Bbuku Lyamu Bbaibbele Lyanamba 36—Zefaniya

Mulembi: Zefaniya

Busena Nkolyakalembelwa: Juda

Nolyakamana Kulembwa: Kautana mwaka wa 648 B.C.E.

KUMATALIKILO mubulelo bwa Mwami Josiya wa Juda (659-629 B.C.E.), aciindi nobwakadumide bukombi bwa Baala ‘abapaizi bakomba mituni’ nobakali kusololela mubukombi oobu butasalali, bantu bamu Jerusalemu beelede kuti wakabakankamanisya mulumbe wakaambilizigwa amusinsimi Zefaniya. Nokuba kuti ambweni wakali waluzubo lwa Mwami Hezekiya wamumukwasyi wabami ba Juda, Zefaniya wakabutongooka kapati bukkale bwakaliko mucisi. (Zef. 1:1, 4) Mulumbe wakwe wakali walunyonyooko. Bantu ba Leza bakazanga, aboobo alikke Jehova ngowakali kukonzya kubapilusya kubukombi bwakasimpe akubalongezya kutegwa bakonzye ‘kulemekwa akulumbaizigwa akati kamisyobo yoonse yaansi.’ (3:20) Zefaniya wakaamba kuti nkwiinda buyo mukugwasigwa a Leza umwi nakonzya ‘kuyoosiswa mubuzuba bwabukali bwa Jehova.’ (2:3) Elo lileelela kaka zina lyakwe lyakuti Tsephan·yahʹ (mu Cihebrayo), ilyaamba kuti “Jehova Wasisa (Wakwabilila)”!

² Kusolekesya kwa Zefaniya kwakazwidilila. Mwami Josiya, iwakakkala acuuno cabwami kali amyaka iili lusele, mumwaka wakweendelezya wa 12 wakatalika “kusalazya Juda a-Jerusalemu.” Wakabugwisya bukombi bwakubeja akubambulula “iŋanda ya-Jehova,” akutalisya alimwi kusekelela pobwe lya Pasika. (2 Mak., zyaand. 34, 35) Nokuba boobo, ikucinca nkwaakacita Josiya kwakaba buyo kwaciindi cisyoonto nkaambo wakalidwa zina abana bakwe botatwe amuzyukulu wakwe omwe, boonse aaba bakacita “bubi mumeso aa-Jehova.” (2 Mak. 36:1-12) Eezi zyoonse zyakacitika ikuzuzikizya majwi aa Zefaniya aakuti: ‘Njoouma bapati abana bamwami aboonse . . . bazuzya maanda aabasimalelo babo lunya abubeji.’—Zef. 1:8, 9.

³ Kweelana atwaambo ootu twabandikwa kulibonya kuti ‘majwi aa Jehova akasikila Zefaniya’ aciindi cimwi kautanasika mwaka wa 648 B.C.E., mumwaka wa 12 kalela Josiya. Kapango kakusaanguna takamutondezyi buyo kuti wakali kwaambawida mu Juda pele alimwi makani manji ngazi kabotu kujatikizya masena azilengwa zyamu Jerusalemu apa bumboni bwakuti wakali kukkala mu Juda. Mulumbe mubbuku eeli uli muzibeela zyobile, ngwakucenjezya akuumbulizya. Ibunji bwazintu nzyaamba zijatikizya buzuba bwa Jehova, ibuzuba buyoosya ibuli afwaafwi, pele aciindi nciconya, waambilizya kuti Jehova uyoobapilusya bantu babombe ‘ibaccijila muzina lya Jehova.’—1:1, 7-18; 3:12.

