1The Lord who rules over all says, “I will send my messenger. He will prepare my way for me. Then suddenly the Lord you are looking for will come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant will come. He is the one you long for.”
2But who can live through the day when he comes? Who will be left standing when he appears? He will be like a fire that makes things pure. He will be like soap that makes things clean. 3He will act like one who makes silver pure. And he will purify the Levites, just as gold and silver are purified with fire. Then these men will bring proper offerings to the Lord. 4And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to him. It will be as it was in days and years gone by.
5“So I will come and put you on trial. I will be quick to bring charges against all of you,” says the Lord who rules over all. “I will bring charges against you sinful people who do not have any respect for me. That includes those who practice evil magic. It includes those who commit adultery and those who tell lies in court. It includes those who cheat workers out of their pay. It includes those who treat widows badly. It also includes those who mistreat children whose fathers have died. And it includes those who take away the rights of outsiders in the courts.
Breaking the Covenant by Stealing From God
6“I am the Lord. I do not change. That is why I have not destroyed you members of Jacob’s family. 7You have turned away from my rules. You have not obeyed them. You have lived that way ever since the days of your people of long ago. Return to me. Then I will return to you,” says the Lord who rules over all.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
8“Will a mere human being dare to steal from God? But you rob me!
“You ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“By holding back your offerings. You also steal from me when you do not bring me a tenth of everything you produce. 9So you are under my curse. In fact, your whole nation is under my curse. That is because you are robbing me. 10Bring the entire tenth to the storerooms in my temple. Then there will be plenty of food. Test me this way,” says the Lord. “Then you will see that I will throw open the windows of heaven. I will pour out so many blessings that you will not have enough room to store them. 11I will keep bugs from eating up your crops. And your grapes will not drop from the vines before they are ripe,” says the Lord. 12“Then all the nations will call you blessed. Your land will be delightful,” says the Lord who rules over all.
Israel Speaks With Pride Against the Lord
13“You have spoken with pride against me,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘What have we spoken against you?’
14“You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. What do we gain by obeying his laws? And what do we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord? 15But now we call proud people blessed. Things go well with those who do what is evil. And God doesn’t even punish those who test him.’ ”
Those Who Respect the Lord
16Those who had respect for the Lord talked with one another. And the Lord heard them. A list of people and what they did was written in a book in front of him. It included the names of those who respected the Lord and honored him.
17“The day is coming when I will judge,” says the Lord who rules over all. “On that day they will be my special treasure. I will spare them just as a father loves and spares his son who serves him. 18Then once again you will see the difference between godly people and sinful people. And you will see the difference between those who serve me and those who do not.
Rírán Mesiah náà
13.1: Mt 11.10; Mk 1.2; Lk 1.17,76; 7.27.“Wò ó, Èmi yóò ran ìránṣẹ́ mi, yóò tún ọ̀nà ṣe ṣáájú mi. Nígbà náà ni Olúwa, tí ẹ̀yin ń wa, yóò dé ni òjijì sí tẹmpili rẹ̀; àní oníṣẹ́ májẹ̀mú náà, tí inú yín dùn sí, yóò dé,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
23.2: If 6.17.Ṣùgbọ́n ta ni o lè fi ara da ọjọ́ dídé rẹ̀? Ta ni yóò sì dúró nígbà tí ó bá fi ara hàn? Nítorí òun yóò dàbí iná ẹni tí ń da fàdákà àti bi ọṣẹ alágbàfọ̀: 3Òun yóò sì jókòó bí ẹni tí n yọ́, tí ó sì ń da fàdákà; yóò wẹ àwọn ọmọ Lefi mọ́, yóò sì tún wọn dàbí wúrà àti fàdákà, kí wọn bá a lè mú ọrẹ òdodo wá fún Olúwa, 4nígbà náà ni ọrẹ Juda àti ti Jerusalẹmu yóò jẹ́ ìtẹ́wọ́gbà fún Olúwa, gẹ́gẹ́ bí ti ọjọ́ àtijọ́, àti gẹ́gẹ́ bí ọdún ìgbàanì.
