UMALAKHI

1 Isimemezelo:

Leli lilizwi likaJehova alitshela abako-Israyeli esebenzisa uMalakhi:*

2 “Ngiyalithanda,”+ kutsho uJehova.

Kodwa lina lithi: “Utshengise njani ukuthi uyasithanda?”

“U-Esawu wayengasimfowabo kaJakhobe yini?”+ kutsho uJehova. “Kodwa ngathanda uJakhobe, 3 ngazonda u-Esawu,+ ngenza intaba zakhe zaba ngamanxiwa,+ lelifa lakhe ngalinika amakhanka asenkangala.”+

4 “U-Edomi uthi, ‘Lanxa sichithiwe sizabuyela siyekwakha kutsha amanxiwa ethu.’ Kodwa uJehova wamabutho yena uthi, ‘Bazakwakha kodwa mina ngizadiliza futhi bazabizwa ngokuthi “bayindawo yobubi” langokuthi “bangabantu abasolwe nguJehova kuze kube nini lanini.”+ 5 Lizakubona lokhu ngamehlo enu lithi: “UJehova kaphakanyiswe kulo lonke elako-Israyeli.”’”

6 “‘Indodana iyamhlonipha uyise+ lenceku iyayihlonipha inkosi yayo. Manje nxa nginguyihlo,+ kungani lingangihloniphi?+ Nxa ngiyinkosi yenu,* kungani lingangesabi?’* Lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguJehova wamabutho kini lina baphristi abeyisa ibizo lami.+

“‘Kodwa lina lithi: “Sileyise njani ibizo lakho?”’

7 “‘Ngokuletha ukudla okungcolileyo* phezu kwe-alithare lami.’

“‘Kodwa lithi: “Manje sikungcolise njani?”’

“‘Ngokuthi: “Itafula kaJehova+ iyeyiseka.” 8 Nxa linikela ngezifuyo ezingaboniyo lithi: “Akulanto embi ngalokhu.” Nxa linikela ngezifuyo eziqhulayo loba ezigulayo lithi: “Akulanto embi ngalokhu.”’”+

“Ake lizame ukunika umbusi* wenu izifuyo lezo. Libona angani angathokoza yini alamukele ngomusa?” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

9 “Ngakho ngicela lincenge uNkulunkulu ukuze abe lomusa kithi. Kambe libona angani uzalamukela yini ngeminikelo yonale eliyilethayo?” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

10 “Ngubani phakathi kwenu ozimisele ukuvala iminyango+ yethempeli, njengoba libhadalisa ngitsho lokulumathisa umlilo e-alithareni lami?+ Angilamukeli,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho, “njalo yonke iminikelo yenu kayingithokozisi.”+

11 “Phela ibizo lami lizaphakanyiswa phakathi kwezizwe ilanga liphuma lize liyetshona.*+ Kuzatshiswa imihlatshelo kuzo zonke izindawo njalo kuzakwenziwa iminikelo ebizweni lami, ibe yisipho esihle, ngenxa yokuthi ibizo lami lizaphakanyiswa ezizweni,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

12 “Kodwa lina liyalingcolisa*+ ngokuthi, ‘Itafula kaJehova ingcolile, leminikelo ebekwa phezu kwayo lokudla kwayo kuyadeleleka.’+ 13 Liphinda lithi, ‘Kuyasidina thina lokhu!’ beselinyantikana liseyisa,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho. “Liletha izifuyo ezitshontshiweyo leziqhulayo lezigulayo. Kambe yizo izinto elinganikela ngazo lezo? Ngingazamukela yini?”+ kutsho uJehova.

14 “Uqalekisiwe umuntu oliqili olesifuyo esiphilileyo emhlambini wakhe kodwa enze isifungo abesenikela kuJehova ngesifuyo esilesici. Phela mina ngiyiNkosi enkulu,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho, “ibizo lami lizakwesatshwa phakathi kwezizwe.”+

2 “Umlayo lo uya kini baphristi.+ 2 Nxa lingalaleli njalo lingazimiselanga ezinhliziyweni zenu ukukhazimulisa ibizo lami,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho, “ngizalehlisela okubi+ ngitshintshe izibusiso zenu zibe yiziqalekiso.+ Ngizitshintshile sibili izibusiso zenu zaba yiziqalekiso ngoba alikwamukelanga lokhu ezinhliziyweni zenu.”

