< Malachi 3 >

1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says the LORD of Hosts.
Na rĩrĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũtũma mũtũmwo wakwa, ũrĩa ũgaathondeka njĩra mbere yakwa. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Mwathani ũcio mũcaragia nĩagooka o rĩmwe thĩinĩ wa hekarũ yake; mũtũmwo ũcio wa kĩrĩkanĩro ũrĩa mwĩriragĩria nĩagooka.”
2 “But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap;
No nũũ ũgetiiria mũthenya wa gũũka gwake? Nũũ ũkomĩrĩria rĩrĩa akooneka? Nĩgũkorwo akahaana ta mwaki wa mũturi ũrĩa ũtheragia cuuma, kana thabuni ũrĩa ũtheragia nguo.
3 and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness.
Agaikara thĩ ta mũturi wa betha na mũtheria wacio; nĩagatheria Alawii, amatherie ta ũrĩa thahabu na betha itheragio. Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova nĩagakorwo na andũ arĩa makamũrehere maruta ma ũthingu;
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD as in the days of old and as in ancient years.
namo maruta ma Juda na Jerusalemu nĩmagetĩkĩrĩka nĩ Jehova, o ta matukũ marĩa mathirĩte, o na ta mĩaka ĩrĩa ya mbere.
5 I will come near to you to judgement. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩngamũkuhĩrĩria ndĩmũciirithie na ndĩmũtuĩre. Nĩngahiũha gũtuĩka mũira wa gũtuĩra ciira arogi, na itharia, na arĩa mehĩtaga na maheeni, na njũkĩrĩre arĩa matunyaga aruti wĩra mĩcaara yao, na arĩa mahinyagĩrĩria atumia a ndigwa na ciana iria itarĩ maithe, na arĩa maagithagia ageni kĩhooto na makaaga kwĩĩndigĩra,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
6 “For I, the LORD, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
“Niĩ Jehova ndigarũrũkaga. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, inyuĩ njiaro cia Jakubu nĩkĩo mũtarĩ mwaniinwo.
7 From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
O na kuuma hĩndĩ ya maithe manyu-rĩ, mũtũire mũtiganĩirie irĩra ciakwa cia kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mũkaaga gũcirũmia. Njookererai na niĩ nĩngũmũcookerera.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũgũcookerera atĩa?’
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.
“Mũndũ-rĩ, aahota gũtunya Ngai indo ciake? No inyuĩ nĩmũndunyĩte indo ciakwa. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ tũgũtunyĩte?’ “Mũnduunyĩte maruta na icunjĩ cia ikũmi.
9 You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.
Rũrĩrĩ rwanyu ruothe rũgwatĩtwo nĩ kĩrumi, tondũ nĩmũndunyaga indo ciakwa.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Hosts, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, rehei gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi gĩothe thĩinĩ wa ikũmbĩ, nĩgeetha nyũmba yakwa ĩkoragwo na irio. Ngeriai na njĩra ĩno muone kana ndikũmũhingũrĩra ndirica cia igũrũ, ndĩmuurĩrie irathimo nyingĩ mũno nginya mwage handũ ingĩiganĩra.
11 I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Ningĩ nĩngagiria cianangi ithũkie irio cia mĩgũnda yanyu, nayo mĩthabibũ ya mĩgũnda yanyu ndĩgaacooka gũita maciaro mayo matarĩ makũrũ.” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga.
12 “All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of Hosts.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikamwĩtaga andũ arathime, nĩgũkorwo bũrũri wanyu ũgaakorwo ũrĩ wa gĩkeno.”
13 “Your words have been harsh against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩmwarĩtie maũndũ mooru ma kũnjambia. “No mũũragia atĩrĩ, ‘Tũgũcambĩtie atĩa?’
14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God,’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?
“Inyuĩ muugĩte atĩrĩ, ‘Gũtungatĩra Ngai nĩ ũndũ wa tũhũ. Nĩ uumithio ũrĩkũ tuonire nĩkũhingia kwenda gwake, na gũthiiaga mbere ya Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ta andũ maracakaya?
15 Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’
No rĩrĩ, andũ etĩĩi nĩo twĩtaga arathime. Ti-itherũ arĩa aaganu nĩo magaacagĩra, na arĩa makararagia Ngai matiherithagio.’”
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared the LORD and who honoured his name.
Nao arĩa meetigĩrĩte Jehova nĩmaranĩirie o mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ, nake Jehova agĩthikĩrĩria na akĩigua ũhoro ũcio. Ibuku rĩa kĩririkano nĩrĩandĩkirwo ũhoro wa andũ acio metigĩrĩte Jehova na magatĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩake, rĩkĩigwo hau mbere yake.
17 They shall be mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Acio nĩo magaatuĩka andũ akwa mũthenya ũrĩa ngaacookereria indo ciakwa cia bata. Nĩngamaiguĩra tha, o ta ũrĩa mũndũ aiguagĩra mũriũ tha ũrĩa ũmũtungatagĩra.
18 Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.
Na inyuĩ nĩmũkona rĩngĩ ngũũrani gatagatĩ ka arĩa athingu na arĩa aaganu, na gatagatĩ ka arĩa matungatagĩra Ngai na arĩa matamũtungatagĩra.

< Malachi 3 >