⁴ Mbolisyomeka bbuku lyabusinsimi eeli takukonzyeki kukazigwa cakuzwidilila. Jerusalemu yakanyonyoonwa mu 607 B.C.E., kakwiindide myaka iili 40 kuzwa Zefaniya naakasinsima. Taali buyo makani aansiku aakunyika ngotujisi aatondezya mbwaali amasimpe makani aaya pele alyalo Bbaibbele kuligama lilijisi bumboni butondezya kuti zintu eezi zyakacitika ncobeni kweelana ambwaakasinsima Zefaniya. Kwiinde buyo ciindi cisyoonto kuzwa naakanyonyoonwa Jerusalemu, Jeremiya wakalemba bbuku lya Malilo, akupandulula mapenzi ngaakalibonena, naakacili kwaayeeyede. Ikweelanya zibalo zinji kutondezya kuti mulumbe wa Zefaniya mmasimpe ‘wakazwa kuli Leza.’ Zefaniya wacenjezya mbociyandika kweempwa “bukali bupati bwa-Jehova nibutana kumusikila,” kakuli Jeremiya walo waamba cintu cakacitika kale naamba kuti, “Jehova . . . watila bukali bwakwe buyoosya.” (Zef. 2:2; Malo. 4:11) Zefaniya waambilizya kuti Jehova ‘uyoopenzya bantu, elyo bayooenda mbuli boofu . . . Alimwi bulowa bwabo buyootilwa mbuli lusuko.’ (Zef. 1:17) Jeremiya eeci ucaamba munzila iitondezya kuti cakacitika kale nati: “Baya butuntulika mumigwagwa mbuli boofu, basofwaazigwa abulowa.”—Malo. 4:14; alimwi amweezyanisye a Zefaniya 1:13—Malilo 5:2; Zefaniya 2:8, 10—Malilo 1:9, 16 alimwi a Malilo 3:61.

⁵ Mbubonya buyo makani aansiku alakuluula kunyonyoonwa kwamasi aatakali kukomba Leza, Amoni a Moabu alimwi a Asuri, kubikkilizya amunzi wawo mupati Nineve, mbubwenya mbwaakasinsima Zefaniya kwiinda mukusololelwa a Leza. Mbubwenya musinsimi Nahumu mbwaakasinsima kunyonyoonwa kwa Nineve (Nah. 1:1; 2:10), awalo Zefaniya wakaambilizya kuti Jehova “uyoocita kuti Nineve ube itongo, akuyuma mbuli inkanda.” (Zef. 2:13) Lunyonyooko oolu lwakacitika munzila iisalede cakuti nokwakainda myaka iitandila ku 200, sikulemba zyansiku Herodotus wakalemba kujatikizya Tigrisi kuti “wakali mulonga aakayakidwe munzi wa Nineve kaindi.”a Kuma 150 C.E. mulembi muna Giliki wazina lya Lucian wakalemba kuti “kunyina mukondo uuli woonse wamunzi uucisyeede lino.”b Ibbuku litegwa The New Westminster Dictionary of the Bible (1970), peeji 669, lyaamba kuti impi zyakali kusaala “zyakagwasigwa kapati akuzula kwatakali kulangilwa kwamulonga wa Tigris, ooyo wakatola cibeela cipati cabulambo bwamunzi alimwi akupa kuti busena kabutacikwabilidwe. . . . Munzi wakanyonyoonwa cakumaninina cakuti kuciindi caba Giliki abana Roma, Nineve wakali mbuli kuti nkaano buyo kakulengelezya. Pele kwaciindi coonse eeci cibeela cimwi camunzi cakazikkidwe ansi amalwi-malwi aamafuse.” Apeeji 627 ibbuku ndimunya litondezya kuti Moabu awalo wakanyonyoonwa mbubonya mbokwakasinsimwa kuti: “Nebukadinezara wakabazunda bana Moabu.” Alimwi Josephus ulaamba zyakuzundwa kwa Amoni.c Mukuya kwaciindi bana Moabu abana Amoni bakamaninina do.

⁶ Ba Juda lyoonse bali kulibikka mubusena bweelede bbuku lya Zefaniya mumulongo wa Magwalo aakasololelwa amuuya. Majwi aali mumo aakaambwa muzina lya Jehova akazuzikizigwa munzila iigambya, ikusumpula Jehova.

