Malachi Propheta 3
1 Ecce ego mitto angelum meum, et praeparabit viam ante faciem meam. Et statim veniet ad templum suum Dominator, quem vos quaeritis, et angelus testamenti, quem vos vultis. Ecce venit, dicit Dominus exercituum:
Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way for me. The Lord you are seeking will suddenly arrive at his Temple. The messenger of the agreement you say is so happy with you is coming, says the Lord Almighty.
2 et quis poterit cogitare diem adventus eius, et quis stabit ad videndum eum? Ipse enim quasi ignis conflans, et quasi herba fullonum:
Who can survive the day when he comes? Who can stand before him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing furnace that refines metal, or like the strong alkali that cleanses stains.
3 et sedebit conflans, et emundans argentum, et purgabit filios Levi, et colabit eos quasi aurum, et quasi argentum, et erunt Domino offerentes sacrificia in iustitia.
He will sit down like a refiner who purifies silver; he will purify Levi's descendants and refine them like gold and silver so they can present pure offerings to the Lord.
4 Et placebit Domino sacrificium Iuda, et Ierusalem sicut dies saeculi, et sicut anni antiqui.
Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as they did in the old days, in the former years.
5 Et accedam ad vos in iudicio, et ero testis velox maleficis, et adulteris, et periuris, et qui calumniantur mercedem mercenarii, et humiliant viduas, et pupillos, et opprimunt peregrinum, nec timuerunt me, dicit Dominus exercituum.
I will come and put you on trial. I am ready to be a witness against those who: practice witchcraft commit adultery tell lies give false evidence cheat employees oppress widows and orphans abuse foreigners and do not respect me, says the Lord Almighty.
6 Ego enim Dominus, et non mutor: et vos filii Iacob non estis consumpti.
For I am the Lord, I don't change, and you haven't stopped being descendants of Jacob.
7 A diebus enim patrum vestrorum recessistis a legitimis meis, et non custodistis. Revertimini ad me, et revertar ad vos, dicit Dominus exercituum. Et dixistis: In quo revertemur?
From the time of your forefathers onward, you have turned away from my laws and not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you ask, “How should we return?”
8 Si affliget homo Deum, quia vos configitis me? Et dixistis: In quo configimus te? In decimis, et in primitiis.
Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me! But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?” In tithes and offerings.
9 Et in penuria vos maledicti estis, et me vos configitis gens tota.
You are under a curse, for you and the whole nation are defrauding me.
10 Inferte omnem decimam in horreum, et sit cibus in domo mea, et probate me super hoc, dicit Dominus: si non aperuero vobis cataractas caeli, et effudero vobis benedictionem usque ad abundantiam,
Bring the full tithe into the storehouse so that there will be food in my Temple. Put me to the test in this, says the Lord Almighty, and I will open the windows of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you won't have enough room for it.
11 et increpabo pro vobis devorantem, et non corrumpet fructum terrae vestrae: nec erit sterilis vinea in agro, dicit Dominus exercituum.
I will prevent locusts from destroying your crops, and your vineyards will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord Almighty.
12 Et beatos vos dicent omnes Gentes: eritis enim vos terra desiderabilis, dicit Dominus exercituum.
All nations will call you blessed because you live in such a wonderful land, says the Lord Almighty.
13 Invaluerunt super me verba vestra, dicit Dominus.
You have said hard things about me, says the Lord. But you say, “What have we said against you?”
14 Et dixistis: Quid locuti sumus contra te? Dixistis: Vanus est, qui servit Deo: et quod emolumentum quia custodivimus praecepta eius, et quia ambulavimus tristes coram Domino exercituum?
You have said, “What's the point of serving God? What benefit is there in keeping his commandments or going before the Lord Almighty with long faces?
15 ergo nunc beatos dicimus arrogantes: siquidem aedificati sunt facientes impietatem, et tentaverunt Deum, et salvi facti sunt.
From now on we'll say that the proud are blessed. Evil people do well, and nothing happens when they dare God to punish them.”
16 Tunc locuti sunt timentes Dominum, unusquisque cum proximo suo: Et attendit Dominus, et audivit: et scriptus est liber monumenti coram eo timentibus Dominum, et cogitantibus nomen eius.
Then those who truly respected the Lord spoke to each other, and the Lord heard what they said. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence of those who respected the Lord and paid attention to him.
17 Et erunt mihi, ait Dominus exercituum, in die, qua ego facio, in peculium: et parcam eis, sicut parcit vir filio suo servienti sibi.
They shall be mine, says the Lord Almighty, my prized possession on the day when I take action. I will treat them kindly, as a father treats an obedient son.
18 Et convertimini, et videbitis quid sit inter iustum, et impium: et inter servientem Deo, et non servientem ei.
Then you will once again be able to distinguish those who do right from those who do wrong, between those who serve him and those who don't.
