< Maraki 3 >

1 “Tarirai, ndichatuma nhume yangu, uyo achagadzira nzira pamberi pangu. Ipapo Ishe wamunotsvaka, achasvika pakarepo patemberi yake; mutumwa wesungano, wamunoshuva, achauya,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
Behold me! sending my messenger, who will prepare a way before me, — and, suddenly, shall come to his temple The Lord whom ye are seeking, even the messenger of the covenant in whom ye are delighting, Lo! he cometh! saith Yahweh of hosts.
2 Asi ndiani angatsunga pazuva rokuuya kwake? Ndiani angamira paanoonekwa? Nokuti achava somoto womunatsi kana sipo yomusuki.
But who may endure the day of his coming? And who is he that can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ alkali;
3 Iye achagara somunatsi nomuchenesi wesirivha; achachenesa vaRevhi uye achavanatsa segoridhe nesirivha. Ipapo Jehovha achava navanhu vachamuvigira zvipiriso mukururama,
Therefore will he sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will purify the sons of Levi, and will smelt them, as gold and as silver; so shall they belong to Yahweh, offering a gift in righteousness.
4 uye zvipiriso zveJudha neJerusarema zvichagamuchirwa naJehovha, sapamazuva akapfuura, sapamakore akare.
Then shall the gift of Judah and Jerusalem, be pleasant to Yahweh, —as in the days of age-past times, and as in the ancient years.
5 “Saka ndichaswedera kwamuri kuzotonga. Ndichakurumidza kupupura ndichipikisa varoyi, mhombwe uye navanopika nhema, navaya vanobiridzira vashandi migove yavo, vanodzvinyirira chirikadzi nenherera uye vasingaruramisiri vatorwa, uye vasingandityi,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
Therefore will I draw near unto you for judgment, and will become a swift witness against the mutterers of incantations, and against the adulterers, and against them that swear to a falsehood, —and against them who rob the hire of the hireling, the widow and the fatherless, and that drive away the sojourner, and do not revere me, saith Yahweh of hosts.
6 “Ini Jehovha handishanduki. Saka imi, rudzi rwaJakobho, hamuna kuparadzwa.
Because, I, Yahweh, have not changed, therefore, ye, the sons of Jacob, have not been utterly consumed.
7 Kubva pamazuva amadzitateguru enyu makatsauka pamitemo yangu uye hamuna kuichengeta. Dzokerai kwandiri, uye neni ndichadzokera kwamuri,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose. “Asi munobvunza muchiti, ‘Tichadzoka pazvinhu zvipiko?’
From the days of your fathers, have ye departed from my statutes, and not observed them, Return ye unto me, that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts. And yet ye say, Wherein shall we return?
8 “Ko, munhu angabire Mwari here? Kunyange zvakadaro munondibira. “Asi munobvunza muchiti, ‘Tinokubirai pane zvipi?’ “Pazvegumi nezvipiriso.
Will, a son of earth, defraud, God? Nevertheless, ye, have been defrauding me, and yet ye say, Wherein have we defrauded thee? In the tithe and the offering.
9 Makatukwa, rudzi rwenyu rwose, nokuti muri kundibira.
With a curse, have ye been cursing, and yet, me, have ye been defrauding, — the whole nation.
10 Uyai nezvegumi zvose kudura, kuti mumba mangu mugova nezvokudya. Ndiedzei muna izvozvi,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose, “muone kana ndisingakuzarurirei mawindo okudenga, uye ndigokudururirai maropafadzo mazhinji zvokuti muchashayiwa pokuaisa.
Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, Yea, I pray you, put me to the proof hereby, saith Yahweh of hosts, whether I will not open to you the sluices of the heavens, and pour out for you blessing, until there be no room.
11 Ndichadzivisa udyi pakuparadza zvirimwa zvenyu, uye mizambiringa yeminda yenyu haingadonhedzi zvibereko zvayo,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
Then will I rebuke, for you, the devourer that he spoil not, for you, the fruit of the ground, — neither shall the vine in the field, be barren to you, saith Yahweh of hosts.
12 “Ipapo ndudzi dzose dzichati makaropafadzwa, nokuti nyika yenyu ichava inofadza,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
So shall all the nations, pronounce you happy, —for, ye, shall become, a land of delight, saith Yahweh of hosts.
13 Jehovha anoti, “Makataura zvinhu zvikukutu pamusoro pangu.” “Kunyange zvakadaro munoti, ‘Takataureiko pamusoro penyu?’
Stout against me, have been your words, saith Yahweh, —and yet ye say, What have we spoken, one to another, against thee?
14 “Imi makati, ‘Hazvina maturo kushumira Mwari. Takawaneiko nokuita zvaakarayira uye zvatakafamba savachemi pamberi paJehovha Wamasimba Ose?
Ye have said, Vain is it to serve God, —and, What profit when we have kept his charge, or when we have walked gloomily before Yahweh of hosts?
15 Asi zvino tinoti vanozvikudza vakaropafadzwa. Zvirokwazvo vaiti vezvakaipa vanobudirira uye naivo vaya vanoedza Mwari vanopunyuka.’”
Now, therefore, we are pronouncing happy—the proud, —and, the doers of lawlessness have, even been built up, and, they who have put God to the proof, have even been delivered.
16 Ipapo vaya vaitya Jehovha vakataurirana, uye Jehovha akateerera akanzwa. Bhuku rechirangaridzo rakanyorwa pamberi pake pamusoro pavanotya Jehovha uye nevanoremekedza zita rake.
Then, they who revered Yahweh, conversed, one with another, —and Yahweh hearkened, and heard, and there was written a book of remembrance before him, for them who revered Yahweh, and for such as thought of his Name.
17 “Vachava vangu,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha Wamasimba Ose, “pazuva randichaunganidza pfuma yangu inokosha. Ndichavanzwira tsitsi, somunhu anonzwira tsitsi mwanakomana wake anomushandira.
Therefore shall they be mine, saith Yahweh of hosts, in the day for which, I, am preparing treasure, —and I will deal tenderly with them, just as a man, dealeth tenderly, with his own son who is serving him.
18 Uye muchaonazve musiyano pakati pavakarurama navakaipa, pakati pavaya vanoshumira Mwari navaya vasingamushumiri.
So shall ye return, and see the difference, between the righteous and the lawless, —between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.

< Maraki 3 >