Malachi 2
1 ‘Now, you priests, this command is for you.
Khathesi-ke, bapristi, umlayo lo ngowenu.
2 If you will not hear, and if you do not take it to heart, to give glory to my name,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘Then I will lay a curse on you. I will turn your blessings into curses. Indeed I have already done so, because you pay no attention.
Uba lingalaleli, njalo uba lingakubeki enhliziyweni ukunika ibizo lami udumo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngizathumela isiqalekiso phakathi kwenu, ngiqalekise izibusiso zenu. Yebo, sengiziqalekisile, ngoba kalikubeki enhliziyweni.
3 I will punish your descendants! I will spread offal upon your faces, even the offal of your pilgrim feasts, you will be discarded.
Khangelani, ngizakona inzalo yenu, ngithele umswane ebusweni benu, umswane wamadili enu, lisuswe kanye lawo.
4 You will then know that I have sent this command to you, so that my covenant with Levi may be preserved,’ says the Lord of hosts.
Njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngithumele lumlayo kini, ukuze isivumelwano sami sibe loLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
5 ‘My covenant with him was to give life and peace. I gave them to him so that he might revere me. He revered me, and stood in awe of my name.
Isivumelwano sami besilaye siyikuphila lokuthula; ngamnika khona kube yikwesaba angesaba ngakho; wathuthumela phambi kwebizo lami.
6 The true instruction was in his mouth, and injustice was not found in his lips; He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity.
Umlayo weqiniso wawusemlonyeni wakhe, lesiphambeko kasitholakalanga endebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ebubini.
7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
Ngoba indebe zompristi ziyagcina ulwazi, njalo bayadinga umlayo emlonyeni wakhe, ngoba uyisithunywa seNkosi yamabandla.
8 ‘But you have turned aside from that way. You have caused many to stumble in the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,’ says the Lord of hosts.
Kodwa lina liphambukile endleleni, lakhubekisa abanengi emlayweni; lona isivumelwano sikaLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
9 ‘So I have I made you contemptible and degraded before all the people, because you have not kept my ways, and have had no respect for me in imparting the law.’
Ngakho lami ngilenzile laba ngabadelelekayo labehliselwe phansi phambi kwabantu bonke, njengokuba lingagcinanga izindlela zami, kodwa lamukele ubuso emlayweni.
10 Don’t we have all one father? Didn’t one God created us? Why do we deal faithlessly with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?
Kasilababa munye yini thina sonke? UNkulunkulu munye kasidalanga yini? Kungani sisenza ngenkohliso, omunye emelene lomfowabo, ngokungcolisa isivumelwano sabobaba?
11 Judah is treacherous, and abominations are committed in Israel and in Jerusalem because Judah has profaned the holy things loved by the Lord, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
UJuda wenze ngenkohliso, njalo kwenziwe amanyala koIsrayeli leJerusalema; ngoba uJuda ungcolisile ubungcwele bukaJehova abuthandayo, uthethe indodakazi kankulunkulu wezizweni.
12 May the Lord banish from the community of Jacob anyone who does this, anyone awaking, testifying, and making an offering to the Lord of hosts.
INkosi izaquma umuntu owenza lokhu, ovusayo lophendulayo, asuke emathenteni kaJakobe, lalowo oletha umnikelo eNkosini yamabandla.
13 And you also do this: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, because he doesn’t accept the offering any more, doesn’t accept it from your hand.
Lalokhu likwenzile kabili; lisibekela ilathi leNkosi ngezinyembezi, ngokukhala, langokububula, okungangokuthi kayisawunanzi umnikelo, kumbe ukuwemukela ngokuthokoza esandleni senu.
14 Yet you ask, ‘Why?’ Because the Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young. You have been unfaithful to her, even though she is your companion, and your legal wife.
Kanti lithi: Kungani? Kungoba iNkosi yayingumfakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho, wena omphethe ngenkohliso, kanti engumngane wakho, lomfazi wesivumelwano sakho.
15 Did not the one God make everyone, so that all both flesh and spirit is his? And what does that one God seek but godly children? Therefore keep watch over your spirit, and let none of you deal faithlessly with the wife of your youth.
Kenzanga yini oyedwa? Njalo elomoya oseleyo. Njalo kungani oyedwa? Wadinga inzalo kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho qaphelisani ngomoya wenu, njalo kakungabi lophatha umfazi wobutsha bakhe ngenkohliso.
16 ‘A man who divorces or puts away his wife,’ says Lord, the God of Israel, ‘overwhelms her with cruelty.’ The Lord of hosts says: ‘Keep watch over your spirit, do not be unfaithful.’
Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi iyazonda ukwalana. Ngoba omunye usibekela udlakela ngesembatho sakhe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Ngakho qaphelisani ngomoya wenu, ukuze lingenzi ngenkohliso.
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. You ask, ‘How have we wearied him?’ By saying, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.’ Or, ‘Where is the God of justice?’
Liyidinisile iNkosi ngamazwi enu. Kanti lithi: Siyidinise ngani? Ngokuthi kwenu: Wonke owenza okubi ulungile emehlweni eNkosi, njalo iyathokoza ngabo; kumbe: Ungaphi uNkulunkulu wesahlulelo?
