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¹ “See, I am going to send my messenger,^(C1) and he will clear the way before me.^(C2) Then the Lord you seek^(C3) will suddenly come to his temple,^(C4) the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies. ² But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears?^(C1) For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(C2) and like launderer’s bleach.^{(F1)(C3) 3} He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver.^(C1) Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. ⁴ And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old^(C1) and years gone by.

⁵ “I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the fatherless; and against those who deny justice to the resident alien.^(C1) They do not fear me,”^(C2) says the Lord of Armies. ⁶ “Because I, the Lord, have not changed,^(C1) you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.^(F1)(C2)

Robbing God

⁷ “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them.^(C1) Return to me,^(C2) and I will return to you,”^(C3) says the Lord of Armies.

Yet you ask, “How can we return?”

⁸ “Will a man rob^(C1) God? Yet you are robbing me!”

“How do we rob you?” you ask.

“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.^{(C2) 9} You are suffering under a curse, yet^(F1) you—the whole nation—are still robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the full tenth into the storehouse^(C1) so that there may be food in my house.^(C2) Test me in this way,”^(C3) says the Lord of Armies. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven^(C4) and pour out a blessing for you without measure.^{(C5) 11} I will rebuke the devourer^(F1)(C1) for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit,” says the Lord of Armies. ¹² “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says the Lord of Armies.

The Righteous and the Wicked

¹³ “Your words against me are harsh,”^(C1) says the Lord.

Yet you ask, “What have we spoken against you?”

¹⁴ You have said: “It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements^(C1) and walking mournfully^(C2) before the Lord of Armies? ¹⁵ So now we consider the arrogant^(C1) to be fortunate.^(C2) Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God^(C3) and escape.”^(C4)

¹⁶ At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance^(C1) was written before him for those who feared the Lord and had high regard for his name. ¹⁷ “They will be mine,” says the Lord of Armies,^(C1) “my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.^{(C2) 18} So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.