< Malachias 3 >
1 Behold, I send forth my messenger, and he shall survey the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom ye take pleasure in: behold, he is coming, saith the Lord Almighty.
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。
2 And who will abide the day of his coming? or who will withstand at his appearing? for he is coming in as the fire of a furnace and as the herb of fullers.
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
3 He shall sit to melt and purify as it were silver, and as it were gold: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.
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:
4 And the sacrifice of Juda and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord, according to the former days, and according to the former years.
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。
5 And I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a sift witness against the witches, and against the adulteresses, and against them that swear falsely by my name, and against them that keep back the hireling's wages, and them that oppress the widow, and afflict orphans, and that wrest the judgment of the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord Almighty.
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。
6 For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed:
是的,我是上主,決不改變;但你們總是雅各伯的子孫!
7 but ye, the sons of Jacob, have not refrained from the iniquities of your fathers: ye have perverted my statutes, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord Almighty. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
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﹖」
8 Will a man insult God? for ye insult me. But ye say, Wherein have we insulted thee? In that the tithes and first-fruits are with you [still].
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。
9 And ye do surely look off from me, and ye insult me.
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。
10 The year is completed, and ye have brought all the produce into the storehouses; but there shall be the plunder thereof in its house: return now on this behalf, saith the Lord Almighty, [see] if I will not open to you the torrents of heaven, and pour out my blessing upon you, until ye are satisfied.
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。
11 And I will appoint food for you, and I will not destroy the fruit of your land; and your vine in the field shall not fail, saith the Lord Almighty.
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。
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a desirable land, saith the Lord Almighty.
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。
13 Ye have spoken grievous words against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye said, Wherein have we spoken against thee?
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﹖」
14 Ye said, He that serves God labours in vain: and what have we gained in that we have kept his ordinances, and in that we have walked as suppliants before the face of the Lord Almighty?
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﹖
15 And now we pronounce strangers blessed; and all they who act unlawfully are built up; and they have resisted God, and [yet] have been delivered.
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! 」
16 Thus spoke they that feared the Lord, every one to his neighbour: and the Lord gave heed, and hearkened, and he wrote a book of remembrance before him for them that feared the Lord and reverenced his name.
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。
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord Almighty, in the day which I appoint for a peculiar possession; and I will make choice of them, as a man makes choice of his son that serves him.
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。
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, and between him that serves God, and him that serves [him] not.
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。