Malakai 1
1 Ko e tala mamafa, ko e folofola ʻa Sihova ʻia Malakai, ki ʻIsileli.
[This is] the message that Yahweh gave to [the prophet] Malachi to [give to the people of] Israel.
2 ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “kuo u ʻofa kiate kimoutolu.” Ka ʻoku mou pehē, “Kuo ke ʻofa ʻi he hā kiate kimautolu? ʻIkai ko e taʻokete ʻo Sēkope ʻa ʻIsoa?” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova: “Ka naʻaku ʻofa kia Sēkope,
Yahweh says, “I have [always] loved you [Israeli people].”
3 pea ne u fehiʻa kia ʻIsoa, pea naʻaku ʻai ke lala hono ngaahi moʻunga, mo hono tofiʻa ko e toafa ki he fanga ngata.”
But you reply, “In what way have you loved us?” Yahweh replies, “[This is how I loved you]: [It is true that your ancestor] Jacob was [RHQ] Esau’s [younger] brother, and I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau. I caused his hilly region to become (desolate/a place where crops did not grow). I caused the land which he possessed to become a desert where jackals/wolves live.”
4 Ka koeʻuhi ʻoku pehē ʻe ʻItomi, “Kuo fakamasiva ʻakimoutolu, ka te mau liliu mai mo langa hake ʻae ngaahi potu ʻoku lala;” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “Te nau langa hake, ka te u holoki hifo ia ʻeau; pea tenau ui ʻakinautolu, ‘Ko e mata fonua ʻoe angahala,’ pea, ‘Ko e kakai ʻoku houhau ki ai ʻa Sihova ʻo taʻengata.’”
[The descendants of Esau who live in] Edom may say, “[Yes, ] we have been crushed/ruined, but we will rebuild [houses] in the ruins.” But the Commander of the armies of angels replies, “They may build [houses again], but I will demolish [them again]. Their [country] will be called ‘The land where wicked people [live]’ and [their people will be called] ‘The people with whom Yahweh is angry forever’.”
5 Pea ʻe mamata ʻa homou mata, pea temou pehē, “ʻE fakaongoongolelei ʻa Sihova mei he ngataʻanga ʻo ʻIsileli.”
When you [Israeli] people yourselves see [what I will do to them], you will say, “[It is evident far] beyond the borders of Israel that Yahweh is [very] great!”
6 “ʻOku fakaʻapaʻapa ʻae foha ki heʻene tamai, mo e tamaioʻeiki ki heʻene ʻeiki: pea ka ko e tamai au, pea kofaʻā ʻa hoku ongoongolelei? Pea ka ko e ʻeiki au, kofaʻā ia ʻae manavahē kiate au? ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau kiate kimoutolu, ʻE kau taulaʻeiki, ʻoku paetaku ki hoku huafa. Pea ʻoku mou pehē, ‘Ko e hā ʻemau paetaku ki ho huafa?’
But the Commander of the armies of angels says to the priests, “Boys honor their fathers, and servants [respect] their masters. So, if I am [like your] father and your master, why [RHQ] do you not honor and respect me? You have despised me [MTY]!” But you ask, “(How/In what way) have we despised you?”
7 ʻOku mou feilaulau ʻaki ʻae ma fakalielia ʻi hoku feilaulauʻanga; pea ʻoku mou pehē, ‘Kuo mau fakalieliaʻi koe ʻi he hā?’ ʻI hoʻomou pehē, ‘Ko e meʻa vaʻinga pe ʻae keinangaʻanga ʻa Sihova.’
[Yahweh replies, ] “[Instead of honoring me, you have despised me] by offering sacrifices on my altar that are unacceptable to me.” Then you ask, “What sacrifices have we given that have been unacceptable to you?” [Yahweh replies, ] “You think that (it does not matter/it is okay) if you do not respect my altar.
