UZefaniya 1 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Usuku lokwahlulela kweNkosi selusondele

¹ Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKushi, kaGedaliya, kaAmariya, kaHezekiya, ensukwini zikaJosiya indodana kaAmoni inkosi yakoJuda.

² Lathi: Ngizaqothula konke kuthi nya emhlabeni, itsho iNkosi;

³ ngizaqothula abantu lenyamazana, ngiqothule inyoni zaphezulu lenhlanzi zasolwandle. Ngizachitha ababi, ngiqede bonke abantu emhlabeni, kutsho iNkosi.

⁴ Ngizaphakamisela isandla sami phezu kukaJuda laphezu kwabo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema, ngiqede konke okuseleyo kukaBali kulindawo lebizo labapristi bezithombe,

⁵ ngiqede labakhuleka kulo ilanga lenyanga lezinkanyezi phezu kwezindlu, labakhuleka kimi bangifunge, bafunge futhi loMilkomu,

⁶ labangidelileyo abangangidingiyo, bangabuzi kimi.

⁷ Thula phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu! Ngoba usuku lokwahlulela kwayo selusondele. INkosi isilungisile umhlatshelo, yahlambulula labamenyiweyo bayo.

⁸ INkosi ithi: Kuzakuthi ngosuku lomhlatshelo wami ngitshaye izikhulu lamadodana enkosi labo bonke abagqoka izigqoko zabezizwe.

⁹ Ngalolosuku ngizatshaya bonke abeqayo umbundu womnyango, labagcwalisa indlu yenkosi yabo ngobubi langenkohliso.

¹⁰ Ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, kuzazwakala ilizwi lokukhala ngaseSangweni leNhlanzi, lokulila esigabeni sesibili somuzi lokufohloza okukhulu kuzwakala emaqaqeni.

¹¹ Khalani, lina elakhe endaweni yokuthengisela, ngoba bonke abathengisayo kabasekho, bonke abalinganisa isiliva baphelile.

¹² Kuzakuthi ngalesosikhathi ngihlole iJerusalema ngezibane, ngitshaye bonke abantu abazithokozisayo abazithembayo, abathi enhliziyweni zabo: INkosi kayiyikwenza ulutho.

¹³ Impahla yabo izakuphangwa, lezindlu zabo zidilizwe. Loba besakha izindlu, kabayikuhlala kuzo, loba belima izivini, kabayikunatha iwayini lazo.

¹⁴ Usuku olukhulu lweNkosi selusondele, luyeza ngokuphangisa; usuku lweNkosi lulobuhlungu, iqhawe liyakhala kakhulu kulo.

¹⁵ Lolosuku lusuku lolaka, usuku lokuhlupheka losizi, usuku lokuchitheka lokubhidlika, usuku lomnyama, lolwamayezi, lomnyama omkhulu,

¹⁶ usuku lokutshaya uphondo lokuhlaba umkhosi wokulwa ngasemizini ebiyelweyo lasezinqabeni eziphakemeyo.

¹⁷ Ngizakwehlisela abantu usizi ukuze bahambe njengeziphofu, ngoba bonile eNkosini; igazi labo lizakuchithwa njengothuli; lenyama yabo njengobulongwe.

¹⁸ Isiliva sabo legolide labo kakuyikuba lamandla okubakhulula ngosuku lolaka lweNkosi. Wonke umhlaba uzakuqedwa ngumlilo wolaka lwayo lomona wayo; ngoba izakuqeda, yebo izabajuma ibaqede bonke abakhileyo elizweni.