¹Zvino imwi vapristi, chinzwai uyu murayiro unouya kwamuri.

¹And now, ye priests, this commandment is for you.

²Kana imwi musingadi kunzwa, kana musingadi kuita nomwoyo wenyu zvandakaraira kuti mukudze zita rangu ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo ipapo ndichatuma kutuka pamusoro penyu, ndichatuka ropafadzo dzenyu; zvirokwazvo ndatozvituka, nekuti hamuzviiti nomwoyo wenyu.

²If ye do not hear, and if ye do not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, I will even send the curse among you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have already cursed them, because ye do not lay [it] to heart.

³Tarirai, ndichatuka vana venyu, ndichanamira ndove kuzviso zvenyu, iyo ndove yemitambo yenyu; muchabviswa pamwechete naro.

³Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your feasts; and they shall take you away with it.

⁴Ipapo muchaziva kuti ndini ndakakutumirai murayiro uyu, kuti sungano yangu ive naRevhi ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo.

⁴And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

⁵Sungano yangu navo yakanga iri youpenyu norugare; ndakavapa izvo kuti vanditye, vakanditya, vakadedera nokuda kwezita rangu.

⁵My covenant with him was of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and trembled before my name.

⁶Murayiro wezvokwadi wakange uri mumuromo wavo, kusarurama hakuna kuwanikwa pamiromo yavo; vakafambidzana neni norugare nokururama, vakadzora vazhinji pazvakaipa.

⁶The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.

⁷nekuti miromo yomupristi inofanira kuchengeta zivo, vanhu vanofanira kubvunza murayiro pamusoro wake; nekuti ndiye nhume yaJehovha wehondo.

⁷For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.

⁸Asi imwi makatsauka panzira; makagumbusa vazhinji pamurayiro; makasvibisa sungano yaRevhi ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo.

⁸But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

⁹Saka ndakakuitai vanhu vanozvidzwa navanorambwa navanhu vaose, zvamusina kuchengeta nzira dzangu, mukatsaura vanhu pakutonga murayiro.

⁹And I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, but have respect of persons in [administering] the law.

¹⁰Ko isu tose hatina baba vamwe here? Haazi Mwari mumwe wakatisika here? Tinogonyengerana neiko mumwe nomumwe hama yake, tichimhura sungano yamadzibaba edu?

¹⁰Have we not all one father? Hath not one ùGod created us? Why do we deal unfaithfully every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

¹¹Judha vakanyengera, chinhu chinonyangadza chaitwa pakati palsiraeri napaJerusaremu; nekuti Judha vakamhura nzvimbo tsvene yaJehovha, inodikamwa naye, vakawana mukunda wamwari wavatorwa.

¹¹Judah hath dealt unfaithfully, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the sanctuary of Jehovah which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange ùgod.

¹²Munhu anoita zvakadai, Jehovha achamubvisira pamatende aJakove, anodana neanopindura, neanovigira Jehovha wehondo zvipiriso

¹²Jehovah will cut off from the tents of Jacob the man that doeth this, him that calleth and him that answereth; and him that offereth an oblation unto Jehovah of hosts.

¹³Munoitawo izvozvi munofukidza atari yaJehovha nemisodzi, nokuchema, nokugomera, naizvozvo haacharangariri chipiriso, kana kuchigamuchira nomufaro pamaoko enyu.

¹³And further ye do this: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the oblation any more, nor receiveth [it] with satisfaction at your hand.

¹⁴Kunyange zvakadaro munoti, Nemhaka yeiko? nekuti Jehovha akanga ari chapupu pakati pako nomukadzi woujaya hwako, wawakanyengera, kunyange ari shamwari yako, nomukadzi wako wawakaita sungano yako naye.

¹⁴Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

¹⁵Ko haana kuita mumwe chete, kunyange akanga ane mumwe Mweya wakasara here? Zvino wakaitireiko mumwe chete? Wakatsvaka rudzi rwaMwari. Saka chenjererai mweya yenyu, kurege kuva nomumwe anonyengera mukadzi woujaya hwake.

¹⁵And did not one make [them]? and the remnant of the Spirit was his. And wherefore the one? He sought a seed of God. Take heed then to your spirit, and let none deal unfaithfully against the wife of his youth,

¹⁶nekuti ndinovenga kurambana ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha, Mwari waIsiraeri uye munhu anofukidza nguvo yake nokumanikidza ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha wehondo; saka chenjererai mweya yenyu, kuti murege kunyengera.

¹⁶(for I hate putting away, saith Jehovah the God of Israel;) and he covereth with violence his garment, saith Jehovah of hosts: take heed then to your spirit, that ye deal not unfaithfully.

¹⁷Makanetsa Jehovha namashoko enyu. Kunyange zvakadaro munoti, Takamunetsa neiko? Pakutaura kwenyu, muchiti, Mumwe nomumwe anoita zvakaipa, vakanaka pamberi paJehovha, ndivo vaanofarira, kana: Mwari wezvakarurama aripiko?

¹⁷Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words, and ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?