1 “See, I am going to send My messenger,and he will clear the way before Me.Then the Lord you seekwill suddenly come to His temple,the Messenger of the covenant you desire — see, He is coming,” says theLordof Hosts.
2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will be able to stand when He appears?For He will be like a refiner’s fireand like cleansing lye.
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.Then they will present offerings to theLordin righteousness.
4 And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please theLordas in days of oldand 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 widow and the fatherless, and cheat the wage earner; and against those who deny justice to the foreigner.They do not fear Me,”says theLordof Hosts.
6 “Because I, Yahweh, have not changed,you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.
Robbing God
7 “Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them.Return to Me,and I will return to you,”says theLordof Hosts.
But you ask: “How can we return? ”
8 “Will a man robGod? Yet you are robbing Me! ”
You ask: “How do we rob You? ”
“By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.
9 You are suffering under a curse, yet you — the whole nation — are still robbing Me.
10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouseso that there may be food in My house.Test Me in this way,”says theLordof Hosts. “See if I will not open the floodgates of heavenand pour out a blessing for you without measure.
11 I will rebuke the devourerfor 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 theLordof Hosts.
12 “Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land,” says theLordof Hosts.
The Righteous and the Wicked
13 “Your words against Me are harsh,”says theLord.
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 requirementsand walking mournfullybefore theLordof Hosts?
15 So now we consider the arrogantto be fortunate.Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test Godand escape.”
16 At that time those who feared theLordspoke to one another. TheLordtook notice and listened. So a book of remembrancewas written before Him for those who feared Yahweh and had high regard for His name.
17 “They will be Mine,” says theLordof Hosts,“a special possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.
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.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/MAL/3-a81b5851be498be9ff698b5330917586.mp3?version_id=72—