1 This is the message that the Lord gave Malachi to tell the people of Israel.
The Lord's Love for Israel
2 The Lord says to his people, “I have always loved you.”
But they reply, “How have you shown your love for us?”
The Lord answers, “Esau and Jacob were brothers, but I have loved Jacob and his descendants, 3 and have hated Esau and his descendants. I have devastated Esau's hill country and abandoned the land to jackals.”
4 If Esau's descendants, the Edomites, say, “Our towns have been destroyed, but we will rebuild them,” then the Lord will reply, “Let them rebuild—I will tear them down again. People will call them ‘The evil country’ and ‘The nation with whom the Lord is angry forever.’”
5 The people of Israel are going to see this with their own eyes, and they will say, “The Lord is mighty even outside the land of Israel!”
The Lord Reprimands the Priests
6 The Lord Almighty says to the priests, “Children honor their parents, and servants honor their masters. I am your father—why don't you honor me? I am your master—why don't you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, ‘How have we despised you?’ 7 This is how—by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we failed to respect you?’ I will tell you—by showing contempt for my altar. 8 When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there's nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favors?”
9 Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not answer your prayer, and it will be your fault. 10 The Lord Almighty says, “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so as to prevent you from lighting useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you; I will not accept the offerings you bring me. 11 People from one end of the world to the other honor me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honor me! 12 But you dishonor me when you say that my altar is worthless and when you offer on it food that you despise. 13 You say, ‘How tired we are of all this!’ and you turn up your nose at me. As your offering to me you bring a stolen animal or one that is lame or sick. Do you think I will accept that from you? 14 A curse on the cheater who sacrifices a worthless animal to me, when he has in his flock a good animal that he promised to give me! For I am a great king, and people of all nations fear me.”
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.”
