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‘See, I am going to send my messenger,(A) and he will clear the way before me.(B) Then the Lord you seek(C) will suddenly come to his temple,(D) the Messenger of the covenant you delight in – see, he is coming,’ says the Lord of Armies. But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears?(E) For he will be like a refiner’s fire(F) and like launderer’s bleach.[a](G) He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver.(H) Then they will present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the Lord as in days of old(I) and years gone by.

‘I will come to you in judgement, 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 foreigner.(J) They do not fear me,’(K) says the Lord of Armies. ‘Because I, the Lord, have not changed,(L) you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.[b](M)

Robbing God

‘Since the days of your ancestors, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them.(N) Return to me,(O) and I will return to you,’(P) says the Lord of Armies.

Yet you ask, ‘How can we return? ’

‘Will a man rob(Q) God? Yet you are robbing me! ’

‘How do we rob you? ’ you ask.

‘By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions.(R) You are suffering under a curse, yet[c] you – the whole nation – are still robbing me. 10 Bring the full tenth into the storehouse(S) so that there may be food in my house.(T) Test me in this way,’(U) says the Lord of Armies. ‘See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven(V) and pour out a blessing for you without measure.(W) 11 I will rebuke the devourer[d](X) 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,’(Y) 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(Z) and walking mournfully(AA) before the Lord of Armies? 15 So now we consider the arrogant(AB) to be fortunate.(AC) Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God(AD) and escape.’(AE)

16 At that time those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance(AF) 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,(AG) ‘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.(AH) 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.

Footnotes

  1. 3:2 Lit cleansing agent
  2. 3:6 Or Because I, the Lord, do not change, you descendants of Jacob are not destroyed
  3. 3:9 Or because
  4. 3:11 Perhaps locusts

El día del juicio

He aquí, yo envío a mi mensajero[a], y él preparará[b] el camino delante de mí(A). Y vendrá de repente a su templo el Señor a quien vosotros buscáis(B); y el mensajero[c](C) del pacto en quien vosotros os complacéis(D), he aquí, viene —dice el Señor de los ejércitos. ¿Pero quién podrá soportar el día de su venida? ¿Y quién podrá mantenerse en pie cuando Él aparezca(E)? Porque Él es como fuego(F) de fundidor y como jabón de lavanderos. Y Él se sentará como fundidor y purificador de plata, y purificará(G) a los hijos de Leví y los acrisolará como a oro y como a plata, y serán los que presenten ofrendas[d] en justicia al Señor(H). Entonces será grata al Señor la ofrenda[e] de Judá y de Jerusalén(I), como en los días de antaño y como en los años pasados(J). Y me acercaré a vosotros para el juicio, y seré un testigo veloz contra los hechiceros(K), contra los adúlteros(L), contra los que juran en falso(M) y contra los que oprimen al jornalero en su salario(N), a la viuda y al huérfano(O), contra los que niegan el derecho del extranjero[f] y los que no me temen[g] —dice el Señor de los ejércitos. Porque yo, el[h] Señor, no cambio; por eso vosotros, oh hijos de Jacob, no habéis sido consumidos[i](P).

El pago de los diezmos

Desde los días de vuestros padres os habéis apartado de mis estatutos y no los habéis guardado(Q). Volved a mí y yo volveré a vosotros —dice el Señor de los ejércitos(R). Pero decís: «¿Cómo hemos de volver?». ¿Robará[j] el hombre a Dios? Pues vosotros me estáis robando. Pero decís: «¿En qué te hemos robado?». En los diezmos y en las ofrendas[k](S). Con maldición estáis malditos(T), porque vosotros, la nación entera, me estáis robando[l]. 10 Traed todo el diezmo(U) al alfolí[m], para que haya alimento[n] en mi casa; y ponedme ahora a prueba en esto —dice el Señor de los ejércitos— si no os abriré las ventanas del cielo(V), y derramaré para vosotros bendición(W) hasta que sobreabunde[o](X). 11 Por vosotros reprenderé al devorador, para que no os destruya los frutos del suelo(Y); ni vuestra vid en el campo será estéril —dice el Señor de los ejércitos. 12 Y todas las naciones os llamarán bienaventurados(Z), porque seréis una tierra de delicias(AA) —dice el Señor de los ejércitos.

El justo y el injusto

13 Vuestras palabras han sido duras contra mí —dice el Señor—. Pero decís: «¿Qué hemos hablado contra ti?». 14 Habéis dicho: «En vano es servir a Dios(AB). ¿Qué provecho hay en que guardemos sus ordenanzas y en que andemos de duelo delante del Señor(AC) de los ejércitos? 15 Por eso ahora llamamos bienaventurados a los soberbios(AD). No solo prosperan los que hacen el mal(AE), sino que también ponen a prueba a Dios y escapan impunes».

