< 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.”
‘I am about to send my messenger and he will clear a path before me: And the Lord, who you are seeking, will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant who you long for is already coming, says the Lord of hosts.
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.
But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand firm when he appears? He is like a refiner’s fire, and like a launderer’s soap,
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;
and he will sit as a refiner and purifier. He will purify the descendants of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, until they are fit to bring 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 will the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in 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 to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against the sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, those who cheat workers, or widows, or orphans, deny justice to immigrants, and do not fear me,’ says the Lord of hosts.
6 “Niĩ Jehova ndigarũrũkaga. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ njiaro cia Jakubu nĩkĩo mũtarĩ mwaniinwo.
‘For I, the Lord, do not change; and you have not ceased to be 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 days of your ancestors, you have turned aside from my statutes, and you have not kept them. Turn to me and I will turn to you,’ says the Lord. ‘You say, “How should we turn?”
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.
Can a human rob God? Yet you robbed me. You ask, “How have we robbed you?” In tithes and gifts!
9 Rũrĩrĩ rwanyu ruothe rũgwatĩtwo nĩ kĩrumi, tondũ nĩmũndunyaga indo ciakwa.
You – your entire nation – are all cursed, because you rob 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 whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there is food in my house. Test me in this way. See if I will not open to you the windows of the sky, and pour you out a blessing, until there is more than enough.
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 rebuke for your sakes the devouring locust and he will not destroy your crops, nor will the vine fail to ripen its fruit in the field, says the Lord of hosts,
12 Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikamwĩtaga andũ arathime, nĩgũkorwo bũrũri wanyu ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa gĩkeno.”
and all nations will call you happy, for you will be a delightful land,’ says the Lord of hosts.
13 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmwarĩtie maũndũ mooru ma kũnjambia. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũcambĩtie atĩa?’
‘You have said terrible things about me,’ says the Lord. ‘You ask, “What have we said about 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, “It is useless to serve God, and what do we gain from the Lord of hosts by keeping his commands, and walking mournfully in funeral garb before him?
15 No rĩrĩ, andũ etĩĩi nĩo twĩtaga arathime. Ti-itherũ arĩa aaganu nĩo magaacagĩra, na arĩa makararagia Ngai matiherithagio.’”
So now we call the proud happy, evildoers thrive: they dare God and escape unharmed.”’
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.
Such things those who revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice, and a record was written before him of those who revered the Lord and those who keep in mind his name.
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 will be mine,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘my special possession on that day that I am preparing. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
18 Na inyuĩ nĩmũkona rĩngĩ ngũũrani gatagatĩ ka arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, na gatagatĩ ka arĩa matungatagĩra Ngai na arĩa matamũtungatagĩra.
Once again my people will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the person who serves God and the person who does not.’

< Malaki 3 >