Malachi 3

1 ‘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.

萬軍之耶和華說：「我要差遣我的使者在我前面預備道路。你們所尋求的主必忽然進入他的殿；立約的使者，就是你們所仰慕的，快要來到。」

2 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,

他來的日子，誰能當得起呢？他顯現的時候，誰能立得住呢？因為他如煉金之人的火，如漂布之人的鹼。

3 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.

他必坐下如煉淨銀子的，必潔淨利未人，熬煉他們像金銀一樣；他們就憑公義獻供物給耶和華。

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

那時，猶大和耶路撒冷所獻的供物必蒙耶和華悅納，彷彿古時之日、上古之年。

5 ‘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.

萬軍之耶和華說：「我必臨近你們，施行審判。我必速速作見證，警戒行邪術的、犯姦淫的、起假誓的、虧負人之工價的、欺壓寡婦孤兒的、屈枉寄居的，和不敬畏我的。」

6 ‘For I, the Lord, do not change; and you have not ceased to be descendants of Jacob.’

「因我－耶和華是不改變的，所以你們雅各之子沒有滅亡。

7 ‘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?”

萬軍之耶和華說：從你們列祖的日子以來，你們常常偏離我的典章而不遵守。現在你們要轉向我，我就轉向你們。你們卻問說：『我們如何才是轉向呢？』

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

人豈可奪取上帝之物呢？你們竟奪取我的供物。你們卻說：『我們在何事上奪取你的供物呢？』就是你們在當納的十分之一和當獻的供物上。

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

因你們通國的人都奪取我的供物，咒詛就臨到你們身上。

10 ‘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.

萬軍之耶和華說：你們要將當納的十分之一全然送入倉庫，使我家有糧，以此試試我，是否為你們敞開天上的窗戶，傾福與你們，甚至無處可容。

11 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,

萬軍之耶和華說：我必為你們斥責蝗蟲，不容牠毀壞你們的土產。你們田間的葡萄樹在未熟之先也不掉果子。

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

萬軍之耶和華說：萬國必稱你們為有福的，因你們的地必成為喜樂之地。」

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

耶和華說：「你們用話頂撞我，你們還說：『我們用甚麼話頂撞了你呢？』

14 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?

你們說：『事奉上帝是徒然的，遵守上帝所吩咐的，在萬軍之耶和華面前苦苦齋戒，有甚麼益處呢？

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

如今我們稱狂傲的人為有福，並且行惡的人得建立；他們雖然試探上帝，卻得脫離災難。』」

16 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.

那時，敬畏耶和華的彼此談論，耶和華側耳而聽，且有紀念冊在他面前，記錄那敬畏耶和華、思念他名的人。

17 ‘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.

萬軍之耶和華說：「在我所定的日子，他們必屬我，特特歸我。我必憐恤他們，如同人憐恤服事自己的兒子。

18 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.’

那時你們必歸回，將善人和惡人，事奉上帝的和不事奉上帝的，分別出來。」