< Malashi 3 >
1 « Nakotinda ntoma na Ngai; ye nde akoya liboso mpo na kobongisela Ngai nzela. Boye Yawe oyo bozali kozela akoya na pwasa kati na Tempelo na Ye; ntoma ya boyokani oyo bolingi akoya, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga.
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 Kasi nani akobika na mokolo oyo akoya? Nani akotelema na mokolo oyo akomonana? Pamba te azali lokola moto ya monyangwisi bibende na moto, lokola sabuni oyo etelisaka bilamba.
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 Akovanda lokola monyangwisi bibende mpe mopetoli palata na moto. Akopetola bana mibali ya Levi mpe akolekisa bango na moto ndenge bapetolaka wolo mpe palata, mpe bakokoma mpo na Yawe bato oyo bamemelaka Ye makabo kolanda ndenge esengeli kozala.
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 Bongo makabo ya Yuda mpe ya Yelusalemi ekosepelisa Yawe, ndenge ezalaki na tango ya kala.
Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as they did in the old days, in the former years.
5 « Nakopusana pene na bino mpo na kosambisama, nakosala na lombangu mpo na kofunda bato ya maji, ya ekobo, bato oyo balapaka ndayi ya lokuta, bato oyo banyokolaka basali na bango, basi bakufisa mibali mpe bana bitike, oyo banyokolaka bapaya mpe batosaka Ngai te, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga.
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 « Ngai Yawe, nabongwanaka te. Mpo na yango, bino bana mibali ya Jakobi, bozali kaka.
For I am the Lord, I don't change, and you haven't stopped being descendants of Jacob.
7 Wuta na tango ya bakoko na bino, bozalaki kaka kobuka mibeko na Ngai mpe bozalaki kotosa Ngai te. Bozonga epai na Ngai, mpe Ngai nakozonga epai na bino, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga. « Kasi bozali komituna: ‹ Tokozonga ndenge nini? ›
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 Boni, moto akoki solo kokosa Nzambe? Nzokande bino, bozali kokosa Ngai. Kasi bozali koloba: ‹ Tokosi Yo na likambo nini? › Bokosi Ngai na eteni na bino ya zomi mpe na makabo.
Should people defraud God? Yet you are defrauding me! But you ask, “How have we defrauded you?” In tithes and offerings.
9 Bozali na se ya elakeli mabe, pamba te bino nyonso, ekolo oyo mobimba, bozali kokosa Ngai.
You are under a curse, for you and the whole nation are defrauding me.
10 Boye, bomema biteni na bino nyonso ya zomi, na mobimba na yango, na ebombelo bomengo ya Tempelo mpo ete bilei ezanga te kati na Ndako na Ngai. Na bongo, bomeka Ngai, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga, « mpo na kotala soki nakofungolela bino te maninisa ya Lola mpe soki nakosopela bino te lipamboli na Ngai, na bofuluki oyo ezanga ndelo.
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 Nakopekisa banyama mike-mike kolia bambuma ya bilanga na bino, bongo bilanga na bino ya vino ekotikala kozanga bambuma te, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga.
I will prevent locusts from destroying your crops, and your vineyards will not fail to bear fruit, says the Lord Almighty.
12 « Bato ya bikolo nyonso bakoloba ete bozali bato ya esengo, pamba te mokili na bino ekozala mokili ya malamu mpo na kovanda, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga.
All nations will call you blessed because you live in such a wonderful land, says the Lord Almighty.
13 Yawe alobi: « Bozali koloba makambo mabe mpo na kotelemela Ngai. Kasi bozali kotuna: ‹ Maloba nini ya mabe tolobi mpo na kotelemela Yo? ›
You have said hard things about me, says the Lord. But you say, “What have we said against you?”
14 Bozali lisusu koloba: ‹ Kosalela Nzambe ezali na tina te. Litomba nini penza ezali na kotosa mibeko na Ye mpe na komiboya liboso ya Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga?
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 Tosengeli sik’oyo komona bato ya lofundu lokola bato ya esengo, bato mabe bazali kokende liboso. Atako bazali kobeta tembe na Nzambe, kasi bazali kaka kolonga. › »
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 Ndenge wana nde bato oyo batosaka Yawe bazalaki kosolola bango na bango, kasi Yawe ayokaki masolo na bango. Boye buku moko ya ekaniseli ekomamaki liboso ya Yawe mpo na bato oyo batosaka Yawe mpe bapesaka Kombo na Ye lokumu.
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 « Na mokolo oyo nakomonisa nguya na Ngai, bakokoma bato na Ngai, bomengo na Ngai ya talo. Nakobatela bango ndenge tata abatelaka mwana oyo asalelaka ye, » elobi Yawe, Mokonzi ya mampinga.
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 « Bongo bokomona lisusu bokeseni kati na moto ya sembo mpe moto mabe, kati na moto oyo asalelaka Nzambe mpe moto oyo asalelaka Ye te.
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.