< Malachi 3 >
1 “Behold, I am sending My messenger, And he has prepared a way before Me, And suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking comes into His temple, Even the Messenger of the Covenant, Whom you are desiring, Behold, He is coming,” said YHWH of Hosts.
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 is bearing the day of His coming? And who is standing in His appearing? For He [is] as fire of a refiner, And as soap of a fuller.
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 And He has sat, a refiner and purifier of silver, And He has purified the sons of Levi, And has refined them as gold and as silver, And they have been bringing a present near to YHWH 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 present of Judah and Jerusalem has been sweet to YHWH, As in days of old, and as in 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 have drawn near to you for judgment, And I have been a witness, Making haste against sorcerers, and against adulterers, And against swearers to a falsehood, And against oppressors of the hire of a hired worker, Of a widow, and of a fatherless one, And those turning aside a sojourner, And who do not fear Me,” said YHWH of Hosts.
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, YHWH, have not changed, And you, the sons of Jacob, You have not been consumed.
是的,我是上主,決不改變;但你們總是雅各伯的子孫!
7 Even from the days of your fathers You have turned aside from My statutes, And you have not taken heed. Return to Me, and I return to you,” said YHWH of Hosts. “And you have said, In what do we turn back?
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 Does man deceive God? But you are deceiving Me, And you have said, In what have we deceived You? The tithe and the raised-offering!
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 You are cursed with a curse! And you are deceiving Me—this nation—all of it.
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 Bring in all the tithe to the treasure-house, And there is food in My house; When you have tried Me, now, with this,” said YHWH of Hosts, “Do I not open the windows of the heavens to you? Indeed, I have emptied on you a blessing until there is no space.
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 have pushed against the consumer for you, And He does not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor does the vine in the field miscarry to you,” said YHWH of Hosts.
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 the nations have declared you blessed, For you are a delightful land,” said YHWH of Hosts.
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 “Your words have been hard against Me,” said YHWH, “And you have said, What have we spoken against You?
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 You have said, A vain thing to serve God! And what gain when we kept His charge? And when we have gone in black, Because of YHWH of Hosts?
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 are declaring the proud blessed, Indeed, those doing wickedness have been built up, Indeed, they have tempted God, and escape.
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 Then have those fearing YHWH spoken to one another, And YHWH attends and hears, And a scroll of memorial is written before Him Of those fearing YHWH, And of those esteeming 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 have been to Me,” said YHWH of Hosts, “In the day that I am appointing—a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one has pity on his son who is serving 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 And you have turned back and considered, Between the righteous and the wicked, Between the servant of God and him who is not His servant.”
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。