Malachi 1 – NIRV & NEN

New International Reader’s Version

Malachi 1:1-14

1This is a prophecy. It is the Lord’s message to Israel through Malachi.

Israel Doubts God’s Love

2“Israel, I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord. “But I chose Jacob 3instead of Esau. I have turned Esau’s hill country into a dry and empty land. I left that land of Edom to the wild dogs in the desert.”

4Edom might say, “We have been crushed. But we’ll rebuild our cities.”

The Lord who rules over all says, “They might rebuild their cities. But I will destroy them. They will be called the Evil Land. My anger will always remain on them. 5You will see it with your own eyes. You will say, ‘The Lord is great! He rules even beyond the borders of Israel!’

Give Your Best to the Lord

6“A son honors his father. A slave honors his master. If I am a father, where is the honor I should have? If I am a master, where is the respect you should give me?” says the Lord who rules over all.

“You priests look down on me.

“But you ask, ‘How have we looked down on you?’

7“You sacrifice ‘unclean’ food on my altar.

“But you ask, ‘How have we made you “unclean”?’

“You do it by looking down on my altar. 8You sacrifice blind animals to me. Isn’t that wrong? You sacrifice disabled or sick animals. Isn’t that wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord who rules over all.

9“Now plead with God to be gracious to us! But as long as you give offerings like those, how can he accept you?” says the Lord.

10“You might as well shut the temple doors! Then you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord. “I will not accept any of the offerings you bring. 11My name will be great among the nations. They will worship me from where the sun rises in the east to where it sets in the west. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be brought to me. That’s because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord.

12“But you treat my name as if it were not holy. You say the Lord’s altar is ‘unclean.’ And you look down on its food. 13You say, ‘What a heavy load our work is!’ And you turn up your nose. You act as if you hate working for me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

“You bring animals that have been hurt. Or you bring disabled or sick animals. Then you dare to offer them to me as sacrifices! Should I accept them from you?” says the Lord. 14“Suppose you have a male sheep or goat that does not have any flaws. And you promise to offer it to me. But then you sacrifice an animal that has flaws. When you do that, you cheat me. And anyone who cheats me is under my curse. After all, I am a great king,” says the Lord who rules over all. “The other nations have respect for my name. So why don’t you respect it?

Kiswahili Contemporary Version (Neno: Bibilia Takatifu)

Malaki 1:1-14

11:1 Nah 1:1; Mdo 7:38; Rum 3:1-2; 1Pet 4:11Ujumbe: Neno la Bwana kwa Israeli kupitia kwa Malaki.

Yakobo Alipendwa, Esau Alichukiwa

21:2 Kum 4:37; Mal 2:14-17; 3:7-13; Yer 46:27; Rum 9:13; Mwa 25:23; 28:13Bwana asema, “Nimewapenda ninyi.”

“Lakini ninyi mnauliza, ‘Wewe umetupendaje?’ ”

Bwana asema, “Je, Esau hakuwa ndugu yake Yakobo? Hata hivyo nimempenda Yakobo, 31:3 Lk 14:26; Eze 35:3; Isa 34:10; 13:22lakini nikamchukia Esau, nami nimeifanya milima yake kuwa ukiwa, na urithi wake nimewapa mbweha wa jangwani.”

41:4 Isa 11:14; 34:11; 9:10; 34:5; Mao 4:22; Eze 25:12-14; 26; 14Edomu anaweza kusema, “Ingawa tumepondapondwa, tutajenga upya magofu.”

Lakini hili ndilo Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote asemalo: “Wanaweza kujenga, lakini nitabomoa. Wataitwa Nchi Ovu, watu ambao siku zote wapo chini ya ghadhabu ya Bwana. 51:5 Za 35:17; 48:1; Mik 5:4; Isa 45:22; 52:10; Amo 1:11-12; Za 83:18Mtayaona kwa macho yenu wenyewe na kusema, ‘Bwana ni mkuu, hata nje ya mipaka ya Israeli!’

