UMalaki 2
1 Khathesi-ke, bapristi, umlayo lo ngowenu.
Now this command is for you priests!
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 listen and if you will not take it to heart to honor me, says the Lord Almighty, then I will place a curse on you and I will curse your blessings—in fact I have already cursed them because you haven't taken what I said to heart.
3 Khangelani, ngizakona inzalo yenu, ngithele umswane ebusweni benu, umswane wamadili enu, lisuswe kanye lawo.
Watch out! I am going to penalize your descendants. I will spread manure on your faces from the animals you sacrifice, the manure from your religious festivals, and you will be thrown out with it.
4 Njalo lizakwazi ukuthi ngithumele lumlayo kini, ukuze isivumelwano sami sibe loLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
Then you will know that I sent you this command so that my agreement with Levi can continue, says the Lord Almighty.
5 Isivumelwano sami besilaye siyikuphila lokuthula; ngamnika khona kube yikwesaba angesaba ngakho; wathuthumela phambi kwebizo lami.
My agreement with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him, and respect—he respected me. He stood in awe of me.
6 Umlayo weqiniso wawusemlonyeni wakhe, lesiphambeko kasitholakalanga endebeni zakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula langobuqotho, waphendula abanengi ebubini.
He taught the people the truth; nothing in his teaching was false. He walked with me in peace and did what was right, and he helped many to turn way from sin.
7 Ngoba indebe zompristi ziyagcina ulwazi, njalo bayadinga umlayo emlonyeni wakhe, ngoba uyisithunywa seNkosi yamabandla.
A priest should explain the truth about God, they should go to him to be taught, for he is the Lord Almighty's messenger.
8 Kodwa lina liphambukile endleleni, lakhubekisa abanengi emlayweni; lona isivumelwano sikaLevi, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
But you have turned from my way. You have made many people to fall into sin. By your teaching you have broken the agreement with Levi, says the Lord Almighty.
9 Ngakho lami ngilenzile laba ngabadelelekayo labehliselwe phansi phambi kwabantu bonke, njengokuba lingagcinanga izindlela zami, kodwa lamukele ubuso emlayweni.
So I have destroyed any respect you had, and humiliated you before all the people. For you have not kept my ways, and have shown favoritism in what you teach.
10 Kasilababa munye yini thina sonke? UNkulunkulu munye kasidalanga yini? Kungani sisenza ngenkohliso, omunye emelene lomfowabo, ngokungcolisa isivumelwano sabobaba?
Don't we all have one Father? Didn't one God create us? So why are we unfaithful to each other, violating the agreement made by our forefathers?
11 UJuda wenze ngenkohliso, njalo kwenziwe amanyala koIsrayeli leJerusalema; ngoba uJuda ungcolisile ubungcwele bukaJehova abuthandayo, uthethe indodakazi kankulunkulu wezizweni.
The people of Judah have been unfaithful and have committed a disgusting sin in Israel and Jerusalem. For the men of Judah have defiled the Lord's Temple (which he loves) by marrying women who worship idols.
12 INkosi izaquma umuntu owenza lokhu, ovusayo lophendulayo, asuke emathenteni kaJakobe, lalowo oletha umnikelo eNkosini yamabandla.
May the Lord expel the family of any man who does this from the nation of Israel! May there be no one left to bring an offering to the Lord Almighty!
13 Lalokhu likwenzile kabili; lisibekela ilathi leNkosi ngezinyembezi, ngokukhala, langokububula, okungangokuthi kayisawunanzi umnikelo, kumbe ukuwemukela ngokuthokoza esandleni senu.
Something else you do is to pour out your tears on the Lord's altar weeping and moaning because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or doesn't want to accept them.
14 Kanti lithi: Kungani? Kungoba iNkosi yayingumfakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho, wena omphethe ngenkohliso, kanti engumngane wakho, lomfazi wesivumelwano sakho.
“Why not?” you ask. Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife exchanged when you were young. You were unfaithful to her, your wife and partner joined to you by marriage contract.
15 Kenzanga yini oyedwa? Njalo elomoya oseleyo. Njalo kungani oyedwa? Wadinga inzalo kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho qaphelisani ngomoya wenu, njalo kakungabi lophatha umfazi wobutsha bakhe ngenkohliso.
Did he not make you one, and give some of his Spirit to you? And what does he want? Children of God. So watch what you do, and don't be unfaithful to the wife you married when you were young.
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 hate divorce, says the Lord God of Israel, for it's a violent attack on the wife, says the Lord Almighty. So watch what you do, and don't be unfaithful.
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 worn the Lord out with your words. “How have we worn him out?” you ask. By saying everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he is happy with them, or by asking, where is the Lord's justice?
