1 Ilizwi likaThixo elafika kuZefaniya indodana kaKhushi, indodana kaGedaliya, indodana ka-Amariya, indodana kaHezekhiya, ekubuseni kukaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda:

2 "Ngizakhucula konke

ebusweni bomhlaba,"

kutsho uThixo.

3 "Ngizakhucula kokubili abantu lezinyamazana;

ngizakhucula izinyoni zasemoyeni

kanye lenhlanzi zasolwandle,

lezithombe ezenza ababi bakhubeke.

Lapho ngiqeda abantu

ebusweni bomhlaba,"

kutsho uThixo.

4 "Ngizakwelulela isandla sami koJuda

lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema.

Ngizaqeda konke okukaBhali okuseleyo kule indawo,

amabizo abahedeni labaphristi abakhonza izithombe

5 labo abakhothama phezu kwezindlu

bakhonze ixuku lezinkanyezi,

labo abakhothama bafunge ngoThixo,

abafunga langoMoleki futhi,

6 labo ababuyela emuva bedela ukulandela uThixo

njalo abangamdinganga uThixo loba babuze ngaye.

7 Thula phambi kukaThixo Wobukhosi,

ngoba usuku lukaThixo seluseduze.

UThixo uselungise umhlatshelo;

usebangcwelisile labo abanxusileyo.

8 Ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaThixo

ngizajezisa izikhulu

lamadodana amakhosi labo bonke

labo abagqoke

izigqoko zezizweni.

9 Ngalolosuku ngizabajezisa

bonke abaxwaya ukunyathela umbundu womnyango,

abagcwalisa ithempeli labonkulunkulu

babo ngodlakela langenkohliso."

10 UThixo, uthi,

"Ngalolosuku ilizwi lokukhala

lizaqonga ngaseSangweni leNhlanzi,

ukulila kuvelela esiGabeni eSitsha

lomsindo omkhulu wokufohloza uvela emaqaqeni.

11 Lilani lina elihlala esigodini sokuthengisela saseMakhithashi,

bonke abathengisi benu bazaqedwa,

bonke abathengiselana ngesiliva bazabhujiswa.

12 Ngalesosikhathi ngizaphenya iJerusalema ngezibane

ngijezise labo abangakhathaliyo,

abanjengewayini elitshiywe phakathi kwensipho zalo,

abathi, ‘UThixo kayikwenza lutho,

oluhle loba olubi.’

13 Inotho yabo izaphangwa,

izindlu zabo zidilizwe.

Bazakwakha izindlu

kodwa bangahlali kuzo;

bazahlanyela izivini,

kodwa iwayini bangalinathi."

14 Usuku olukhulu lukaThixo seluseduze,

njalo luza ngokuphangisa.

Lalelani! Ukukhala ngosuku lukaThixo

kuzakuba buhlungu, lokuklabalala kwebutho khonapho.

15 Lolosuku luzakuba lusuku lolaka,

usuku losizi lokudabuka;

usuku lokuhlupheka lokuchitheka,

usuku lomnyama lokudana,

usuku lwamayezi lobumnyama,

16 usuku lwecilongo lokuhlaba umkhosi wokulwa impi

lamadolobho avikelweyo

kanye lezinqaba zasemajikweni.

17 "Ngizaletha usizi ebantwini

njalo bazahamba njengeziphofu,

ngoba bonile kuThixo.

Igazi labo lizachithwa njengothuli

lezibilini zabo njengamanyala.

18 Isiliva sabo loba igolide labo

kakungeke kwenelise ukubasindisa

ngosuku lolaka lukaThixo.

Umhlaba wonke uzatshiswa emlilweni

womona wakhe

ngoba uzakwenza isiphetho ngokuphangisa

kubo bonke abahlala emhlabeni."