1 Indji oyo ombuze ya Muhona ndje ya ku Sefanja moruveze ndwi Josija, omuzandu wa Amon, tja ri ombara ya Juda. Sefanja wa ri omuzandu wa Kusi, omuzandu wa Gedalja, omuzandu wa Amarja, omuzandu wa Hiskija.
Eyuva rombanguriro ya Muhona
2 Muhona wa tja nai: “Ami me yandeke oviṋa avihe kombanda yehi, 3 ovandu avehe novinamuinyo nozonḓera nozohi; me isa mo ovarunde. Me kombozora ovandu avehe; nu kape nomundu ngu ma hupu. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.
4 “Me vere ovature va Jerusalem nOvajuda avehe. Me kombozora ondambo osenina mbo yokurikotamena ku Baal, nu kape na nangarire umwe ngu ma zemburuka ovapristeri vovisenginina mbe karera Baal. 5 Ami me yandeke omundu ngamwa auhe ngu ma rondo komututu wondjuwo e rikotamene keyuva na komueze na kozonyose. Ami wina me yandeke imba mbe rikotamena ku ami nu mbe yana ku ami, nungwari moruveze tjingero ndo ave tjiti oruyano mena romukuru wotjisenginina Milkom. 6 Ami me yandeke imba mba poka ku ami nu mbe he tji ndji kongorere, imba mbe he ya ku ami nokundjiningira kutja mbi ve hongorere.”
7 Eyuva ra Muhona riri popezu, eyuva Muhona mu me rirongerere okuzepa otjiwaṋa tje tji rire ombunguhiro; otji mamu sokumwina momurungu wa Muhona Ndjambi. 8 Muhona ma tja nai: “Meyuva ndo romazepero ami me vere ovahongore novanatje ovazandu vombara, na imba avehe mbe horera kovikaro vyovandu wozonganda. 9 Ami me vere avehe mbe rikotamena otja ovanavisenginina tji ve tjita, nu mbe vaka nokuzepa ve urise ondjuwo youhona yombara yawo novipunda.”
10 Muhona ma tja nai: “Meyuva ndo eṋe mamu zuu ombosiro pOmuvero wOhi mOjerusalem. Mamu zuu omaririro morukondwa orupe rwotjihuro, nomaporokotero omanene mozondunda. 11 Rireye nu mu ure tji mamu zuu otjiṋa hi, eṋe mbu mwa tura morukondwa rwokehi rwotjihuro, orondu ovarandise avehe novataure vovimariva mave ṱu!
12 “Moruveze ndo ami me toora emunine nu me konḓonona Jerusalem. Me vere ovandu mbe rivara kutja ovanahepero, nu mbe riyameka ku wo oveni, mbe rihungirira nai: ‘Muhona kamaa tjiti ouwa poo ouvi.’ 13 Outumbe wawo mau pundwa, nozondjuwo zawo maze haṋewa. Owo kamaave tura mozondjuwo nḓu mave tungu, nu kamaave nu omavinu womivite mbi mave kunu.”
14 Eyuva enene ra Muhona ri ri popezu, ri ri popezu tjinene, nu mari ya tjimanga! Oro mari rire eyuva etirise tjinene, nangarire omurwe wovita ombanḓe ma uru nomerihahiziro! 15 Oro mari rire eyuva romazenge, eyuva roumba norombamisiro, eyuva romanyoneno noromayandekero, eyuva ronḓorera noromuzororema, eyuva rovikamba nezorozu, 16 eyuva nde ura nombosiro yozohiva zovita nondjuriro yovarwe wovita mbu mave rwisa ovihuro ovinamasa notuhungu oture.
17 Muhona ma tja nai: “Ami me eta oviwonga komundu ngamwa kokutja auhe a tambatambe tjimuna omupoṱu. Owo va tura ondjo komurungu wandje, nu nambano ombinḓu yawo mai tirahiwa tjimuna omeva, noturova twawo matu saravara pehi atwa woro.”
18 Meyuva Muhona mu ma raisa omazenge we nangarire osilveri nongoldo aihe yawo kamaai ve yama. Ehi arihe mari nyosiwa i omuriro womazenge we. Eye ma twa po omaandero, omaandero watjimanga kovature avehe mbe ri kombanda yehi.
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.
