< Malachi 3 >
1 Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way for me. The Lord you are seeking will suddenly arrive at his Temple. The messenger of the agreement you say is so happy with you is coming, says the Lord Almighty.
“Vakai te u fekau ʻa hoku fakamelomelo, pea te ne teuteu ʻae hala ʻi hoku ʻao: pea ko Sihova ʻaia ʻoku mou kumi ki ai, ʻe hāʻele fakafokifā mai ki hono fale tapu, ʻio, ʻae talafekau ʻoe fuakava, ʻaia ʻoku mou fiefia ai: vakai,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “ʻE haʻu ia.
2 Who can survive the day when he comes? Who can stand before him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing furnace that refines metal, or like the strong alkali that cleanses stains.
Ka ko hai ia te ne faʻa tali ʻae ʻaho ʻo ʻene haʻu? Pea ko hai ʻe faʻa tuʻu ʻoka ne ka hā mai? He ʻoku ne hangē ko e afi ʻo ia ʻoku fakamaʻa ukamea, pea tatau mo e meʻa fakamaʻa ʻae kau fō papālangi.
3 He will sit down like a refiner who purifies silver; he will purify Levi's descendants and refine them like gold and silver so they can present pure offerings to the Lord.
Pea te ne nofo ʻo hangē ko e tangata ʻoku ne fakamaʻa mo fakahaohaoa ʻae siliva: pea te ne fakamaʻa ʻae ngaahi foha ʻo Livai, mo ne fakamaʻa ʻakinautolu ʻo hangē ko e koula mo e siliva, koeʻuhi ke nau ʻatu kia Sihova ha feilaulau ʻoku māʻoniʻoni.
4 Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as they did in the old days, in the former years.
Pea ʻe toki lelei ʻae feilaulau ʻa Siuta mo Selūsalema kia Sihova, ʻo tatau mo e ngaahi muʻaki ʻaho, pea hangē ko e ngaahi taʻu ʻi muʻa.
5 I will come and put you on trial. I am ready to be a witness against those who: practice witchcraft commit adultery tell lies give false evidence cheat employees oppress widows and orphans abuse foreigners and do not respect me, says the Lord Almighty.
Pea te u ʻunuʻunu atu kiate kimoutolu ke fakamaau; pea te u fakamoʻoni toʻotoʻo ki he kau kikite kākā mo kinautolu ʻoku fuakava loi, pea kiate kinautolu ʻoku fakamālohi ʻae totongi ʻo ia ʻoku ngāue, ʻae fefine kuo mate ʻa hono husepāniti, pea mo e tamai mate, pea mo kinautolu ʻoku kākaaʻi ʻae muli, pea mo ia ʻoku ʻikai ke manavahē kiate au,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
6 For I am the Lord, I don't change, and you haven't stopped being descendants of Jacob.
“He ko au ko Sihova ʻoku ʻikai teu liliu; ko ia ʻoku ʻikai ʻauha ai ʻakimoutolu ʻae ngaahi foha ʻo Sēkope.
7 From the time of your forefathers onward, you have turned away from my laws and not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, “How should we return?”
ʻIo, talu mei he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, kuo mou hehē mei heʻeku ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, ʻo ʻikai fai ki ai. Tafoki mai kiate au, pea te u tafoki kiate kimoutolu,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau. “Ka naʻa mou pehē, ‘Te mau tafoki ko e hā?’
8 Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me! But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?” In tithes and offerings.
ʻE kaihaʻa ʻae tangata mei he ʻOtua? Ka kuo mou kaihaʻa meiate au. Ka ʻoku mou pehē ʻekimoutolu, ‘Kuo mau kaihaʻa meiate koe ʻi he hā?’ ʻI hono vahe hongofulu ʻoe meʻa, pea mo e ngaahi feilaulau.
9 You are under a curse, for you and the whole nation are defrauding me.
ʻOku fakamalaʻia ʻaki ʻakimoutolu ʻae malaʻia: koeʻuhi kuo mou kaihaʻa meiate au, ʻio, ʻae puleʻanga ni kotoa.
