Malakaị 3

1 “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.

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is coming!” says the LORD of Hosts.

2 “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.

“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap;

3 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.

and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness.

4 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.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD as in the days of old and as in ancient years.

5 “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.

I will come near to you to judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

6 “Nʼihi na mụ onwe m bụ Onyenwe anyị adịghị agbanwe agbanwe. Ya mere, unu bụ ụmụ Jekọb ji dịgide.

“For I, the LORD, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7 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?’

From the days of your fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

8 “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.

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

9 Nʼihi ya, ọbụbụ ọnụ dịịrị unu, ka mba niile unu ha, nʼihi na ọ bụ mụ onwe m ka unu na-ezu ohi.

You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

10 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.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Hosts, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.

11 “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.

I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field,” says the LORD of Hosts.

12 “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.

“All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,” says the LORD of Hosts.

13 Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, sị, “Unu ekwuola ọtụtụ okwu dị ike megide m.” “Ma unu na-ajụ, ‘Gịnị ka anyị kwuru megide gị?’

“Your words have been harsh against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against you?’

14 “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?

You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God,’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

15 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.’”

Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’

16 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.

Then those who feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared the LORD and who honored his name.

17 “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.

They shall be mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

18 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.

Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.