< Zephaniah 3 >

1 Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city!
“Baba na du si yɔ fũu kple ŋutasesẽ, aglãdzedze kple ɖiƒoƒo.
2 She hath not hearkened to the voice, She hath not accepted instruction, In Jehovah she hath not trusted, Unto her God she hath not drawn near.
Mesea ame aɖeke ƒe gbe o, eye melɔ̃na be woagbe nya na ye hã o. Mexɔ Yehowa dzi se o, eye metena ɖe eƒe Mawu la ŋu hã o.
3 Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] evening wolves, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
Eƒe kplɔlawo le abe dzata dɔwui si le gbe tem la ene. Woƒe ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo le abe amegaxi si lé nu le zã me, eye wòɖui vɔ keŋ hafi ŋu ke la ene.
4 Her prophets unstable — men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.
Eƒe nyagblɔɖilawo doa wo ɖokuiwo ɖe dzi, eye wonye ame vɔ̃ɖiwo. Eƒe nunɔlawo do gu kɔkɔeƒe la, eye wodo vlo Mawu ƒe seawo.
5 Jehovah [is] righteous in her midst, He doth not do perverseness, Morning by morning His judgment he giveth to the light, It hath not been lacking, And the perverse doth not know shame.
Ke Yehowae nye dzɔdzɔetɔ le wo dome, eye mewɔa nu gbegblẽ aɖeke o. Ŋdi sia ŋdi la, eɖea eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ɖe go, eye ŋkeke aɖeke medanɛ ƒu o. Gake nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo menya ŋukpe o.
6 I have cut off nations, Desolated have been their chief ones, I have laid waste their out-places without any passing by, Destroyed have been their cities, Without man, without inhabitant.
“Metsrɔ̃ dukɔ geɖewo, megbã woƒe mɔ sesẽwo, mena woƒe ablɔwo dzi ɖi gbɔlo, eye ame aɖeke megatoa wo dzi o. Woƒe duwo gbã, eye ame ɖeka pɛ gɔ̃ hã masusɔ o.
7 I have said: Only, ye do fear Me, Ye do accept instruction, And her habitation is not cut off, All that I have appointed for her, But they have risen early, They have corrupted all their doings.
Megblɔ na du la be, ‘Azɔ la, àvɔ̃m vavã, eye nàxɔ nye ɖɔɖɔɖo!’ Ekema womagatsrɔ̃ eƒe nɔƒe alo nye tohehe magava edzi o, gake wogatsi dzi ɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ ŋu,
8 Therefore, wait for Me — an affirmation of Jehovah, For the day of My rising for prey, For My judgment [is] to gather nations, To assemble kingdoms, To pour out on them Mine indignation, All the heat of Mine anger, For by the fire of My jealousy consumed is all the earth.
eya ta mikpɔ nye asi nu,” Yehowae gblɔe, “elabena ŋkeke li gbɔna, matsi tsitre aɖi ɖase. Meɖoe be maƒo dukɔwo katã kple fiaɖuƒewo nu ƒu, eye makɔ nye dɔmedzoe kple nye dziku helĩhelĩ ɖe wo dzi. Ale nye ŋuʋaʋã ƒe dzo afia anyigba la katã.
9 For then do I turn unto peoples a pure lip, To call all of them by the name of Jehovah, To serve Him [with] one shoulder.
“Ɣe ma ɣi la, makɔ nye amewo ƒe nuyiwo ŋu, ale wo katã woayɔ Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ, eye woasubɔe kple nusɔsɔe.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Do bring My present.
Tso Kus tɔsisi la godo ke, nye subɔlawo kple nye ame siwo ka hlẽ la, atsɔ woƒe nunanawo vɛ nam.
11 In that day thou art not ashamed because of any of thine actions, Wherewith thou hast transgressed against Me, For then do I turn aside from thy midst The exulting ones of thine excellency, And thou dost add no more to be haughty, In My holy mountain.
Le ɣe ma ɣi la, ŋu magakpe mi le miaƒe nu vɔ̃ siwo katã miewɔ ɖe ŋunye la ta o, elabena maɖe ame siwo katã kpɔa dzidzɔ le ɖokuidodoɖedzi ŋuti la ɖa le dua me, ale be dadala aɖeke maganɔ nye to kɔkɔe la dzi o.
12 And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah.
Ke magblẽ ame siwo nye ame fafawo kple ɖokuibɔbɔɖeanyilawo, ame siwo xɔ nye, Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ dzi se la ɖe mia dome.
13 The remnant of Israel do no perversity, nor speak lies, Nor found in their mouth is a deceitful tongue, For they have delight, and have lain down, And there is none troubling.
Israel ƒe ame mamlɛawo magawɔ vɔ̃ o, womada alakpa o, eye womakpɔ amebeble le woƒe nu me o. Woaɖu nu, amlɔ anyi, eye ame aɖeke mado ŋɔdzi na wo o.”
14 Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
O Zion vinyɔnu, dzi ha, O Israel, do ɣli, kpɔ dzidzɔ, eye wò dzi nayɔ fũu kple aseyetsotso, O Yerusalem vinyɔnuvi!
15 Jehovah hath turned aside thy judgments, He hath faced thine enemy, The king of Israel, Jehovah, [is] in thy midst, Thou seest evil no more.
Yehowa ɖe wò tohehewo ɖa, eye wòna wò futɔwo gbugbɔɖemegbe. Yehowa, Israel ƒe fia la li kpli wò, eya ta vɔ̃wɔame aɖeke mado ŋɔdzi na wò o.
16 In that day it is said to Jerusalem, 'Fear not, O Zion, let not thy hands be feeble.
Gbe ma gbe la, woagblɔ na Yerusalem be, “Mègavɔ̃ o, O Zion, eye mègana wò alɔ nagbɔdzɔ o.
17 Jehovah thy God [is] in thy midst, A mighty one doth save, He rejoiceth over thee with joy, He doth work in His love, He joyeth over thee with singing.'
Yehowa wò Mawu la li kpli wò, kalẽtɔ si ate ŋu axɔ na wò lae wònye. Akpɔ dzidzɔ gã aɖe ɖe ŋuwò, atsɔ eƒe lɔlɔ̃ afa akɔ na wò, eye wòado dzidzɔ na wò kple hadzidzi.”
18 Mine afflicted from the appointed place I have gathered, from thee they have been, Bearing for her sake reproach.
“Maɖe konyifafa siwo nɔa miaƒe takpegbewo la ɖa le mia ŋu, elabena wonyea agba kple mokaka na mi.
19 Lo, I am dealing with all afflicting thee at that time, And I have saved the halting one, And the driven out ones I do gather, And have set them for a praise and for a name, In all the land of their shame.
Le ɣe ma ɣi la, matu nu kple ame siwo katã te mi ɖe anyi la, makpe ɖe ataŋeŋetɔwo ŋu, eye maƒo ame siwo ka hlẽ la nu ƒu. Matsɔ kafukafu kple bubu ana wo le anyigba ɖe sia ɖe si dzi wodo ŋukpe wo le.
20 At that time I bring you in, Even at the time of My assembling you, For I give you for a name, and for a praise, Among all peoples of the land, In My turning back [to] your captivity before your eyes, said Jehovah!
Ɣe ma yi la, maƒo mia nu ƒu; ɣe ma yi me la, makplɔ mi va aƒee. Matsɔ bubu kple kafukafu ana mi le anyigbadzidukɔwo katã dome, nenye be megbugbɔ mi ɖo te le miawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋkuwo me.” Yehowae gblɔe.

< Zephaniah 3 >