¹Shoko raJehovha, rakasvika kuna Zefaniya, mwanakomana waKushi, mwanakomana waGedharia, mwanakomana waAmaria, mwanakomana waHezekia, namazuva aJosiya, mwanakomana waAmoni, mambo waJudha.

¹A word of Jehovah that hath been unto Zephaniah son of Cushi, son of Gedaliah, son of Amariah, son of Hezikiah, in the days of Josiah son of Amoz, king of Judah:

²Ndichaparadza chose zvinhu zvose zviri pasi pose ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.

²I utterly consume all from off the face of the ground, An affirmation of Jehovah.

³Ndichaparadza vanhu nezvipfuwo; ndichaparadza shiri dzokudenga, nehove dzegungwa, nezvigumbuso pamwechete navakaipa; ndichabvisa vanhu pasi pose ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.

³I consume man and beast, I consume fowl of the heavens, and fishes of the sea, And the stumbling-blocks — the wicked, And I have cut off man from the face of the ground, An affirmation of Jehovah,

⁴Ndichatambanudzira ruoko rwangu kuna Judha, nokuna vose vagere Jerusaremu; ndichabvisa vakasara vaBhaari panzvimbo ino, nezita ravaKemarimi pamwechete navapristi;

⁴And stretched out My hand against Judah, And against all inhabiting Jerusalem, And cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, The name of the idolatrous priests, with the priests,

⁵navanonamata hondo dzokudenga pamatenga edzimba, navanamati, vanopika naJehovha vachipikawo naMarikami;

⁵And those bowing themselves On the roofs to the host of the heavens, And those bowing themselves, Swearing to Jehovah, and swearing by Malcham,

⁶navakadzoka pakutevera Jehovha, navasina kutsvaka Jehovha kana kumubvunza.

⁶And those removing from after Jehovah, And who have not sought Jehovah, nor besought Him.

⁷Nyararai pamberi paIshe Jehovha, nekuti zuva raJehovha rava pedo; vakakokwa naye wakavaita vatsvene.

⁷Hush! because of the Lord Jehovah, For near [is] a day of Jehovah, For prepared hath Jehovah a sacrifice, He hath sanctified His invited ones.

⁸Zvino nezuva rechibayiro chaJehovha ndicharova machinda navanakomana vamambo, navose vakapfeka nguvo dzavatorwa.

⁸And it hath come to pass, In the day of the sacrifice of Jehovah, That I have laid a charge on the heads, And on sons of the king, And on all putting on strange clothing.

⁹Nezuva iro ndicharova vose vanodarika chikumbaridzo, vanozadza imba yatenzi wavo nokupambara nokunyengera.

⁹And I have laid a charge on every one Who is leaping over the threshold in that day, Who are filling the house of their masters [With] violence and deceit.

¹⁰Zvino nezuva iro, ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, kuchanzwika mhere inobva pasuwo rehove, nokuchema kunobva kurutivi rutsva rweguta, nokukoromoka kukuru kunobva kumakomo ,

¹⁰And there hath been in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah, The noise of a cry from the fish-gate, And of a howling from the Second, And of great destruction from the hills.

¹¹Chemai imwi mugere Makiteshi; nekuti vanhu vose veKanani vapera, vose vakanga vakafuma sirivha vabviswa.

¹¹Howl, ye inhabitants of the hollow place, For cut off hath been all the merchant people, Cut off have been all bearing silver.

¹²Zvino nenguva iyo ndichanzvera Jerusaremu nemwenje; ndicharova varume vagere pamasese avo, vanoti mumwoyo yavo, Jehovha haangaiti zvakanaka, uye haangaiti zvakaipa.

¹²And it hath come to pass, at that time, I search Jerusalem with lights, And I have laid a charge on the men Who are hardened on their preserved things, Who are saying in their heart: Jehovah doth no good, nor doth He evil.

¹³fuma yavo ichaitwa zvakapambwa, nedzimba dzavo matongo; zvirokwazvo, vachavaka dzimba, asi havangagarimo; vachasima minda yemizarnbiringa, asi havangamwi waini yayo.

¹³And their wealth hath been for a spoil, And their houses for desolation, And they have built houses, and do not inhabit, And they have planted vineyards, And they do not drink their wine.

¹⁴Zuva guru raJehovha rava pedo, rava pedo, rinokurumidza kwazvo, iro inzwi rezuva raJehovha; mhare inochemapo zvikuru kwazvo.

¹⁴Near [is] the great day of Jehovah, Near, and hasting exceedingly, The noise of the day of Jehovah, Bitterly shriek there doth a mighty one.

¹⁵Zuva iro izuva rokutsamwa, zuva rokutambudzika nokumanikidzwa, zuva rokurashwa nokuparadzwa, zuva rerima nerokusviba, zuva ramakore nerezarima guru,

¹⁵A day of wrath [is] that day, A day of adversity and distress, A day of waste and desolation, A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of cloud and thick darkness.

¹⁶zuva rehwamanda neremhere, zvinoridzirwa maguta akakomberedzwa namasvingo neshongwe dzakakwirira.

¹⁶A day of trumpet and shouting against the fenced cities, And against the high corners.

¹⁷Ndichauyisira vanhu kumanikidzwa, kuti vafambe samapofu, nekuti vakatadzira Jehovha; ropa ravo richadururwa seguruva, nenyama yavo sendove.

¹⁷And I have sent distress to men, And they have walked as the blind, For against Jehovah they have sinned, And poured out is their blood as dust, And their flesh [is] as dung.

¹⁸Sirivha yavo kunyange ndarama yavo hazvingagoni kuvarwira nezuva rokutsamwa kwaJehovha; asi nyika yose ichapedzwa nomoto wegodo rake; nekuti achapedza, zvirokwazvo achapedza zvinotyisa, vose vagere panyika.

¹⁸Even their silver, even their gold, Is not able to deliver them in a day of the wrath of Jehovah, And in the fire of His jealousy consumed is the whole land, For only a hastened end doth He make Of all the inhabitants of the land!