< مَلَاخِي 3 >

«هَأَنَذَا أُرْسِلُ مَلَاكِي فَيُهَيِّئُ ٱلطَّرِيقَ أَمَامِي. وَيَأْتِي بَغْتَةً إِلَى هَيْكَلِهِ ٱلسَّيِّدُ ٱلَّذِي تَطْلُبُونَهُ، وَمَلَاكُ ٱلْعَهْدِ ٱلَّذِي تُسَرُّونَ بِهِ. هُوَذَا يَأْتِي، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ» ١ 1
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].”
وَمَنْ يَحْتَمِلُ يَوْمَ مَجِيئِهِ؟ وَمَنْ يَثْبُتُ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِهِ؟ لِأَنَّهُ مِثْلُ نَارِ ٱلْمُمَحِّصِ، وَمِثْلُ أَشْنَانِ ٱلْقَصَّارِ. ٢ 2
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].
فَيَجْلِسُ مُمَحِّصًا وَمُنَقِّيًا لِلْفِضَّةِ. فَيُنَقِّي بَنِي لَاوِي وَيُصَفِّيهِمْ كَٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ، لِيَكُونُوا مُقَرَّبِينَ لِلرَّبِّ، تَقْدِمَةً بِٱلْبِرِّ. ٣ 3
[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.
فَتَكُونُ تَقْدِمَةُ يَهُوذَا وَأُورُشَلِيمَ مَرْضِيَّةً لِلرَّبِّ كَمَا فِي أَيَّامِ ٱلْقِدَمِ وَكَمَا فِي ٱلسِّنِينَ ٱلْقَدِيمَةِ. ٤ 4
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.
«وَأَقْتَرِبُ إِلَيْكُمْ لِلْحُكْمِ، وَأَكُونُ شَاهِدًا سَرِيعًا عَلَى ٱلسَّحَرَةِ وَعَلَى ٱلْفَاسِقِينَ وَعَلَى ٱلْحَالِفِينَ زُورًا وَعَلَى ٱلسَّالِبِينَ أُجْرَةَ ٱلْأَجِيرِ: ٱلْأَرْمَلَةِ وَٱلْيَتِيمِ، وَمَنْ يَصُدُّ ٱلْغَرِيبَ وَلَا يَخْشَانِي، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. ٥ 5
[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.”
لِأَنِّي أَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ لَا أَتَغَيَّرُ فَأَنْتُمْ يَا بَنِي يَعْقُوبَ لَمْ تَفْنَوْا. ٦ 6
“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.
«مِنْ أَيَّامِ آبَائِكُمْ حِدْتُمْ عَنْ فَرَائِضِي وَلَمْ تَحْفَظُوهَا. ٱرْجِعُوا إِلَيَّ أَرْجِعْ إِلَيْكُمْ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. فَقُلْتُمْ: بِمَاذَا نَرْجِعُ؟ ٧ 7
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]?”
أَيَسْلُبُ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ ٱللهَ؟ فَإِنَّكُمْ سَلَبْتُمُونِي. فَقُلْتُمْ: بِمَ سَلَبْنَاكَ؟ فِي ٱلْعُشُورِ وَٱلتَّقْدِمَةِ. ٨ 8
[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].
قَدْ لُعِنْتُمْ لَعْنًا وَإِيَّايَ أَنْتُمْ سَالِبُونَ، هَذِهِ ٱلْأُمَّةُ كُلُّهَا. ٩ 9
All that you do is cursed, because all you people in this country have been cheating me.
هَاتُوا جَمِيعَ ٱلْعُشُورِ إِلَى ٱلْخَزْنَةِ لِيَكُونَ فِي بَيْتِي طَعَامٌ، وَجَرِّبُونِي بِهَذَا، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ، إِنْ كُنْتُ لَا أَفْتَحُ لَكُمْ كُوَى ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ، وَأَفِيضُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَرَكَةً حَتَّى لَا تُوسَعَ. ١٠ 10
[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].
وَأَنْتَهِرُ مِنْ أَجْلِكُمْ ٱلْآكِلَ فَلَا يُفْسِدُ لَكُمْ ثَمَرَ ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَلَا يُعْقَرُ لَكُمُ ٱلْكَرْمُ فِي ٱلْحَقْلِ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. ١١ 11
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].
وَيُطَوِّبُكُمْ كُلُّ ٱلْأُمَمِ، لِأَنَّكُمْ تَكُونُونَ أَرْضَ مَسَرَّةٍ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. ١٢ 12
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.
«أَقْوَالُكُمُ ٱشْتَدَّتْ عَلَيَّ، قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ. وَقُلْتُمْ: مَاذَا قُلْنَا عَلَيْكَ؟ ١٣ 13
[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?”
قُلْتُمْ: عِبَادَةُ ٱللهِ بَاطِلَةٌ، وَمَا ٱلْمَنْفَعَةُ مِنْ أَنَّنَا حَفِظْنَا شَعَائِرَهُ، وَأَنَّنَا سَلَكْنَا بِٱلْحُزْنِ قُدَّامَ رَبِّ ٱلْجُنُودِ؟ ١٤ 14
[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].
وَٱلْآنَ نَحْنُ مُطَوِّبُونَ ٱلْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ وَأَيْضًا فَاعِلُو ٱلشَّرِّ يُبْنَوْنَ. بَلْ جَرَّبُوا ٱللهَ وَنَجَوْا». ١٥ 15
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.’”
حِينَئِذٍ كَلَّمَ مُتَّقُو ٱلرَّبِّ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ قَرِيبَهُ، وَٱلرَّبُّ أَصْغَى وَسَمِعَ، وَكُتِبَ أَمَامَهُ سِفْرُ تَذْكَرَةٍ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقُوا ٱلرَّبَّ وَلِلْمُفَكِّرِينَ فِي ٱسْمِهِ. ١٦ 16
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].
«وَيَكُونُونَ لِي، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ، فِي ٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلَّذِي أَنَا صَانِعٌ خَاصَّةً، وَأُشْفِقُ عَلَيْهِمْ كَمَا يُشْفِقُ ٱلْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى ٱبْنِهِ ٱلَّذِي يَخْدِمُهُ. ١٧ 17
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.
فَتَعُودُونَ وَتُمَيِّزُونَ بَيْنَ ٱلصِّدِّيقِ وَٱلشِّرِّيرِ، بَيْنَ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ ٱللهَ وَمَنْ لَا يَعْبُدُهُ. ١٨ 18
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.”

< مَلَاخِي 3 >