Malachi 3

1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord whom ye seeke, shall speedely come to his Temple: euen the messenger of the couenant whom ye desire: beholde, he shall come, sayth the Lord of hostes.

Behold, I send my angel, and he will prepare the way before my face. And presently the Sovereign, whom you seek, and the angel of testimony, whom you desire, will arrive at his temple. Behold, he approaches, says the Lord of hosts.

2 But who may abide the day of his comming? and who shall endure, when he appeareth? for he is like a purging fire, and like fullers sope.

And who will be able to consider the day of his advent, and who will stand firm in order to see him? For he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’s herb.

3 And he shall sit downe to trye and fine the siluer: he shall euen fine the sonnes of Leui and purifie them as golde and siluer, that they may bring offerings vnto the Lord in righteousnesse.

And he will sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he will purge the sons of Levi, and he will gather them like gold and like silver, and they will offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.

4 Then shall the offerings of Iudah and Ierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lord, as in old time and in the yeeres afore.

And the sacrifice of Judah and of Jerusalem will please the Lord, just as in the days of past generations, and as in the ancient years.

5 And I will come neere to you to iudgement, and I will be a swift witnesse against the southsayers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelings wages, and vexe the widowe, and the fatherlesse, and oppresse the stranger, and feare not me, sayth the Lord of hostes.

And I will approach you in judgment, and I will be a swift witness against evil-doers, and adulterers, and perjurers, and those who cheat the hired hand in his wages, the widows and the orphans, and who oppress the traveler, and who have not feared me, says the Lord of hosts.

6 For I am the Lord: I change not, and ye sonnes of Iaakob are not consumed.

For I am the Lord, and I do not change. And you, the sons of Jacob, have not been consumed.

7 From the dayes of your fathers, ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and haue not kept them: returne vnto me, and I will returne vnto you, saith the Lord of hostes: but ye saide, Wherein shall we returne?

For, from the days of your fathers, you have withdrawn from my ordinances and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. And you have said, “In what way, shall we return?”

8 Will a man spoyle his gods? yet haue ye spoyled me: but ye say, Wherein haue we spoyled thee? In tithes, and offerings.

If a man will afflict God, then you greatly afflict me. And you have said, “In what way, do we afflict you?” In tithes and in first-fruits.

9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye haue spoyled me, euen this whole nation.

And you have been cursed with privation, and you greatly afflict me, even your entire people.

10 Bring ye all the tythes into the storehouse that there may be meate in mine House, and proue me nowe herewith, sayeth the Lord of hostes, if I will not open the windowes of heauen vnto you, and powre you out a blessing without measure.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, and let there be food in my house. And test me about this, says the Lord, as to whether I will not open to you the floodgates of heaven, and pour out to you a blessing, all the way to abundance.

11 And I will rebuke the deuourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruite of your grounde, neither shall your vine be baren in the fielde, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he will not corrupt the fruit of your land. Neither will the vine in the field be barren, says the Lord of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a pleasant lande, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

And all nations will call you blessed. For you will be a desirable land, says the Lord of hosts.

13 Your wordes haue bene stout against me, sayeth the Lord: yet ye say, What haue we spoken against thee?

Your words have gathered strength over me, says the Lord.

14 Ye haue saide, It is in vaine to serue God: and what profite is it that we haue kept his commandement, and that we walked humbly before the Lord of hostes?

And you have said, “What have we spoken against you?” You have said, “He labors in vain who serves God,” and, “What advantage is it that we have kept his precepts, and that we have walked sorrowfully in the sight of the Lord of hosts?”

15 Therefore wee count the proude blessed: euen they that worke wickednesse, are set vp, and they that tempt God, yea, they are deliuered.

Now, therefore, we call the arrogant blessed, as if those who work impiety have been built up, and as if they have tempted God and been saved.

16 Then spake they that feared the Lord, euery one to his neighbour, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought vpon his Name.

Then those who fear the Lord spoke, each one with his neighbor. And the Lord paid attention and heeded. And a book of remembrance was written in his sight, for those who fear the Lord and for those who consider his name.

17 And they shall be to me, sayeth the Lord of hostes, in that day that I shall do this, for a flocke, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him.

And they will be my special possession, says the Lord of hosts, on the day that I act. And I will spare them, just as a man spares his son who serves him.

18 Then shall you returne, and discerne betweene the righteous and wicked, betweene him that serueth God, and him that serueth him not.

And you shall be converted, and you will see the difference between the just and the impious, and between those who serve God and those who do not serve him.