Malachi 3
1 “Behold, I am sending My messenger, And he has prepared a way before Me, And suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking comes into His temple, Even the Messenger of the Covenant, Whom you are desiring, Behold, He is coming,” said YHWH 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 “And who is bearing the day of His coming? And who is standing in His appearing? For He [is] as fire of a refiner, And as soap of a fuller.
Kodwa ngubani ongalumela usuku lokuza kwaso, njalo ngubani ongema ekubonakaleni kwaso? Ngoba sinjengomlilo womcwengi wegolide, lanjengesepa yomwatshi.
3 And He has sat, a refiner and purifier of silver, And He has purified the sons of Levi, And has refined them as gold and as silver, And they have been bringing a present near to YHWH in righteousness.
Sizahlala njengomcwengi lomhlambululi wesiliva, sihlambulule amadodana kaLevi, siwacwenge njengegolide lanjengesiliva; ukuze asondeze iminikelo ngokulunga eNkosini.
4 And the present of Judah and Jerusalem has been sweet to YHWH, As in days of old, and as in former years.
Lapho umnikelo wakoJuda loweJerusalema uzakuba mnandi eNkosini njengensukwini zendulo, lanjengeminyakeni yakuqala.
5 And I have drawn near to you for judgment, And I have been a witness, Making haste against sorcerers, and against adulterers, And against swearers to a falsehood, And against oppressors of the hire of a hired worker, Of a widow, and of a fatherless one, And those turning aside a sojourner, And who do not fear Me,” said YHWH 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 “For I, YHWH, have not changed, And you, the sons of Jacob, You have not been consumed.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi, kangiphenduki; ngakho lina madodana kaJakobe kaliqedwa.
7 Even from the days of your fathers You have turned aside from My statutes, And you have not taken heed. Return to Me, and I return to you,” said YHWH of Hosts. “And you have said, In what do we turn back?
Ngitsho kusukela ensukwini zaboyihlo liphambukile ezimisweni zami, kalizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, lami ngizabuyela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Kanti lithi: Sizabuyela ngani?
8 Does man deceive God? But you are deceiving Me, And you have said, In what have we deceived You? The tithe and the raised-offering!
Umuntu angamphanga yini uNkulunkulu? Kanti lina lingiphangile. Kodwa lithi: Sikuphange ngani? Ngokwetshumi langomnikelo.
9 You are cursed with a curse! And you are deceiving Me—this nation—all of it.
Liqalekisiwe ngesiqalekiso, ngoba lingiphangile, lesisizwe sonke.
10 Bring in all the tithe to the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When you have tried Me, now, with this,” said YHWH of Hosts, “Do I not open the windows of the heavens to you? Indeed, I have emptied on you a blessing until there is no space.
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 And I have pushed against the consumer for you, And He does not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor does the vine in the field miscarry to you,” said YHWH of Hosts.
Ngizakhuza odlayo ngenxa yenu, njalo kayikulichithela izithelo zomhlabathi; levini kaliyikulibozisela ensimini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
12 “And all the nations have declared you blessed, For you are a delightful land,” said YHWH of Hosts.
Njalo zonke izizwe zizakuthi libusisiwe, ngoba lina lizakuba yilizwe elithokozisayo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
13 “Your words have been hard against Me,” said YHWH, “And you have said, What have we spoken against You?
Amazwi enu abelukhuni emelene lami, itsho iNkosi. Kanti lithi: Sikhulumeni simelene lawe?
14 You have said, A vain thing to serve God! And what gain when we kept His charge? And when we have gone in black, Because of YHWH of Hosts?
Lithe: Kuyize ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. Njalo kuyinzuzo bani ukuthi sigcine imfanelo yakhe, lokuthi sihambe sikwezimnyama phambi kweNkosi yamabandla?
15 And now, we are declaring the proud blessed, Indeed, those doing wickedness have been built up, Indeed, they have tempted God, and escape.
Khathesi-ke sithi abaziqhenyayo babusisiwe; yebo, labo abenza inkohlakalo bayakhiwa; yebo balinga uNkulunkulu, baphephe.
16 Then have those fearing YHWH spoken to one another, And YHWH attends and hears, And a scroll of memorial is written before Him Of those fearing YHWH, And of those esteeming His Name.
Khona labo abayesabayo iNkosi bakhulumisana; njalo iNkosi yalalela, yezwa; logwalo lwesikhumbuzo lwalotshwa phambi kwayo ngabo abayesabayo iNkosi, langalabo abazindla ngebizo layo.
17 And they have been to Me,” said YHWH of Hosts, “In the day that I am appointing—a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one has pity on his son who is serving him.
Njalo bazakuba ngabami, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngalolosuku engizakwenza ngalo okuligugu kwami, njalo ngizabayekela njengendoda eyekela indodana yayo eyisebenzelayo.
18 And you have turned back and considered, Between the righteous and the wicked, Between the servant of God and him who is not His servant.”
Beselibuya libona umehluko phakathi kolungileyo lomubi, phakathi kokhonza uNkulunkulu lalowo ongamkhonziyo.
