1:1 Ilizwi likaYehova elafika kuZefaniya unyana kaKushi, unyana kaGedaliya, unyana ka-Amariya, unyana kaHezekiya, ngemihla kaYosiya unyana ka-Amon, ukumkani wakwaYuda.
1:2 Ndiya kususa ndiyisuse into yonke ehlabathini; utsho uYehova.
1:3 Ndiya kususa abantu neenkomo; ndiya kususa iintaka zezulu, neentlanzi zolwandle; nezikhubekiso kunye nabangendawo; ndibanqamle abantu emhlabeni; utsho uYehova.
1:4 Ndiya kusolula isandla sam phezu koYuda, naphezu kwabemi bonke baseYerusalem, ndinqamle kuyo le ndawo amasalela akwaBhahali, negama lababingeleli abangengabo, kunye nababingeleli;
1:5 nabaqubuda kumkhosi wezulu phezu kwezindlu, nabaqubudi abazinikela kuYehova ngesifungo, bafunge ukumkani wabo;
1:6 nababuya umva kuYehova, nabangamfunanga uYehova, abangamquqelanga.
1:7 Yithini tu ebusweni beNkosi uYehova; ngokuba isondele imini kaYehova; kuba uYehova ulungise umbingelelo, ungcwalise abamenywa bakhe.
1:8 Kuya kuthi ngemini yombingelelo kaYehova, ndibavelele abathetheli, noonyana bokumkani, nabo bonke abambatha izambatho zolunye uhlanga.
1:9 Ndobavelela ngaloo mini bonke abatsiba embundwini womnyango, abazalisa indlu yenkosi yabo ngogonyamelo nenkohliso.
1:10 Kothi ngaloo mini, utsho uYehova, kuvele izwi lokukhala esangweni leentlanzi, kuvele nokubhomboloza kwesesibini isahlulo somzi, kuvele ukuqhekeka okukhulu ezindulini.
1:11 Bhombolozani, bemi basemgongxweni, kuba badakile bonke abantu bakwaKanan, banqunyulwe bonke abathwali besilivere.
1:12 Kuya kuthi ngelo xesha, ndiyigqutha gquthe iYerusalem ndinezibane, ndiwavelele amadoda agovalele ezintliziyweni zawo; atshoyo ukuthi ezintliziyweni zawo, UYehova akenzi kulungileyo, akenzi nakubi.
1:13 Ubutyebi bawo buya kudywidwa, nezindlu zawo zibe ngamanxuwa; akhe izindlu, angazihlali; atyale izidiliya, angayiseli iwayini yazo.
1:14 Isondele imini enkulu kaYehova, isondele, ikhawulezile kakhulu. Yivani, imini kaYehova! Liyakhala ngokukrakra khona igorha.
1:15 Loo mini yimini yokuphuphuma komsindo, yimini yembandezelo nocutheko, yimini yentshabalala yakwantshabalala, yimini yobumnyama nesithokothoko, yimini yamafu, namafu amnyama;
1:16 yimini yesigodlo nokuhlaba umkhosi emizini enqatyisiweyo, naseluqoqweni olude.
1:17 Ndiya kubabandezela abantu, bahambe ngokweemfama, kuba bonile kuYehova; liphalazwe igazi labo njengothuli, nenyama yabo njengobulongo.
1:18 Nesilivere yabo negolide yabo ayisayi kuba nako ukubahlangula ngemini yokuphuphuma komsindo kaYehova; lotshiswa lonke ihlabathi ngumlilo wekhwele lakhe. Ngokuba uya kubaphelisa, inene, abenze into ekhwankqisayo bonke abemi behlabathi.
2:1 Zihlanganiseni nizihlanganise, luhlangandini lungadaniyo,
2:2 ungekazali ummiselo (kuba imini le idlula njengomququ), kungekanifikeli ukuvutha komsindo kaYehova, ingekanifikeli imini yomsindo kaYehova.
2:3 Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo belizwe, bakwenzileyo okusesikweni kwakhe; funani ubulungisa, funani ululamo, mhlawumbi nositheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.
2:4 Ngokuba iGaza iya kuba sisishiywa, neAshkelon ibe linxuwa; iAshdode iya kugxothwa emini emaqanda, inyothulwe iEkron.
2:5 Uha, abemi becandelo laselwandle, uhlanga lwamaKreti! Ilizwi likaYehova lichasene nani, Kanan, lizwe lamaFilisti. Ndokutshabalalisa ke, kungabikho ukumayo.
2:6 Icandelo laselwandle liya kuba ngamakriwa, nemiqolomba yabalusi, libe zizibaya zempahla emfutshane.
2:7 Loba licandelo lamasalela endlu yakwaYuda; aya kwalusela kulo, abuthe ezindlwini zaseAshkelon ngokuhlwa; kuba uya kuwavelela uYehova uThixo wawo, akubuyise ukuthinjwa kwawo.
2:8 Ndikuvile ukungcikiva kukaMowabhi, nokunyelisa koonyana baka-Amon, ababangcikive ngako abantu bam, bazikhulisa emdeni wabo.
2:9 Ngako oko, ndihleli nje, utsho uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, inene, elakwaMowabhi liya kuba njengeSodom, neloonyana baka-Amon libe njengeGomora, libe lilifa lamarhawu, libe sisigingqi setyuwa, kube senkangala kulo, kude kuse ephakadeni. Amasalela abantu bam aya kubaphanga, amaqongqolo ohlanga lwam abadle ilifa.
