1 “ Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; the Messenger or Angel of the covenant, Whom you desire, behold, He shall come, says the Lord of hosts.

2 “ But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap;

3 H e will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness.

He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the priests, the sons of Levi, and refine them like gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness.

4 T hen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then will the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in ancient years.

5 “ Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts.

Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against the false swearers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and who turn aside the temporary resident from his right and fear not Me, says the Lord of hosts.

6 “ For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

For I am the Lord, I do not change; that is why you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7 “ From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ You Have Robbed God

Even 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 the Lord of hosts. But you say, How shall we return?

8 “ Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.

Will a man rob or defraud God? Yet you rob and defraud Me. But you say, In what way do we rob or defraud You? tithes and offerings.

9 Y ou are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!

You are cursed with the curse, for you are robbing Me, even this whole nation.

10 B ring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.

Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

11 T hen I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord 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 drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.

12 “ All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.

And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 “ Your words have been arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

Your words have been strong and hard against Me, says the Lord. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You?

14 Y ou have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?

You have said, It is useless to serve God, and what profit is it if we keep His ordinances and walk gloomily and as if in mourning apparel before the Lord of hosts?

15 S o now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape.’” The Book of Remembrance

And now we consider the proud and arrogant to be happy and favored; evildoers are exalted and prosper; yes, and when they test God, they escape.

16 T hen those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.

Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.

17 “ They will be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.”

And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

18 S o you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.