< UMalaki 2 >

1 “Manje-ke nanku owenu umlayo, lina baphristi.
“And now, to you [is] this charge, O priests,
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 do not listen, and if you do not lay [it] to heart, To give glory to My Name,” said YHWH of Hosts, “I have sent the curse against you, And I have cursed your blessings, Indeed, I have also cursed it, Because you are not laying [it] to heart.
3 Ngenxa yenu ngizabakhalimela abantwabenu; ngizalihuqa ebusweni ngomswane wemihlatshelo yemikhosi yenu lithathwe linjalo lisiya ekuthunjweni.
Behold, I am pushing away the seed before you, And have scattered dung before your faces, Dung of your festivals, And it has taken you away with it.
4 Ngalokho lizakwazi ukuthi ngilithumele lesi isixwayiso ukuze isivumelwano sami loLevi siqhubeke,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
And you have known that I have sent this charge to you, For My covenant being with Levi,” said YHWH of Hosts.
5 “Isivumelwano sami wayelaso, isivumelwano sokuphila lokuthula, izinto engamupha zona; lokhu kwakuswela inhlonipho, lakanje wangihlonipha walesaba ibizo lami.
“My covenant has been of life and of peace with him, And I make them a fear to him, and he fears Me, And because of My Name he has been frightened.
6 Imfundiso eqotho yayisemlonyeni wakhe njalo kakufunyanwanga lutho oluyinkohliso ezindebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ababesesonweni.
The law of truth has been in his mouth, And perverseness has not been found in his lips, In peace and in uprightness he walked with Me, And he brought back many from iniquity.
7 Ngoba izindebe zomphristi kumele zilonde ulwazi, abantu badinge kuye ukufundiswa ngoba uyisithunywa sikaThixo uSomandla.
For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, And they seek law from his mouth, For he [is] a messenger of YHWH of Hosts.
8 Kodwa seliphambukile endleleni, kwathi njalo ngokufundisa kwenu lenza abanengi bakhubeka; lisephule isivumelwano loLevi,” kutsho uThixo uSomandla.
And you, you have turned from the way, You have caused many to stumble in the Law, You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” said YHWH of Hosts.
9 “Ngakho sengenze ukuthi leyiswe njalo liyangiswe phambi kwabantu bonke, ngoba kalilandelanga izindlela zami kodwa latshengisa ukubandlulula ekusebenziseni umthetho.”
“And I also, I have made you despised and low before all the people, Because you are not keeping My ways, And are accepting by superficial things in 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 our God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, Each against his brother, To defile the covenant of our fathers?
11 UJuda ukhohlisile. Kwenziwe amanyala ko-Israyeli laseJerusalema: uJuda useyitshaphazile indlu engcwele uThixo ayithandayo, ngokutshada lendodakazi kankulunkulu wabezizwe.
Judah has dealt treacherously, And abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has defiled the holy thing of YHWH that He has loved, And has married the daughter of a strange god.
12 Leyondoda ekwenzayo lokho, lokuba ingubani, sengathi uThixo angayisusa emathenteni kaJakhobe lanxa iletha iminikelo kuThixo uSomandla.
YHWH cuts off the man who does it, Tempter and tempted—from the tents of Jacob, Even he who is bringing a present near to YHWH of Hosts.
13 Enye into eliyenzayo nansi: Ligcwalisa i-alithari likaThixo ngezinyembezi. Liyakhala libubula ngoba kasayinanzi iminikelo yenu, njalo kasayamukeli ngokuthokoza ezandleni zenu.
And you do this a second time, Covering the altar of YHWH with tears, With weeping and groaning, Because there is no more turning to the present, Or receiving of a pleasing thing 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.
And you have said, “Why?” Because YHWH has testified between you And the wife of your youth, That you have dealt treacherously against her, And she [is] your companion, and your covenant-wife.
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.
And He did not make one [only], And a remnant of the Spirit [is] for him. And what [is] the one [alone]! He is seeking a godly seed. And you have been watchful over your spirit, And with the wife of your youth, None deal treacherously.
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 He hates sending away,” said YHWH, God of Israel, “And he [who] has covered violence with his clothing,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And you have been watchful over your spirit, And you do not deal treacherously.”
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 wearied YHWH with your words, And you have said, “In what have we wearied Him?” In your saying, “Every evildoer [is] good in the eyes of YHWH, And He is delighting in them,” Or, “Where [is] the God of judgment?”

< UMalaki 2 >