3 “Inhlanyelo eliyihlanyelileyo ngizayona ngenxa yezenzo zenu,+ ngithathe lomswane wezifuyo elinikela ngazo emikhosini yenu ngilithele ngawo ebusweni. Lizathwalwa liyelahlelwa lapho ochithelwa khona.* 4 Lapho-ke lizakwazi ukuthi ngiliphe umlayo lo ukuze isivumelwano sami loLevi siqhubekele phambili,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

5 “Isivumelwano engasenza laye sasingesempilo lokuthula futhi ngamenza wangihlonipha.* Wangesaba, wesaba lebizo lami. 6 Umthetho weqiniso wawusemlonyeni* wakhe+ futhi akula lokukodwa okungalunganga okwatholakala emlonyeni wakhe. Wahamba lami ngokuthula, esenza okulungileyo+ njalo wasiza abanengi ukuthi baphenduke. 7 Umphristi kumele afundise abantu ngoNkulunkulu njalo kumele bawuzwe ngaye umthetho*+ ngoba yena uyisithunywa sikaJehova wamabutho.

8 “Kodwa lina seliphambukile endleleni lenza labanengi baphambuka* emthethweni.*+ Lisephulile isivumelwano sikaLevi,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho. 9 “Yikho ngizalehlisa isithunzi ngilenze leyiswe ngabantu bonke ngoba alizilandeli izindlela zami kodwa liyabandlulula nxa lisahlulela abantu.”+

10 “Kanti asilababa oyedwa yini?+ Angithi sadalwa nguNkulunkulu munye? Pho kungani singcolisa isivumelwano sabokhokho bethu ngokuqilibezelana?+ 11 AbakoJuda bangamaqili njalo kwenziwa ihlazo elikhulu ko-Israyeli laseJerusalema. Abantu bakoJuda bangcolise ubungcwele bukaJehova*+ yena ebuthanda kangaka. Bathethe abafazi abangamadodakazi kankulunkulu wezizweni.+ 12 UJehova uzabasusa ematendeni kaJakhobe bonke abenza izinto lezi. Uzasusa loba ngubani* lanxa enikela kuJehova wamabutho.”+

13 “Kulokunye elikwenzayo okubangela ukuthi i-alithare likaJehova ligcwale izinyembezi njalo kube lokukhala lokulila phambi kwalo. Yikho engasayamukeli iminikelo yenu futhi kungasamthokozisi konke okuvela kini. + 14 Kodwa lina lithi, ‘Senzeni?’ UJehova ube ngufakazi phakathi kwakho lomfazi wobutsha bakho omkhohlisileyo lanxa engumngane wakho futhi eyinkosikazi yakho owenza layo isivumelwano.*+ 15 Kodwa bakhona abangazange bakwenze lokhu ngoba belomoya ongcwele njalo befuna ukuba labantwana* abazakuba yisizwe sikaNkulunkulu. Ngakho linda ingqondo yakho futhi ungamkhohlisi umfazi wobutsha bakho. 16 Ngiyakuzonda* ukubona abantu bedivosa,”+ kutsho uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, “njalo ngiyamzonda umuntu olesihluku,”* kutsho uJehova wamabutho. “Ngakho lindani izingqondo zenu futhi lingabi ngamaqili.+

17 “UJehova usediniwe ngamazwi enu.+ Kodwa lina lithi, ‘Simdinise njani?’ Limdinise ngokuthi, ‘Wonke umuntu owenza okubi ulungile emehlweni kaJehova njalo uyamamukela,’+ langokuthi, ‘Ungaphi uNkulunkulu owahlulela kuhle?’”

3 “Ngithuma isithunywa sami njalo sizalungisa* indlela phambi kwami.+ INkosi yeqiniso eliyidingayo izafika masinyane ethempelini layo,+ lesithunywa sesivumelwano sizafika. Isithunywa lesi elisithandayo sizafika loba sekutheni,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

2 “Kodwa ngubani ozalubekezelela usuku lokufika kwaso njalo ngubani ozakwenelisa ukuma lapho sivela? Phela isithunywa lesi sizakuba njengomlilo womcengi wensimbi lanjengesepa+ yokuwatsha. 3 INkosi izakuba njengomcengi lomhlambululi wesiliva,+ ihlambulule amadodana kaLevi. Izawacenga njengegolide lesiliva futhi azanikela kuJehova iminikelo ngenhliziyo emsulwa. 4 Umnikelo wabantu bakoJuda labeJerusalema uzamthokozisa uJehova njengasezinsukwini zendulo laseminyakeni yakudala.+

