Malachi 3

1 See, I am sending my servant, and he will make ready the way before me; and the Lord, whom you are looking for, will suddenly come to his Temple; and the angel of the agreement, in whom you have delight, see, he is coming, says the Lord of armies.

Se, jeg sender min Engel, og han skal bane Vej for mit Åsyn; og til sit Tempel kommer i et Nu den Herre, I søger, og Pagtens Engel, som I længes efter; se, han kommer, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

2 But by whom may the day of his coming be faced? and who may keep his place when he is seen? for he is like the metal-tester's fire and the cleaner's soap.

Men hvo kan udholde den Dag, han kommer, og hvo kan stå, når han kommer til Syne? Han er jo som Metalsmelterens Ild og Tvætternes Lud.

3 He will take his seat, testing and cleaning the sons of Levi, burning away the evil from them as from gold and silver; so that they may make offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

Han sidder og smelter og renser Sølv; han renser Levis Sønner, lutrer dem som Guld og Sølv, så de kan frembære Offergave for HERREN i Retfærdighed,

4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in days gone by, and as in past years.

at Judas og Jerusalems Offergave må være HERREN liflig som i fordums Dage, i henrundne År.

5 And I will come near to you for judging; I will quickly be a witness against the wonder-workers, against those who have been untrue in married life, against those who take false oaths; against those who keep back from the servant his payment, and who are hard on the widow and the child without a father, who do not give his rights to the man from a strange country, and have no fear of me, says the Lord of armies.

Jeg nærmer mig eder til Dom og vidner i Hast mod Troldmændene, Ægteskabsbryderne, Menederne og dem, som undertrykker Daglejere, Enker og faderløse, gør fremmede Uret og ikke frygter mig, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

6 For I am the Lord, I am unchanged; and so you, O sons of Jacob, have not been cut off.

Thi jeg, HERREN, er ikke blevet en anden, men I har ikke ophørt at være Jakobsønner".

7 From the days of your fathers you have been turned away from my rules and have not kept them. Come back to me, and I will come back to you, says the Lord of armies. But you say, How are we to come back?

Siden eders Fædres Dage er I afveget fra mine Bud og har ikke holdt dem. Vend om til mig, så vil jeg vende om til eder, siger Hærskarers HERRE. Og I spørger: "Hvorledes skal vi vende os?"

8 Will a man keep back from God what is right? But you have kept back what is mine. But you say, What have we kept back from you? Tenths and offerings.

Skal et Menneske bedrage Gud? I bedrager mig jo! Og I spørger:"Hvorved har vi bedraget dig?" Med Tienden og Offerydelsen!

9 You are cursed with a curse; for you have kept back from me what is mine, even all this nation.

I trues med Forbandelse og bedrager dog mig, ja alt Folket gør det!

10 Let your tenths come into the store-house so that there may be food in my house, and put me to the test by doing so, says the Lord of armies, and see if I do not make the windows of heaven open and send down such a blessing on you that there is no room for it.

Bring hele Tienden tiI Forrådshuset, så der kan være Mad i mit Hus; sæt mig på Prøve dermed, siger Hærskarers HERRE, om jeg da ikke åbner eder Himmelens Sluser og udøser Velsignelse over eder i Overmål.

11 And on your account I will keep back the locusts from wasting the fruits of your land; and the fruit of your vine will not be dropped on the field before its time, says the Lord of armies

Jeg vil for eders Skyld skræmme Æderne, så at de ikke ødelægger eder Landets Afgrøde, og Vinstokken på Marken skal ikke slå eder fejl, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

12 And you will be named happy by all nations: for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of armies.

Og alle Folkene skal love eder, fordi l har et yndigt Land, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

13 Your words have been strong against me, says the Lord. And still you say, What have we said against you?

I taler stærke Ord imod mig, siger HERREN. Og I spørger: "Hvad taler vi imod dig?"

14 You have said, It is no use worshipping God: what profit have we had from keeping his orders, and going in clothing of sorrow before the Lord of armies?

I siger: "Det er ørkesløst at tjene Gud; hvad vinder vi ved at opfylde hans Krav og gå sørgeklædte for Hærskarers HERREs Åsyn?

15 And now to us the men of pride seem happy; yes, the evil-doers are doing well; they put God to the test and are safe.

Nej, vi må love de frække! De øver Gudløshed og kommer til Vejrs; de frister Gud og slipper godt derfra."

16 Then those in whom was the fear of the Lord had talk together: and the Lord gave ear, and it was recorded in a book to be kept in mind before him, for those who had the fear of the Lord and gave thought to his name.

Da talte de, som frygter HERREN, med hverandre. Og HERREN lyttede og hørte efter, og en Bog blev skrevet for hans Åsyn, for at de kunde ihukommes, som frygter HERREN og slår Lid til hans Navn.

17 And they will be mine, says the Lord, in the day when I make them my special property; and I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who is his servant.

Den Dag jeg griber ind, skal de tilhøre mig som mit Eje, siger Hærskarers HERRE, og jeg vil handle nænsomt med dem, som en Fader handler nænsomt med sin Søn, der tjener ham.

18 Then you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not.

Da skal l atter kende Forskel på retfærdig og gudløs, på den, som tjener Gud, og den, som ikke tjener ham.