¹Zvino imwi vapristi, chinzwai uyu murayiro unouya kwamuri.

¹“Now, you 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 you will not listen, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name,” says Yahweh of Armies, “then will I send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have cursed them already, because you 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 will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.

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

⁴You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies.

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

⁵“My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might be reverent toward me; and he was reverent toward me, and stood in awe of 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 turned many away 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 they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Yahweh of Armies.

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

⁸But you have turned aside out of the way. You have caused many to stumble in the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says Yahweh of Armies.

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

⁹“Therefore I have also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according to the way you have not kept my ways, but have had respect for persons in the law.

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

¹⁰Don’t we all have one father? Hasn’t one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, 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 has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Yahweh which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

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

¹²Yahweh will cut off, to the man who does this, him who wakes and him who answers, out of the tents of Jacob, and him who offers an offering to Yahweh of Armies.

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

¹³This again you do: you cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, because he doesn’t regard the offering any more, neither receives it with good will 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 you say, ‘Why?’ Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion, and the wife of your 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.

¹⁵Did he not make you one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? Why one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously 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.

¹⁶For I hate divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with violence!” says Yahweh of Armies. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you don’t deal treacherously.

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?

¹⁷You have wearied Yahweh with your words. Yet you say, ‘How have we wearied him?’ In that you say, ‘Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of Yahweh, and he delights in them;’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’