Malachi Propheta 3
1 ecce ego mittam 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
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 et quis poterit cogitare diem adventus eius et quis stabit ad videndum eum ipse enim quasi ignis conflans et quasi herba fullonum
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 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 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 et placebit Domino sacrificium Iuda et Hierusalem sicut dies saeculi et sicut anni antiqui
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 et accedam ad vos in iudicio et ero testis velox maleficis et adulteris et periuris et qui calumniantur mercedem mercennarii viduas et pupillos et opprimunt peregrinum nec timuerunt me dicit Dominus exercituum
[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 ego enim Dominus et non mutor et vos filii Iacob non estis consumpti
“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 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
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 si adfiget homo Deum quia vos configitis me et dixistis in quo confiximus te in decimis et in primitivis
[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 et in penuria vos maledicti estis et me vos configitis gens tota
All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating 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
[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 et increpabo pro vobis devorantem et non corrumpet fructum terrae vestrae nec erit sterilis vinea in agro dicit Dominus exercituum
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 et beatos vos dicent omnes gentes eritis enim vos terra desiderabilis dicit Dominus exercituum
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 invaluerunt super me verba vestra dicit Dominus
[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 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
[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 ergo nunc beatos dicimus arrogantes siquidem aedificati sunt facientes impietatem et temptaverunt Deum et salvi facti sunt
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 tunc locuti sunt timentes Deum unusquisque cum proximo suo et adtendit Dominus et audivit et scriptus est liber monumenti coram eo timentibus Dominum et cogitantibus nomen eius
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 et erunt mihi ait Dominus exercituum in die qua ego facio in peculium et parcam eis sicut parcit vir filio suo servienti sibi
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 et convertemini et videbitis quid sit inter iustum et impium et inter servientem Deo et non servientem ei
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.”
