¹“Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

¹ Sohõ binde, ya araŋ alfagey, lordi woone, araŋ gaa no a go:

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

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.

² Hala day araŋ si maa, wala mo d'araŋ s'a daŋ araŋ biney ra k'ay maa beerandi, kala ay ma laaliyaŋ zumandi araŋ boŋ. Yaadin no Rabbi Kundeykoyo ci. Ay m'araŋ albarkey laali. Oho, hala ay jin k'i laali zaati, zama araŋ man'a daŋ araŋ biney ra.

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

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.

³ A go, ay ga deeni araŋ izey gaa, ay ma alman motto tuusu araŋ moydumey gaa, danga araŋ batey almaney mottey nooya. Araŋ da alman mottey mo, i g'araŋ ku ka konda care banda.

³Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it.

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

⁴ Araŋ ga bay mo kaŋ ay no ka lordo din zumandi araŋ se, zama ay sappa ma goro Lawi banda. Yaadin no Rabbi Kundeykoyo ci.

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

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.

⁵ Ay alkawlo go a banda doŋ, fundi nda baani alkawli no. Ay n'a no a se zama a ma humburu ay. A humburu ay mo waato, a di ay maa ya dambara hari no mo.

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

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.

⁶ Cimi dondonandiyaŋ goro a meyo ra doŋ, i mana adilitaray-jaŋay gar mo a meyo ra. A dira ay banda laakal kanay da adilitaray ra, hal a na boro boobo bare i ma fay da goy laalo.

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.

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.

⁷ Zama a ga hima alfaga* meyo ma bayray haggoy, boro ma asariya* ceeci mo a meyo ra, zama nga wo Rabbi Kundeykoyo diya no.

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

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.

⁸ Amma araŋ wo, araŋ kamba ka fonda taŋ. Araŋ naŋ boro boobo ma kati ka asariya ganayaŋ taŋ, araŋ na Lawi sappa ziibandi mo. Yaadin no Rabbi Kundeykoyo ci.

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

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.

⁹ Woodin sabbay se no ay mo n'araŋ ye ka ciya konnari hari nda kaynayaŋ hari jama kulu jine, za kaŋ araŋ mana ay fondey haggoy, amma araŋ na baar'a-baar'a te asariya ciine ra.

⁹Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have had respect of persons in the law.

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?

¹⁰ Manti iri kulu baaba folloŋ bo? Manti Irikoy folloŋ no k'iri taka? Ifo se no binde kaŋ iri goono ga amaana ŋwaayaŋ goy te, boro fo kulu nda nga nya-izo, iri goono g'iri kaayey sappa sara?

¹⁰Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

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.

¹¹ Yahuda na amaana ŋwaari goy te, i na fanta hari goy te Israyla nda Urusalima* ra mo. Zama Yahuda na haya kaŋ ga hanan kaŋ Rabbi ga ba din ziibandi, a na ize way kaŋ gonda de-koy* fo hiiji.

¹¹Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of Jehovah which he loveth, and hath married the daughter of a foreign god.

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.

¹² Boro kaŋ na woodin te, boro kulu kaŋ no, Rabbi ma tuusu ka kaa Yahuda kunda ra. Bora din dumi ma si cindi baa d'a na sargay salle Rabbi Kundeykoyo se.

¹²Jehovah will cut off, to the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto Jehovah of hosts.

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.

¹³ Woone mo koyne araŋ go ga te: araŋ go ga Rabbi feema daabu nda mo mundi, da hẽeni, da bine jisiyaŋ, hal a si ye ka sargayey saal koyne. A s'i ta mo da bine yadda araŋ kambe ra.

¹³And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand.

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.

¹⁴ Amma araŋ go ga ne: «Ifo se no?» To, zama a go, Rabbi ciya seeda nin da ni zankataray wando game ra, nga kaŋ ni n'a amaana ŋwa, baa kaŋ a go, ni gorokasin no, ni alkawli wande.

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

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.

¹⁵ Manti a na alboro nda wayboro ciya afolloŋ gaaham da biya* baafuna ra? Mate nooya? Manti Rabbi goono ga banda ceeci kaŋ ga nga gana bo? Woodin sabbay se, wa haggoy d'araŋ bine, boro kulu ma si nga zankataray wando amaana ŋwa.

¹⁵And did he not make one, although he had the residue of the Spirit? And wherefore one? He sought a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

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.

¹⁶ Zama ay konna hiijay wiyaŋ, Rabbi, Israyla Irikoyo ne, ay konna mo bora kaŋ ciya toonyante. Yaadin no Rabbi Kundeykoyo ci. Woodin sabbay se, wa haggoy d'araŋ bine, araŋ ma si amaana ŋwa.

¹⁶For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

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?’

¹⁷ Araŋ na Rabbi fargandi nd'araŋ sanni-sanney. Amma araŋ go ga ne: «Man gaa no iri n'a fargandi?» To, zama araŋ ne goy laalo teeko kulu ga boori Rabbi diyaŋ gaa, a ga maa i kaani mo. Wala binde kaŋ araŋ go ga ne: «Man no Irikoyo kaŋ ga cimi ciiti te din go?»

¹⁷Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet 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 justice?