5 “Ngizabuya kini ngizolahlulela njalo ngizababeka icala labo abayizangoma,+ labafebayo,* labafunga amanga+ labaqila izisebenzi iholo lazo.+ Ngizakwahlulela lalabo abaqilibezela abafelokazi lezintandane+ labangafuni ukunceda* umuntu wesinye isizwe.+ Abantu laba abazange bangesabe,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

6 “Mina nginguJehova, kangitshintshi.*+ Lina lingamadodana kaJakhobe, kalizange liphele. 7 Kusukela ezinsukwini zabokhokho benu beliphambuka emithethweni yami njalo kaliyigcinanga.+ Phendukani kimi, lami ngizaphenduka kini,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

Kodwa lina lithi: “Kungani usithi siphenduke kuwe?”

8 “Kambe umuntu angatshontshela uNkulunkulu? Kodwa lina liyangitshontshela.”

Lanxa kunjalo lithi: “Kungani usithi siyakutshontshela?”

“Ngoba kalilethi okwetshumi kanye leminikelo. 9 Liqalekisiwe sibili* ngoba liyangitshontshela. Isizwe sonke siyangitshontshela. 10 Lethani konke okwetshumi esiphaleni sami+ ukuze kube lokudla endlini yami.+ Ngicela lingilinge kulokhu, libone ukuthi ngeke yini ngilivulele amagedi asemazulwini+ ngilithululele izibusiso ezinengi lize liswele lokuthi lizifake ngaphi,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

11 “Ngizaxotsha intethe ukuze zingatshabalalisi amabele aselizweni lenu futhi izihlahla zenu zamagilebisi zizahlala zithela,”+ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

12 “Zonke izizwe zizakuthi lina liyathokoza+ ngoba ilizwe lenu lizakuba* lilizwe lenjabulo,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

13 “Amazwi eliwakhulume ngami mabi,” kutsho uJehova.

Kodwa lina lithi: “Yiwaphi amazwi amabi esiwakhulumileyo?”+

14 “Lithe, ‘Akuncedi ngalutho ukukhonza uNkulunkulu.+ Kusincede ngani ukwenza konke akufunayo lokuhamba kwethu sidanile phambi kukaJehova wamabutho? 15 Khathesi sithi abantu abaziphakamisayo bayathokoza lalabo abahlala besenza okubi bayaphumelela.+ Balesibindi sokulinga uNkulunkulu basale bengajeziswanga.’”

16 Ngalesosikhathi labo abamesabayo uJehova baxoxisana, umuntu ekhuluma lomngane wakhe njalo uJehova waqhubeka elalelisisa ababekutsho. Kwabhalwa ibhuku phambi kwakhe+ elokukhumbula labo abesaba uJehova labacabangisisa ngebizo lakhe.*+

17 UJehova wamabutho uthi: “Bazakuba ngabami+ ngosuku engizabenza babe yimpahla yami eligugu.+ Ngizakuba lesihawu kubo njengoba nje ubaba esiba lesihawu endodaneni yakhe emlalelayo.+ 18 Lizaphinda liwubone umehluko phakathi komuntu olungileyo lomubi,+ laphakathi komuntu okhonza uNkulunkulu longamkhonziyo.”

4 “Luyeza usuku oluvutha njengomlilo,+ lapho bonke abaziphakamisayo labenza okubi abazakuba njengamahlanga. Bazatshabalaliswa bonke ngalolosuku,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho, “futhi akulagatsha loba impande ezasala kubo. 2 Kodwa lina elihlonipha* ibizo lami lizakhanyiselwa lilanga lokulunga elilemisebe esilisayo* njalo lizaqolotsha njengamathole anonileyo.”

3 “Mhla ngikwenza lokhu lizabanyathela ababi ngoba bazakuba njengothuli ngaphansi kwenyawo zenu,” kutsho uJehova wamabutho.

4 “Khumbulani uMthetho wenceku yami uMosi, olezimiso lezahlulelo engazinika bonke abako-Israyeli eHorebhi ukuthi bazilalele.+

5 “Ngizathuma umphrofethi u-Elija+ kini lungakafiki usuku lukaJehova olukhulu lolwesabekayo.+ 6 Uzaphendula izinhliziyo zabobaba zibe njengezamadodana,+ lezamadodana zibe njengezaboyise,* ukuze ngingabuyi ngizotshaya umhlaba ngiwutshabalalise.”

(IMibhalo yesiHebheru leyesi-Aramu iphelela lapha, besekulandela iMibhalo yamaKhristu yesiGrikhi)