< Malachi 3 >

1 The Commander of the armies of angels says [this]: “Listen! I [am about to] send my messenger who will prepare [the people to receive me] when I come. [You claim that] [IRO] you are wanting to see me, and I will suddenly come to my temple. The messenger [who will tell you about a new] agreement, the one whom you are eagerly [SAR] awaiting, is certainly going to come [to you].”
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 But will anyone [RHQ] be able to survive when he comes? Will anyone [RHQ] be able to [remain] standing in front of him? [Certainly not, ] because he will be like [SIM] a blazing fire that refines/purifies [metal/gold]. He will be like [SIM] a very strong soap [that bleaches clothes].
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 will be like a worker who] sits [in front of his work] to cause silver to become pure by burning all the impurities. Like [a worker refines] silver and gold, he will cause the (descendants of Levi/priests) to become pure, [in order that they will again become acceptable to] offer sacrifices that will be acceptable to him.
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 When that happens, Yahweh will [again] accept the offerings brought to him by [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah, as [he did] previously.
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 [This is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says: “At that time, I will come to you to judge you. I will quickly testify against [all] those who practice sorcery/witchcraft, [all] who have committed adultery, and [all] liars. [I will testify] against those who have not given their workers the pay/wages that they promised, those who (oppress/treat cruelly) widows and orphans, and those who do not allow foreigners who live among you to be treated fairly. [I will testify that all] the people who do those things do not revere me.”
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 “I am Yahweh, and I never change. And although you [deceive people like] your ancestor Jacob did, I have not [yet] gotten rid of you.
是的,我是上主,決不改變;但你們總是雅各伯的子孫!
7 You and your ancestors have ignored my commands and you have not obeyed them. [Now] return to me; and when that happens, I will (return/do good) to you. [That is what I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say.” But you ask, “[We have never gone away from you, so] how can we return [to you]?”
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 [I reply, ] “People should certainly not [RHQ] cheat God; but you people have cheated me!” You ask, “In what way did we cheat you?” [I reply, ] “[You have cheated me by not bringing to me each year] (the tithes/one tenth of [all] your crops and animals) and [other] offerings [that you are required to give to me].
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 All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating 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 [Now] bring all the tithes to the storage rooms [in the temple], in order that there will be [enough] food [for the people who serve me] there. If you do that, I, the Commander of the armies of angels, promise that I will open the windows of heaven, and pour out [from them] blessings on you. [If you bring your tithes to the temple, the blessings will be] very great, with the result that you will not have enough space to store all of them. So test me [to see if I am telling the truth].
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 You will have abundant crops [to harvest], because I will protect them in order that they will not be harmed by locusts/insects. Your grapes will not fall from the vines [before they are ripe].
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 When that happens, [the people of] all nations will say that [I] have blessed you, because your country will be delightful. [That is what I, ] the Commander of the armies of angels, say.
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 [I, ] Yahweh, [have something else] to say [to you]. You have said terrible things about me.” But you reply, “What terrible things have we said about 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 [I reply], “You have said, ‘It is useless [for us] to serve God. We have gained nothing [RHQ] by obeying the commands that he gave [to us] and by trying to show the Commander of the armies of angels that we are sorry [for the sins that we have committed].
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 From now on, we will say/consider that those who are proud are [the ones whom God has] blessed. [We will say that because it seems that it is] those who do evil who become rich, and [that it is] those who try to find out how many evil things they can do without God punishing them who are not punished.’”
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 After [the people heard my message], those who revered Yahweh discussed [those things] with each other, and Yahweh listened to what they said. While Yahweh was watching, they wrote on a scroll the things that would remind them [about what they promised], and they wrote on that scroll the names of those who revered Yahweh and who [said that they] always wanted to honor him [MTY].
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 The Commander of the armies of angels says this [about those people]: “They will be my people. At the time that I judge people, [they will be like] [MET] a special treasure to me. I will be kind to them, like [SIM] fathers are kind to their sons who obey them.
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 When that happens, you will again see that [the manner in which I treat] righteous people is different from [the manner in which I treat] wicked people. [You will see that the manner in which I act toward] those who serve me is different from [the manner in which I act toward] those who do 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。

< Malachi 3 >