Malachi 3
a“Behold, I send bmy messenger, and che will prepare the way before me. And the Lord dwhom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and ethe messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But awho can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For bhe is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit aas a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring bofferings in righteousness to the Lord. 4 aThen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be aa swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those bwho oppress the hired worker in his wages, cthe widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
Robbing God
6 “For aI the Lord do not change; btherefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 aFrom the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. bReturn to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. cBut you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. aBut you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ bIn your tithes and contributions. 9 aYou are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 aBring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby bput me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open cthe windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke athe devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts. 12 Then aall nations will call you blessed, for you will be ba land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.
13 a“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. bBut you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, a‘It is vain to serve God. bWhat is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call athe arrogant blessed. aEvildoers not only prosper but bthey put God to the test and they escape.’”
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who feared the Lord aspoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and ba book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, ain the day when I make up bmy treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall asee the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.