10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there will be food in my Temple. Put me to the test in this, says the Lord Almighty, and I will open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won't have enough room for it.
Mou ʻomi ʻae ngaahi vahe hongofulu ʻoe meʻa ki he tukunga koloa, koeʻuhi ke ai ha meʻakai ʻi hoku fale, pea mou ʻahiʻahi ai au,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “Pe te u fakaava ʻae ngaahi matapā ʻoe langi pe ʻikai, pea u lilingi hifo kiate kimoutolu ha tāpuaki, ʻe ʻikai ha potu ʻe faʻa hao ia ki ai.
11 I will prevent locusts from destroying your crops, and your vineyards will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord Almighty.
Pea te u valokiʻi ʻae fai fakaʻauha koeʻuhi ko kimoutolu, pea ʻe ʻikai te ne maumau ʻae fua ʻo homou kelekele; pea ʻe ʻikai foki lī mai ʻe he vaine ʻa hono fua ki he ngoue ʻoku teʻeki ke motuʻa,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
12 All nations will call you blessed because you live in such a wonderful land, says the Lord Almighty.
“Pea ʻe ui ʻakimoutolu ko e monūʻia ʻe he puleʻanga kotoa pē: he te mou hoko ko e fonua matamatalelei,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
13 You have said hard things about me, says the Lord. But you say, “What have we said against you?”
“Kuo fielahi mai hoʻomou lea kiate au,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova. “Ka ʻoku mou pehē ʻekimoutolu, ‘Ko e hā ʻemau lea kuo fai kiate koe?’
14 You have said, “What's the point of serving God? What benefit is there in keeping his commandments or going before the Lord Almighty with long faces?
Kuo mou pehē, ‘Ko e meʻa taʻeʻaonga ʻae tauhi ki he ʻOtua:’ pea ‘ko e hā kuo tau maʻu ʻi he fai ki heʻene ngaahi fekau, mo e tau ʻalu fakaangavaivai ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau?
15 From now on we'll say that the proud are blessed. Evil people do well, and nothing happens when they dare God to punish them.”
Pea ʻoku tau ui eni ʻae fielahi ko e monūʻia: ʻio, ʻoku fakalanga hake ʻakinautolu ʻoku fai angahala: ʻio, naʻa mo ia ʻoku ʻahiʻahi kovi ki he ʻOtua, ʻoku hao pe ʻakinautolu.’
16 Then those who truly respected the Lord spoke to each other, and the Lord heard what they said. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence of those who respected the Lord and paid attention to him.
Pea ko kinautolu naʻe manavahē kia Sihova naʻa nau toki lea fetokoniʻaki ʻiate kinautolu: pea naʻe ongoʻi ia ʻe Sihova, pea ne fanongo ki ai, pea naʻe tohi ʻi hono ʻao ʻae tohi fakamanatu, ʻonautolu naʻe manavahē kia Sihova, mo nau faʻa fakalaulauloto ki hono huafa.”
17 They shall be mine, says the Lord Almighty, my prized possession on the day when I take action. I will treat them kindly, as a father treats an obedient son.
Pea ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “ʻE hoko ʻakinautolu ko ʻeku koloa mahuʻinga fau, ʻi he ʻaho ko ia te u ngaohi ki ai; pea te u mamae kiate kinautolu, ʻo hangē ko e mamae ha tangata ki hono foha ʻoʻona ʻoku ngāue kiate ia.
18 Then you will once again be able to distinguish those who do right from those who do wrong, between those who serve him and those who don't.
Pea te mou toki liliu mai, pea ʻilo hono fai kehekehe ʻae māʻoniʻoni mo e angahala, mo hono fai kehekehe, ʻaia ʻoku ngāue ki he ʻOtua, mo ia ʻoku ʻikai ke ngāue ki ai.