The Promised Messenger
1 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will send my messenger
to prepare the way for me.
Then suddenly the Lord
you are looking for
will appear in his temple.
The messenger you desire
is coming with my promise,
and he is on his way.
A Day of Change
2 On the day the Lord comes, he will be like a furnace that purifies silver or like strong soap in a washbasin. No one will be able to stand up to him. 3 The Lord will purify the descendants of Levi, as though they were gold or silver. Then they will bring the proper offerings to the Lord, 4 and the offerings of the people of Judah and Jerusalem will please him, just as they did in the past.
Don't Cheat God
5 The Lord All-Powerful said:
I'm now on my way to judge you. And I will quickly condemn all who practice witchcraft or cheat in marriage or tell lies in court or rob workers of their pay or mistreat widows and orphans or steal the property of foreigners or refuse to respect me.
6 Descendants of Jacob, I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I never change. That's why you haven't been wiped out, 7 even though you have ignored and disobeyed my laws ever since the time of your ancestors. But if you return to me, I will return to you.
And yet you ask, “How can we return?”
8 You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, “How are we robbing you?”
You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. 9 That's why your whole nation is under a curse. 10 I am the Lord All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. 11 I will also stop locusts from destroying your crops and keeping your vineyards from producing. 12 Everyone of every nation will talk about how I have blessed you and about your wonderful land. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have spoken!
13 You have said horrible things about me, and yet you ask, “What have we said?”
14 Here is what you have said: “It's foolish to serve the Lord God All-Powerful. What do we get for obeying God and from going around looking sad? 15 See how happy those arrogant people are. Everyone who does wrong is successful, and when they put God to the test, they always get away with it.”
Faithfulness Is Rewarded
16 All those who truly respected the Lord and honored his name started discussing these things, and when God saw what was happening, he had their names written as a reminder in his book.
17 Then the Lord All-Powerful said:
You people are precious to me, and when I come to bring justice, I will protect you, just as parents protect an obedient child. 18 Then everyone will once again see the difference between those who obey me by doing right and those who reject me by doing wrong.
1 OPI Mbaraekye ka tadrioza ekye: “Mazona lazo'ba maro 'da mileya liti edene märi. 'Dooko Opi se nyàbe voondre tana ro 'do ikyina dori Yekalu ndaro ya. Lazo'ba tao'baro se nyàbe uṛina 'do ikyina 'da.”
2 Oko a'di unina ni yaiŋgyine tuse nda kabe ikyi sina ana siya? Ondro nda kefote oko a'di unina ni a'done lidriidriro ya? Nda a'dona 'da oso sä'buni ronye, ago oso asi se kabe logo wäṛi ronye. 3 Lazo'ba OPI ro ikyina opena vure 'da oso 'dise kabe mo'di utri wäṛiro ronye. Nda wäṛina kohanii 'da oso toka'ba kabe mo'di ndi logo läguläguro be wäṛina ronye, tana ànya keziyi ŋgapäṛi se kadoro robe ayani OPI ri. 4 'Dooko ŋgapäṛi se cini lidri Yuda ro ndi Yerusalema robe kayibe ezina OPI ri 'do tana ka'do robe nda usiusiro, oso se ka'dobe tu kyeno kai si ana ronye.
5 OPI Mbaraekye ekye: “Mefona 'da vure opene ami lako, ago dori medrena tazevo 'da tetedri'bai lomvo, taoye'bai ago kode toko drisi lomvo, ànya se kayibe ruäṛu kowesi lomvo, ànya se kayibe päläti losioye'bai ro ozona ŋgaoco si iyi lomvo, ago ànya se kayibe ni kandrakado ävuzii, kyemvoi ndi atrai robe uruna, ndi 'dise cini koro ma ko iyi be lomvo.
Ozo Ŋgapäṛi Telesi Alo 'Bute ro
6 “Ma OPI owo, ago mäläpiru ko ko. Ka'do inye ami, zelevoi Yakoba ro ono, mìkye driko kpeye. 7 Ami orivoya oso zutui amiro ronye, mìnaru teni otà maro yasi ago nyäti ànya kote. Nyègo mare, ago megona kpa ndi amire. Oko nyà taeji mìkye: ‘Mègona mire eŋwanyeya?’ 8 Meji ami, inye'do 'diaza ocona Lu gi'da ya? Caoko nyà ma oco. Nyà ma eji mìkye: ‘Mà mi oco eŋwanyeya?’ Nyà ma oco ŋgapäṛi telesi alo 'bute ro ndi ŋgapäṛi azaka be ozovoya. 9 Latri orivoya vo ami cini ro dri tana tu'de ono vona kpeye ka ma oco. 10 Nyèzi ŋgapäṛi amiro telesi alo 'bute ro kpeye voŋgaodroro Yekalu ya ya, tana ŋgaonya ka'do robe amba Yekalu ya. Nyòjo ta maro 'dooko mìndre kode mäpina vouŋbo cini vo'buyakuru ro ko ago medana beti ŋga kado cini ro ko amba ämiri ya? 11 Ma'bana cici cini ko ŋgaluru amiro enjine, ago ice konoro amiro unina ko orine doŋgo owaako amba. 12 'Dooko lidri tu'dei cini ro uzinayi ami 'da kado, tana wari amiro a'dona 'da vo kado ro.”
Tao'baro Lu ro ta Yauni rota
13 OPI ekye: “Nyàta ta koziro amba te malomvo. Oko nyà taeji mìkye: ‘Màta ta e'di ro koziro milomvo ya?’ 14 Nyàtate mìkye: ‘Ruindu Lu ri orivoya taawi yi. Takado se mùsuna ota ndaro orosi kode taoro ka'dasi tusu si OPI Mbaraekye ri ni e'diya? 15 Oso màndrebe ronye, lidri se driuŋgyi be a'do gwo ni yai'dwesi. Ko gialo ekye lidri taundi oye'bai kayi a'do ŋgaamba be, oko ànya kojoyi ta Lu ro ca ànya payivote.’ ”
16 'Dooko lidri se kuturiyi OPI be kai atayi ta OPI rote azi ri. OPI eri ago zatadri tase ànya katayibe ana rote. Egyi ta ànya se kuturiyi OPI be ago koroyi nda be ana rote buku se taoyiro nda kandra ana ya. 17 OPI Mbaraekye ekye: “Ànya a'donayi 'da lidri lämu'duro maro tuse mate taoye maro oyena si. Ma'dona ndi yaunibe ànyari, oso täpi kabe a'do yauni be ŋgwa se kabe ruindu ndäri 'do ri ronye. 18 Lidri maro ogo ondrenayi a'do toto lakole taŋgye'bai ndi takozi'bai be roya, ago 'dise kabe ruindu märi ndi 'dise kinduru ko märi be iyi roya 'da kpa to'dina.”