NCOLIGWASYA

¹⁰ Mwami Josiya, ngumwi wabaabo bakaswiilila mulumbe wakucenjezya wa Zefaniya akugwasigwa kapati. Wakatalika mulimo mupati wakubambulula zintu zijatikizya kukomba. Alimwi eeci cakapa kuti bbuku lya Mulawo lijanike, eelyo lyakasweekede ciindi ŋanda ya Jehova noyakali muciimo cibyaabi kapati. Josiya wakausa kapati naakamvwa zyakali kunga zyacitika akaambo kakutasyomeka nozyakali kubalwa kulinguwe mubbuku eeli, ilyakasinizya kumulomo wakamboni aumbi, Musa, kujatikizya eezyo Zefaniya nzyaakali kusinsima lyoonse. Lino Josiya wakalibombya kuli Leza, calo cakapa kuti Jehova amusyomezye kuti lunyonyooko lwakaambilizigwa tiilwakali kuyoosika muciindi cakwe. (Dt., zyaand. 28-30; 2 Bam. 22:8-20) Inyika yakakwabililwa kulunyonyooko! Pele kutali kwaciindi cilamfwu nkaambo bana ba Josiya bakaalilwa kutobela cikozyanyo cibotu ncaakapa. Pele kuli Josiya akubantu bakwe, ikuswiilila kwabo “majwi aa-Jehova aakasikila Zefaniya” kwakabagwasya kapati.—Zef. 1:1.

¹¹ Mu Mulumbe wakwe uudumide waa Cilundu, Jesu Kristo, musinsimi mupati wa Leza, wakatondezya kuti Zefaniya mmusinsimi wini-wini wa Leza kwiinda mukwaamba majwi aakozyenye kapati kuli yaayo aali mululayo lwa Zefaniya kucaandaano 2, kapango 3 aakuti: “Amuyandaule Jehova, nyoonse nobabombede baansi . . . Amuyandaule bululami, amuyandaule lubombo.” Kucenjezya kwa Jesu kwakali kwakuti: “Amusaangune kuyandaula Bwami bwa-Leza abululami bwakwe.” (Mt. 6:33) Aabo basaanguna kuyandaula Bwami bwa Leza beelede kukucenjelela kuunduluzya ooko Zefaniya nkwaakacenjezya naakaamba zyabaabo “baleka kutobela Jehova, abaabo batana kuyandaula Jehova nanka kumulangaula” alimwi “baamba mumyoyo yabo kuti, Jehova taciti cintu niciba cibotu niciba cibi.” (Zef. 1:6, 12) Mulugwalo ndwaakalembela bana Hebrayo, Paulo awalo waamba zyakuboola kwabuzuba bwalubeta alimwi akucenjezya kujatikizya kutapiluka musyule. Ulayungizya kuti: “Pele swebo endiswe tuyoopiluka cifuteesule akufwa pe, ndiswe baabo abajisi kusyoma kuyoofutusya myuuya yesu.” (Heb. 10:30, 37-39) Takuli kuli baabo bapiluka musyule akucileka antela batalumbi pele nkuuli baabo calubomba acakusolekesya bayandaula Jehova mulusyomo mbaakaamba musinsimi naakati: “Ambweni muyoosiswa mubuzuba bwabukali bwa-Jehova.” Nkaambo nzi ncaakati “ambweni”? Nkaambo ikufwutulwa kwamamanino kuyeeme abukkale bwamuntu. (Mt. 24:13) Alimwi nciyeekezyo cakuti tatukonzyi kuluubya-ubya luse lwa Leza. Businsimi bwa Zefaniya bulatondezya caantangalala mbobuyoobasikila cakutayeeyelwa buzuba oobo bantu ibaliibide.—Zef. 2:3; 1:14, 15; 3:8.

¹² Aboobo ooyu mmulumbe waambilizya lunyonyooko kuli baabo ibabisizya Jehova pele upa bulangizi bwazilongezyo zili kumbele kuli baabo cakweempwa ‘bayandaula Jehova.’ Bantu aaba beempedwe balakonzya kuba basicamba, nkaambo Zefaniya waamba kuti, “Mwami wa-Israyeli, ngu-Jehova, mpali akati kanu.” Tacili ciindi kuli Zioni cakuyoowa naa kutolwaala akucileka. Nciindi cakusyoma Jehova. “Ngusilumamba uumuzundya. Ulamusekelela cakukondwa, ulamulengulula muluyando lwakwe, akumukondelelwa cakwiimba.” Ibambi bakkomene mbaabo ‘basaanguna kuyandaula bwami,’ kabalangila kukwabililwa caluyando azilongezyo zitamani!—3:15-17.

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