Zephaniah 3

3 ¹Trouble dey for dis rebel, dirty city—di one wey dey oppress people! ²She no dey hear any voice; she no dey gree make dem correct am. She no dey trust our Papa; she no dey come near her Papa.

³Her big men wey dey inside her na lion wey dey roar; her judges na wolf wey dey hunt for evening, wey dey chop everything finish before morning. ⁴Her prophets na people wey no get sense, wey dey do betrayal; her priests dey make wetin holy come dirty, dem dey twist di law. ⁵Our Papa wey dey her middle dey correct-and-holy; e no dey do anything wey no correct. Every morning e dey bring im justice come light; e no dey fail. But di person wey no dey do justice no dey feel any shame.

⁶"I don cut off nations; di tower for dem corner don turn empty place. I don scatter dem street so dat nobody dey pass through; dem cities don spoil finish, nobody remain—no single person dey live dere at all." ⁷I talk say, 'For sure una go fear me; una go gree make dem correct una,' so dat her house no go cut off according to all wetin I don plan against her. But still, dem wake up early to spoil all di things wey dem dey do.

⁸"So wait for me,' na so our Papa talk, 'until di day wey I go rise up as witness. Because my decision na to gather di nations, to bring kingdoms come togeda, to pour my vex on top dem, all my hot anger; because di fire of my jealousy go chop di whole earth finish.'

Mouth Wey Dem Don Clean, One Voice

⁹"Because for dat time I go give di people mouth wey dem don clean, so dat dem all fit call my name and serve me shoulder-to-shoulder. ¹⁰From di oda side of di rivers of Cush, my worshippers, my children wey scatter, go bring my offering come. ^a a v10 Cush na ancient Ethiopia — di far south, wey dey stand for di end of di world wey people know. ¹¹For dat day una no go feel shame because of all di things wey una do wey una take rebel against me; because for dat time I go comot from una middle di people wey dey proud and dey blow big-mouth, and una no go ever do proud again for my holy mountain. ¹²But I go leave for una middle a people wey dey humble and dey low, and dem go hide inside my name. ¹³Di ones wey remain for Israel no go do anything wey no correct, and dem no go talk lie, and no tongue wey dey deceive go dey dem mouth. Because dem go feed and lie down, and nobody go make dem fear."

¹⁴Sing loud, daughter of Zion; shout, Israel! Rejoice and shout for joy with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem! ¹⁵Our Papa don take away di judgments wey dey against you; e don clear your enemy comot. Di King of Israel, our Papa, dey your middle; you no go ever fear any harm again. ¹⁶For dat day dem go talk to Jerusalem say: "No fear, O Zion; no let your hand come weak.

¹⁷Your Papa dey your middle, a mighty warrior wey dey save. E go rejoice on top you with gladness; e go quiet you with im love; e go shout for joy on top you with loud singing." ^b b v17 Our Papa dey rejoice on top im children with gladness, dey quiet dem with im love, and dey sing on top dem with loud singing — na one of di clearest place for di Old Testament wey dem show im joy.

¹⁸I go gather your people wey dey mourn—di ones wey dem keep away from di feasts wey dem set—because dem don be reproach and load on top Jerusalem. ¹⁹For dat time I go deal with all di people wey dey oppress you. I go save di one wey dey lame and gather di one wey dem push comot, and I go turn dem shame come praise and big name for di whole earth. ²⁰For dat time I go bring you come house; for dat time I go gather una togeda. Because I go make you carry big name and praise among all di people of di earth, wen I bring back your good things right for your own eyes, na so our Papa talk.