1 I am Malachi. And this is the message that the Lord gave me for Israel.
The Lord's Love for Israel
2 Israel, I, the Lord, have loved you. And yet you ask in what way have I loved you. Don't forget that Esau was the brother of your ancestor Jacob, but I chose Jacob 3 instead of Esau. And I turned Esau's hill country into a barren desert where jackals roam. 4 Esau's descendants may say, “Although our nation Edom is in ruins, we will rebuild it.”
But I, the Lord All-Powerful, promise to tear down whatever they build. Then everyone will know that I will never stop being angry with them as long as they are so sinful.
5 Israel, when you see this, you will shout, “The Lord's great reputation reaches beyond our borders.”
Judgment against Priests
6 I, the Lord All-Powerful, have something to say to you priests. Children respect their fathers, and servants respect their masters. I am your father and your master, so why don't you respect me? You priests have insulted me, and now you ask, “How did we insult you?”
7 You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, “How have we embarrassed you?” You have done it by saying, “What's so great about the Lord's altar?”
8 But isn't it wrong to offer animals that are blind, lame, or sick? Just try giving those animals to your governor. That certainly wouldn't please him or make him want to help you. 9 I am the Lord God All-Powerful, and you had better try to please me. You have sinned. Now see if I will have mercy on any of you.
10 I wish someone would lock the doors of my temple, so you would stop wasting time building fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you priests, and I refuse to accept any more of your offerings. 11 From dawn until dusk my name is praised by every nation on this earth, as they burn incense and offer the proper sacrifices to me. 12 But even you priests insult me by saying, “There's nothing special about the Lord's altar, and these sacrifices are worthless.”
13 You get so disgusted that you even make vulgar signs at me. And for an offering, you bring stolen animals or those that are lame or sick. Should I accept these? 14 Instead of offering the acceptable animals you have promised, you bring me those that are unhealthy. I will punish you for this, because I am the great King, the Lord All-Powerful, and I am worshiped by nations everywhere.
Orusuvero rwa Muhona kOvaisrael
1 Ombuze ya Muhona kOvaisrael ndja raera ku Maleaki, oyo ndji. 2 Muhona ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje: “Ami aruhe mbe mu suvera.” Nungwari owo mave ziri ave tja: “Ove hapo we tu raisira vi kutja we tu suvera?” Muhona a ziri a tja: “Esau ka ri erumbi ra Jakob are? Nu ami mba suverere Jakob nozondekurona ze, 3 nu e tondo Esau nozondekurona ze. Ami mba rundurura ehi re rozondundu okurira okuti onguza, neṱa re mbe ri yandja kozombandje.”
4 Nu nangarire kutja ozondekurona za Esau, imba Ovaedom, mave tja: “Eṱe twa yandekwa, nungwari matu tungurura ovitambatundu vyetu,” Muhona wOvimbumba otji ma ziri nai: “Ngave tunge uri! Ami me vi haṋa rukwao. Novandu mave vi haṋa rukwao. Novandu mave vi isana kutja ‘okuti kwourunde’, nokutja ‘Otjiwaṋa Muhona tja pindikira nga aruhe.’ ”
5 Ovaisrael mave kerimunina ihi nomeho wawo oveni nave tja: “Muhona eye omunamasa nga munda mbwina yomikuro vya Israel!”
Muhona ma tena ovapristeri
6 Muhona Omunamasaaehe ma tja nai kovapristeri: “Omuzandu u yozika ihe, nomukarere u yozika omuhona we. Nu ami tji mbi ri iho, ondjozikiro ku ami i ri pi? Nu tji mbi ri omuhona weṋu, tjiri, ondira ku ami i ri pi? Eṋe mu tengurura ena randje, nungwari mu pura amu tja: ‘Ena roye tu ri tengurura komuhingo uṋe?’ ” 7 Ena randje mu ṱunda mokupunguha ovikurya ovihakohoke kotjipunguhiro tjandje, tjazumba amu pura nai: “Eṱe twe ku tengurura komuhingo uṋe? Orondu tji mu tja: ‘Otjiriro tja Muhona otjiyambururwa.’ 8 Eṋe tji mamu eta otjinamuinyo otjipoṱu kombunguhiro, katjiṋa otjivi nao? Nu tji mamu eta otjinamuinyo otjiṱeṱu poo tji tja vera, katjiṋa otjivi wina are? Roreye okuviyandja omuano mbo kongooneya! Eye nao ma kara nohange na eṋe poo me mu ingoneke are?”
9 Nambano, eṋe vapristeri, riyarikaṋeye ku Ndjambi kutja e tu tjariparere. Oviṋa mbya sana ngwi vya tjitwa i eṋe. Eye nao indu ma rire omuingoneke weṋu are? 10 Muhona Omunamasaaehe ma tja nai: “Ayee, andakuzu pena umwe mokati keṋu ngwa vangere okupata omivero vyondjuwo yandje kutja amu ha yakisire ko omuriro omungandjo kotjipunguhiro tjandje! Ami hi tji nonyuṋe mu eṋe, noviyandjewa vyeṋu vyombunguhiro. Nu ami himee vi yakura ko momake weṋu. 11 Oviwaṋa okuza komapitiro weyuva nga komahitiro waro vi yozika ena randje. Ngamwa akuhe maku twimisiwa ovyomoro omuwa nu maku punguhwa ozombunguhiro ozongohoke kondjozikiro yena randje, orondu ena randje enene mokati kovanavisenginina. 12 Nungwari eṋe mamu ndji yamburura indu tji mamu tja: ‘Otjiriro tja Muhona otjiyambururwa, novikurya mbi mavi tuwa ku tjo ovihakohoke.’ 13 Eṋe mamu tja: ‘Tara, imbi vye tu urisa tjiri!’ neṋe mwe ndji nyengura, nu mu eta ovinamuinyo ovivakwa poo oviṱeṱu poo mbya vera vi rire oviyandjewa vyozombunguhiro. Oviṋa otja imbi hi yakure nonyuṋe meke reṋu are? 14 Ingwi omutikure nga sengwe wina ngu notjirume morupanda rwe na tjiti omakwizikiro wokutjipunguha, nungwari moruveze rwanao a punguhire Muhona otjinamuinyo otjiṱeṱu. Orondu ami tjinga ambi ri Ombara Onene, nena randje tjinga ari ri etiriwa mokati koviwaṋa avihe.”
