Malachi, 3

1. 'Look, I shall send my messenger to clear a way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his Temple; yes, the angel of the covenant, for whom you long, is on his way, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

1. "Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

2. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like fullers' alkali.

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;

3. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they can make the offering to Yahweh with uprightness.

3. he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD.

4. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be acceptable to Yahweh as in former days, as in the years of old.

4. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years.

5. I am coming to put you on trial and I shall be a ready witness against sorcerers, adulterers, perjurers, and against those who oppress the wage-earner, the widow and the orphan, and who rob the foreigner of his rights and do not respect me, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

5. "Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

6. 'No; I, Yahweh, do not change; and you have not ceased to be children of Jacob!

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

7. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have evaded my statutes and not observed them. Return to me and I will return to you, says Yahweh Sabaoth. You ask, "How are we to return?

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?'

8. Can a human being cheat God?" Yet you try to cheat me! You ask, "How do we try to cheat you?" Over tithes and contributions.

8. Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, `How are we robbing thee?' In your tithes and offerings.

9. A curse lies on you because you, this whole nation, try to cheat me.

9. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you.

10. Bring the tithes in full to the treasury, so that there is food in my house; put me to the test now like this, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and see if I do not open the floodgates of heaven for you and pour out an abundant blessing for you.

10. Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing.

11. For your sakes, I shall forbid the locust to destroy the produce of your soil or prevent the vine from bearing fruit in your field, says Yahweh Sabaoth,

11. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.

12. and all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delights, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

12. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.

13. 'You have said harsh things about me, says Yahweh. And yet you say, "What have we said against you?"

13. "Your words have been stout against me, says the LORD. Yet you say, `How have we spoken against thee?'

14. You have said, "It is useless to serve God; what is the good of keeping his commands or of walking mournfully before Yahweh Sabaoth?

14. You have said, `It is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts?

15. In fact, we now call the proud the happy ones; the evil-doers are the ones who prosper; they put God to the test, yet come to no harm!" '

15. Henceforth we deem the arrogant blessed; evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they escape.'"

16. Then those who feared Yahweh talked to one another about this, and Yahweh took note and listened; and a book of remembrance was written in his presence recording those who feared him and kept his name in mind.

16. Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name.

17. 'On the day when I act, says Yahweh Sabaoth, they will be my most prized possession, and I shall spare them in the way a man spares the son who serves him.

17. "They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.

18. Then once again you will see the difference between the upright person and the wicked one, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him.

18. Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

19. 'For look, the Day is coming, glowing like a furnace. All the proud and all the evil-doers will be the stubble, and the Day, when it comes, will set them ablaze, says Yahweh Sabaoth, leaving them neither root nor branch.

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20. But for you who fear my name, the Sun of justice will rise with healing in his rays, and you will come out leaping like calves from the stall,

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21. and trample on the wicked, who will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

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22. 'Remember the Law of my servant Moses to whom at Horeb I prescribed decrees and rulings for all Israel.

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23. 'Look, I shall send you the prophet Elijah before the great and awesome Day of Yahweh comes.

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24. He will reconcile parents to their children and children to their parents, to forestall my putting the country under the curse of destruction.'

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