The Messenger and the Lord

1“Behold, I am going to send My [†]messenger, and he will [†]prepare 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 Yahweh of hosts. 2“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a smelter’s fire and like [†]fullers’ soap. 3And He 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 Yahweh [†]offerings in righteousness. 4Then the [†]offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh as in the ancient days and as in former 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 sojourner and do not [†]fear Me,” says Yahweh of hosts. 6“For [†]I, Yahweh, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, [†]are not consumed.

You Have Robbed God

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 Yahweh 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 [†]contributions. 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are [†]robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be [†]food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and empty out for you a blessing until [†]it is beyond enough. 11Then I will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not corrupt the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field [†]fail to bear,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12“So all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land,” says Yahweh of hosts.

Arrogant Words

13“Your words have been strong against Me,” says Yahweh. “But you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14You have said, ‘It is worthless to serve God; and what gain is it that we have kept His charge and that we have walked in mourning before Yahweh of hosts? 15So 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

16Then those who [†]feared Yahweh spoke to one another, and Yahweh gave heed and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who [†]fear Yahweh and who think upon His name. 17“And they will be Mine,” says Yahweh of hosts, “on the day that I [†]prepare My [†]own treasured possession, and I will [†]spare them as a man [†]spares his own son who serves him.” 18So you will return and see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.