16 Entonces los que temían[p] al Señor se hablaron unos a otros, y el Señor prestó atención(AF) y escuchó, y fue escrito delante de Él un libro(AG) memorial para los que temen[q] al Señor y para los que estiman[r] su nombre. 17 Y ellos serán míos —dice el Señor(AH) de los ejércitos— el día en que yo prepare[s](AI) mi tesoro especial[t](AJ), y los perdonaré[u] como un hombre perdona al[v] hijo(AK) que le sirve. 18 Entonces volveréis a distinguir entre el justo y el impío(AL), entre el que sirve a Dios y el que no le sirve.

Footnotes

  1. Malaquías 3:1 O, ángel
  2. Malaquías 3:1 O, allanará
  3. Malaquías 3:1 O, ángel
  4. Malaquías 3:3 U, ofrendas de cereal
  5. Malaquías 3:4 U, ofrenda de cereal
  6. Malaquías 3:5 O, peregrino
  7. Malaquías 3:5 O, no me reverencian
  8. Malaquías 3:6 O, Yo soy el
  9. Malaquías 3:6 O, acabados
  10. Malaquías 3:8 O, Defraudará
  11. Malaquías 3:8 U, ofrendas alzadas
  12. Malaquías 3:9 O, defraudando
  13. Malaquías 3:10 Lit., a la casa del tesoro
  14. Malaquías 3:10 Lit., presa
  15. Malaquías 3:10 O, no haya suficiente lugar
  16. Malaquías 3:16 O, reverenciaban
  17. Malaquías 3:16 O, reverencian
  18. Malaquías 3:16 O, piensan en
  19. Malaquías 3:17 Lit., haga
  20. Malaquías 3:17 O, propiedad personal
  21. Malaquías 3:17 O, les tendré compasión
  22. Malaquías 3:17 O, se compadece del

The Coming Messenger

“Behold, (A)I send My messenger,
And he will (B)prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
(C)Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, (D)He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

“But who can endure (E)the day of His coming?
And (F)who can stand when He appears?
For (G)He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
(H)He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may (I)offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

“Then (J)the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be [b]pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
(K)Against perjurers,
Against those who (L)exploit wage earners and (M)widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

“For I am the Lord, (N)I do not change;
(O)Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
Yet from the days of (P)your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
(Q)Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(R)“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’

Do Not Rob God

“Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
(S)In tithes and offerings.
You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 (T)Bring all the tithes into the (U)storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the (V)windows of heaven
And (W)pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.

11 “And I will rebuke (X)the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be (Y)a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.

The People Complain Harshly

13 “Your(Z) words have been [c]harsh against Me,”
Says the Lord,
“Yet you say,
‘What have we spoken against You?’
14 (AA)You have said,
‘It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts?
15 So now (AB)we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are [d]raised up;
They even (AC)tempt God and go free.’ ”

A Book of Remembrance

16 Then those (AD)who feared the Lord (AE)spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So (AF)a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who [e]meditate on His name.

17 “They(AG) shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My (AH)jewels.[f]
And (AI)I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 (AJ)Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:3 Or refine
  2. Malachi 3:4 pleasing
  3. Malachi 3:13 Lit. strong
  4. Malachi 3:15 Lit. built
  5. Malachi 3:16 Or esteem
  6. Malachi 3:17 Lit. special treasure

“I will send my messenger,(A) who will prepare the way before me.(B) Then suddenly the Lord(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,(D) whom you desire,(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

But who can endure(F) the day of his coming?(G) Who can stand(H) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire(I) or a launderer’s soap.(J) He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;(K) he will purify(L) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.(M) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,(N) and the offerings(O) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.(P)

“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,(Q) adulterers(R) and perjurers,(S) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,(T) who oppress the widows(U) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners(V) among you of justice, but do not fear(W) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes

“I the Lord do not change.(X) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(Y) Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(Z) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(AA) to me, and I will return to you,”(AB) says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask,(AC) ‘How are we to return?’

“Will a mere mortal rob(AD) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes(AE) and offerings. You are under a curse(AF)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(AG) into the storehouse,(AH) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(AI) of heaven and pour out(AJ) so much blessing(AK) that there will not be room enough to store it.(AL) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(AM) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(AN)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(AO) for yours will be a delightful land,”(AP) says the Lord Almighty.(AQ)

Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God

13 “You have spoken arrogantly(AR) against me,” says the Lord.

“Yet you ask,(AS) ‘What have we said against you?’

14 “You have said, ‘It is futile(AT) to serve(AU) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements(AV) and going about like mourners(AW) before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant(AX) blessed. Certainly evildoers(AY) prosper,(AZ) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”

The Faithful Remnant

16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.(BA) A scroll(BB) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared(BC) the Lord and honored his name.

17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my(BD) treasured possession.(BE) I will spare(BF) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son(BG) who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous(BH) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.(BI)