OET interlinear MAL 3:2

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

וּ⁠מִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔⁠וֹ וּ⁠מִ֥י הָ⁠עֹמֵ֖ד בְּ⁠הֵרָֽאוֹת֑⁠וֹ כִּֽי־הוּא֙ כְּ⁠אֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּ⁠כְ⁠בֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים

and,who? endure DOM day of,his_coming and,who? [is]_the,[one_who_will]_stand when,he,appears that/for/because/then/when he/it [is]_like_[the],fire refiner's and,like_[the],soap fullers'

If it would be more natural in your language, you could reverse the order of these phrases, since the second phrase gives the reason for the result that the first phrase describes. Alternate translation: [He will be like the fire of a refiner and like the soap of launderers. So who will be able to endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears?]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

וּ⁠מִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔⁠וֹ וּ⁠מִ֥י הָ⁠עֹמֵ֖ד בְּ⁠הֵרָֽאוֹת֑⁠וֹ

and,who? endure DOM day of,his_coming and,who? [is]_the,[one_who_will]_stand when,he,appears

Yahweh is using the question form for emphasis. If a speaker of your language would not use the question form for that purpose, you could translate this as a statement or as an exclamation. Alternate translation: [No one will be able to endure the day of his coming! No one will be able to stand when he appears!]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

וּ⁠מִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔⁠וֹ וּ⁠מִ֥י הָ⁠עֹמֵ֖ד בְּ⁠הֵרָֽאוֹת֑⁠וֹ

and,who? endure DOM day of,his_coming and,who? [is]_the,[one_who_will]_stand when,he,appears

These two phrases mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. It may be clearer in your language to connect the phrases with a word other than “and” in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [No one will be able to endure the day of his coming! Indeed, no one will be able to stand when he appears!]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

הָ⁠עֹמֵ֖ד

[is]_the,[one_who_will]_stand

Yahweh is using the image of standing to speak of a person being declared innocent. The idea is that if he were declared guilty, that would be like a weight too heavy for the person to carry, and the person would sink down under it. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [will be declared innocent]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / simile

הוּא֙ כְּ⁠אֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּ⁠כְ⁠בֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים

he/it [is]_like_[the],fire refiner's and,like_[the],soap fullers'

The point of this comparison is that just as fire refines metal and soap cleans clothes, so the messenger will purify the people, that is, he will help them forsake the sins they have been committing. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this point explicitly. Alternate translation: [just as fire refines metal and soap cleans clothes, he will purify people by helping them stop sinning]