Malachias 3

1 Behold, I send forth my messenger, and he shall survey the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come into his temple, even the angel of the covenant, whom you take pleasure in: behold, he is coming, says the Lord Almighty.

"Look, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, look, he comes." says Jehovah of hosts.

2 And who will abide the day of his coming? or who will withstand at his appearing? for he is coming in as the fire of a furnace and as the herb of fullers.

But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is coming like a refiner's fire, and like launderer's soap.

3 He shall sit to melt and purify as it were silver, and as it were gold: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they shall offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.

And he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Jehovah offerings in righteousness.

4 And the sacrifice of Juda and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to the Lord, according to the former days, and according to the former years.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

5 And I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a sift witness against the witches, and against the adulteresses, and against them that swear falsely by my name, and against them that keep back the hireling's wages, and them that oppress the widow, and afflict orphans, and that wrest the judgment of the stranger, and fear not me, says the Lord Almighty.

I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and do not fear me," says Jehovah of hosts.

6 For I am the Lord your God, and I am not changed:

"For I, Jehovah, do not change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7 but you, the sons of Jacob, have not refrained from the iniquities of your fathers: you have perverted my statutes, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty. But you said, Wherein shall we return?

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says Jehovah of hosts. "But you say, 'How shall we return?'

8 Will a man insult God? for you insult me. But you say, Wherein have we insulted you? In that the tithes and first fruits are with you [still].

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings.

9 And you do surely look off from me, and you insult me.

You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

10 The year is completed, and you have brought all the produce into the storehouses; but there shall be the plunder thereof in its house: return now on this behalf, says the Lord Almighty, [see] if I will not open to you the torrents of heaven, and pour out my blessing upon you, until you are satisfied.

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this," says Jehovah of hosts, "if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough for.

11 And I will appoint food for you, and I will not destroy the fruit of your land; and your vine in the field shall not fail, says the Lord Almighty.

I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field," says Jehovah of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a desirable land, says the Lord Almighty.

"All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says Jehovah of hosts.

13 You have spoken grievous words against me, says the Lord. Yet you said, Wherein have we spoken against you?

"Your words have been stout against me," says Jehovah. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?'

14 You said, He that serves God labors in vain: and what have we gained in that we have kept his ordinances, and in that we have walked as suppliants before the face of the Lord Almighty?

You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have followed his instructions, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

15 And now we pronounce strangers blessed; and all they who act unlawfully are built up; and they have resisted God, and [yet] have been delivered.

Now we call the proud blessed; indeed, evildoers prosper. They even tempt God and escape.'

16 Thus spoke they that feared the Lord, every one to his neighbor: and the Lord gave heed, and listened, and he wrote a book of remembrance before him for them that feared the Lord and reverenced his name.

Then those who feared Jehovah spoke one with another; and Jehovah listened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for those who feared Jehovah, and who honored his name.

17 And they shall be mine, says the Lord Almighty, in the day which I appoint for a peculiar possession; and I will make choice of them, as a man makes choice of his son that serves him.

They shall be mine," says Jehovah of hosts, "my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

18 Then shall you return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, and between him that serves God, and him that serves [him] not.

Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.