UMalaki 1

1 Umthwalo welizwi leNkosi kuIsrayeli ngesandla sikaMalaki.

The burden of a word of YHWH to Israel by the hand of Malachi:

2 Ngilithandile, itsho iNkosi. Kodwa lithi: Usithande ngani? UEsawu kasuye yini umfowabo kaJakobe? itsho iNkosi. Kanti ngamthanda uJakobe,

“I have loved you, said YHWH, And you have said, In what have You loved us?

3 loEsawu ngamzonda; ngenza izintaba zakhe incithakalo, lelifa lakhe laba ngelamakhanka enkangala.

Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” A declaration of YHWH, “And I love Jacob, and Esau I have hated, And I make his mountains a desolation, And his inheritance for dragons of a wilderness.

4 Lanxa uEdoma esithi: Senziwe abayanga, kodwa sizabuyela siyekwakha amanxiwa; itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Bona bangakha, kodwa mina ngizadiliza, njalo bazababiza ngokuthi: Ngumngcele wobubi, labantu iNkosi ebathukutheleleyo kuze kube phakade.

Because Edom says, We have been made poor, And we return and we build the ruins, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: They build, and I destroy, And [men] have called to them, O region of wickedness, O people whom YHWH defied for all time.

5 Lamehlo enu azabona, lani lithi: INkosi izakhuliswa kusukela ngaphetsheya komngcele wakoIsrayeli.

And your eyes see, and you say, YHWH is magnified beyond the border of Israel,

6 Indodana iyamhlonipha uyise, lenceku inkosi yayo. Uba-ke nginguyihlo, kungaphi ukuhlonitshwa kwami? Uba-ke ngiyiNkosi, kungaphi ukwesatshwa kwami? itsho iNkosi yamabandla kini, bapristi elidelela ibizo lami; kodwa lithi: Silidelele ngani ibizo lakho?

A son honors a father, and a servant his master. And if I [am] a father, where [is] My glory? And if I [am] a master, where [is] My fear? Said YHWH of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My Name! And you have said, In what have we despised Your Name?

7 Lisondeza isinkwa esingcolileyo phezu kwelathi lami, lisithi: Sikungcolise ngani? Ngokuthi kwenu: Itafula leNkosi liyadeleleka.

You are bringing defiled bread near on My altar, And you have said, In what have we defiled You? In your saying, The table of YHWH—it [is] despicable,

8 Njalo nxa lisondeza okuyisiphofu kube ngumhlatshelo, kakukubi yini? Lalapho lisondeza okuqhulayo lokugulayo, kakukubi yini? Ake ukusondeze kumbusi wakho; angathokoza ngawe yini, kumbe angabemukela yini ubuso bakho? itsho iNkosi yamabandla.

And when you bring the blind near for sacrifice, [saying], There is no evil, And when you bring the lame and sick near, [saying], There is no evil; Now bring it near to your governor—Does he accept you? Or does he lift up your face?” said YHWH of Hosts.

9 Khathesi-ke ake lincenge ubuso bukaNkulunkulu ukuze abe lomusa kithi; lokhu kube ngesandla senu; uzabemukela ubuso benu yini? itsho iNkosi yamabandla.

“And now, please appease the face of God, And He favors us; This has been from your own hand, Does He accept your faces?” said YHWH of Hosts.

10 Ngubani okhona ngitsho phakathi kwenu ongavala izivalo? Njalo lingabaseli ize umlilo phezu kwelathi lami. Kangithokozi ngani, kutsho iNkosi yamabandla, njalo kangiyikwemukela umnikelo esandleni senu ngentokozo.

“Who [is] even among you, And he shuts the double doors? Indeed, you do not kindle My altar for nothing, I have no pleasure in you,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And I do not accept a present of your hand.

11 Ngoba kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuze kube sekutshoneni kwalo, ibizo lami lizakuba likhulu phakathi kwezizwe; lakuyo yonke indawo impepha izatshiselwa ibizo lami, lomnikelo ohlambulukileyo; ngoba ibizo lami lizakuba likhulu phakathi kwezizwe, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.

For from the rising of the sun to its going in, Great [is] My Name among nations, And in every place incense is brought near for My Name, and a pure present, For great [is] My Name among nations,” said YHWH of Hosts.

12 Kodwa liyalingcolisa ngokuthi kwenu: Itafula leNkosi lingcolisiwe; lesithelo salo, ukudla kwalo, kudelelekile.

“And you are defiling it in your saying, The table of YHWH—it is defiled, As for its fruit—its food is despicable.

13 Njalo lithi: Khangela, ukudinisa okungakanani! Njalo likuchilela amakhala, itsho iNkosi yamabandla; njalo lilethe impango, lokuqhulayo, lokugulayo; ngokunjalo lilethe umnikelo. Ngikwemukele lokhu yini ngokuthokoza esandleni senu? itsho iNkosi.

And you have said, Behold, what a weariness, And you have puffed at it,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And you have brought in plunder, And the lame and the sick, And you have brought in the present! Do I accept it from your hand?” said YHWH.

14 Kaqalekiswe-ke umkhohlisi oleduna emhlanjini wakhe, ofunga ahlabele iNkosi okonakeleyo; ngoba ngiyiNkosi enkulu, itsho iNkosi yamabandla, lebizo lami liyesabeka phakathi kwezizwe.

“And a deceiver [is] cursed, who has in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For I [am] a great King,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And My Name [is] revered among nations!”