ISAHLUKO I.
1ILIZWI likayehova elezayo ku‐Tsefaniya, unyana ka‐Kushi, unyana ka‐Gedaliya, unyana ka‐Amariya, unyana ka‐Hezekiya, emihleni ka‐Josiya, unyana ka‐Amoni, ukumkani wo‐Juda.
2Ndiya kugqibela ukususa konke ebusweni belizwe, utsho uyehova. 3Ndiya kususa abantu nenkomo; ndiya kususa intaka zezulu, nentlanzi zolwandle; neziku̔bekiso kunye nabakohlakeleyo; ndandiya kunqamla abantu ebusweni belizwe, utsho uyehova. 4Kanjalo ndiya kusolula isandla sam pezu kwo‐Juda, napezu kwabo bonke abemi base‐Yerusaleme; ndandiya kunqamla kulendawo isisalela sika‐Bali, negama lababingeli kunye nelabaperisite; 5nabo babedeshayo umkosi wezulu pezu kwezindlu; nabo babedeshayo befunga uyehova, befunga u‐Moleke wabo naye; 6nabo bahlehlileyo kuyehova, abangamfunanga uyehova, abangambuzanga kanjako.
7Yiti tu ebusweni benkosi e nguyehova, ngokuba umhla kayehova ukufupi; ngokuba uyehova elungisile umbingo, ubahlule abamenyiweyo bake. 8Kwakuya kuti ngomhla wombingo kayehova, ukuba ndiya kwohlwaya inkosana, nonyana bokumkani, nabo bonke abavete izivato zasemzini. 9Ndandiya kubohlwaya bonke abagqita emnyango, ngomhla lowo, abazalisa izindlu zenkosi zabo ngobudlwengu nenkohliso. 10Kwakuya kuti ngomhla lowo, utsho uyehova, intlokoma yokukala yovela esangweni lentlanzi, neyokulila kwesesibini isahlulo sesixeko, neyembujiswa enkulu ezindulini. 11Lilani, nina bemi basemhlanjeni! ngokuba bonke abangabatengi betshatyalalisiwe; bonke abatweswa yimali banqanyulwe. 12Kwakuya kuti ngexesha elo, ndiya kupanda i‐Yerusaleme ngezibane, ndiwohlwaye amadoda afinyeleyo pezu kwentlenga zawo, ati ezintliziyweni zawo: Uyehova akayi kwenza okulungileyo, akayi kwenza okubi kanjalo. 13Ngako oko ubutyebi bawo boba ngamaxoba, nezindlu zawo zoba yingci̔takalo; angaka izindlu, kodwa akayi kuhlala kuzo; angatyala imiyezo, kodwa akayi kusela iveyine yayo.
14Umhla omkulu kayehova ukufupi; ukufupi, uyakauleza kakulu; intlokoma yomhla kayehova: iṙoti lokala apo ngento ebuṙaṙa. 15Umhla lowo ngumhla womsindo, ngumhla wobunzima noxinezeko, ngumhla wokuci̔takala nokutshabalala, ngumhla wobumnyama nesitokotoko, ngumhla wamafu nokusibekela kakulu, 16ngumhla wexilongo nokuhlaba umkosi, ngakuzo izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo, nangakuwo amagumbi odonga amade. 17Ndandiya kuzisa ubunzima pezu kwabantu, bade bahambe njengemfama; ngokokuba bonile ngakuye uyehova: laye igazi labo liya kutululwa njengotuli, nenyama yabo njengomgquba. 18Kanjako isilivere yabo, negolide yabo, iya kukohlwa ukubahlangula ngomhla womsindo kayehova; kodwa ilizwe lonke liya kudliwa ngumlilo wekwele lake; ngokuba ukugqitywa okwalamileyo kanye eya kukwenzela bonke abemi belizwe.
