Malachi 3

1 “Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts.

2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.

3 And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

4 Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD, as in days of old and years gone by.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.

6 “Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

7 Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’

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

9 You are cursed with a curse, yet you—the whole nation—are still robbing Me.

10 Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD of Hosts. “See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing without measure.

11 I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the LORD of Hosts.

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

13 “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’

14 You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What have we gained by keeping His requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Hosts?

15 So now we call the arrogant blessed. Not only do evildoers prosper, they even test God and escape.’”

16 At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.

17 “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, “on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.

18 So you will again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

1 ¶ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 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 fullers' soap:

3 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 unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 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 [am] the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

7 ¶ Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept [them]. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

9 Ye [are] cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, [even] this whole nation.

10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, 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 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 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, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken [so much] against thee?

14 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 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, [they that] tempt God are even delivered.

16 Then they that feared the LORD spake 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 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 shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

1 Behold, I will send my angel, which shall prepare the way before me. And soon shall come to his temple the LORD whom ye seek, and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire. Behold, he cometh, saith the LORD of hosts.

2 But who shall endure the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he shall appear? For he is as the fire of a goldsmith, and as the soap of washers.

3 He shall sit and melt, and purify the silver: he shall purify the children of Levi, and purify them as gold and silver. Then shall they bring meat offerings unto the LORD in righteousness,

4 And the meat offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be acceptable unto the LORD, as it was before, and as it was many years ago.

5 And I will come unto you, and will punish you, and be a swift witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and perjurers, and against them that do violence and wrong to the hireling, and to the widow, and to the fatherless, and that oppress the stranger, and fear me not, saith the LORD of hosts.

6 For I am the LORD that lieth not. And it shall not be utterly finished with you children of Jacob.

7 Ye have departed from my commandments from your fathers' days, and have not kept them: Turn ye therefore unto me, and I will turn unto you also, saith the LORD of hosts. Say ye, Wherein shall we return?

8 Is it lawful for a man to deceive God, as ye deceive me? Say ye, Wherewith do we deceive thee? In tithes and heave offerings.

9 Therefore are ye also cursed, that all things should pass out of your hands: for ye all deceive me.

10 But bring ye all the tithes into my storehouse, that there may be meat in my house: and try me in this, saith the LORD of hosts, whether I will not open unto you the windows of heaven, and pour down blessings in abundance.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for you, that he destroy not the fruit of the field, and that the vine of the field be not unfruitful unto you, saith the LORD of hosts,

12 That all nations may call you blessed: for ye shall be a goodly land, saith the LORD of hosts.

13 Ye speak hard against me, saith the LORD. Say ye, Why speak we against thee?

14 That ye should say, It is vain to serve God; and, What profit is it to keep his commandment? What profit is it that we keep his commandment, and live hard before the LORD of hosts?

15 Therefore we praise the rejecters, because the wicked increase; they tempt God, and all things go well out of them.

16 But the godly comfort one another, saying, The LORD heareth and heareth: and before him is a memorial written for them that fear the LORD, and remember his name.

17 They shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in the day that I make them; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his son that serveth him.

18 And again ye shall see what manner of difference there is between the righteous and the wicked, and between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.