" aBehold, I am going to send
bMy 1messenger
, and he will 2 cclear
the way
before
Me. And the Lord
, whom
you seek
, will suddenly
come
to His temple
; 3and the 1 dmessenger
of the covenant
, in whom
you delight
, behold
, He is coming
," says
the LORD
of hosts
.
"But who can aendure
the day
of His coming
? And who
can stand
when He appears
? For He is like a brefiner's
fire
and like 1fullers'
soap
.
"He will sit as a smelter
and purifier
of silver
, and He will apurify
the sons
of Levi
and refine
them like gold
and silver
, so that they may bpresent
to the LORD
1offerings
in righteousness
.
"Then the 1offering of Judah
and Jerusalem
will be apleasing
to the LORD
as in the bdays
of old
and as in former
years
.
"Then I will draw near
to you for judgment
; and I will be a swift
witness
against the asorcerers
and against the badulterers
and against those who cswear
falsely
, and against those who oppress
the dwage
earner
in his wages
, the ewidow
and the 1orphan
, and those who turn
aside
the 2 falien
and do not 3fear
Me," says
the LORD
of hosts
.
"For 1I, the LORD, ado not change
; therefore you, O sons
of Jacob
, 2are not consumed
.
"From the adays of your fathers
you have turned
aside
from My statutes
and have not kept
them. bReturn
to Me, and I will return
to you," says
the LORD
of hosts
. "But you say
, `How
shall we return
?'
"Will a man 1rob
God
? Yet
you are robbing
Me! But you say
, `How
have we robbed
You?' In atithes
and 2offerings
.
"You are acursed with a curse
, for you are 1robbing
Me, the whole
nation
of you!
" aBring the whole
tithe
into the storehouse
, so that there may be 1food
in My house
, and test
Me now
in this
," says
the LORD
of hosts
, "if
I will not bopen
for you the windows
of heaven
and cpour
out for you a blessing
until
2 dit overflows
.
"Then I will rebuke the adevourer
for you, so that it will not 1destroy
the fruits
of the ground
; nor
will your vine
in the field
cast
its grapes," says
the LORD
of hosts
.
" aAll the nations
will call
you blessed
, for you shall be a bdelightful
land
," says
the LORD
of hosts
.
"Your words have been
1arrogant
against
Me," says
the LORD
. "Yet you say
, `What
have we spoken
against
You?'
"You have said, `It is avain
to serve
God
; and what
bprofit
is it that we have kept
His charge
, and that we have walked
in mourning
before
the LORD
of hosts
?
`So now we acall
the arrogant
blessed
; not only
are the doers
of wickedness
built
up but they also
test
God
and bescape
.' "
Then those who 1feared
the LORD
spoke
to one
another
, and the LORD
agave
attention
and heard
it, and a bbook
of remembrance
was written
before
Him for those who 1fear
the LORD
and who esteem
His name
.
"They will be aMine," says the LORD
of hosts
, "on the bday
that I 1prepare
My 2 cown possession
, and I will 3spare
them as a man
3 dspares
his own son
who serves
him."
So you will again adistinguish
between
the righteous
and the wicked
, between
one who serves
God
and one who
does not serve
Him.