The Book of Zephaniah is the ninth of the Twelve Minor Prophets of the Old Testament and Tanakh, preceded by the Book of Habakkuk and followed by the Book of Haggai. Zephaniah means "Yahweh has hidden/protected," or "Yahweh hides".

1. uZefaniya
ISAHLUKO 1
Ilizwi likaYehova elafika kuZefaniya unyana
kaKushi, unyana kaGedaliya, unyana ka-Amariya,
unyana kaHezekiya, ngemihla kaYosiya unyana ka-
Amon, ukumkani wakwaYuda.
2 Ndiya kususa ndiyisuse into yonke ehlabathini;
utsho uYehova.
3 Ndiya kuphelisa umntu nenkomo; Ndiya kususa
iintaka zezulu, neentlanzi zolwandle, nezikhubekiso
kunye nabangendawo; + yaye ndiza kumnqumla
umntu emhlabeni,” + utsho uYehova.
4 Kananjalo isandla sam ndiya kusolula phezu
koYuda, naphezu kwabemi bonke baseYerusalem;
ndiwanqumle kule ndawo amasalela akwaBhahali,
negama lababingeleli abangengabo, kunye
nababingeleli;
5 nabaqubuda kumkhosi wezulu phezu kwezindlu;
abanqulayo, bafunge uYehova, bafungayo
ngoMalkamu;
6 nababuyileyo kuYehova; nabangamquqelanga
uYehova, abangambuzanga.
7 Yithini tu ebusweni beNkosi uYehova; ngokuba
isondele imini kaYehova;
8 Kuya kuthi ngemini yombingelelo kaYehova,
ndibavelele abathetheli, noonyana bokumkani, nabo
bonke abambatha izambatho zolunye uhlanga.
9 Kwangayo loo mini ndiya kubavelela bonke
abatsiba embundwini womnyango, abazalisa izindlu
zenkosi yabo ngogonyamelo nenkohliso.
10 Kuya kuthi ngaloo mini, utsho uYehova, kuvele
izwi lokukhala esangweni leentlanzi,
nokubhomboloza kwelesibini, nokuqhekeka
okukhulu ezindulini.
11 Bhombolozani, bemi basemgongxweni, ngokuba
banqunyulwe bonke abantu bakwaKanan; bonke
abathwali besilivere baya kunqanyulwa.
12 Kuya kuthi ngelo xesha, ndiyigquthagquthe
iYerusalem ndinezibane, ndiwavelele amadoda
agovalele ezintliziyweni zawo, atshoyo ukuthi
ezintliziyweni zawo, UYehova akenzi kulungileyo,
akenzi nakubi.
13 Ubutyebi babo buya kuphangwa, nezindlu zabo
zibe ngamanxuwa; batyale izidiliya, bangayiseli
wayini yazo.
14 Isondele imini enkulu kaYehova, ikufuphi,
ingxama kakhulu; ilizwi lemini kaYehova, likhala
ngokukrakra khona igorha.
15 Loo mini yimini yokuphuphuma komsindo,
yimini yembandezelo nembandezelo, yimini
yenxuwa nesenkangala, imini yobumnyama
nesithokothoko, yimini yamafu nesithokothoko;
16 yimini yesigodlo nokuhlaba umkhosi emizini
enqatyisiweyo, nasezinqaba ezinde.
17 Ndiya kubabandezela abantu, bahambe
ngokweemfama, ekubeni bonile kuYehova; igazi
labo liya kuphalazwa njengothuli, nenyama yabo
njengomswane.
18 Nesilivere yabo negolide yabo ayisayi kuba nako
ukubahlangula ngemini yokuphuphuma komsindo
kaYehova; liya kuqwengwa lonke ilizwe ngumlilo
wekhwele lakhe;
ISAHLUKO 2
1 Zihlanganiseni, hlanganisani, luhlanga
lunganqwenelwayo;
2 Ungekazali ummiselo, ingekafiki loo mini
njengomququ, ingekafiki kuni ukuvutha komsindo
kaYehova, ingekafiki phezu kwenu imini yomsindo
kaYehova.
3 Funani uYehova, nonke balulamileyo belizwe,
bakwenzileyo okusesikweni kwakhe; funani
ubulungisa, funani ululamo, mhlawumbi
nositheliswa ngemini yomsindo kaYehova.
4 Ngokuba iGaza iya kuba sisishiywa, neAshkelon
ibe linxuwa; iAshdode iya kugxothwa emini
emaqanda, inyothulwe iEkron.
5 Yeha, abemi baselunxwemeni lolwandle, uhlanga
lwamaKreti! Ilizwi likaYehova lichasene nani; Ke
wena Kanan, lizwe lamaFilisti, ndokutshabalalisa,
kungabikho ukumayo.
6 Inxweme yaselwandle iya kuba ngamakriwa,
nemiqolomba yabalusi, ibe zizibaya zempahla
emfutshane.
7 Loba licandelo lamasalela endlu yakwaYuda; aya
kwalusela kulo, abuthe ezindlwini zaseAshkelon
ngokuhlwa; kuba uya kuwavelela uYehova uThixo
wawo, akubuyise ukuthinjwa kwawo.
8 Ndikuvile ukungcikiva kukaMowabhi,
nokunyelisa koonyana baka-Amon, ababangcikive
ngako abantu bam, bazikhulisa emdeni wabo.
9 Ngako oko, ndihleli nje, utsho uYehova
wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, inene,
elakwaMowabhi liya kuba njengeSodom,
neloonyana baka-Amon libe njengeGomora, libe
lilifa lamarhawu, libe yinkangala yetyuwa, kube
senkangala ngonaphakade; abantu baya kuziphanga,
amasalela abantu bam azihluthe.
