UMalaki 2
1 “Manje-ke nanku owenu umlayo, lina baphristi.
And now, O you priests, this order is for you.
2 Nxa lingalaleli, njalo nxa lingalungisi inhliziyo zenu ukuhlonipha ibizo lami,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla, “ngizaletha isiqalekiso phezu kwenu, njalo ngiziqalekise izibusiso zenu. Yebo, kuvele nje sengiziqalekisile ngoba kalizimiselanga ezinhliziyweni zenu ukungesaba.
If you will not give ear and take it to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord of armies, then I will send the curse on you and will put a curse on your blessing: truly, even now I have put a curse on it, because you do not take it to heart.
3 Ngenxa yenu ngizabakhalimela abantwabenu; ngizalihuqa ebusweni ngomswane wemihlatshelo yemikhosi yenu lithathwe linjalo lisiya ekuthunjweni.
See, I will have your arm cut off, and will put waste on your faces, even the waste from your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.
4 Ngalokho lizakwazi ukuthi ngilithumele lesi isixwayiso ukuze isivumelwano sami loLevi siqhubeke,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
And you will be certain that I have sent this order to you, so that it might be my agreement with Levi, says the Lord of armies.
5 “Isivumelwano sami wayelaso, isivumelwano sokuphila lokuthula, izinto engamupha zona; lokhu kwakuswela inhlonipho, lakanje wangihlonipha walesaba ibizo lami.
My agreement with him was on my side life and peace, and I gave them to him; on his side fear, and he had fear of me and gave honour to my name.
6 Imfundiso eqotho yayisemlonyeni wakhe njalo kakufunyanwanga lutho oluyinkohliso ezindebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ababesesonweni.
True teaching was in his mouth, and no evil was seen on his lips: he was walking with me in peace and righteousness, turning numbers of people away from evil-doing.
7 Ngoba izindebe zomphristi kumele zilonde ulwazi, abantu badinge kuye ukufundiswa ngoba uyisithunywa sikaThixo uSomandla.
For it is right for the priest's lips to keep knowledge, and for men to be waiting for the law from his mouth: for he is the servant sent from the Lord of armies.
8 Kodwa seliphambukile endleleni, kwathi njalo ngokufundisa kwenu lenza abanengi bakhubeka; lisephule isivumelwano loLevi,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
But you are turned out of the way; you have made the law hard for numbers of people; you have made the agreement of Levi of no value, says the Lord of armies.
9 “Ngakho sengenze ukuthi leyiswe njalo liyangiswe phambi kwabantu bonke, ngoba kalilandelanga izindlela zami kodwa latshengisa ukubandlulula ekusebenziseni umthetho.”
And so I have taken away your honour and made you low before all the people, even as you have not kept my ways, and have given no thought to me in using the law.
10 KasilaBaba munye thina sonke na? Kasidalwanga nguNkulunkulu munye na? Pho singcoliselani isivumelwano sabokhokho bethu na ngokungathembani thina ngokwethu?
Have we not all one father? has not one God made us? why are we, every one of us, acting falsely to his brother, putting shame on the agreement of our fathers?
11 UJuda ukhohlisile. Kwenziwe amanyala ko-Israyeli laseJerusalema: uJuda useyitshaphazile indlu engcwele uThixo ayithandayo, ngokutshada lendodakazi kankulunkulu wabezizwe.
Judah has been acting falsely, and a disgusting thing has been done in Jerusalem; for Judah has made unclean the holy place of the Lord which is dear to him, and has taken as his wife the daughter of a strange god.
12 Leyondoda ekwenzayo lokho, lokuba ingubani, sengathi uThixo angayisusa emathenteni kaJakhobe lanxa iletha iminikelo kuThixo uSomandla.
The Lord will have the man who does this cut off root and branch out of the tents of Jacob, and him who makes an offering to the Lord of armies.
13 Enye into eliyenzayo nansi: Ligcwalisa i-alithari likaThixo ngezinyembezi. Liyakhala libubula ngoba kasayinanzi iminikelo yenu, njalo kasayamukeli ngokuthokoza ezandleni zenu.
And this again you do: covering the altar of the Lord with weeping and with grief, so that he gives no more thought to the offering, and does not take it with pleasure from your hand.
14 Liyabuza lithi, “Kungani na?” Kungenxa yokuthi uThixo umi njengomfakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho, ngoba umkhohlisile yena eyingxenye yakho, umfazi wesivumelwano sakho somtshado.
But you say, For what reason? Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your early years, to whom you have been untrue, though she is your friend and the wife to whom you have given your word.
15 UThixo kabenzanga baba munye na? Enyameni lemphefumulweni bangabakhe. Kungani bemunye? Ngoba wayedinga inzalo ekholwayo kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho ziqaphele emphefumulweni wakho, ungaze wamkhohlisa umfazi wobutsha bakho.
... So give thought to your spirit, and let no one be false to the wife of his early years.
16 “Ngiyakuzonda ukuchitha umtshado,” kutsho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uqhubeka esithi, “njalo ngiyayizonda indoda evala ngolaka kumkayo umkayo njengalokhu izivala ngesivunulo,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla. Ngakho ziqaphele wena emphefumulweni wakho, ungaze wakhohlisa.
For I am against the putting away of a wife, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and against him who is clothed with violent acts, says the Lord of armies: so give thought to your spirit and do not be false in your acts.
17 Selimdinile uThixo ngamazwi enu. Lingabuza lithi, “Simdinise kanjani?” Ngokuthi, “Bonke abenza ububi balungile emehlweni kaThixo, njalo uyathokoza ngabo,” loba ngokuthi, “Ungaphi uNkulunkulu wokwahlulela kuhle na?”
You have made the Lord tired with your words. And still you say, How have we made him tired? By your saying, Everyone who does evil is good in the eyes of the Lord, and he has delight in them; or, Where is God the judge?
