Malachi 3

1 Behold me! sending my messenger, who will prepare a way before me, — and, suddenly, shall come to his temple The Lord whom ye are seeking, even the messenger of the covenant in whom ye are delighting, Lo! he cometh! saith Yahweh of hosts.

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

2 But who may endure the day of his coming? And who is he that can stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ alkali;

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.

3 Therefore will he sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will purify the sons of Levi, and will smelt them, as gold and as silver; so shall they belong to Yahweh, offering a gift in righteousness.

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.

4 Then shall the gift of Judah and Jerusalem, be pleasant to Yahweh, —as in the days of age-past times, and as in the ancient years.

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

5 Therefore will I draw near unto you for judgment, and will become a swift witness against the mutterers of incantations, and against the adulterers, and against them that swear to a falsehood, —and against them who rob the hire of the hireling, the widow and the fatherless, and that drive away the sojourner, and do not revere me, saith Yahweh of hosts.

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, saith the Lord Almighty.

6 Because, I, Yahweh, have not changed, therefore, ye, the sons of Jacob, have not been utterly consumed.

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

7 From the days of your fathers, have ye departed from my statutes, and not observed them, Return ye unto me, that I may return unto you, saith Yahweh of hosts. And yet ye say, Wherein shall we return?

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

8 Will, a son of earth, defraud, God? Nevertheless, ye, have been defrauding me, and yet ye say, Wherein have we defrauded thee? In the tithe and the offering.

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

9 With a curse, have ye been cursing, and yet, me, have ye been defrauding, — the whole nation.

And ye do surely look off from me, and ye insult me.

10 Bring ye all the tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, Yea, I pray you, put me to the proof hereby, saith Yahweh of hosts, whether I will not open to you the sluices of the heavens, and pour out for you blessing, until there be no room.

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

11 Then will I rebuke, for you, the devourer that he spoil not, for you, the fruit of the ground, — neither shall the vine in the field, be barren to you, saith Yahweh of hosts.

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, saith the Lord Almighty.

12 So shall all the nations, pronounce you happy, —for, ye, shall become, a land of delight, saith Yahweh of hosts.

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

13 Stout against me, have been your words, saith Yahweh, —and yet ye say, What have we spoken, one to another, against thee?

Ye have spoken grievous words against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye said, Wherein have we spoken against thee?

14 Ye have said, Vain is it to serve God, —and, What profit when we have kept his charge, or when we have walked gloomily before Yahweh of hosts?

Ye said, He that serves God labours 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?

15 Now, therefore, we are pronouncing happy—the proud, —and, the doers of lawlessness have, even been built up, and, they who have put God to the proof, have even been delivered.

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.

16 Then, they who revered Yahweh, conversed, one with another, —and Yahweh hearkened, and heard, and there was written a book of remembrance before him, for them who revered Yahweh, and for such as thought of his Name.

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

17 Therefore shall they be mine, saith Yahweh of hosts, in the day for which, I, am preparing treasure, —and I will deal tenderly with them, just as a man, dealeth tenderly, with his own son who is serving him.

And they shall be mine, saith 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.

18 So shall ye return, and see the difference, between the righteous and the lawless, —between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.

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