< Malachi 1 >

1 The prophecy of the word of the Lord to Israel by means of Malachi.
Umthwalo welizwi leNkosi kuIsrayeli ngesandla sikaMalaki.
2 I have loved you, so hath said the Lord: yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Is not Esau brother to Jacob? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob;
Ngilithandile, itsho iNkosi. Kodwa lithi: Usithande ngani? UEsawu kasuye yini umfowabo kaJakobe? itsho iNkosi. Kanti ngamthanda uJakobe,
3 And Esau I hated; and I rendered his mountains a desert, and his heritage a dwelling for the monsters of the wilderness.
loEsawu ngamzonda; ngenza izintaba zakhe incithakalo, lelifa lakhe laba ngelamakhanka enkangala.
4 Should Edom even say, We are impoverished; but we will return and build the ruined places: thus hath said the Lord of hosts, They may indeed build, but I will surely throw down; and men shall call them, The territory of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation to eternity.
Lanxa uEdoma esithi: Senziwe abayanga, kodwa sizabuyela siyekwakha amanxiwa; itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Bona bangakha, kodwa mina ngizadiliza, njalo bazababiza ngokuthi: Ngumngcele wobubi, labantu iNkosi ebathukutheleleyo kuze kube phakade.
5 And your eyes shall see it; and ye shall then say, The Lord will be magnified beyond the territory of Israel.
Lamehlo enu azabona, lani lithi: INkosi izakhuliswa kusukela ngaphetsheya komngcele wakoIsrayeli.
6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name; and ye say, wherein have we despised thy name?
Indodana iyamhlonipha uyise, lenceku inkosi yayo. Uba-ke nginguyihlo, kungaphi ukuhlonitshwa kwami? Uba-ke ngiyiNkosi, kungaphi ukwesatshwa kwami? itsho iNkosi yamabandla kini, bapristi elidelela ibizo lami; kodwa lithi: Silidelele ngani ibizo lakho?
7 Ye offer upon my altar polluted bread; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
Lisondeza isinkwa esingcolileyo phezu kwelathi lami, lisithi: Sikungcolise ngani? Ngokuthi kwenu: Itafula leNkosi liyadeleleka.
8 And if ye bring near the blind to sacrifice it, is this not evil? and if ye bring near the lame and the sick, is this not evil? do but present it unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or receive thee with favor? saith the Lord of hosts.
Njalo nxa lisondeza okuyisiphofu kube ngumhlatshelo, kakukubi yini? Lalapho lisondeza okuqhulayo lokugulayo, kakukubi yini? Ake ukusondeze kumbusi wakho; angathokoza ngawe yini, kumbe angabemukela yini ubuso bakho? itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech the presence of God that he may be gracious unto us; from your hand hath this thing come: will he receive one of you with favor? saith the Lord of hosts.
Khathesi-ke ake lincenge ubuso bukaNkulunkulu ukuze abe lomusa kithi; lokhu kube ngesandla senu; uzabemukela ubuso benu yini? itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
10 Oh that there were some one among you that would lock up the doors [of the sanctuary], that ye might not light up my altar for nought: I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept in favor an offering from your hand.
Ngubani okhona ngitsho phakathi kwenu ongavala izivalo? Njalo lingabaseli ize umlilo phezu kwelathi lami. Kangithokozi ngani, kutsho iNkosi yamabandla, njalo kangiyikwemukela umnikelo esandleni senu ngentokozo.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto his going down my name is great among the nations; and in every place incense is burnt and there is offered unto my name, even a pure offering; for great is my name among the nations, saith the Lord of hosts.
Ngoba kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuze kube sekutshoneni kwalo, ibizo lami lizakuba likhulu phakathi kwezizwe; lakuyo yonke indawo impepha izatshiselwa ibizo lami, lomnikelo ohlambulukileyo; ngoba ibizo lami lizakuba likhulu phakathi kwezizwe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
12 But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and by the assertion, Its food is contemptible.
Kodwa liyalingcolisa ngokuthi kwenu: Itafula leNkosi lingcolisiwe; lesithelo salo, ukudla kwalo, kudelelekile.
13 And ye have said, Behold, what a wearisome task is it! and ye have left it to famish, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye have brought what was robbed, and the lame, and the sick, and thus ye have brought an offering: should I accept this in favor from your hand? saith the Lord.
Njalo lithi: Khangela, ukudinisa okungakanani! Njalo likuchilela amakhala, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; njalo lilethe impango, lokuqhulayo, lokugulayo; ngokunjalo lilethe umnikelo. Ngikwemukele lokhu yini ngokuthokoza esandleni senu? itsho iNkosi.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth a corrupt thing unto the Lord; for I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.
Kaqalekiswe-ke umkhohlisi oleduna emhlanjini wakhe, ofunga ahlabele iNkosi okonakeleyo; ngoba ngiyiNkosi enkulu, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lebizo lami liyesabeka phakathi kwezizwe.

< Malachi 1 >