Malaki 3
1 Tazama, namtuma mjumbe wangu, atakayeandaa njia mbele yangu. Na Bwana, ambaye mnamtafuta, atakuja ghafla katika hekalu lake; na mjumbe wa agano, ambaye katika yeye mnafurahi, tazama anakuja.” asema Bwana wa Majeshi.
“Behold, I am sending My messenger, And he has prepared a way before Me, And suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking comes into His temple, Even the Messenger of the Covenant, Whom you are desiring, Behold, He is coming,” said YHWH of Hosts.
2 Na ni nani atakeyevumilia siku ya kuja kwake? na nani atasimama akishatokea? Yeye ni kama mtu asafishaye kwa moto na kama sabuni ya kufulia.
“And who is bearing the day of His coming? And who is standing in His appearing? For He [is] as fire of a refiner, And as soap of a fuller.
3 Atakaa na kutawala kama msafishaji wa fedha, na atawasafisha wana wa Lawi. na atawafanya wawe safi kama dhahabu na fedha, na wataleta sadaka za haki kwa Bwana.
And He has sat, a refiner and purifier of silver, And He has purified the sons of Levi, And has refined them as gold and as silver, And they have been bringing a present near to YHWH in righteousness.
4 Na sadaka ya Yuda na Yerusalem itampendeza Bwana, kama siku za kale, na miaka ya zamani.
And the present of Judah and Jerusalem has been sweet to YHWH, As in days of old, and as in former years.
5 Kisha nitapita karibu na ninyi kuwahukumu. na nitakuwa shahidi mwepesi dhidi ya wachawi, wazinzi, mahsahidi wa uongo, na kinyume cha wale wanaoonea wafanyakazi katika mizigo yake, wanaoonea wajane na yatima, na anayemfukuza mgeni kutoka kwenye haki yake, na kwa wale wasionitii mimi,”asema Bwana wa majeshi.
And I have drawn near to you for judgment, And I have been a witness, Making haste against sorcerers, and against adulterers, And against swearers to a falsehood, And against oppressors of the hire of a hired worker, Of a widow, and of a fatherless one, And those turning aside a sojourner, And who do not fear Me,” said YHWH of Hosts.
6 Mimi Bwana, sibadiliki; pia ninyi, watu wa Yakobo, hamkutumia.
“For I, YHWH, have not changed, And you, the sons of Jacob, You have not been consumed.
7 Toka siku za baba zenu mmegeukia mbali na amri zangu na hamkuzitunza. Nigeukieni, nami nitawarudia ninyi,” asema Bwana wa majeshi. Lakini mwasema, tutakurudiaje?
Even from the days of your fathers You have turned aside from My statutes, And you have not taken heed. Return to Me, and I return to you,” said YHWH of Hosts. “And you have said, In what do we turn back?
8 Mwanadamu anaweza kumwibia Mungu? Mnaniibia mimi, lakini mwasema, 'Tumekuibiaje?' kwa zaka na sadaka.
Does man deceive God? But you are deceiving Me, And you have said, In what have we deceived You? The tithe and the raised-offering!
9 Mmelaani kwa laana, kwa kuniibia mimi, taifa lote hili.
You are cursed with a curse! And you are deceiving Me—this nation—all of it.
10 Leteni zaka kamili katika ghalani, ili kwamba kiwemo chakula katika nyumba yangu. Na mnijaribu kwa hili,” asema Bwana wa Majeshi. “kama sitawafungulia madilisha ya mbinguni na kuwamwagia baraka juu yenu, ili kwamba hakutakuwa na sehemu ya kutosha kuzipokea.
Bring in all the tithe to the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When you have tried Me, now, with this,” said YHWH of Hosts, “Do I not open the windows of the heavens to you? Indeed, I have emptied on you a blessing until there is no space.
11 Nitamkemea mharibifu kwako, kwamba asiharibu mavuno yenu ya nchi yenu; mizazibu yenu katika shamba haitapukutisha kabla ya wakati wake,” asema Bwana wa Majeshi.
And I have pushed against the consumer for you, And He does not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor does the vine in the field miscarry to you,” said YHWH of Hosts.
12 Mataifa yote watakuita mbarikiwa; kwa ajili yako itakuwa ni nchi ya furaha,” asema Bwana wa Majeshi.
“And all the nations have declared you blessed, For you are a delightful land,” said YHWH of Hosts.
13 Maneo yenu yamekuwa magumu kinyume changu,” asema Bwana. lakini mwasema, “Tumesema nini kinyume chako?'
“Your words have been hard against Me,” said YHWH, “And you have said, What have we spoken against You?
14 mmesema, 'Hakuna maana kumtumikia Mungu. Kuna faida ya namna gani kutunza maagizo yake au kutembea huku mkiomboleza mbele za Bwana wa Majeshi?
You have said, A vain thing to serve God! And what gain when we kept His charge? And when we have gone in black, Because of YHWH of Hosts?
15 Na sasa tunamwita mwenye kiburi mbarikiwa. Waharifu si kufanikiwa tu, bali kumjaribu Mungu na kumwepuka.”
And now, we are declaring the proud blessed, Indeed, those doing wickedness have been built up, Indeed, they have tempted God, and escape.
16 Kisha wale wanaomweshimu Bwana walisemezana mmoja baada ya mwingine; Bwana yuko makini kutusikiliza, na kitabu cha kumbukumbu kiliandikwa mbele zake kwa ajili ya wale wanamwogopa Bwana na kuliheshimu jina lake.
Then have those fearing YHWH spoken to one another, And YHWH attends and hears, And a scroll of memorial is written before Him Of those fearing YHWH, And of those esteeming His Name.
17 “Watakuwa wangu,” asema Bwana wa majeshi,” hazina zangu, katika siku nitakayotenda; nitawapenda, kama mtu anavyompenda mwanawe anayemhudumia.
And they have been to Me,” said YHWH of Hosts, “In the day that I am appointing—a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one has pity on his son who is serving him.
18 Kisha zaidi sana nitatofautisha kati ya haki wenye haki na waovu, kati ya anayemwabudu Mungu na asiyemwabudu yeye.
And you have turned back and considered, Between the righteous and the wicked, Between the servant of God and him who is not His servant.”
