Malachi 3

1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me! The Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple. Behold, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, is 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 when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ 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 of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to the LORD offerings in righteousness.

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 the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD as in the days of old and as in ancient 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 near to you to judgement. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t 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, don’t change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

「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 fathers you have turned away from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

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 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In tithes and offerings.

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 are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

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, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this,” says the LORD of Hosts, “if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there will not be enough room for.

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 the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time 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 “All nations shall call you blessed, 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 “Your words have been harsh against me,” says the LORD. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against 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 vain to serve God,’ and ‘What profit is it that we have followed his instructions and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

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 Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.’

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 Then those who feared the LORD spoke one with another; and the LORD listened and heard, and a book of memory was written before him for those who feared the LORD and who honoured 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 shall be mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “my own possession in the day that I make. I will spare them, as a man spares his own 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 Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn’t serve him.

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。」