UMalaki 2

1 Khathesi-ke, bapristi, umlayo lo ngowenu.

And now, O you priests, this order is for you.

2 Uba lingalaleli, njalo uba lingakubeki enhliziyweni ukunika ibizo lami udumo, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, ngizathumela isiqalekiso phakathi kwenu, ngiqalekise izibusiso zenu. Yebo, sengiziqalekisile, ngoba kalikubeki enhliziyweni.

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 Khangelani, ngizakona inzalo yenu, ngithele umswane ebusweni benu, umswane wamadili enu, lisuswe kanye lawo.

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 Njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngithumele lumlayo kini, ukuze isivumelwano sami sibe loLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.

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 besilaye siyikuphila lokuthula; ngamnika khona kube yikwesaba angesaba ngakho; wathuthumela phambi kwebizo 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 Umlayo weqiniso wawusemlonyeni wakhe, lesiphambeko kasitholakalanga endebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ebubini.

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 indebe zompristi ziyagcina ulwazi, njalo bayadinga umlayo emlonyeni wakhe, ngoba uyisithunywa seNkosi yamabandla.

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 lina liphambukile endleleni, lakhubekisa abanengi emlayweni; lona isivumelwano sikaLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.

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 lami ngilenzile laba ngabadelelekayo labehliselwe phansi phambi kwabantu bonke, njengokuba lingagcinanga izindlela zami, kodwa lamukele ubuso emlayweni.

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 yini thina sonke? UNkulunkulu munye kasidalanga yini? Kungani sisenza ngenkohliso, omunye emelene lomfowabo, ngokungcolisa isivumelwano sabobaba?

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 wenze ngenkohliso, njalo kwenziwe amanyala koIsrayeli leJerusalema; ngoba uJuda ungcolisile ubungcwele bukaJehova abuthandayo, uthethe indodakazi kankulunkulu wezizweni.

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 INkosi izaquma umuntu owenza lokhu, ovusayo lophendulayo, asuke emathenteni kaJakobe, lalowo oletha umnikelo eNkosini yamabandla.

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 Lalokhu likwenzile kabili; lisibekela ilathi leNkosi ngezinyembezi, ngokukhala, langokububula, okungangokuthi kayisawunanzi umnikelo, kumbe ukuwemukela ngokuthokoza esandleni senu.

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 Kanti lithi: Kungani? Kungoba iNkosi yayingumfakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho, wena omphethe ngenkohliso, kanti engumngane wakho, lomfazi wesivumelwano sakho.

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 Kenzanga yini oyedwa? Njalo elomoya oseleyo. Njalo kungani oyedwa? Wadinga inzalo kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho qaphelisani ngomoya wenu, njalo kakungabi lophatha umfazi wobutsha bakhe ngenkohliso.

... So give thought to your spirit, and let no one be false to the wife of his early years.

16 Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi iyazonda ukwalana. Ngoba omunye usibekela udlakela ngesembatho sakhe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla. Ngakho qaphelisani ngomoya wenu, ukuze lingenzi ngenkohliso.

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 Liyidinisile iNkosi ngamazwi enu. Kanti lithi: Siyidinise ngani? Ngokuthi kwenu: Wonke owenza okubi ulungile emehlweni eNkosi, njalo iyathokoza ngabo; kumbe: Ungaphi uNkulunkulu wesahlulelo?

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?