< Malaki 2 >

1 “Mi nunɔlawo, miɖo to ne miase sedede sia si tso Yehowa, gbɔ.
You priests, I will say something to warn you.
2 Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la be, ‘Ne mietrɔ tso miaƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi hede bubu ŋunye o la, maƒo fi ade mi, eye mana be miaƒe yayrawo nazu fiƒode. Le nyateƒe me la, meƒo ƒi de mi xoxo elabena mieɖo ta me be yewoade bubu ŋunye o.’
The Commander of the armies of angels says [this]: “Pay attention [to what I am saying], and [then] decide [IDM] to honor me [MTY]. If you do not do that, I will curse you, and I will curse [the things that I have given to you to] bless you. And I have already cursed them, because you have not honored [IDM] me.
3 “‘Kpɔ ɖa, le miawo ta la, maka ŋkume na miaƒe dzidzimeviwo, eye matsɔ lã siwo mietsɔ vɛ nam la ƒe afɔdzi ahlẽ ɖe mo na mi, eye matsɔ mi aƒu gbe ɖe aɖukpo dzi.
I will punish your descendants [MET], and [it will be as though] I will splatter on your faces [some of] the material inside the stomachs of the animals that are brought to be sacrificed, and you will be thrown away with the rest of that material.
4 Ekema mlɔeba la, mianyae be nyee xlɔ̃ nu mi be miatrɔ ɖe nubabla si mewɔ kple mia fofo, Levi la ŋuti.’” Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
When that happens, you will know that I warned you like this, in order that my agreement with [you priests who are descendants of] Levi will continue [to be obeyed]. [That is what I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, am saying [to you].
5 “Nye nubabla sia ƒe taɖodzinue nye be wòanye agbe kple ŋutifafa nɛ eye metsɔ vɔvɔ̃ de asi nɛ, evɔ̃m eye nye ŋkɔ do ŋɔdzi nɛ.
My agreement with [your ancestor] Levi was because I wanted the priests to live prosperously and peacefully. And that is what I have done for them. I required that they greatly respect me and revere [DOU] me.
6 Nyateƒe ƒe se le nu me nɛ, eye alakpa aɖeke mele eƒe nuyiwo nu o. Ezɔ kplim le ŋutifafa kple dzɔdzɔenyenye me, eye wòna ame geɖewo trɔ tso woƒe nu vɔ̃wo me.
They told the people that what I instructed them to do was right. And they did not tell [MTY] lies. They worked for me peacefully and loyally, and they helped many people to stop sinning.
7 “Ele be Mawu ƒe nya kple nunya nado go tso nunɔla nu ɣe sia ɣi ale be amewo nasrɔ̃ Yehowa ƒe sewo tso egbɔ, elabena nunɔlae nye Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe dɔla, eye wòle be amewo nava egbɔ hena nuxɔxlɔ̃ kple afɔɖoƒefiafia wo.
What priests say [MTY] should enable more people to know [about me], and people should go to them [MTY] to be taught [what I want them to know], because priests [should] be messengers from me, the Commander of the armies of angels.
8 Ke esia mele mia gbɔ o elabena miawo mietra tso Yehowa ƒe mɔ dzi. Miekplɔ amewo to mɔtatra dzi, to miaƒe nufiafia me eye wodze nu vɔ̃ me. Mietɔtɔ Levi ƒe nubabla la, hewɔe wòzu nu tsɛ aɖe ko.” Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
But, you priests have stopped doing what I wanted you to do. What you have taught people has caused many [of them] to sin. You have rejected the agreement [that I made] with [the descendants of] Levi [long ago].
9 “Esia ta nye hã meɖi gbɔ̃ mi le amewo ƒe ŋkume elabena mieɖo tom o eye miekpɔ ame ŋkume le seawo ŋu dɔ wɔwɔ me.”
Therefore I have caused all the people to despise you, and I have caused you to be humiliated, because you have not obeyed me. When you teach [people] my commands, you do not treat all [people] equally.”
10 Ɖe menye fofo ɖeka ƒe viwoe míenye oa? Eye ɖe menye Mawu ɖekae wɔ mí katã oa? Ekema nu ka ta míewɔa nu tovowo ɖe mía nɔewo ŋuti, eye míetua mía fofowo ƒe nubabla la?
[Now I will warn you about something else]. We all certainly [RHQ] have the same [heavenly] Father. We are certainly [RHQ] [all] created by the same God. So why are [RHQ] [some of] you disobeying/despising the agreement [that Yahweh made] with our ancestors, by not doing for each other what you said that you would do?