10 Kuya kuba njalo kubo ngenxa yekratshi labo,
ngokuba bengcikivile, bazikhulisa kubantu
bakaYehova wemikhosi.
11 Uyoyikeka uYehova kubo, ngokuba ubabhubhise
bonke oothixo behlabathi; abantu baya kuqubuda
kuye, elowo esendaweni yakhe, zonke iziqithi
zeentlanga.
12 Nani maKushi, niya kubulawa ngekrele lam.

2. 13 Uya kusolula isandla sakhe ngakwelisentla,
ayitshabalalise iAsiriya; iNineve iyenze ibe linxuwa,
yome njengentlango.
14 Iya kubutha phakathi kwayo imihlambi, izinto
eziphilileyo nokuba ziziphi, ziziimfidi; komemelela
ilizwi labo ezifestileni; koba senkangala emigubasini,
ngokuba ewutyhilile umsebenzi wemisedare.
15 Nguwo lowo umzi obudlamkile, obukholosile,
obusithi entliziyweni yawo, Ndim kwaphela, akukho
wumbi. Utheni na ukuba ube linxuwa, ube
sisikhundla samarhamncwa! bonke abadlula
ngakuyo benza umsondlo, bahlunguze isandla.
ISAHLUKO 3
1 Yeha, umzi oneenkani, ongcolileyo, oxinzelela
phantsi!
2 Awuliphulaphulanga lizwi; akalwamkela
uqeqesho; awukholosanga ngoYehova;
akasondelanga kuThixo wawo.
3 Abathetheli bawo phakathi kwawo baziingonyama
ezibharhulayo; abagwebi bawo baziingcuka
zangokuhlwa; abawabhibhi amathambo kwada
kwasa.
4 Abaprofeti bawo bayaxhaphazela, ngamadoda
anginizayo; ababingeleli bawo bayayihlambela
ingcwele, bagonyamela umyalelo.
5 UYehova ulilungisa esazulwini sawo; akayi
kwenza bugqwetha; imiso ngemiso ulimisa
ekukhanyeni okusesikweni kwakhe, akasileli; ke
yena okhohlakeleyo akakwazi ukudana.
6 Ndizinqamle iintlanga, zichithakele iingqoqo
zezindlu zazo. Ndazenza kwaba senkangala izitrato
zazo, ukuba kungabikho udlula ngazo;
7 Ndathi kodwa, Mawundoyike, uyamkele
ingqeqesho; ukuze linganqanyulwa ikhaya labo,
njengoko ndabavelelayo; bavuka kusasa, bonakalise
ngeentlondi zabo zonke.
8 Ngako oko yilindeleni kum, utsho uYehova, ide
ibe yimini yokuvuka kwam, ndithimbe; : kuba lonke
ihlabathi liya kutshiswa ngumlilo wekhwele lam.
9 Kuba ngelo xesha ndiya kuziguqulela izizwe
intetho enyulu, ukuze zinqule igama likaYehova
zonke ziphela, zimkhonze ngaxhatha linye.
10 Ziya kuthabathela phesheya kwemilambo
yakwaKushi, zibazise abandithandayo, intombi
yeentsali zam, bengumnikelo wam wokudla.
11Ngaloo mini akuyi kudana ngenxa yeentlondi
zakho zonke, owakreqa ngazo kum; ngokuba ngelo
xesha ndiya kubasusa phakathi kwakho
abadlamkileyo bakho, ungabi sazidla ngenxa
yekratshi lakho. intaba engcwele.
12 Kanjalo ndiya kusalisa phakathi kwakho abantu
abaziintsizana, abazizisweli, abaya kuzimela
egameni likaYehova.
13 Amasalela akwaSirayeli akayi kwenza
ngobugqwetha, akayi kuthetha amanga; Akuyi
kufumaneka emlonyeni wabo ulwimi lwenkohliso;
ngokuba baya kudla, babuthe, kungabikho
ubothusayo.
14 Memelela, ntombi inguZiyon; duma, Sirayeli;
vuya, ugcobe ngentliziyo yonke, ntombi
inguYerusalem.
15 UYehova ukususile ukugwetywa kwakho,
uzidedisile iintshaba zakho; ukumkani
wakwaSirayeli, uYehova, uphakathi kwakho;
akusayi kuba sabona bubi.
16 Ngaloo mini kuya kuthiwa kwiYerusalem, Musa
ukoyika; Ziyon, mazingawi izandla zakho.
17 UYehova uThixo wakho uphakathi kwakho,
ligorha; uya kugcoba ngawe, evuya; uya
kukuphumza eluthandweni lwakhe, ugcobe ngawe
ememelela.
18 Ndiya kubahlanganisa abalilela umthendeleko,
bengabakuni, ababekumthwalo ukungcikivwa kwalo.
19 Yabona, ndiya kubenza ngendawo bonke
abacinezeli bakho ngelo xesha, ndiyisindise into
eqhwalelayo, ndiyihlanganise into egxothiweyo;
ndibenzele indumiso negama emazweni onke
abahlazekileyo kuwo.
20 Ngelo xesha ndiya kunizisa, ndinibuthe ngexesha
elililo; ngokuba ndiya kunenza nibe negama,
nidunyiswe phakathi kwezizwe zonke zehlabathi,
ekukubuyiseni kwam ukuthinjwa kwenu phambi
kwamehlo enu; utsho uYehova.