2:10 Kuya kuba njalo kubo ngenxa yekratshi labo, ngokuba bengcikivile, bazikhulisa kubantu bakaYehova wemikhosi.
2:11 Uyoyikeka uYehova kubo; kuba uyabangcungcuthekisa bonke oothixo behlabathi, ziqubude kuye zonke iziqithi zeentlanga, elowo esendaweni yakhe.
2:12 Nani maKushi, ningababuleweyo ngekrele lam.
2:13 Uya kusolula isandla sakhe ngakwelisentla, ayitshabalalise iAsiriya, ayenze ibe linxuwa iNineve, ayenze umqwebedu onjengentlango.
2:14 Iya kubutha phakathi kwayo imihlambi, izinto eziphilileyo nokuba ziziphi, ziziimfidi; ingcwangube nokhwalimanzi balale emanqanamini; kobakho lizwi leemvumi ezifestileni, amazala emibundwini yeminyango; ngokuba ewuhlubile umsebenzi wabo wemisedare.
2:15 Nguwo lowo umzi obudlamkile, obuhleli ukholosile, obusithi entliziyweni yawo, Ndim kwaphela, akukho wumbi. Utheni na ukuba ube linxuwa, ube sisikhundla samarhamncwa! Bonke abadlulayo kuwo benza umsondlo, baphekuze ngesandla sabo.
3:1 Yeha, umzi oneenkani, ongcolileyo, oxinzelela phantsi!
3:2 Awuphulaphulanga lizwi; awamkelanga ngqeqesho; awukholosanga ngoYehova, awusondelanga kuThixo wawo.
3:3 Abathetheli bawo phakathi kwawo baziingonyama ezibharhulayo; abagwebi bawo baziingcuka zangokuhlwa, ezingabeki nto ukuze ziyigunuze kwakusa.
3:4 Abaprofeti bawo bayaxhaphazela, ngamadoda anginizayo: ababingeleli bawo bayayihlambela ingcwele, bagonyamela umyalelo.
3:5 UYehova ulilungisa esazulwini sawo; akenzi ngabugqwetha; imiso ngemiso ukumisa emhlotsheni okusesikweni kwakhe, angasileli; ke yena onobugqwetha akakwazi ukudana.
3:6 Ndizinqamle iintlanga, zichithakele iingqoqo zezindlu zazo. Ndizonakalisile izitrato zazo, ukuba kungabikho udlula ngazo; idilikile imizi yazo, ukuba kungabikho mntu, kungabikho umiyo kuyo.
3:7 Ndathi kodwa, Mawundoyike, uyamkele ingqeqesho, linganqanyulwa ikhaya lakho, njengako konke endakumisela khona; ke bavuka kusasa, bonakalise ngeentlondi zabo zonke.
3:8 Ngako oko yilindeleni kum, utsho uYehova, ide ibe yimini yokuvuka kwam, ndithimbe. Ngokuba kulunge kum ukuhlanganisa iintlanga, ndibuthe izikumkani, ukuze ndiyiphalaze ingqumbo yam phezu kwazo, konke ukuvutha komsindo wam; kuba liya kutshiswa ngumlilo wekhwele lam lonke ihlabathi.
3:9 Kuba ngelo xesha ndiya kuziguqulela izizwe intetho enyulu, ukuze zinqule igama likaYehova zonke ziphela, zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.
3:10 Ziya kuthabathela phesheya kwemilambo yakwaKushi, zibazise abandithandayo, intombi yeentsali zam, bengumnikelo wam wokudla.
3:11 Ngaloo mini akuyi kudana ngenxa yeentlondi zakho zonke, owakreqa ngazo kum; ngokuba ngelo xesha ndiya kubasusa phakathi kwakho abadlamkileyo bakho, benekratshi, ungaphindi uzidle ngokwakho entabeni yam engcwele.
3:12 Kanjalo ndiya kusalisa phakathi kwakho abantu abaziintsizana, abazizisweli, abaya kuzimela egameni likaYehova.
3:13 Amasalela akwaSirayeli akayi kwenza ngobugqwetha, akayi kuthetha amanga, aluyi kufumaneka emlonyeni wawo ulwimi lwenkohliso; ngokuba wona aya kudla, abuthe, kungabikho uwothusayo.
3:14 Memelela, ntombi inguZiyon: duma, Sirayeli; vuya, udlamke ngentliziyo yonke, ntombi inguYerusalem.
3:15 UYehova ukususile ukugwetywa kwakho, uzidedisile iintshaba zakho; ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, uYehova, uphakathi kwakho; akusayi kuba sabona bubi.
3:16 Ngaloo mini baya kuthi kwiYerusalem, Musa ukoyika; Ziyon, mazingawi izandla zakho.
3:17 UYehova uThixo wakho uphakathi kwakho, ligorha elisindisayo; unemihlali ngawe, enovuyo; uthe cwaka eluthandweni lwakhe, ugcoba ngawe ememelela.
3:18 Ndiya kubahlanganisa abalilela umthendeleko, bengabakuni; ingcikivo ibaphethe.
3:19 Yabona, ndiya kubenza ngendawo bonke abacinezeli bakho ngelo xesha; ndiyisindise into eqhwalelayo, ndiyihlanganise into egxothiweyo; ndibenze indumiso negama emazweni onke abahlaziswa kuwo.
3:20 Ngelo xesha ndiya kunizisa, ndinibuthe ngexesha elililo; ngokuba ndiya kunenza nibe negama, nidunyiswe phakathi kwezizwe zonke zehlabathi, ekukubuyiseni kwam ukuthinjwa kwenu phambi kwamehlo enu; utsho uYehova.