Maraki 3
1 Tenei te unga atu nei e ahau taku karere, mana e whakapai te ara i mua i ahau, a kitea rawatia ake, kua tae te Ariki, e rapua nei e koutou, ki tona temepara; na ko te anahera o te kawenata, ko ta koutou e ngakau nui na, nana, tera ia ka tae atu, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.
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 A ko wai e u i te ra e tae mai ai ia? ko wai hoki e tu, ina puta mai ia? e rite ana hoki ia ki te ahi a te kaitahi para, ki te mea horoi a te kaihoroi:
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 Ka noho ano ia, ka rite ki te kaitahi para, ki te kaiwhakapai hiriwa, a ka whakapaia e ia nga tama a Riwai, ka whakahemokia to ratou para, ano he koura, he hiriwa: kia tapaea ai e ratou he whakahere ki a Ihowa i runga i te tika.
[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 Ko reira te whakahere a Hura raua ko Hiruharama rekaina ai e Ihowa, ka rite ki nga ra o mua, ki nga tau onamata.
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 Ka whakatata atu ano ahau ki a koutou ki te whakawa; ka hohoro ano ahau hei kaiwhakaatu i te he o nga kaimakutu, o te hunga puremu, o nga kaioati teka, o te hunga e tahae ana i nga utu o te kaimahi, i ta te pouaru, i ta te pani, e whakapeau ke an a i ta te manene, a kahore e wehi i ahau, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.
[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 Ko ahau hoki, ko Ihowa, kahore ahau e puta ke; na reira koutou, e nga tama a Hakopa, i kore ai e pau.
“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 No nga ra o o koutou matua i whakarerea ai e koutou aku tikanga, kihai ano i puritia e koutou. Hoki mai ki ahau, a ka hoki atu ahau ki a koutou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano. Heoi kei te mea na koutou, Kia pehea ta matou hoki atu?
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 E tahae ranei te tangata i ta te Atua? Heoi e tahae na koutou i taku. A e mea na koutou, He pehea ta matou tahae i tau? Ki nga whakatekau ra, me nga whakahere.
[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 Kua kanga, kua kanga koutou: ko koutou hoki kei te tahae i taku, ara ko tenei iwi katoa.
All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating me.
10 Maua katoatia mai te whakatekau ki roto ki te toa, kia whai kai ai toku whare, waiho hoki tenei hei whakamatautau moku, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano, me kahore e tuwhera i ahau nga matapihi o te rangi ki a koutou, a ka ringihia he manaaki ki a kouto u, a kia kore ra ano he takotoranga.
[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 A ka riria e ahau te kaiwhakapareho, he mea mo koutou, a e kore e huna e ia nga hua o to koutou oneone; e kore ano e marere noa nga hua o ta koutou waina i te mara, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.
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 A ki ta nga iwi katoa, he manaakitanga koutou: no te mea he whenua ahuareka koutou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.
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 He kaha a koutou kupu ki ahau, e ai ta Ihowa. Heoi e ki na koutou, He aha ta matou korero mou?
[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 Kua ki na koutou, Kahore he hua o te mahi ki te Atua: he aha hoki te rawa o ta matou pupuri i ana mea, o ta matou haere taua i te aroaro o Ihowa o nga mano?
[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 Na inaianei ki ta matou, ko te hunga whakakake nga mea koa; ae ra, ko nga kaimahi i te kino te hunga e hanga ake; ae ra, e whakamatautau ana ratou i te Atua, a kua mawhiti.
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 Na, ko te hunga i wehi i a Ihowa, kei te korerorero ratou ki tona hoa, ki tona hoa; a ka tahuri a Ihowa, ka whakarongo, na ka tuhituhia he pukapuka whakamahara ki tona aroaro mo te hunga i wehi ki a Ihowa, i whakaaro hoki ki tona ingoa.
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 Maku hoki ratou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano, i te ra e mahia ai e ahau he taonga motuhake; ka manawapa ano ahau ki a ratou, ka pera me te tangata e manawapa ana ki tana tama e mahi ana ki a ia.
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 Ko reira ano koutou hoki ai, kite ai i te rereketanga o ta te tika, o ta te kino, o ta tera e mahi ana ki te Atua, o ta tera kahore e mahi ki a ia.
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.”
