Malaki 3
1 “Kpɔ ɖa, madɔ nye dɔla ɖo ɖa be wòata mɔ le ŋgɔnye eye Aƒetɔ si miele mɔ kpɔm na la ado ɖe eƒe gbedoxɔ me zi ɖeka kpoyi. Dɔla si ŋugbe wodo le nubabla la me, si dim miele la ava.” Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
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].”
2 “Ame ka ado dzi anɔ anyi ne eva do? Ame ka anɔ te ɖe eƒe vava nu? Elabena ele abe dzo si wotsɔna loloa ga ene eye wòle abe adzalẽ si wotsɔna nyaa avɔ wòɖina keŋkeŋ la ene!
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].
3 Anɔ anyi abe sika kple klosalo klɔla ene eye wòaklɔ Levi ƒe dzidzimeviwo ŋuti woadza abe sika alo klosalo ene, ale be woate ŋu asa vɔ na Yehowa le dzɔdzɔenyenye me.
[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.
4 Ekema Yehowa agaxɔ Yuda kple Yerusalemtɔwo ƒe vɔsa abe tsã ene.
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.
5 “Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, nye ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ kple tohehe atsɔ ŋutɔ. Manye ɖasefo zazɛ̃ aɖe ɖe nukalawo, ahasiwɔlawo, atam dzodzro kalawo, ame siwo baa woƒe dɔwɔviwo, ame siwo tea ahosiwo kple tsyɔ̃eviwo ɖe to, ame siwo baa amedzrowo kple ame siwo mevɔ̃am o la ŋu.” Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
[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.”
6 “Nyee nye Yehowa, nyemetrɔna gbeɖe o, eya tae mi Yakob ƒe dzidzimeviwo mietsrɔ̃ haɖe o, elabena nye nublanuikpɔkpɔ li ɖaa.
“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.
7 “Tso keke mia tɔgbuitɔgbuiwo ŋɔli ke la, miegbea nu le nye seawo gbɔ eye miewɔa wo dzi o. Mitrɔ ɖe ŋunye eye nye hã matrɔ ɖe mia ŋu.” Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe. “Ke miebia be, ‘Aleke míawɔ atrɔ ɖe ŋutiwòe?’
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]?”
8 “Ɖe amegbetɔ ate ŋu ada adzo Mawu hafi miawo ya mieda adzom mahã? “Ke míebia be, ‘Aleke míeda adzo wòe?’ “Mieda adzo nye nu ewolia kple nunana siwo nye tɔnye la eye mietsɔa wo nam o.
[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].
9 “Mawu ƒe fiƒode dziŋɔ le mia dzi elabena dukɔ blibo lae le bayem.
All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating me.
10 Mitsɔ miaƒe nu ewoliawo katã va nudzraɖoƒe lae ale be nuɖuɖu nasɔ gbɔ ɖe nye gbedoxɔ me. Mitsɔ esia dom kpɔ be nyemaʋu dziƒo nu akɔ yayra ɖe mia dzi fũu ale gbegbe be miaƒe nuɖuɖudzraɖoƒe ayɔ agbagba o mahã? Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
[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].
11 Made se na nu siwo gblẽa agblemenukuwo la be womagblẽ míaƒe agblemenukuwo o, eye miaƒe wain tsetsewo magblẽ adudu hafi woƒe ɖiɖiɣi naɖo o.” Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ lae gblɔe.
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].
12 “Ale dukɔwo katã ayɔ mi be yayramewo elabena dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ deto axɔ aƒe ɖe mia me.” Esiawoe Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ.
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.
13 “Yehowa be, ‘Miegblɔ nya vlowo ɖe ŋutinye’, “Gake miebiam be, ‘Nya kae míegblɔ ɖe ŋutiwò si mele be míagblɔ o?’
[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?”
14 “Miegblɔ be, ‘Enye nu dzodzro be woasubɔ Mawu. Viɖe ka míekpɔ to eƒe sewo dzi wɔwɔ me eye míezɔ le Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la ƒe ŋkume abe konyifalawo ene?’
[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].
15 Gake azɔ la, míegblɔna be, ‘Woyraa dadalawo. Nu dzea edzi na nu vɔ̃ wɔlawo, gawu la, ne wote Mawu kpɔ la, tohehe mevaa wo dzi o.’
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.’”
16 “Ke ame siwo vɔ̃ Yehowa, eye wolɔ̃e la ƒo nu nyui tso eŋuti na wo nɔewo eye Mawu ɖo to eye wòsee. Ena woŋlɔ ame siwo vɔ̃e, eye wolɔ̃e la ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖe ŋkuɖodzigbalẽ gã aɖe me da ɖi.”
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].
17 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ tso wo ŋutie nye esi: “Woanye tɔnye le ŋkeke ma dzi ne mele ƒu ƒom nye nu xɔasiwo. Abe ale si ŋutsu léa be na ɖevi si ɖoa toe ene la, nenema ke malé be na woe.
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.
18 Ekema miakpɔ vovototo si le ale si Mawu wɔna na ame dzɔdzɔe siwo ɖoa toe kple ame vɔ̃ɖi siwo meɖoa toe o la dome.”
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.”