11 Ŋunyɔnuwɔwɔ xɔ aƒe ɖe Yuda, Israel kple Yerusalem eye Yuda ŋutsuwo do gu Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ kɔkɔe si gbɔ melɔ̃a nu le o la elabena woɖe nyɔnu siwo subɔa mawu bubuwo.
[You people of] Judah have been unfaithful [to Yahweh]. You have done detestable things in Jerusalem and in [other places] in Israel. You Israeli men have defiled the temple that Yahweh loves. [You have done that by] marrying women who worship idols.
12 Yehowa netsrɔ̃ ame sia ame si awɔ nu sia la ɖa tso Yakob ƒe ƒomea me, eɖanye nunɔla loo alo hamevi, togbɔ be wòtsɔa vɔsa dona ɖe Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkume gɔ̃ hã.
I wish that Yahweh would expel from Israel every man who has done that, [even though] they [say that they are obeying] the Commander of the armies of angels by bringing offerings to him.
13 Nu bubu si miegawɔe nye be, mietsɔ aɖatsi, avifafa kple hũɖeɖe tsɔ tsyɔ Yehowa ƒe vɔsamlekpui dzi elabena megatsɔa ɖeke le miaƒe vɔsasa me o, eye megayraa mi hã o.
This is another thing that you do: You cover Yahweh’s altar with your tears. You wail because he no longer pays attention to your offerings; but he is not pleased with them.
14 Miefa avi bia Yehowa be: “Mawu, nu ka tae nègblẽ mí ɖi?” Magblɔ nu si ta wògble mi ɖi la na mi; Yehowa kpɔ ale si miewɔ tamesesẽ hegbe miaƒe ɖekakpuimesrɔ̃ siwo nɔ anyi kpli mi le nyateƒetoto me ƒe geɖe lae. Evɔ mieɖe adzɔgbe be miakpɔ wo dzi, eye miagblẽ wo ɖi ɣe aɖeke ɣi akpɔ o.
You [cry out], saying, “Why does Yahweh not like our offerings?” The answer is that Yahweh heard what each of you men solemnly promised to your wives when you were young. But you men have not done what you promised your wives; you sent them away, the ones to whom you made that agreement.
15 Yehowae bla mi kple mia srɔ̃wo ɖekae, le Mawu ƒe nunya ƒe ɖoɖo nu, esi mieɖe mia nɔewo la, mi ame eve la miezu ŋutilã ɖeka le eƒe ŋkume eye nu ka wòdi tso mia si be miawɔ? Mawu di vi ɖotowo tso miaƒe srɔ̃ɖeɖe la me eya ta milé be na mia ɖokui, miaɖu miaƒe fieŋufieŋuwo dzi! Miku ɖe miaƒe ɖekakpuimesrɔ̃ siwo mieɖe la ŋu eye miato nyateƒe na wo.
It is certainly [RHQ] Yahweh who joined you together. Your spirits and your bodies belong to him. [So] what he wants [RHQ] from you are godly children. So make sure that each of you men remain (with/loyal to) the woman that you married when you were young.
16 “Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔ be yetsri srɔ̃gbegbe kple ŋutsu ŋutasẽla vɔ̃ɖiwo. Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.” Eya ta miɖu mia ɖokuiwo dzi ne miadzudzɔ srɔ̃gbegbe.
Yahweh, the God to whom [we] Israelis belong, says, “I hate divorce!” [So] if you men divorce your wives, you are overwhelming them by being cruel to them. So be sure that you are (not disloyal/remain united) to your wives. [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says.
17 Mietsɔ miaƒe nya kukluiwo do dziku na Yehowa. Gake miebua biae be, “Aleke míedo dziku na wòe?” Miedo dziku nɛ elabena miegblɔ be, “Nuvɔ̃wɔla ɖe sia ɖe nye ame nyui le Yehowa ŋkume eye woawo gɔ̃ hã ƒe nue nyoa eŋu” Miebia be, “Afi ka Mawu, ʋɔnudrɔ̃la la le?”
Yahweh [also says], “What you have said has caused me to become disgusted.” You reply, “What have we said that caused him to become disgusted?” [The answer is that you have caused him to become disgusted] by saying that Yahweh is pleased with all those who do evil things. [You have caused him to become disgusted] by [constantly] asking, “Why does God not act fairly?”

< Malaki 2 >