Malachi 3

1Behold, I am sending my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. And suddenly the Lord whom you seek will come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—behold, he is coming, says Yahweh of Armies.

2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap.

3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and like silver, and they will be for Yahweh, presenting an offering in righteousness.

4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh, as in the days of old and as in former years.

5Then I will come near to you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the wage of a hired worker, the widow, and the fatherless, and those who turn aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says Yahweh of Armies.

6For I, Yahweh, do not change; and you, sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

7From 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?”

8Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, “How have we robbed you?” In the tithe and the contribution.

9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me—the whole nation of you.

10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house. And test me now in this, says Yahweh of hosts, whether I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you blessing until there is no more need.

11And I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy for you the fruit of the ground, and the vine in the field will not fail to bear for you, says Yahweh of Armies.

12Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says Yahweh of hosts.

13Your words have been hard against me, says Yahweh. But you say, “What have we spoken against you?”

14You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. And what profit 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; evildoers are even built up; they even test God and escape.’

16Then those who feared Yahweh spoke with one another, and Yahweh paid attention and heard; and a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear Yahweh and who esteem his name.

17And they will be mine, says Yahweh of Armies, on the day when I make them a treasured possession, and 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 one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

19For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble. The coming day will set them ablaze, says Yahweh of Armies, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch.

20But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.

21And you will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act, says Yahweh of Armies.

22Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel—statutes and judgments.

23Look, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and fearful day of Yahweh.

24And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a ban of destruction.