Malaki 3

1 Hwɛ! Mɛsoma me bɔfo a obesiesie kwan ama me. Afei mpofirim, Awurade a morehwehwɛ no no bɛba nʼasɔredan mu. Na apam no ho bɔfo a mopɛ no no bɛba, sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

“I am about to send my messenger and he will clear a path before me: And the Lord, who you are seeking, will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant who you long for is already coming, says the Lord of hosts.

2 Na hena na obetumi agyina ne da a ɔbɛba no ano? Sɛ opue a, hena na obetumi agyina? Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ ogya a wɔde nan dade anaa ntamahorofo samina.

But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand firm when he appears? He is like a refiner’s fire, and like a launderer’s soap,

3 Ɔbɛtena ase sɛ obi a ɔhoa dwetɛ ho. Ɔbɛtew Lewifo no ho na wɔayɛ sɛ sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ. Afei Awurade benya mmarima a wɔde ayɛyɛde bɛba wɔ kronkronyɛ mu,

and he will sit as a refiner and purifier. He will purify the descendants of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, until they are fit to bring offerings to the Lord.

4 na afɔrebɔde a efi Yuda ne Yerusalem bɛyɛ nea ɛsɔ Awurade ani sɛnea na ɛte wɔ nna ne mfe a atwa mu no.

Then will the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 “Enti metwiw abɛn mo, abebu atɛn. Mɛyɛ ntɛm adi adanse atia ntafowayifo, aguamammɔ ne atorofo, wɔn a wosisi adwumayɛfo wɔ wɔn akatua ho, wɔn a wɔhyɛ akunafo ne ayisaa so na wobu ntɛnkyew tia ahɔho na wonsuro me,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

“I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against the sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, those who cheat workers, or widows, or orphans, deny justice to immigrants, and do not fear me,” says the Lord of hosts.

6 “Meyɛ Awurade a mennsakra. Ɛno nti na mo Yakob asefo, wɔnsɛee mo no.

“For I, the Lord, do not change; and you have not ceased to be descendants of Jacob.”

7 Efi mo nenanom bere so moatwe mo ho afi me mmara ho, moanni so. Monsan mmra me nkyɛn, na me nso mɛba mo nkyɛn,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni. “Nanso mubisa se, ‘Ɔkwan bɛn so na yɛmfa nsan mmra?’

“From the days of your ancestors, you have turned aside from my statutes, and you have not kept them. Turn to me and I will turn to you,” says the Lord. “You say, ‘How should we turn?’

8 “Onipa betumi abɔ Onyankopɔn korɔn ana? Nanso, mobɔ me korɔn! Na mubebisa se, ‘ɔkwan bɛn so na yɛfa bɔɔ wo korɔn?’ “Wɔ ntotoso du du ne afɔrebɔde mu.

Can a human rob God? Yet you robbed me. You ask, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and gifts!

9 Nnome aba mo so, ɔman mu no nyinaa, efisɛ, morebɔ me korɔn.

You – your entire nation – are all cursed, because you rob me.

10 Momfa ntotoso du du no nyinaa mmra adekoradan no mu, na aduan mmra me fi. Monsɔ me nhwɛ wɔ saa ɔkwan yi so, na monhwɛ sɛ meremmue ɔsoro mfɛnsere na merenhwie nhyira bebree ngu mo so a, morennya baabi nkora ne nyinaa mpo,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there is food in my house. Test me in this way. See if I will not open to you the windows of the sky, and pour you out a blessing, until there is more than enough.

11 “Meremma mmoa mmɛsɛe mo nnɔbae na borɔdɔma aba rentew ngu wɔ bere a ɛmmeree ɛ,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

I will rebuke for your sakes the devouring locust and he will not destroy your crops, nor will the vine fail to ripen its fruit in the field, says the Lord of hosts,

12 “Na aman no nyinaa bɛka se wɔahyira mo, efisɛ mo asase so bɛyɛ anigye,” sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

and all nations will call you happy, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

13 “Moaka nsɛm a ɛmfata atia me, nanso mubisa se, ‘Asɛm bɛn na yɛaka atia wo?’ Sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.

“You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord. “You ask, ‘What have we said about you?’

14 “Moaka se, ‘Onyankopɔn som yɛ ɔbrɛgu, na yedii nʼahyɛde so na yɛkɔɔ Asafo Awurade anim te sɛ wɔn a wɔredi awerɛhow no, mfaso bɛn na yenyae?

You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God, and what do we gain from the Lord of hosts by keeping his commands, and walking mournfully in funeral garb before him?

15 Afei, wɔfrɛ ɔhantanni no nea wɔahyira no. Nokware ni, nnebɔneyɛfo di yiye, na mpo wɔn a wɔne Onyankopɔn di asi no, wɔfa wɔn ho di.’”

So now we call the proud happy, evildoers thrive: they dare God and escape unharmed.’”

16 Na wɔn a wosuro Awurade no ne wɔn ho wɔn ho kasae, na Awurade tiei, na ogyee wɔn so. Wɔn a wosuro Awurade na wodi ne din ni no, wɔkyerɛw wɔn din wɔ nhoma mmobɔwee so wɔ nʼanim de yɛɛ nkae ade.

Such things those who revered the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice, and a record was written before him of those who revered the Lord and those who keep in mind his name.

17 “Wɔbɛyɛ me dea,” sɛnea, Asafo Awurade se ni. Da a mɛkeka me ho no, wɔbɛyɛ mʼahode a ɛsom bo. Mede wɔn ho bɛkyɛ wɔn, sɛnea agya nya ayamhyehye de ɔba a ɔyɛ osetie ho kyɛ no no.

“They will be mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “my special possession on that day that I am preparing. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18 Na mubehu nsonoe a ɛda atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo ntam, ne wɔn a wɔsom Onyankopɔn ne wɔn a wɔnsom Onyankopɔn no ntam.

Once again my people will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the person who serves God and the person who does not.”