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 my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts.

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 shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’s herb:

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.

And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.

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 of Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient 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 come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages; the widows, and the fatherless: and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.

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

For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed.

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?

For from the days of your fathers you have departed from my ordinances, and have not kept them: Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have 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.

Shall a man afflict God? for you afflict me. And you have said: Wherein do we afflict thee? in tithes and in firstfruits.

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

And you are cursed with want, and you afflict me, even the whole nation of you.

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.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and try me in this, saith the Lord: if I open not unto you the flood-gates of heaven, and pour you out a blessing even to abundance.

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 rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he shall not spoil the fruit of your land: neither shall the vine in the field be barren, saith the Lord of hosts.

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 you shall be a delightful land, saith the Lord of hosts.

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

Your words have been unsufferable to me, saith the Lord.

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?

And you have said: What have we spoken against thee? You have said: He laboureth in vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked sorrowful before the Lord of hosts?

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.

Wherefore now we call the proud people happy, for they that work wickedness are built up, and they have tempted God and are preserved.

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.

Then they that feared the Lord spoke every one with his neighbour: and the Lord gave ear, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that fear the Lord, and think on 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 my special possession, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I do judgment: and I will spare them, as a man spareth his son that serveth 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.

And you shall return, and shall see the difference between the just and the wicked: and between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.