The Reward Of Servants

Et attendit Dominus, et audivit, et scriptus est liber monumenti coram eo timentibus Dominum, et cogitantibus nomen ejus. Et erunt mihi, ait Dominus exercituum, in die qua ego facio, in peculium: et parcam eis, sicut parcit vir filio suo servienti sibi. Et convertemini, et videbitis quid sit inter justum et impium, et inter servientem Deo et non servientem ei.  LXX: Et attendit Dominus, et audivit, et scripsit librum monumenti in conspectu suo his qui timent Dominum, et qui reverentur nomen ejus. Et erunt mihi, dicit Dominus omnipotens in die ego facio, in acquisitionem, et eligam eos sicut eligit homo filium  suum qui servit ei: et converimini, et videbitis quid sit inter justum et iniquum, et inter servientem Dei, et eum qui non servit ei.  Haec justis loquentibus, et timentibus Deum, singulis cum proximo suo, qui verba blasphemiae, nec audire voluere nec dicere, attendit Dominus et audivit, et scriptus et liber monumenti coram eo, timentibus, et cogitantibus nomen ejus, ut cum dies judicii venerit, reddat et blasphemantibus poenas, et timentibus praemia. Liber autem scriptus est, de quo in Daniele legimus: Throni positi sunt, et liberi aperti sunt. Et erunt Domino exercituum in peculium timentes Dominum, in die qua judicii tempus advenerit. Pro peculio in Hebraeo legitur scolla סְגֻלָּה; quod Aquila περιούσον, et caeteri περιποίυσιν interpretati sunt. Timentes igitur Dominum, qui locuti sunt cum proximo suo, et ad verba blasphemiae responderunt, erunt in die judicii in peculium, et parcet eis: quia omnis homo sub peccato. Sive eliget eos, sicut eligere solet homo filium suum servientem sibi. In quo duplex effectus est, et pietatis in filum, et servitutis in famulum. Et tunc qui nunc blasphematis et dicitis: Quod emolumentum, quia custodivimus praecepta ejus, et ambulavimus tristes coram Domino? ex illorum electione et beatitudine, et vestram miseriam cognoscetis, et versi in poenitentiam, videbitis quid sit inter justum et impium, et inter servientem Deo, et non servientem ei. Sanctus Hieronymous, Commentarium In Malachiam Prophetam, Cap III Source: Migne PL 25.1573c-1574b

And the Lord attended, and He heard, and the book of rememberance was written before Him of those who revere Him and those who meditate on His name. 'And they shall be to me,' says the Lord of Hosts, 'on the day I act, a valued servant, and I shall spare them, as a man is merciful to his son who attends to him. And you shall turn and you shall see what separates the righteous and the impious, and those who serve God and those who do not.' 1 The Septuagint has: And the Lord attended and heard, and He wrote the book of remembrance set in His sight of those who revered the Lord and those who adored His name. 'And they shall be to me,' says the Lord Almighty, 'on the day I act, a possession, and I shall choose them like a man chooses his son to attend to him, and you shall turn and you shall see what separates the righteous and the iniquitous, and those who serve God and those who do not.' 1 These things are for the righteous speakers and those who revere God, each one who with his neighbour neither wishes to hear or to speak words of blasphemy, that the Lord has attended and heard, and that the book of remembrance is written before Him, of those who revere Him and those who think on His name, that when comes the day of judgement, punishment shall be given to the blasphemers and reward to the reverers. For the book is written, as we read in Daniel: 'His throne has been placed and the books are opened.' 2 And they shall be a servant to the Lord of Hosts who revere the Lord in the time when the day of judgement has come. And for servant in Hebrew it is said ' סְגֻלָּה' 'scolla' that is, possession, which Aquila translates as περιούσον 'treasure' and others 'a thing preserved.' The reverers of the Lord, therefore, are those who have spoken with their neighbours and have answered their blasphemous words, and they will be a valued servant on the day of judgement, and He shall have mercy on them, for every man is a sinner. Or He shall choose them, like a man is accustomed to chose his son to attend to him. In which two things are accomplished: piety as a son, service as a servant. And then for those who now blaspheme and say, 'What reward when we have kept his commandments, and have walked in grief before the Lord?' 3 It is from their blessedness and the choosing of them that you shall know your wretchedness and turn to regret, and you shall thus see what separates the righteous and the impious, and those who serve God and those who do not serve. Saint Jerome, from the Commentary on The Prophet Malachi , Chapter 3 1 Malachi 3.16-18 2 Daniel 7.9 3 Malachi 3.14