< Malachi 3 >
1 “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Na rĩrĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũtũma mũtũmwo wakwa, ũrĩa ũgaathondeka njĩra mbere yakwa. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Mwathani ũcio mũcaragia nĩagooka o rĩmwe thĩinĩ wa hekarũ yake; mũtũmwo ũcio wa kĩrĩkanĩro ũrĩa mwĩriragĩria nĩagooka.”
2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.
No nũũ ũgetiiria mũthenya wa gũũka gwake? Nũũ ũkomĩrĩria rĩrĩa akooneka? Nĩgũkorwo akahaana ta mwaki wa mũturi ũrĩa ũtheragia cuuma, kana thabuni ũrĩa ũtheragia nguo.
3 And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.
Agaikara thĩ ta mũturi wa betha na mũtheria wacio; nĩagatheria Alawii, amatherie ta ũrĩa thahabu na betha itheragio. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova nĩagakorwo na andũ arĩa makamũrehere maruta ma ũthingu;
4 Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.
namo maruta ma Juda na Jerusalemu nĩmagetĩkĩrĩka nĩ Jehova, o ta matukũ marĩa mathirĩte, o na ta mĩaka ĩrĩa ya mbere.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩngamũkuhĩrĩria ndĩmũciirithie na ndĩmũtuĩre. Nĩngahiũha gũtuĩka mũira wa gũtuĩra ciira arogi, na itharia, na arĩa mehĩtaga na maheeni, na njũkĩrĩre arĩa matunyaga aruti wĩra mĩcaara yao, na arĩa mahinyagĩrĩria atumia a ndigwa na ciana iria itarĩ maithe, na arĩa maagithagia ageni kĩhooto na makaaga kwĩĩndigĩra,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
6 “Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
“Niĩ Jehova ndigarũrũkaga. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ njiaro cia Jakubu nĩkĩo mũtarĩ mwaniinwo.
7 Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
O na kuuma hĩndĩ ya maithe manyu-rĩ, mũtũire mũtiganĩirie irĩra ciakwa cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mũkaaga gũcirũmia. Njookererai na niĩ nĩngũmũcookerera.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũgũcookerera atĩa?’
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
“Mũndũ-rĩ, aahota gũtunya Ngai indo ciake? No inyuĩ nĩmũndunyĩte indo ciakwa. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ tũgũtunyĩte?’ “Mũnduunyĩte maruta na icunjĩ cia ikũmi.
9 You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.
Rũrĩrĩ rwanyu ruothe rũgwatĩtwo nĩ kĩrumi, tondũ nĩmũndunyaga indo ciakwa.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, rehei gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi gĩothe thĩinĩ wa ikũmbĩ, nĩgeetha nyũmba yakwa ĩkoragwo na irio. Ngeriai na njĩra ĩno muone kana ndikũmũhingũrĩra ndirica cia igũrũ, ndĩmuurĩrie irathimo nyingĩ mũno nginya mwage handũ ingĩiganĩra.
11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Ningĩ nĩngagiria cianangi ithũkie irio cia mĩgũnda yanyu, nayo mĩthabibũ ya mĩgũnda yanyu ndĩgaacooka gũita maciaro mayo matarĩ makũrũ.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikamwĩtaga andũ arathime, nĩgũkorwo bũrũri wanyu ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa gĩkeno.”
13 “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmwarĩtie maũndũ mooru ma kũnjambia. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũcambĩtie atĩa?’
14 You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?
“Inyuĩ muugĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Gũtungatĩra Ngai nĩ ũndũ wa tũhũ. Nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ tuonire nĩkũhingia kwenda gwake, na gũthiiaga mbere ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ta andũ maracakaya?
15 So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”
No rĩrĩ, andũ etĩĩi nĩo twĩtaga arathime. Ti-itherũ arĩa aaganu nĩo magaacagĩra, na arĩa makararagia Ngai matiherithagio.’”
16 At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.
Nao arĩa meetigĩrĩte Jehova nĩmaranĩirie o mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ, nake Jehova agĩthikĩrĩria na akĩigua ũhoro ũcio. Ibuku rĩa kĩririkano nĩrĩandĩkirwo ũhoro wa andũ acio metigĩrĩte Jehova na magatĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩake, rĩkĩigwo hau mbere yake.
17 “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Acio nĩo magaatuĩka andũ akwa mũthenya ũrĩa ngaacookereria indo ciakwa cia bata. Nĩngamaiguĩra tha, o ta ũrĩa mũndũ aiguagĩra mũriũ tha ũrĩa ũmũtungatagĩra.
18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
Na inyuĩ nĩmũkona rĩngĩ ngũũrani gatagatĩ ka arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, na gatagatĩ ka arĩa matungatagĩra Ngai na arĩa matamũtungatagĩra.