Dhabihu Zilizo Na Mawaa

61:6 Law 20:9; Mt 15:14; 23:9; Lk 6:46; Ay 5:17; Kum 31; 12; 20:12; 5:16; Efe 6:2; Lk 18:20“Mwana humheshimu baba yake, naye mtumishi humheshimu bwana wake. Kama mimi ni baba, iko wapi heshima ninayostahili? Kama mimi ni bwana, iko wapi heshima ninayostahili?” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote. “Ni ninyi, enyi makuhani, mnaolidharau Jina langu.

“Lakini mnauliza, ‘Tumelidharau Jina lako kwa namna gani?’

71:7 Law 21:6; Eze 23; 41; 41:22“Mnatoa sadaka chakula kilichotiwa unajisi juu ya madhabahu yangu.

“Lakini ninyi mnauliza, ‘Tumekutia unajisi kwa namna gani?’

“Kwa kusema kuwa meza ya Bwana ni ya kudharauliwa. 81:8 Law 1:3; Kum 15:21; Mwa 32:20; Isa 43:23; Ay 42:8Wakati mletapo dhabihu za wanyama walio vipofu, je, hilo si kosa? Mnapoleta dhabihu zilizo vilema au wanyama wagonjwa, je, hilo si kosa? Jaribuni kuvitoa kwa mtawala wenu! Je, angefurahishwa nanyi? Je, atawakubalia?” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.

91:9 Law 23:33-44; Za 51:17; Mik 6:6-8; Rum 12; 1; Ebr 13:16; Yer 6:20; Hos 13:9“Basi mwombeni Mungu awe na neema kwetu. Je, kwa sadaka kama hizo kutoka mikononi mwenu, atawapokea?” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.

101:10 2Nya 28:24; Hos 5:6; Mal 2:12; Law 22; 20; Isa 1:11-14; Yer 14:12; 1Kor 9:13; Flp 3:18-19“Laiti mmoja wenu angalifunga milango ya Hekalu, ili msije mkawasha moto usiokuwa na faida juu ya madhabahu yangu! Sina furaha nanyi,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote, “nami sitaikubali sadaka toka mikononi mwenu. 111:11 Isa 24:15; 56:6; 6:3; 12:4; 60:6-7; 19:21; Za 113:3; Mt 8:11; Ufu 5:8; Ebr 13:15; Isa 59:19; 66:19; Yn 4:21; 1Tim 2:8Jina langu litakuwa kuu miongoni mwa mataifa, kuanzia mawio ya jua hata machweo yake. Kila mahali uvumba na sadaka safi zitaletwa kwa Jina langu, kwa sababu Jina langu litakuwa kuu miongoni mwa mataifa,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.

121:12 Eze 41:22“Lakini mnalinajisi Jina langu kwa kusema kuhusu meza ya Bwana, ‘Imetiwa unajisi pamoja na chakula chake. Ni ya kudharauliwa.’ 131:13 Isa 43:22-24; Hes 14:11; Kum 15:21; Law 22:20; Isa 1:12Nanyi mnasema, ‘Mzigo gani huu!’ Nanyi mnaidharau kwa kiburi,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.

“Wakati mnapowaleta wanyama mliopokonya kwa nguvu, walio vilema au walio wagonjwa na kuwatoa kama dhabihu, je, niwakubali kutoka mikononi mwenu?” asema Bwana. 141:14 Kut 12:5; Za 95:3; 72:6-11; Oba 1:21; Law 22:18-21; Mdo 5:1“Amelaaniwa yeye adanganyaye, aliye na mnyama wa kiume anayekubalika katika kundi lake na kuweka nadhiri ya kumtoa, lakini akatoa dhabihu ya mnyama aliye na dosari kwa Bwana. Kwa kuwa mimi ni Mfalme Mkuu, nalo Jina langu linapaswa kuogopwa miongoni mwa mataifa,” asema Bwana Mwenye Nguvu Zote.