< 瑪拉基書 3 >
1 看,我要派遺我的使者,在我前面預備道路。你們所尋求的主宰,必要忽然進入衪的殿內;你們所想望盟約的使者,看,他來了──萬軍的上主說。
Behold me! sending my messenger, who will prepare a way before me, — and, suddenly, shall come to his temple The Lord whom ye are seeking, even the messenger of the covenant in whom ye are delighting, Lo! he cometh! saith Yahweh of hosts.
2 但是衪來臨之日,有誰能支得住﹖衪顯現時,有誰能站立得住﹖因為衪像煉金者用的爐火,又像漂布者用的滷汁
But who may endure the day of his coming? And who is he that can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ alkali;
3 衪必要坐下,像個溶化和煉淨銀子的人,煉淨肋未的子孫,精煉他們像精煉金銀一像,使他們能懷著虔誠,向上主奉獻祭品:
Therefore will he sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will purify the sons of Levi, and will smelt them, as gold and as silver; so shall they belong to Yahweh, offering a gift in righteousness.
4 那時,猶大和耶路撒冷所獻的祭品,必能悅樂上主,有如昔日和往年。
Then shall the gift of Judah and Jerusalem, be pleasant to Yahweh, —as in the days of age-past times, and as in the ancient years.
5 那時,我必前來你們接近,執行審判,迅速作證反對術士、犯奸和發虛誓的人,反對欺壓傭工,寡婦和孤兒的人,反對侵害外方人的權利,而不敬畏我的人──萬軍的上主說。
Therefore will I draw near unto you for judgment, and will become a swift witness against the mutterers of incantations, and against the adulterers, and against them that swear to a falsehood, —and against them who rob the hire of the hireling, the widow and the fatherless, and that drive away the sojourner, and do not revere me, saith Yahweh of hosts.
6 是的,我是上主,決不改變;但你們總是雅各伯的子孫!
Because, I, Yahweh, have not changed, therefore, ye, the sons of Jacob, have not been utterly consumed.
7 自從你們祖先的日子以來,你們就離棄了我的法令,而不遵守。現在你們轉向我吧! 我必轉向你們──萬軍的上主說。你們卻說:「我們應怎樣轉向你呢﹖」
From the days of your fathers, have ye departed from my statutes, and not observed them, Return ye unto me, that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts. And yet ye say, Wherein shall we return?
8 人豈能欺騙天主﹖可是你們卻欺騙了我! 你們卻說:「我們在什麼事上欺騙了你﹖」即在什一和應獻的祭物上。
Will, a son of earth, defraud, God? Nevertheless, ye, have been defrauding me, and yet ye say, Wherein have we defrauded thee? In the tithe and the offering.
9 他們全體人民! 你們必要遭受嚴厲的詛咒,因為你們都欺騙了我。
With a curse, have ye been cursing, and yet, me, have ye been defrauding, — the whole nation.
10 你們應把什一之物送入府庫,好使卜殿宇存有食糧。你們就在這事上試試我吧! ──萬軍的上主說──看我是否給你們開啟天閘,將祝福傾注在你們身上,直到你們心意滿足。
Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, Yea, I pray you, put me to the proof hereby, saith Yahweh of hosts, whether I will not open to you the sluices of the heavens, and pour out for you blessing, until there be no room.
11 我必要為你們嚇走那舌食者,不容牠再損害你們的田產,也不讓你們田間的葡萄樹不結果實──萬軍的上主說。
Then will I rebuke, for you, the devourer that he spoil not, for you, the fruit of the ground, — neither shall the vine in the field, be barren to you, saith Yahweh of hosts.
12 萬民都要稱你們有福,因為你們將成為一片樂土──萬軍的上主說。
So shall all the nations, pronounce you happy, —for, ye, shall become, a land of delight, saith Yahweh of hosts.
13 上主說:「你們竟然敢用言語頂撞我。你們卻說:「我們在什麼話上頂撞了你﹖」
Stout against me, have been your words, saith Yahweh, —and yet ye say, What have we spoken, one to another, against thee?
14 即在你們說:「事奉天主只是徒然! 遵守衪的誡命,在萬軍的上主面前,穿苦衣而行,有什麼好處﹖
Ye have said, Vain is it to serve God, —and, What profit when we have kept his charge, or when we have walked gloomily before Yahweh of hosts?
15 現在我們該稱驕傲人有福;作惡的人,居然順利,試探天主的人居然免罰! 」
Now, therefore, we are pronouncing happy—the proud, —and, the doers of lawlessness have, even been built up, and, they who have put God to the proof, have even been delivered.
16 這是敬畏上主的人彼此談論的。但上主都加以注意而聽見了,並且在衪面前的記錄簿上,為那些敬畏上主和投靠衪名號的人予以記錄了。
Then, they who revered Yahweh, conversed, one with another, —and Yahweh hearkened, and heard, and there was written a book of remembrance before him, for them who revered Yahweh, and for such as thought of his Name.
17 在我行事的時日──萬軍的上主說──他們必是屬於我的產業,我要憐愛他們,有如人憐愛服事自己的兒子。
Therefore shall they be mine, saith Yahweh of hosts, in the day for which, I, am preparing treasure, —and I will deal tenderly with them, just as a man, dealeth tenderly, with his own son who is serving him.
18 你們將要重新看出義人和惡人,服事天主和不服事天主的人的區別。
So shall ye return, and see the difference, between the righteous and the lawless, —between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.