UZefaniya 1

1 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana ka-Amariya, indodana kaHezekiya, ngesikhathi uJosiya indodana ka-Amoni ebusa uJuda.

²“Ngizokhukhula nya konke ebusweni bomhlaba,’ kusho uBaba wethu.

Ukuchezuka KukaJuda Isikhathi Eside

³“Ngizokhukhula umuntu nesilwane; ngizokhukhula izinyoni zezulu nezinhlanzi zolwandle, nemfucumfucu yezithombe kanye nababi. Ngizonquma isintu ebusweni bomhlaba,’ kusho uBaba wethu. ⁴‘Ngizokwelula isandla sami ngimelane noJuda nabo bonke abahlala eJerusalema. Ngizonquma kule ndawo zonke izinsalela zikaBhali, igama labapristi bezithombe kanye nabapristi, ⁵labo abakhothama phezu kwezindlu ebandleni lezinkanyezi, labo abakhothama befunga ngoBaba wethu kodwa babuye bafunge ngoMilkomu, ^a a v5 UMilkomu wayengunkulunkulu omkhulu wama-Amoni; igama ngokwalo liphethe umqondo wobukhosi. ⁶nalabo abahlehlela emuva ekulandeleni uBaba wethu, abangamfuni uBaba wethu futhi abangabuzi kuye.”

⁷Thulani phambi kukaBaba obusayo! Ngokuba usuku lukaBaba wethu luseduze; ulungisile umhlatshelo wangcwelisa izimenywa zakhe. ^b b v7 Usuku lukaBaba wethu — usuku yena ngokwakhe asebenza ngalo. I-FHB imqamba ngegama lapha ukuze umfundi ahlangane noBaba owahlulelayo, hhayi unkulunkulu okude. UBaba ofanayo odalayo nosindisayo uletha isikhathi ekubalelweni kwaso okumisiweyo.

⁸“Ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaBaba wethu ngizojezisa izikhulu namadodana enkosi nabo bonke abembethe izingubo zabezizwe. ⁹Ngalolo suku ngizojezisa bonke abeqa umbundu womnyango, abagcwalisa indlu yenkosi yabo ngodlame nangenkohliso. ^c c v9 Ukweqa umbundu womnyango kwakuyinkolelo yobuqaba, okungenzeka kuxhumene nenkambiso yamaFilisti ethempelini likaDagoni (bheka u-1 Samuweli 5:5). ¹⁰Ngalolo suku,’ kusho uBaba wethu, ‘kuyophuma umkhosi eSangweni Lezinhlanzi, isililo esivela eSigcemeni Sesibili, nokubhidlika okukhulu okuvela emagqumeni. ¹¹Lilani, nina enihlala eMaktheshi! Ngokuba bonke abathengisi bathuliswe; bonke abakala isiliva banqunyiwe.’” ^d d v11 IMaktheshi (ngesiHeberu Maktesh) kwakuyisifunda sentengiselwano esiyisigoxi saseJerusalema, esaqanjwa ngenxa yesimo saso esifana nesitsha.

¹²Ngaleso sikhathi ngizophenya iJerusalema ngezibani ngijezise amadoda azinzile njengewayini phezu kwezinzece zalo, athi ezinhliziyweni zawo, “UNkulunkulu akayikwenza lutho—angeke enze okuhle noma okubi. ^e e v12 Iwayini elishiywe lingaphazanyiswanga phezu kwezinzece zalo liyajiya libe muncu — umfanekiso wabantu abazinze futhi banethezeke kangangokuba abasalindeli lutho kuBaba wethu.

¹³Ingcebo yabo iyophangwa nezindlu zabo ziyochithwa. Bayokwakha izindlu kodwa bangahlali kuzo; bayotshala izivini kodwa bangaliphuzi iwayini lazo.”

¹⁴Usuku olukhulu lukaBaba wethu luseduze—luseduze futhi luyasheshe lufike. Lalelani! Usuku lukaBaba wethu lumuncu; lapho iqhawe elinamandla liyakhala. ¹⁵Lolo suku luwusuku lolaka, usuku losizi nokudabuka, usuku lencithakalo nokubhujiswa, usuku lobumnyama nokufiphala, usuku lamafu nobumnyama obushinyene, ¹⁶usuku lokukhala kwecilongo nomkhosi wempi omelene nemizi enezinqaba nemibhoshongo emide yasemagumbini.

¹⁷“Ngizoletha usizi olungaka ebantwini kangangokuba bayophumputha njengezimpumputhe, ngoba bonile kuBaba wethu. Igazi labo liyothululwa njengothuli nenyama yabo njengomquba. ¹⁸Nesiliva sabo negolide labo ngeke kukwazi ukubasindisa ngosuku lolaka lukaBaba wethu. Emlilweni wobukhwele bakhe umhlaba wonke uyoqedwa, ngokuba uyoletha ukuphela okuzumayo kubo bonke abasemhlabeni.”