< Malaki 3 >

1 Na rĩrĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũtũma mũtũmwo wakwa, ũrĩa ũgaathondeka njĩra mbere yakwa. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Mwathani ũcio mũcaragia nĩagooka o rĩmwe thĩinĩ wa hekarũ yake; mũtũmwo ũcio wa kĩrĩkanĩro ũrĩa mwĩriragĩria nĩagooka.”
Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way for me. The Lord you are seeking will suddenly arrive at his Temple. The messenger of the agreement you say is so happy with you is coming, says the Lord Almighty.
2 No nũũ ũgetiiria mũthenya wa gũũka gwake? Nũũ ũkomĩrĩria rĩrĩa akooneka? Nĩgũkorwo akahaana ta mwaki wa mũturi ũrĩa ũtheragia cuuma, kana thabuni ũrĩa ũtheragia nguo.
Who can survive the day when he comes? Who can stand before him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing furnace that refines metal, or like the strong alkali that cleanses stains.
3 Agaikara thĩ ta mũturi wa betha na mũtheria wacio; nĩagatheria Alawii, amatherie ta ũrĩa thahabu na betha itheragio. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova nĩagakorwo na andũ arĩa makamũrehere maruta ma ũthingu;
He will sit down like a refiner who purifies silver; he will purify Levi's descendants and refine them like gold and silver so they can present pure offerings to the Lord.
4 namo maruta ma Juda na Jerusalemu nĩmagetĩkĩrĩka nĩ Jehova, o ta matukũ marĩa mathirĩte, o na ta mĩaka ĩrĩa ya mbere.
Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as they did in the old days, in the former years.
5 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩngamũkuhĩrĩria ndĩmũciirithie na ndĩmũtuĩre. Nĩngahiũha gũtuĩka mũira wa gũtuĩra ciira arogi, na itharia, na arĩa mehĩtaga na maheeni, na njũkĩrĩre arĩa matunyaga aruti wĩra mĩcaara yao, na arĩa mahinyagĩrĩria atumia a ndigwa na ciana iria itarĩ maithe, na arĩa maagithagia ageni kĩhooto na makaaga kwĩĩndigĩra,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
I will come and put you on trial. I am ready to be a witness against those who: practice witchcraft commit adultery tell lies give false evidence cheat employees oppress widows and orphans abuse foreigners and do not respect me, says the Lord Almighty.
6 “Niĩ Jehova ndigarũrũkaga. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ njiaro cia Jakubu nĩkĩo mũtarĩ mwaniinwo.
For I am the Lord, I don't change, and you haven't stopped being descendants of Jacob.
7 O na kuuma hĩndĩ ya maithe manyu-rĩ, mũtũire mũtiganĩirie irĩra ciakwa cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mũkaaga gũcirũmia. Njookererai na niĩ nĩngũmũcookerera.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũgũcookerera atĩa?’
From the time of your forefathers onward, you have turned away from my laws and not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, “How should we return?”
8 “Mũndũ-rĩ, aahota gũtunya Ngai indo ciake? No inyuĩ nĩmũndunyĩte indo ciakwa. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ tũgũtunyĩte?’ “Mũnduunyĩte maruta na icunjĩ cia ikũmi.
Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me! But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?” In tithes and offerings.
9 Rũrĩrĩ rwanyu ruothe rũgwatĩtwo nĩ kĩrumi, tondũ nĩmũndunyaga indo ciakwa.
You are under a curse, for you and the whole nation are defrauding me.
10 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, rehei gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi gĩothe thĩinĩ wa ikũmbĩ, nĩgeetha nyũmba yakwa ĩkoragwo na irio. Ngeriai na njĩra ĩno muone kana ndikũmũhingũrĩra ndirica cia igũrũ, ndĩmuurĩrie irathimo nyingĩ mũno nginya mwage handũ ingĩiganĩra.
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there will be food in my Temple. Put me to the test in this, says the Lord Almighty, and I will open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won't have enough room for it.
11 Ningĩ nĩngagiria cianangi ithũkie irio cia mĩgũnda yanyu, nayo mĩthabibũ ya mĩgũnda yanyu ndĩgaacooka gũita maciaro mayo matarĩ makũrũ.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
I will prevent locusts from destroying your crops, and your vineyards will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord Almighty.
12 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikamwĩtaga andũ arathime, nĩgũkorwo bũrũri wanyu ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa gĩkeno.”
All nations will call you blessed because you live in such a wonderful land, says the Lord Almighty.
13 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmwarĩtie maũndũ mooru ma kũnjambia. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũcambĩtie atĩa?’
You have said hard things about me, says the Lord. But you say, “What have we said against you?”
14 “Inyuĩ muugĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Gũtungatĩra Ngai nĩ ũndũ wa tũhũ. Nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ tuonire nĩkũhingia kwenda gwake, na gũthiiaga mbere ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ta andũ maracakaya?
You have said, “What's the point of serving God? What benefit is there in keeping his commandments or going before the Lord Almighty with long faces?
15 No rĩrĩ, andũ etĩĩi nĩo twĩtaga arathime. Ti-itherũ arĩa aaganu nĩo magaacagĩra, na arĩa makararagia Ngai matiherithagio.’”
From now on we'll say that the proud are blessed. Evil people do well, and nothing happens when they dare God to punish them.”
16 Nao arĩa meetigĩrĩte Jehova nĩmaranĩirie o mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ, nake Jehova agĩthikĩrĩria na akĩigua ũhoro ũcio. Ibuku rĩa kĩririkano nĩrĩandĩkirwo ũhoro wa andũ acio metigĩrĩte Jehova na magatĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩake, rĩkĩigwo hau mbere yake.
Then those who truly respected the Lord spoke to each other, and the Lord heard what they said. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence of those who respected the Lord and paid attention to him.
17 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Acio nĩo magaatuĩka andũ akwa mũthenya ũrĩa ngaacookereria indo ciakwa cia bata. Nĩngamaiguĩra tha, o ta ũrĩa mũndũ aiguagĩra mũriũ tha ũrĩa ũmũtungatagĩra.
They shall be mine, says the Lord Almighty, my prized possession on the day when I take action. I will treat them kindly, as a father treats an obedient son.
18 Na inyuĩ nĩmũkona rĩngĩ ngũũrani gatagatĩ ka arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, na gatagatĩ ka arĩa matungatagĩra Ngai na arĩa matamũtungatagĩra.
Then you will once again be able to distinguish those who do right from those who do wrong, between those who serve him and those who don't.

< Malaki 3 >