5“Èmi ó sì súnmọ́ yin fún ìdájọ́. Èmi yóò sì yára ṣe ẹlẹ́rìí sí àwọn oṣó, sí àwọn panṣágà, sí àwọn abúra èké, àti àwọn tí ó fi ọ̀yà alágbàṣe pọn wọn lójú, àti àwọn tí ó ni àwọn opó àti àwọn aláìní baba lára, àti sí ẹni tí kò jẹ́ kí àjèjì rí ìdájọ́ òdodo gbà, tí wọn kò sì bẹ̀rù mi,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
Jíja Ọlọ́run ni olè
6“Èmi Olúwa kò yípadà. Nítorí náà ni a kò ṣe run ẹ̀yin ọmọ Jakọbu. 7Láti ọjọ́ àwọn baba ńlá yín wá ni ẹ̀yin tilẹ̀ ti kọ ẹ̀yìn sí ìlànà mi, tí ẹ kò sì pa wọ́n mọ́. Ẹ padà wá sí ọ̀dọ̀ mi, Èmi yóò sì padà sí ọ̀dọ̀ yín,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
“Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀yin béèrè pé, ‘Báwo ni àwa yóò ṣe padà?’
8“Ènìyàn yóò ha ja Ọlọ́run ni olè bí? Síbẹ̀ ẹ̀yin ti jà mí ní olè.
“Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀yin béèrè pé, ‘Báwo ni àwa ṣe jà ọ́ ní olè?’
“Nípa ìdámẹ́wàá àti ọrẹ. 9Ríré ni a ó fi yín ré: gbogbo orílẹ̀-èdè yìí, nítorí ẹ̀yin ti jà mi lólè. 10Ẹ mú gbogbo ìdámẹ́wàá wá sí ilé ìṣúra, kí oúnjẹ bá à lè wà ní ilé mi, ẹ fi èyí dán mi wò,” ní Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, “kí ẹ sì wò bí èmi kò bá ní sí àwọn fèrèsé ọ̀run fún yin, kí èmi sì tú ìbùkún àkúnwọ́sílẹ̀ jáde fún yín, tó bẹ́ẹ̀ tí kì yóò sì ààyè láti gbà á. 11Èmi yóò sì bá kòkòrò ajẹnirun wí nítorí yín, òun kò sì ni run èso ilẹ̀ yín, bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àjàrà inú oko yín kò ní rẹ̀ dànù,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí. 12“Nígbà náà ni gbogbo orílẹ̀-èdè yóò sì pè yín ni alábùkún fún, nítorí tiyín yóò jẹ́ ilẹ̀ tí ó wu ni,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
13“Ẹ̀yin ti sọ ọ̀rọ̀ líle sí mi,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
“Síbẹ̀ ẹ̀yin béèrè pé, ‘Ọ̀rọ̀ kín ni àwa sọ sí ọ?’
14“Ẹ̀yin ti wí pé, ‘Asán ni láti sin Ọlọ́run. Kí ni àwa jẹ ní èrè, nígbà tí àwa ti pa ìlànà rẹ mọ́, tí àwa sì ń rìn kiri bí ẹni tí ń ṣọ̀fọ̀ ní iwájú Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun? 15Ṣùgbọ́n ní ìsinsin yìí àwa pé agbéraga ni alábùkún fún Ní òtítọ́ ni àwọn ti ń ṣe búburú ń gbèrú sí i, kódà àwọn ti ó dán Ọlọ́run wò ni a dá sí.’ ”
16Nígbà náà ni àwọn tí ó bẹ̀rù Olúwa ń ba ara wọn sọ̀rọ̀, Olúwa sì tẹ́tí sí i, ó sì gbọ́. A sì kọ ìwé ìrántí kan níwájú rẹ̀, fún àwọn tí o bẹ̀rù Olúwa, tiwọn sì bọ̀wọ̀ fún orúkọ rẹ̀.
17“Wọn yóò sì jẹ́ tèmi,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, “ni ọjọ́ náà, tí èmi ó dá; èmi yóò sì da wọ́n sí gẹ́gẹ́ bí ènìyàn tí máa ń dá ọmọ rẹ̀ tí yóò sìn ín sí. 18Nígbà náà ni ẹ̀yin yóò rí ìyàtọ̀, ìyàtọ̀ láàrín olódodo àti ẹni búburú, láàrín ẹni tí ń sìn Ọlọ́run, àti ẹni tí kò sìn ín.