8 Pea kapau ʻoku mou ʻomi ʻae kui ʻo feilaulauʻaki, ʻikai ʻoku kovi ia? Pea kapau ʻoku mou feilaulau ʻaki ʻaia ʻoku ketu mo ia ʻoku mahaki, ʻikai ko e kovi ia? Ko eni, ʻatu ia kiate ia ʻoku puleʻi koe; ʻe fiemālie ai ia kiate koe, pe te ne maʻu lelei koe?” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
You offer for sacrifices animals that are blind. (Is that not wrong?/That is disgusting!) [RHQ] And you offer for sacrifices animals that are crippled or that have diseases. (Is that also not wrong?/That [also] is disgusting!) [RHQ] If you tried to give presents like that to your governor, (do you think [RHQ] that he would be pleased?/he would certainly not be pleased!) (Would he [RHQ] accept such gifts? He would certainly not accept such gifts!) [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says!”
9 Pea ko eni, ʻoku ou tala kiate kimoutolu, “Fakakolekole ki he ʻOtua koeʻuhi ke ne ʻaloʻofa mai kiate kitautolu: ʻoku mei homou nima ʻae meʻa ni: pea te ne maʻu lelei hamou taha?” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
[And he also says, ] “You plead with me to be merciful to you. But you bring to me sacrifices that are not acceptable to me, so why should I be kind to you [RHQ]?”
10 “He ko hai koā ha taha ʻiate kimoutolu te ne fie tāpuni ha matapā taʻetotongi? Pea naʻa mo e tutu ʻae afi ʻi he funga feilaulauʻanga ʻoʻoku ʻoku ʻikai fai taʻetotongi. ʻOku ʻikai te u leleiʻia ʻiate kimoutolu,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “pea ʻe ʻikai te u maʻu ha feilaulau mei homou nima.
The Commander of the armies of angels [also] says, “I wish/desire that one of you would shut the gates [of the temple courtyard], in order that no one could offer those worthless sacrifices. I am not pleased with you, and I will not accept the offerings that you bring to me.
11 Koeʻuhi ʻe lahi ʻa hoku huafa ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe ngaahi Senitaile, mei he hopo hake ʻae laʻā ʻo aʻu ki heʻene tō hifo; pea ʻe ʻomi ʻae fakanamu kakala ki hoku huafa mei he potu kotoa pē, mo e feilaulau maʻa; koeʻuhi ʻe ongoongo lahi ʻa hoku huafa ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe hiteni,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau.
[People of other] nations honor me [MTY] [every day], from sunrise/morning until sunset/evening. All over the world people offer incense and [other] pure/acceptable offerings to me [MTY]. [They do that] because [people among all] the nations know that I [MTY] am [very] great.
12 “Ka kuo mou fakalieliaʻi ia, ʻi hoʻomou pehē, ‘ʻOku taʻemaʻa ʻae keinangaʻanga ʻa Sihova, ʻaia mo hono ngaahi fua, pea ko e meʻa fakalielia ʻa hono meʻakai.’
But you [priests show that you] despise me [by what you do]. You say, ‘[It is all right if] people pollute the altar by bringing sacrifices that are unacceptable.’
13 Naʻa mou pehē foki, ‘Vakai, tā ko e meʻa fakafiu!’ Pea kuo mou kuhu ki ai;” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau; “pea naʻa mou ʻomi ʻaia naʻe lavea, pea mo e ketu, pea mo e mahaki; naʻe pehē pe ʻa hoʻomou ʻomi ʻae feilaulau: pea ʻe totonu koā ʻa ʻeku maʻu ia mei homou nima?” ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova.
You say ‘We are tired of [burning all these sacrifices on the altar].’ You (turn up your noses at/act very disrespectfully toward) [me]. When you bring [to me] animals that have been stolen or ones that are crippled or that have diseases, to offer them for sacrifices, [do you think that] [RHQ] I should accept them?
14 “Ka ʻe malaʻia kiate ia ʻoku kākā, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi heʻene fanga manu ʻae manu tangata, pea kuo ne fuakava, ka ʻoku ne feilaulau ʻaki ʻae meʻa fakalielia kia Sihova:” he ʻoku pehē mai ʻe Sihova ʻoe ngaahi kautau, “Ko au ko e Tuʻi lahi, pea ʻoku fakailifia ʻa hoku huafa ʻi he lotolotonga ʻoe hiteni.”
[I will] curse anyone who [tries to] cheat [me] by solemnly promising [to bring to me a perfect] ram from his flock [of sheep] and then brings to me one that has defects. [If anyone does that, I will punish him], because I am a great king; [I am] the Commander of the armies of angels and [people of the other] nations revere me [MTY], [but you do not]!”
