| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 1"I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 2“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. | 2Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap. |
| 3He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the LORD. | 3He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the LORD a proper offering. |
| 4Then once more the LORD will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past. | 4The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in former times and years past. |
| 5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. A Call to Repentance | 5"I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 6“I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. | 6"Since, I, the LORD, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. |
| 7Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’ | 7From the days of your ancestors you have ignored my commandments and have not kept them! Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD who rules over all. "But you say, 'How should we return?' |
| 8“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. | 8Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, 'How are we robbing you?' In tithes and contributions! |
| 9You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. | 9You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me--this whole nation is guilty. |
| 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! | 10"Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter," says the LORD who rules over all, "to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all. |
| 11Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 11Then I will stop the plague from ruining your crops, and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 12“Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. | 12"All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in a delightful land," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 13“You have said terrible things about me,” says the LORD. “But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’ | 13"You have criticized me sharply," says the LORD, "but you ask, 'How have we criticized you?' |
| 14“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the LORD of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? | 14You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD who rules over all? |
| 15From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’” The LORD’s Promise of Mercy | 15So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!'" |
| 16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other, and the LORD listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name. | 16Then those who respected the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the LORD and honored his name. |
| 17“They will be my people,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. | 17"They will belong to me," says the LORD who rules over all, "in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. |
| 18Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.” | 18Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not. |
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