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.
1 Nēs ge mîs ǃKhūb dis Maleaxibab ge māsa, Israelǁaesab nî mîbase.
ǃKhūb ge Israelsa a ǀnam
2 “Tita ge sado ge ǀnam i” tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. Xawe du ge sado ra mî: “Mâtits ge ǀnam da i?” Ob ge ǃKhūba ge mî: “Esaub tsîn kom ge Jakob di ǃgâsa io, xawe ta ge Jakoba ge ǀnam i 3 tsî Esauba ge ǁkhan hâ i. Tita ge ǁîb di ǃhomxa ǀkhariba ge hîkākā tsî ǀumis âba ǃgaroǃhūb di ǀgirina ge ǁnāxūba.”
4 Edomǁîn ga mî “Sida ge khôaǂkhūhe hâ, xawe da ge ǁkhawa nî ǂnubikhâi,” ob ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba nî mî: “ǂNubikhâin ka, xawe ta ge tita ǁkhawa nî khôaǁnâ. ǁÎn ge eloxoresa ǃhūb ti nî ǂgaihe, ǁaes ǁîs ǀkhab ǃKhūba ǀamos kōse ǁaixa hâs ti.”
5 ǁNāsa du ge sadu mûdi ǂûdi ǀkha nî mû tsî du ge nî mî: “ǃKhūb ge a kai, Israeli ǀkharib nauǀkhāb kōse.”
ǃKhūb ge pristerga ra ǂgōǀau
6 “ǀGôab ge ǁgûba ra ǃgôa tsî ǃgāba ǀhonkhoeb âba. Tita nî sa îs karao, mâpab ti ǃgôasiba hâ? Sa î ta nîs kao, mâpab ti ǃaoǃgâsiba hâ? tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba sa pristergo, ti ǀonsa ra ǃharaxūgo ǃoa ra mî. Xawe go ge sago ‘Mâti ge sa ǀonsa ra ǃharaxū?’ ti ra mî. 7 Sago ge ǀurisa ǂûna ti altars ai ra ǁguiba, tsî go ge ‘Mâti ge ge satsa ǃharaxū?’ ti ra mî. ǃKhūb di tāb a ǃharaxūsa ti go ra ǂâi ǃkhais ǃaromas komo. 8 ǂGī xū-e go ga ǁguibas ase hā-ūo, ǁnā ǃkhaisa tsū tamas hâ? ǀAesen hâ tamas ka io ǃhom hâ xū-e go ga ǁguibas ase hā-ūo, ǁnā ǃkhaisa tsū tamas hâ? ǁNāti ī xū-e go ga sago gowoniaba ūsībao, ǂkhîǂâixab nî sago ǀkha?”
tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî. 9 “Tsî go ge sago huiba ra ǂgan, îb ga Eloba ǀkhomxa go ti. Nēs ge sago xu ge ī, tsîb kha ǁnâi nî ǀkhomxa go?”
tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî.10 “Sago ǃnâb ga ǀguib xaweba hâ Tempeli dao-amde nî ǂganamma, î go tā ti altars ai ǁause ǀae-e khau. Tita ge sago ǃnâ ǃgâiǃgâibasen-e ūhâ tama hâ, tsî ta ge sago ǁguiba-e ūǃoa tide,”
tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî.11 “Sores ra ǁhai ǃkhaisa xu ǁîs ra ǂgâ ǃkhais kōses ge ti ǀonsa ǁaedi xa nî ǃgôahe. Mâ ǃkhais hoas ai ta ge ǁguibade ra hā-ūbahe, ǃanu ǁguibade, ti ǀons ǁaedi ǃnâ a kai xui-ao,”
tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî.12 “Xawe go ge sago ǁîsa ra ǃgôaoǃnâ kai, ǃKhūb di altars a ǀurisa tsî ǁîs ai ra ǁguibahe ǂûn a ǃharaxūhesa ti go ra mîo. 13 Tsî go ge noxopa ‘Tarekō ǃgomsi-e kha nî ī’ ti mî tsî ǁî-e ǃharaxūb ǀkha ra ǃgapaǀî, tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî. Tsî go ge ǃnarihe hâ tamas ka io ǃhom hâ tamas ka io ǀaesen hâ-e tita ra hā-ūba. ǂÂi go ra ǁîna ta sago xu nî ūǃoasa?”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.14 “ǀÂxarexūsab ge a ǁnā khoeb, baib tamas ka io ǁgōba ūhâb, ǁîba mîmâi tsî xawe ūsaba ǃKhūba ra ǁguibaba. Tita ge kai gao-aota tsî ta ge hoa ǁaedi xa ra ǃaoǃgâhe,”
tib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî.