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.
Khangelani, ngithuma isithunywa sami, esizalungisa indlela phambi kwami; leNkosi eliyidingayo izafika masinyane ethempelini layo, ngitsho isithunywa sesivumelwano elithokoza ngaso; khangela siyeza, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
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.
Kodwa ngubani ongalumela usuku lokuza kwaso, njalo ngubani ongema ekubonakaleni kwaso? Ngoba sinjengomlilo womcwengi wegolide, lanjengesepa yomwatshi.
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.
Sizahlala njengomcwengi lomhlambululi wesiliva, sihlambulule amadodana kaLevi, siwacwenge njengegolide lanjengesiliva; ukuze asondeze iminikelo ngokulunga eNkosini.
4 Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.
Lapho umnikelo wakoJuda loweJerusalema uzakuba mnandi eNkosini njengensukwini zendulo, lanjengeminyakeni yakuqala.
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.
Njalo ngizasondela kini ngokwahlulela; ngibe ngumfakazi ophangisayo ngimelene labathakathi, ngimelene lezifebe, ngimelene labafungi bamanga, ngimelene labacindezeli bamaholo abaqhatshiweyo, umfelokazi, lentandane, labasunduzela abezizweni eceleni, njalo abangangesabiyo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
6 “Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi, kangiphenduki; ngakho lina madodana kaJakobe kaliqedwa.
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?’
Ngitsho kusukela ensukwini zaboyihlo liphambukile ezimisweni zami, kalizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, lami ngizabuyela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Kanti lithi: Sizabuyela ngani?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
Umuntu angamphanga yini uNkulunkulu? Kanti lina lingiphangile. Kodwa lithi: Sikuphange ngani? Ngokwetshumi langomnikelo.
9 You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.
Liqalekisiwe ngesiqalekiso, ngoba lingiphangile, lesisizwe sonke.
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.
Lethani konke okwetshumi esiphaleni ukuze kube lokudla endlini yami. Lingihlole-ke khathesi kukho, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, uba ngingayikulivulela amawindi amazulu, ngilithululele isibusiso kuze kungabi lendawo eyaneleyo.
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.
Ngizakhuza odlayo ngenxa yenu, njalo kayikulichithela izithelo zomhlabathi; levini kaliyikulibozisela ensimini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Njalo zonke izizwe zizakuthi libusisiwe, ngoba lina lizakuba yilizwe elithokozisayo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
13 “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’
Amazwi enu abelukhuni emelene lami, itsho iNkosi. Kanti lithi: Sikhulumeni simelene lawe?
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?
Lithe: Kuyize ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Njalo kuyinzuzo bani ukuthi sigcine imfanelo yakhe, lokuthi sihambe sikwezimnyama phambi kweNkosi yamabandla?
15 So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”
Khathesi-ke sithi abaziqhenyayo babusisiwe; yebo, labo abenza inkohlakalo bayakhiwa; yebo balinga uNkulunkulu, baphephe.
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.
Khona labo abayesabayo iNkosi bakhulumisana; njalo iNkosi yalalela, yezwa; logwalo lwesikhumbuzo lwalotshwa phambi kwayo ngabo abayesabayo iNkosi, langalabo abazindla ngebizo layo.
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.
Njalo bazakuba ngabami, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngalolosuku engizakwenza ngalo okuligugu kwami, njalo ngizabayekela njengendoda eyekela indodana yayo eyisebenzelayo.
18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
Beselibuya libona umehluko phakathi kolungileyo lomubi, phakathi kokhonza uNkulunkulu lalowo ongamkhonziyo.
