1 “ Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Tenei te unga atu nei e ahau taku karere, mana e whakapai te ara i mua i ahau, a kitea rawatia ake, kua tae te Ariki, e rapua nei e koutou, ki tona temepara; na ko te anahera o te kawenata, ko ta koutou e ngakau nui na, nana, tera ia ka tae atu, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.

2 “ But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire And like launderers’ soap.

A ko wai e u i te ra e tae mai ai ia? ko wai hoki e tu, ina puta mai ia? e rite ana hoki ia ki te ahi a te kaitahi para, ki te mea horoi a te kaihoroi:

3 H e will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.

Ka noho ano ia, ka rite ki te kaitahi para, ki te kaiwhakapai hiriwa, a ka whakapaia e ia nga tama a Riwai, ka whakahemokia to ratou para, ano he koura, he hiriwa: kia tapaea ai e ratou he whakahere ki a Ihowa i runga i te tika.

4 “ Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the Lord, As in the days of old, As in former years.

Ko reira te whakahere a Hura raua ko Hiruharama rekaina ai e Ihowa, ka rite ki nga ra o mua, ki nga tau onamata.

5 A nd I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.

Ka whakatata atu ano ahau ki a koutou ki te whakawa; ka hohoro ano ahau hei kaiwhakaatu i te he o nga kaimakutu, o te hunga puremu, o nga kaioati teka, o te hunga e tahae ana i nga utu o te kaimahi, i ta te pouaru, i ta te pani, e whakapeau ke an a i ta te manene, a kahore e wehi i ahau, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.

6 “ For I am the Lord, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

Ko ahau hoki, ko Ihowa, kahore ahau e puta ke; na reira koutou, e nga tama a Hakopa, i kore ai e pau.

7 Y et from the days of your fathers You have gone 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 said, ‘In what way shall we return?’ Do Not Rob God

No nga ra o o koutou matua i whakarerea ai e koutou aku tikanga, kihai ano i puritia e koutou. Hoki mai ki ahau, a ka hoki atu ahau ki a koutou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano. Heoi kei te mea na koutou, Kia pehea ta matou hoki atu?

8 “ Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

E tahae ranei te tangata i ta te Atua? Heoi e tahae na koutou i taku. A e mea na koutou, He pehea ta matou tahae i tau? Ki nga whakatekau ra, me nga whakahere.

9 Y ou are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

Kua kanga, kua kanga koutou: ko koutou hoki kei te tahae i taku, ara ko tenei iwi katoa.

10 B ring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Maua katoatia mai te whakatekau ki roto ki te toa, kia whai kai ai toku whare, waiho hoki tenei hei whakamatautau moku, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano, me kahore e tuwhera i ahau nga matapihi o te rangi ki a koutou, a ka ringihia he manaaki ki a kouto u, a kia kore ra ano he takotoranga.

11 “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,” Says the Lord of hosts;

A ka riria e ahau te kaiwhakapareho, he mea mo koutou, a e kore e huna e ia nga hua o to koutou oneone; e kore ano e marere noa nga hua o ta koutou waina i te mara, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.

12 “ And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land,” Says the Lord of hosts. The People Complain Harshly

A ki ta nga iwi katoa, he manaakitanga koutou: no te mea he whenua ahuareka koutou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano.

13 “ Your words have been harsh against Me,” Says the Lord, “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

He kaha a koutou kupu ki ahau, e ai ta Ihowa. Heoi e ki na koutou, He aha ta matou korero mou?

14 Y ou have said, ‘It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the Lord of hosts?

Kua ki na koutou, Kahore he hua o te mahi ki te Atua: he aha hoki te rawa o ta matou pupuri i ana mea, o ta matou haere taua i te aroaro o Ihowa o nga mano?

15 S o now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.’” A Book of Remembrance

Na inaianei ki ta matou, ko te hunga whakakake nga mea koa; ae ra, ko nga kaimahi i te kino te hunga e hanga ake; ae ra, e whakamatautau ana ratou i te Atua, a kua mawhiti.

16 T hen those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, And the Lord listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

Na, ko te hunga i wehi i a Ihowa, kei te korerorero ratou ki tona hoa, ki tona hoa; a ka tahuri a Ihowa, ka whakarongo, na ka tuhituhia he pukapuka whakamahara ki tona aroaro mo te hunga i wehi ki a Ihowa, i whakaaro hoki ki tona ingoa.

17 “ They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.”

Maku hoki ratou, e ai ta Ihowa o nga mano, i te ra e mahia ai e ahau he taonga motuhake; ka manawapa ano ahau ki a ratou, ka pera me te tangata e manawapa ana ki tana tama e mahi ana ki a ia.

18 T hen you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Ko reira ano koutou hoki ai, kite ai i te rereketanga o ta te tika, o ta te kino, o ta tera e mahi ana ki te Atua, o ta tera kahore e mahi ki a ia.