1 “AMatt 11:10, 14; Mark 1:2; Luke 1:76; 7:27Behold, I am going to send BHag 1:13; John 1:6, 7My 1Or angelmessenger, and he will 2Or prepareCIs 40:3clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; 3Or evenand the 1Or angelDIs 63:9messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 2 “But who can AIs 33:14; Ezek 22:14; Rev 6:17endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a BZech 13:9; Matt 3:10-12; 1 Cor 3:13-15refiner’s fire and like 1Lit laundrymen’sfullers’ soap. 3  “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will AIs 1:25; Dan 12:10purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may BPs 4:5; 51:19present to the Loʀᴅ 1Or grain offeringsofferings in righteousness. 4  “Then the 1Or grain offeringoffering of Judah and Jerusalem will be APs 51:17-19pleasing to the Loʀᴅ as in the B2 Chr 7:1-3, 12days of old and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the ADeut 18:10; Jer 27:9, 10sorcerers and against the BEzek 22:9-11adulterers and against those who CJer 5:2; 7:9; Zech 5:4swear falsely, and against those who oppress the DLev 19:13wage earner in his wages, the EEx 22:22-24widow and the 1Or fatherlessorphan, and those who turn aside the 2Or sojournerFDeut 27:19alien and do not 3Or reverefear Me,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 6 “For 1Or I am the Loʀᴅ; I do notI, the Loʀᴅ, ANum 23:19; James 1:17do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, 2Or have not come to an endare not consumed.

7 “From the AJer 7:25, 26; 16:11, 12days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. BZech 1:3Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

8 “Will a man 1Or defraudrob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In ANeh 13:11, 12tithes and 2Or heave offeringsofferings. 9  “You are AMal 2:2cursed with a curse, for you are 1Or defraudingrobbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10  “ALev 27:30; Num 18:21-24; Deut 12:6; 14:22-29; Neh 13:12Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be 1Lit preyfood in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, “if I will not BPs 78:23-29open for you the windows of heaven and CEzek 34:26pour out for you a blessing until 2Or there is not room enoughDLev 26:3-5it overflows. 11  “Then I will rebuke the AJoel 1:4; 2:25devourer for you, so that it will not 1Lit ruindestroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts. 12 “AIs 61:9All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a BIs 62:4delightful land,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts.

13 “Your words have been 1Lit strongarrogant against Me,” says the Loʀᴅ. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14  “You have said, ‘It is AJer 2:25; 18:12vain to serve God; and what BIs 58:3profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Loʀᴅ of hosts? 15  ‘So now we AIs 2:22; Mal 4:1call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and BJer 7:10escape.’ ”

16 Then those who 1Or revere(d)feared the Loʀᴅ spoke to one another, and the Loʀᴅ APs 34:15; Jer 31:18-20gave attention and heard it, and a BIs 4:3; Dan 12:1book of remembrance was written before Him for those who 1Or revere(d)fear the Loʀᴅ and who esteem His name. 17 “They will be AIs 43:1Mine,” says the Loʀᴅ of hosts, “on the BIs 4:2day that I 1Lit makeprepare My 2Or special treasureCEx 19:5; Deut 7:6; Is 43:21; 1 Pet 2:9own possession, and I will 3Or have (has) compassion onspare them as a man 3Or have (has) compassion onDPs 103:13spares his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will again AGen 18:25; Amos 5:15distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.