Malaquias 3
1 Eis que eu enviarei o meu mensageiro, que preparará o caminho adiante de mim; e de repente virá a seu templo o Senhor a quem vós buscais, o mensageiro do pacto a quem vós desejais. Eis que ele vem, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.
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 Mas quem poderá suportar o dia de sua vinda? Quem conseguirá ficar de pé quando ele aparecer? Porque ele será como fogo do ourives, e como o sabão de lavandeiros.
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 E ele se sentará como refinador e purificador da prata; pois ele limpará os filhos de Levi, e os refinará como o ouro e como a prata; então trarão ao SENHOR oferta com justiça.
[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 E a oferta de Judá e de Jerusalém será suave ao SENHOR, como nos dias antigos, e como nos anos passados.
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 E eu me achegarei a vós para o julgamento; e prontamente serei testemunha contra os feiticeiros e adúlteros, e contra os que juram falsamente, e os que oprimem o empregado em seu salário, a viúva, e o órfão, e pervertem [o direito] do estrangeiro, e não me temem, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.
[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 Porque eu o SENHOR, não me mudo; por isso que vós, filhos de Jacó, não sois consumidos.
“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 Desde os dias de vossos pais vos desviastes de minhas leis, e não as guardastes. Voltai-vos a mim, e eu me voltarei a vós, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos. Mas vós dizeis: Em que temos de voltar?
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 Pode o ser humano roubar a Deus? Vós, pois, me roubais. Mas vós dizeis: Em que te roubamos? Nos dízimos e nas ofertas.
[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 Com maldição sois amaldiçoados porque vós me roubais, toda a nação.
All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating me.
10 Trazei todos os dízimos à casa do tesouro, para que haja alimento em minha casa; e provai-me nisto, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos, se não vos abrir as janelas dos céu, e derramar sobre vós bênção transbordante.
[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 E por causa de vós repreenderei ao devorador, para não corrompa vosso fruto da terra; e vossa vide no campo não será estéril, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.
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 E todas as nações vos chamarão bem-aventurados; porque vós sereis terra agradável, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos.
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 Vossas palavras têm sido duras contra mim, diz o SENHOR. Mas vós dizeis: O que temos falado contra ti?
[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 Vós dizeis: É inútil servir a Deus; pois que proveito [temos tido] em guardarmos seus mandamentos e andarmos lamentando diante do SENHOR dos exércitos?
[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 Chamemos de sortudos os soberbos, pois os que praticam perversidade prosperam; mesmo tentando a Deus, eles escapam.
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 Então aqueles que temeram ao SENHOR falaram cada um a seu próximo, e o SENHOR prestou atenção e ouviu; e foi escrito um livro de memória diante dele para os que temem ao SENHOR, e para os que se honraram o seu nome.
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 E eles serão minha propriedade especial no dia que eu preparo, diz o SENHOR dos exércitos; e os pouparei como o homem que poupa a seu filho que lhe serve.
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 Então voltareis a ver a diferença entre o justo e o perverso, entre o que serve a Deus e o que não lhe serve.
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.”
