< Malaki 2 >
1 Afei mo asɔfo, saa animka yi yɛ mo de.
“And now this decree is for you, O priests:
2 Sɛ moantie, sɛ moanyɛ mo adwene sɛ mobɛhyɛ me anuonyam a mede nnome bɛba mo so, na mɛdan mo nhyira ama ayɛ nnome. Yiw, madome wɔn dedaw, efisɛ monyɛɛ mo adwene sɛ mobɛhyɛ me anuonyam, sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already begun to curse them, because you are not taking it to heart.
3 Mo nti mɛka mo asefo anim, na mede mo afahyɛ afɔrebɔ mmoa no agyanan bɛpete mo anim, na wɔasoa mo aka ho akɔ.
Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the waste from your feasts, and you will be carried off with it.
4 Na mubehu sɛ, masoma ma wɔde saa animka yi abrɛ mo sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a me ne Lewi apam no bɛkɔ so atena hɔ. Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.
5 Me ne no yɛɛ apam, nkwa ne asomdwoe apam. Na ehia ma nidi, enti ɔde nidi maa me na ɔde fɛre maa me din.
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
6 Nokware nkyerɛkyerɛ fii nʼanom, na wanka nkontomposɛm biara. Ɔne me nantew asomdwoe ne nokwaredi mu, na ɔmaa bebree dan wɔn ho fii bɔne ho.
True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.
7 “Ɛsɛ sɛ, ɔsɔfo ano kora nimdeɛ. Nnipa hwehwɛ nkyerɛkyerɛ fi ne nkyɛn, efisɛ ɔyɛ Asafo Awurade no somafo.
For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.
8 Nanso moaman afi ɔkwan no so, na mo nkyerɛkyerɛ ama bebree ahintihintiw; moabu me ne Lewi apam no so.” Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.
But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.
9 “Enti mama mo anim agu ase na mabrɛ mo ase wɔ nnipa anim, efisɛ moannantew mʼakwan so na mmom mode animhwɛ abu mmara so.”
“So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”
10 Yɛn nyinaa mfi Agya baako? Ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn baako na ɔbɔɔ yɛn? Na, afei, adɛn nti na yenni yɛn ho yɛn ho nokware, na yɛde bu yɛn agyanom apam no so?
Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?
11 Yuda anni nokware. Akyiwadeyɛ bi asi wɔ Israel ne Yerusalem mu: Yuda agu hyiadan a Awurade dɔ no ho fi, efisɛ waware ɔbea a ɔsom ananafo nyame.
Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.
12 Ɔbarima a ɔyɛ eyi de, sɛnea ɔte biara, Awurade mpam no mfi Yakob ntamadan mu, mpo sɛ ɔde afɔrebɔde brɛ Asafo Awurade no koraa a.
As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and aware—even if he brings an offering to the LORD of Hosts.
13 Ade a moyɛ bio ne sɛ: mode nusu fɔw Awurade afɔremuka no. Mote nusu na mutwa adwo efisɛ ɔnhwɛ mo afɔrebɔde no bio, na ɔmmfa anigye nnye mfi mo nkyɛn.
And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.
14 Mubisa se, “Adɛn nti?” Efisɛ Awurade te sɛ ɔdanseni a ɔda wo ne wo mmerantebere mu yere ntam, nanso woanni no nokware, ɛwɔ mu sɛ ɔyɛ wo yere wɔ aware nhyehyɛe mu de.
Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 Ɛnyɛ Awurade koro no ara na ɔbɔɔ mo? Ɔhonam fam ne honhom fam no, moyɛ ne dea. Dɛn na Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ? Ɔrehwehwɛ mma a onyamesuro wɔ wɔn mu. Enti da wo ho so wɔ honhom mu, na di wo mmerantebere mu yere nokware.
Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
16 “Mikyi awaregyae!” Sɛnea Awurade Israel Nyankopɔn se ni. “Na metan ɔbarima a ɔde abufuwhyew hyɛ ne yere so na ɔsan de ne ntama kata no so,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni. Enti da wo ho so wɔ honhom mu, na di nokware.
“For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.
17 Mode mo nsɛm tuatua Awurade aso. Mubisa se, “Ɔkwan bɛn so na moatuatua nʼaso?” Moka se, “Wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne nyinaa sen wɔ Awurade anim, na wɔsɔ nʼani,” anaa “Onyankopɔn temmufo nokwafo no wɔ he?”
You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”