1Izwi likaSimakade elafika kuZefaniya, indodana kaKushi kaGedaliya, ka-Amariya kaHezekiya, ezinsukwini zokubusa kukaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, lathi:
2“Ngiyakubhubhisa kuphele nya konke okusebusweni bomhlaba,” kusho uSimakade.
3“Ngiyakuqeda nya abantu nezilwane, ngishabalalise izinyoni zezulu nezinhlanzi zasolwandle. Ngiyakuqeda ababi kanye nezikhubekiso ngibaqothule abantu ebusweni bomhlaba,” kusho uSimakade.
4“Ngiyakwelula isandla sami ngishaye uJuda nabo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema. Ngiyakuqeda nya insali kaBhali kule ndawo, negama labaphristi bonkulunkulu nabaphristi babo,
5nabakhothama ophahleni bekhuleka kulo ibandla lasezulwini, nabakhothamela ukufunga kuSimakade bebe befunga nakuMalkhamu,
6nabafulathelayo beyeka ukulandela uSimakade, nalabo abangamfunanga uSimakade, abangabuzanga kuye.
7Thula phambi kweNkosi uSimakade, ngokuba usuku lukaSimakade selusondele. Phela uSimakade usewulungisile umhlatshelo, usebangcwelisile abamenyiweyo bakhe.
8Kuyakuthi ngosuku lomhlatshelo kaSimakade, ngijezise izikhulu namadodana enkosi, nabo bonke abembethe izingubo zabezizwe.
9Ngalolo lusuku ngiyakujezisa bonke abeqa umbundu, abagcwalisa izigodlo zamakhosi abo ngobudlova nangenkohliso.
10“Kuyakuthi ngalolo lusuku kube khona ukukhala kalusizi, kuvela eSangweni Lezinhlanzi, nokulila, kuvela eNgxenyeni Yesibili, nokuphihlika okukhulu, kuvela emagqumeni.
11Khihlani isililo nina enihlala eMothari, ngokuba bonke abantu abahwebayo bayakubhujiswa, bonke abahweba ngesiliva bayakuqothulwa.
12Kuyakuthi ngaleso sikhathi ngicinge eJerusalema ngezibani, ngijezise abantu abanethezeke njengewayini liyekwe nenzika, abathi ezinhliziyweni zabo: “ ‘USimakade akakwenzi okuhle, ngeke akwenze nokubi.’
13Ingcebo yabo iyakuba yimpango, nezindlu zabo zibe yincithakalo. Bayakukwakha izindlu, kodwa abayukuhlala kuzo, bayakutshala izivini, kepha abayukuliphuza iwayini lazo.
14“Usuku olukhulu lukaSimakade seluseduze, lusondele futhi luyashesha kakhulu. Umsindo wosuku lukaSimakade uwusizi, neqhawe liyakuqanduqandula lapho.
15Lolo lusuku, usuku lolaka, usuku lokuhlupheka nosizi, usuku lomonakalo nencithakalo, usuku lobumnyama nethunzi elibi, usuku lwamafu nesigayegaye,
16usuku lokukhala kwecilongo nokukhuza iziqubulo zempi emizini ebiyelweyo nasemibhoshongweni esemakhoneni.
17“Ngiyakwenza kube nengcindezi kubantu, bahambe njengezimpumputhe, ngokuba bonile kuSimakade. Igazi labo liyakuthululwa njengothuli, nezibilini zabo njengobulongwe.
18Noma ngabe yisiliva labo noma yigolide labo akuyukuba namandla okubahlenga ngosuku lolaka lukaSimakade. Umhlaba wonke uyakungqongqiswa ngumlilo womhawu wakhe, ngokuba uyakuqeda nya, impela abaqothule ngokuphazima kweso bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni.”