Sefania
1 Aya e mashiwi Yehova aebele Sefania* umwana wa kwa Kushi umwana wa kwa Gedalia umwana wa kwa Amaria umwana wa kwa Hisekia, mu nshiku sha kwa Yoshia+ umwana wa kwa Amoni+ imfumu ya Yuda:
2 Yehova atila,+ “Nkalofya conse icaba pa mushili.”
3 Yehova atila, “Nkalofya abantunse ne nama.
Nkalofya ifyuni fya mu lwelele ne sabi lya muli bemba,+
Ne fya kuipununako*+ pamo na bacita ifyabipa;
Kabili nkalofya abantu bonse pe sonde.
4 “Nkakanda Yuda
Na bonse abekala mu Yerusalemu,
Kabili nkonaula ifya kwa Baali+ fyonse ifyashala pali cino cifulo,
Kabili nkalofya ishina lya bashimapepo ba tulesa twa bena fyalo pamo na bashimapepo ba bufi,+
5 Na bakontamina ifya mu muulu+ pa mitenge,
Na bakontama kabili abalaya ukuti bakaba ne cishinka kuli Yehova+
Uku ninshi balelaya na Malkamu+ ukuti bakaba ne cishinka kuli ena;
E lyo nabaleka ukufwaya Yehova nelyo abashifwaya ukuti alebatungulula.”+
7 Beni tondolo pa cinso ca kwa Shikulu Mulopwe Yehova, pantu ubushiku bwa kwa Yehova nabupalama.+
Yehova napekanya ilambo; nasangulula abo aita.
8 “Pa bushiku bwe lambo lyandi, ine ne Yehova nkakanda bacilolo,
Abana ba mfumu,+ na bonse abafwala ifya kufwala fya ku fyalo fimbi.
9 Pali bulya bushiku, nkakanda bonse abanina pa cisebele,*
Abalenga mu mayanda ya bashikulwibo mwaba ubunkalwe no bucenjeshi.
10 Pali bulya bushiku,” e fyo Yehova alanda,
“Kukaba icongo ca bantu abakalalila pa Mpongolo ye Sabi,+
Kukaba abakalaloosha ku citungu icipya ica musumba,+
Ne ciunda icikalamba ica tupili utukabongoloka.
11 Loosheni, mwe bekala mu Makteshe,*
Pantu bashimakwebo bonse nababalofya;*
Bonse abapima silfere nababalofya.
12 Pali ilya nshita, nkafwailisha mu Yerusalemu ne nyali,
Pa kuti nkasange no kukanda abantu abailekelesha,* abalanda mu mitima yabo abati,
‘Yehova takacite icisuma kabili takacite icibi.’+
13 Bakabapokolola ifyuma fyabo kabili amayanda yabo yakashala ifibolya.+
Bakakuula amayanda, lelo tabakekalemo;
Kabili bakalima amabala ya myangashi, lelo tabakanweko umwangashi.+
14 Ubushiku ubukalamba ubwa kwa Yehova nabupalama!+
Nabupalama, kabili buli no kufika nomba line!*+
Iciunda ca bushiku bwa kwa Yehova cikaba ca kutiinya.+
Muli bulya bushiku umwaume uwaishibisha ukulwa akapunda.+
15 Bulya bushiku, bukaba bushiku bwa bukali bwa kwa Lesa,+
Bukaba bushiku bwa bulanda kabili ubwa kucula sana,+
Bukaba bushiku bwa cimwela icikalamba kabili ubwa konaula,
Pali ubu bushiku kukaba imfifi kabili kukafiita,+
Kukaba amakumbi kabili kukafiita fititi,+
16 Pali bulya bushiku intandala shikalila,+
Kabili abashilika bakawelesha ilyo bakasansa imisumba ya malinga ayakosa ne mpungu ishitali isha pa makoona.+