< Malachi 3 >
1 "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.
Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the LORD, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he will come, saith the LORD of hosts.
2 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.
But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he [is] like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap.
3 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.
And he shall sit [as] a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness.
4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant to the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.
5 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.
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in [his] wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger [from his right], and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
6 "For I, Jehovah, do not change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
For I [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 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?'
Even from the days of your fathers ye have gone away from my ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, In what shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings.
Will a man rob God? yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.
Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.
10 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.
Bring ye all the tithes into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now with this, saith the LORD 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 [to receive it].
11 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.
And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
12 "All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says Jehovah of hosts.
And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.
13 "Your words have been stout against me," says Jehovah. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?'
Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?
14 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?
Ye have said, It [is] vain to serve God: and what profit [is it] that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15 Now we call the proud blessed; indeed, evildoers prosper. They even tempt God and escape.'
And now we call the proud happy; yes, they that work wickedness are set up; even [they that] tempt God are delivered.
16 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.
Then they that feared the LORD spoke often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard [it], and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 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.
And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.
Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.