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].”
“Lee, aga m ezipu onyeozi m, onye ga-edozi ụzọ nʼihu m. Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị ahụ unu na-ele anya ya ga-abịa na mberede nʼụlọnsọ ukwu ya. Onyeozi nke ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ, onye ihe ya na-agụsị unu agụụ ike, ga-abịa,” ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru.
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].
“Ma onye ga-anagide ụbọchị ọbịbịa ya ma guzokwa mgbe ọ pụtara ihe? Nʼihi na ọ ga-adị ka ọkụ na-anụcha anụcha, dịkwa ka ncha e ji asụ akwa.
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.
Ọ na-anọdụ ala dịka ndị na-anụcha ọlaọcha ime ka ọ dị ọcha. Ọ ga-anụcha ndị Livayị, ime ka ha dị ọcha, dịka ọlaedo na ọlaọcha a nụchara anụcha tutu ruo mgbe ha ga-ewetara Onyenwe anyị onyinye nʼezi omume.
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.
Mgbe ahụ, onyinye Juda na Jerusalem ga-abụ onyinye Onyenwe anyị ga-anabata, dịka o si anabata ha nʼụbọchị ndị ahụ gara aga, na mgbe ochie gara aga.
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.”
“Mgbe ahụ, aga m abịa unu nso ikpe unu ikpe. Aga m abịakwa ngwangwa ịgbagide ha ama bụ ndị mgbaasị, na ndị na-akwa iko, na ndị na-aṅụ iyi ụgha, na ndị na-emegbu ndị inyom di ha nwụrụ, na ndị na-emegbu ndị na-enweghị nna, na ndị na-anapụ ndị ọbịa ikpe ziri ezi, ndị ahụ niile na-adịghị atụ egwu m.” Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru.
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.
“Nʼihi na mụ onwe m bụ Onyenwe anyị adịghị agbanwe agbanwe. Ya mere, unu bụ ụmụ Jekọb ji dịgide.
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]?”
Site nʼoge nna nna unu ha, unu esitela nʼidebe iwu na ụkpụrụ m wezuga onwe unu. Unu adịghịkwa edebe ha. Ya mere, lọghachikwutenụ m, mụ onwe m ga-alọghachikwute unu.” Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile na-ekwu. “Ma unu na-asị, ‘Anyị ga-esi aṅaa lọghachi?’
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].
“Mmadụ ọ na-ezu ihe bụ nke Chineke nʼohi? Ma unu apụnarịla m ihe bụ nke m. “Ma unu na-ajụ: ‘Anyị si aṅaa na-ezu gị ohi?’ “Ọ bụ site nʼotu ụzọ nʼime ụzọ iri unu, onyinye na aja niile.
9 All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating me.
Nʼihi ya, ọbụbụ ọnụ dịịrị unu, ka mba niile unu ha, nʼihi na ọ bụ mụ onwe m ka unu na-ezu ohi.
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].
Webatanụ otu ụzọ nʼụzọ iri nke ihe niile unu nʼime ụlọakụ m, ka nri jupụta nʼime ụlọ m. Jirinụ nke a nwalee m,” ka unu hụ ma mụ onwe m agaghị emeghe ọnụ ụzọ eluigwe, site na ya wụdatara unu ngọzị dị ukwuu, nke ga-ejubiga oke na ọnọdụ agaghị adị ichebe ha. Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile na-ekwu.
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].
“Aga m egbochi ihe nripịa ndị ahụ niile ka ha ghara iripịa mkpụrụ ubi unu. Osisi vaịnị unu agakwaghị atụpụsị mkpụrụ ya nʼala tutu ruo mgbe ha chara.” Ọ bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile na-ekwu.
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.
“Mgbe ahụ, mba niile dị iche iche ga-akpọ unu ndị a gọziri agọzi, nʼihi na ala unu ga-abụ nke na-enye ndị nwe ya obi ụtọ.” Ọ bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru.
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?”
Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, sị, “Unu ekwuola ọtụtụ okwu dị ike megide m.” “Ma unu na-ajụ, ‘Gịnị ka anyị kwuru megide gị?’
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].
“Unu ekwuola sị, ‘Ọ bụ ihe nzuzu ife Chineke ofufe, na ịtụ ya egwu. Gịnị bụ uru anyị na-erite site nʼidebe iwu ya, na ijegharị dịka ndị na-eru ụjụ nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile?
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.’”
Ma site ugbu a gaa nʼihu, ndị nganga ka anyị ga-akpọ ndị ihe na-agara nke ọma. Nʼezie, ndị na-eme ihe ọjọọ ka ihe na-agara nke ọma. Ndị ahụ jikwa ihe ọjọọ ha na-anwa Chineke na-agbanarị ntaramahụhụ ya.’”
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].
Mgbe ahụ, ndị niile na-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị gwarịtara ibe ha okwu, Onyenwe anyị ṅara ntị, nụkwa ihe ha na-ekwu. Nʼihu ya, e nwere akwụkwọ ncheta dị ya, ebe e dere aha ndị niile na-atụ egwu Onyenwe anyị, ma na-echekwa echiche banyere aha ya.
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.
“Nʼụbọchị ahụ m ga-eme ihe,” ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile na-ekwu, “ha ga-abụ ihe oke ọnụahịa nke aka m. Aga m echebe ha, dịka nna na-enwe ọmịiko ma chebekwa nwa ya nwoke na-efe ya.
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.”
Unu ga-ahụ ihe dị iche nʼetiti ndị ezi omume na ndị ajọ omume, hụkwa ihe dị iche nʼetiti ndị na-efe Chineke na ndị na-adịghị efe ya.
