¹The word of Yahweh “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations. which came to Zephaniah, the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah.

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

²I will utterly sweep away everything off of the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.

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

³I will sweep away man and animal. I will sweep away the birds of the sky, the fish of the sea, and the heaps of rubble with the wicked. I will cut off man from the surface of the earth, says Yahweh.

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

⁴I will stretch out my hand against Judah, and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place: the name of the idolatrous and pagan priests,

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

⁵those who worship the army of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,

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

⁶those who have turned back from following Yahweh, and those who haven’t sought Yahweh nor inquired after him.

⁶navakadzoka pakutevera Jehovha, navasina kutsvaka Jehovha kana kumubvunza.

⁷Be silent at the presence of the Lord The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.” Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh is at hand. For Yahweh has prepared a sacrifice. He has consecrated his guests.

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

⁸It will happen in the day of Yahweh’s sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, the king’s sons, and all those who are clothed with foreign clothing.

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

⁹In that day, I will punish all those who leap over the threshold, who fill their master’s house with violence and deceit.

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

¹⁰In that day, says Yahweh, there will be the noise of a cry from the fish gate, a wailing from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills.

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

¹¹Wail, you inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people of Canaan are undone! All those who were loaded with silver are cut off.

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

¹²It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in their heart, “Yahweh will not do good, neither will he do evil.”

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

¹³Their wealth will become a spoil, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.

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

¹⁴The great day of Yahweh is near. It is near, and hurries greatly, the voice of the day of Yahweh. The mighty man cries there bitterly.

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

¹⁵That day is a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness,

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

¹⁶a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements.

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

¹⁷I will bring distress on men, that they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh, and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung.

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

¹⁸Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Yahweh’s wrath, but the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy; for he will make an end, yes, a terrible end, of all those who dwell in the land.

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.