuthengisela saseMakhithashi, bonke abathengisi benu bazaqedwa, bonke abathengiselana ngesiliva bazabhujiswa.
12 I will search Jerusalem with a lamp, I will punish those who are at ease, who sit comfortably with their wine, who say to themselves, ‘the Lord brings neither prosperity nor calamity.’
Ngalesosikhathi ngizaphenya iJerusalema ngezibane ngijezise labo abangakhathaliyo, abanjengewayini elitshiywe phakathi kwensipho zalo, abathi, ‘UThixo kayikwenza lutho, oluhle loba olubi.’
13 Their wealth will become a prey and their houses a desolation. Though they build houses, they will not inhabit them; though they plant vineyards, they will not drink wine from them.
Inotho yabo izaphangwa, izindlu zabo zidilizwe. Bazakwakha izindlu kodwa bangahlali kuzo; bazahlanyela izivini, kodwa iwayini bangalinathi.”
14 Near is the day of the Lord! Near and rapidly approaching! Near is the bitter day of the Lord, and the scream of the warrior.
Usuku olukhulu lukaThixo seluseduze, njalo luza ngokuphangisa. Lalelani! Ukukhala ngosuku lukaThixo kuzakuba buhlungu, lokuklabalala kwebutho khonapho.
15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of destruction and desolation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,
Lolosuku luzakuba lusuku lolaka, usuku losizi lokudabuka; usuku lokuhlupheka lokuchitheka, usuku lomnyama lokudana, usuku lwamayezi lobumnyama,
16 a day of the trumpet and battle-cry, against the fortified cities and against the high battlements.
usuku lwecilongo lokuhlaba umkhosi wokulwa impi lamadolobho avikelweyo kanye lezinqaba zasemajikweni.
17 And I will bring distress upon the people and they will walk as the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord, and their blood will be poured out as dust and their flesh as dung.
“Ngizaletha usizi ebantwini njalo bazahamba njengeziphofu, ngoba bonile kuThixo. Igazi labo lizachithwa njengothuli lezibilini zabo njengamanyala.
18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them. For in the day of the wrath of the Lord and in the fire of his fury the whole earth will be consumed. For he will make a speedy end of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Isiliva sabo loba igolide labo kakungeke kwenelise ukubasindisa ngosuku lolaka lukaThixo. Umhlaba wonke uzatshiswa emlilweni womona wakhe ngoba uzakwenza isiphetho ngokuphangisa kubo bonke abahlala emhlabeni.”
