UMalakhi
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?’”