Zephaniah 3
1 Woe [to] the rebellious and polluted, The oppressing city!
Ole kwa mji ulioasi! Mji wenye vurugu umenajisiwa.
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.
Haukuisikiliza sauti ya Mungu, wala haukupokea masahihisho kutoka kwa Yahwe. Hakumtumaini Yahwe na hatamkaribia Mungu wake.
3 Her heads in her midst [are] roaring lions, Her judges [are] evening wolves, They have not gnawn the bone in the morning.
Wafalme wao ni simba wanaounguruma miongoni mwao. Waamuzi wao ni mbwa mwitu wa jioni wasiobakiza kitu ambacho kitakuwa kimemung'unywa asubuhi yake.
4 Her prophets unstable — men of treachery, Her priests have polluted the sanctuary, They have violated the law.
Manabii wake wanakiburi na wanaume wasaliti. Makuhani wake wamepanajisi mahali patakatifu na wameifanyia vurugu sheria.
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.
Yahwe ni mwenye haki miongoni mwao. Hawezi kufanya makosa. Kila asubuhi husimamia haki yake! Haitafichika nuruni, hata hivyo watu wasio wenye haki hawajui kuona aibu.
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.
Nimeyaharibu mataifa; ngome zao zimeharibiwa. Nimeifanya mitaa yao magofu, hivyo hakuna hata mmoja anayepitia kwake. Miji yao imeharibiwa kwa hiyo hakuna mtu anayeikaa.
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.
Nikasema, 'Hakika mtaniogopa mimi. Pokeeni masahihisho na msikatiliwe mbali kutoka kwenye miji yenu kwa yote yale niliyokuwa nimeyapanga kuyafanya kwenu.' Lakini walikuwa na shauku kuanza kila siku kwa kuharibu matendo yao yote.
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.
Kwa hiyo ningojeni - hili ni tamko la Yahwe - mpaka siku ambayo nitainuka kwa ajili ya waathirika. Uaamuzi wangu nikuwakusanya mataifa, kuzikusanya falme, na kumwaga juu yao hasira yangu, uchungu wangu wote mkali, hivyo nchi yote itamezwa kwa moto wa hasira yangu.
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.
Ndipo nitawapa midomo safi watu, kuwaita wote kwa jina la Bwana kunitumikia wakisimama bega kwa bega.
10 From beyond the rivers of Cush, my supplicants, The daughter of My scattered ones, Do bring My present.
Kutoka ng'ambo ya mto Ethiopia waniabuduo - watu wangu waliotawanyika - wataleta dhabihu kwa sababu yangu.
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.
Katika siku hiyo hamtawekwa kwenye woga kwa matendo yenu yote ambayo mmeyafanya dhidi yangu, tangu wakati ule nitaondoa kutoka kwenu wale waliosherehekea fahari yenu, na kwa sababu hamtakuwa na muda mrefu kufanya majivuno juu ya mlima wangu mtakatifu.
12 And I have left in thy midst a people humble and poor, And they have trusted in the name of Jehovah.
Lakini nitawaacha kama wa chini zaidi na watu masikini, na mtapata kimbilio katika jina la Yahwe.
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.
Mkazi wa Israeli si muda mrefu hatafanya udhalimu au kusema uongo, na hakuna ulimi wa udanganyifu utakaoonekana mdomoni mwao; hivyo watalisha na kulala chini, na hakuna hata mmoja atakayewafanya kuogopa.”
14 Cry aloud, O daughter of Zion, shout, O Israel, Rejoice and exult with the whole heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Imba, binti Sayuni! Piga kelele, Israeli. Ufurahi na kushangilia kwa moyo wako wote, binti wa Yerusalemu.
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.
Yahwe ameiondoa hukumu yako; amewafukuzia mbali adui zako! Yahwe ni mfalme wa Israeli miongoni mwenu. Kamwe hamtamwogopa tena mwovu!
16 In that day it is said to Jerusalem, 'Fear not, O Zion, let not thy hands be feeble.
Katika siku hizo watasema kwa Yerusalemi, “Usiogope, Sayuni. Usiiache mikono yako ilegee.
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.'
Yahwe Mungu wako yuko katikati yenu, mwenye nguvu wa kuwaokoa. Atasherehekea juu yenu na kwa furaha atakuwa kimya juu yenu kwa upendo wake. Atakuwa na furaha juu yenu na atashangilia kwa furaha,
18 Mine afflicted from the appointed place I have gathered, from thee they have been, Bearing for her sake reproach.
katika siku maalumu ya sherehe. Nitaondoa maafa kutoka kwenu; si muda mrefu hamtabeba aibu kwa ajili yake.
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.
Tazama, Niko tayari kuwashughulikia watesi wenu wote. Katika wakati ule, Nitawaokoa waliolemaa na kuwakusanya waliotupiliwa mbali. Nitawafanya kuwa sifa, na nitaibadilisha aibu yao iwe sifa katika dunia yote.
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!
Katika wakati ule nitawaongoza; katika wakati ule nitawakusanya pamoja. Nitawafanya mataifa yote ya dunia kuwaheshimu na kuwasifu, wakati mtakapoona hivyo, Nitakuwa nimewarudisha”, asema Yahwe.
