Malachi 3
1 “See, I am about to send my messenger, and he 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 will come,” says Yahweh 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 will be able to endure the day of his coming? Who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire and like laundry soap.
Kodwa ngubani ongalumela usuku lokuza kwaso, njalo ngubani ongema ekubonakaleni kwaso? Ngoba sinjengomlilo womcwengi wegolide, lanjengesepa yomwatshi.
3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi. He will refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings of righteousness to Yahweh.
Sizahlala njengomcwengi lomhlambululi wesiliva, sihlambulule amadodana kaLevi, siwacwenge njengegolide lanjengesiliva; ukuze asondeze iminikelo ngokulunga eNkosini.
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.
Lapho umnikelo wakoJuda loweJerusalema uzakuba mnandi eNkosini njengensukwini zendulo, lanjengeminyakeni yakuqala.
5 “Then I will approach you for judgment. I will quickly become a witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers, the false witnesses, and against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, those who oppress the widow and the fatherless, against those who turn away the foreigner, and against those who do not honor me,” says Yahweh 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, Yahweh, have not changed; therefore you, sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.
Ngoba ngiyiNkosi, kangiphenduki; ngakho lina madodana kaJakobe kaliqedwa.
7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. “But you say, 'How will we return?'
Ngitsho kusukela ensukwini zaboyihlo liphambukile ezimisweni zami, kalizigcinanga. Buyelani kimi, lami ngizabuyela kini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Kanti lithi: Sizabuyela ngani?
8 Would a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, 'How have we robbed 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, for you are robbing me, the whole nation.
Liqalekisiwe ngesiqalekiso, ngoba lingiphangile, lesisizwe sonke.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I do not open to you the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you, until there is no more room for it all.
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 speak against those who destroy your crops, so that they do not destroy the harvest of your land. Your vines in the fields will not lose their fruit,” says Yahweh of hosts.
Ngizakhuza odlayo ngenxa yenu, njalo kayikulichithela izithelo zomhlabathi; levini kaliyikulibozisela ensimini, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
12 “All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight,” says Yahweh of hosts.
Njalo zonke izizwe zizakuthi libusisiwe, ngoba lina lizakuba yilizwe elithokozisayo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
13 “Your words against me have been strong,” says Yahweh. “But you say, 'What have we said among ourselves against you?'
Amazwi enu abelukhuni emelene lami, itsho iNkosi. Kanti lithi: Sikhulumeni simelene lawe?
14 You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept his requirements or walked mournfully before Yahweh 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. Evildoers not only prosper, but they even test God and escape.'”
Khathesi-ke sithi abaziqhenyayo babusisiwe; yebo, labo abenza inkohlakalo bayakhiwa; yebo balinga uNkulunkulu, baphephe.
16 Then those who feared Yahweh spoke with one another. Yahweh paid attention and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him about those who feared Yahweh 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 Yahweh of hosts, “my own treasured possession, on the day that I act. I will pity them, as a man pities 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 Then once again you will distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who worships God and one who does not worship him.
Beselibuya libona umehluko phakathi kolungileyo lomubi, phakathi kokhonza uNkulunkulu lalowo ongamkhonziyo.
