^{1 Ref} See, I am sending my servant, and he will make ready the way before me; and the Lord, whom you are looking for, will suddenly come to his Temple; and the angel of the agreement, in whom you have delight, see, he is coming, says the Lord of armies.

^{2 Ref} But by whom may the day of his coming be faced? and who may keep his place when he is seen? for he is like the metal-tester's fire and the cleaner's soap.

^{3 Ref} He will take his seat, testing and cleaning the sons of Levi, burning away the evil from them as from gold and silver; so that they may make offerings to the Lord in righteousness.

^{4 Ref} Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord, as in days gone by, and as in past years.

^{5 Ref} And I will come near to you for judging; I will quickly be a witness against the wonder-workers, against those who have been untrue in married life, against those who take false oaths; against those who keep back from the servant his payment, and who are hard on the widow and the child without a father, who do not give his rights to the man from a strange country, and have no fear of me, says the Lord of armies.

^{6 Ref} For I am the Lord, I am unchanged; and so you, O sons of Jacob, have not been cut off.

^{7 Ref} From the days of your fathers you have been turned away from my rules and have not kept them. Come back to me, and I will come back to you, says the Lord of armies. But you say, How are we to come back?

^{8 Ref} Will a man keep back from God what is right? But you have kept back what is mine. But you say, What have we kept back from you? Tenths and offerings.

^{9 Ref} You are cursed with a curse; for you have kept back from me what is mine, even all this nation.

^{10 Ref} Let your tenths come into the store-house so that there may be food in my house, and put me to the test by doing so, says the Lord of armies, and see if I do not make the windows of heaven open and send down such a blessing on you that there is no room for it.

^{11 Ref} And on your account I will keep back the locusts from wasting the fruits of your land; and the fruit of your vine will not be dropped on the field before its time, says the Lord of armies

^{12 Ref} And you will be named happy by all nations: for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of armies.

^{13 Ref} Your words have been strong against me, says the Lord. And still you say, What have we said against you?

^{14 Ref} You have said, It is no use worshipping God: what profit have we had from keeping his orders, and going in clothing of sorrow before the Lord of armies?

^{15 Ref} And now to us the men of pride seem happy; yes, the evil-doers are doing well; they put God to the test and are safe.

^{16 Ref} Then those in whom was the fear of the Lord had talk together: and the Lord gave ear, and it was recorded in a book to be kept in mind before him, for those who had the fear of the Lord and gave thought to his name.

^{17 Ref} And they will be mine, says the Lord, in the day when I make them my special property; and I will have mercy on them as a man has mercy on his son who is his servant.

^{18 Ref} Then you will again see how the upright man is different from the sinner, and the servant of God from him who is not.

^{1 Ref} Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.

^{2 Ref} But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap:

^{3 Ref} and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.

^{4 Ref} Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

^{5 Ref} 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 the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner `from his right', and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.

^{6 Ref} For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

^{7 Ref} From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

^{8 Ref} Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

^{9 Ref} Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation.

^{10 Ref} Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah 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 Ref} And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts.

^{12 Ref} And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts.

^{13 Ref} Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

^{14 Ref} Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

^{15 Ref} And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape.

^{16 Ref} Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.

^{17 Ref} And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, `even' mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

^{18 Ref} Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

^{1 Ref} "Behold, I 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, whom you desire, behold, he comes!" says Yahweh of hosts.

^{2 Ref} "But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like launderer's soap;

^{3 Ref} and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

^{4 Ref} Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

^{5 Ref} I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don't fear me," says Yahweh of Hosts.

^{6 Ref} "For I, Yahweh, don't change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

^{7 Ref} From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, 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 Ref} Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings.

^{9 Ref} You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

^{10 Ref} Bring the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and test me now in this," says Yahweh 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 for.

^{11 Ref} I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before its time in the field," says Yahweh of Hosts.

^{12 Ref} "All nations shall call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land," says Yahweh of Hosts.

^{13 Ref} "Your words have been stout against me," says Yahweh. "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against you?'

^{14 Ref} You have said, 'It is vain to serve God;' and 'What profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Yahweh of Hosts?

^{15 Ref} Now we call the proud happy; yes, those who work wickedness are built up; yes, they tempt God, and escape.'

^{16 Ref} Then those who feared Yahweh spoke one with another; and Yahweh listened, and heard, and a book of memory was written before him, for those who feared Yahweh, and who honored his name.

^{17 Ref} They shall be mine," says Yahweh of Hosts, "my own possession in the day that I make, and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.

^{18 Ref} Then you shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who doesn't serve him.