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Malachi 3
Legacy Standard Bible

The Messenger and the Lord

3 “(A)Behold, I am going to send (B)My [a]messenger, and he will [b](C)prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; [c]and the [d](D)messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says Yahweh of hosts. 2 “But who can (E)endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a (F)smelter’s fire and like [e]fullers’ soap. 3 And He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will (G)purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may (H)present to Yahweh [f]offerings in righteousness. 4 Then the [g]offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be (I)pleasing to Yahweh as in the (J)ancient days and as in former years.

5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the (K)sorcerers and against the (L)adulterers and against those who (M)swear falsely and against those who oppress the (N)wage earner in his wages, the (O)widow and the [h]orphan, and those who turn aside the (P)sojourner and do not [i]fear Me,” says Yahweh of hosts. 6 “For [j]I, Yahweh, (Q)do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, [k]are not consumed.

You Have Robbed God

7 “From the (R)days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. (S)Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says Yahweh of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’

8 “Will a man [l]rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In (T)tithes and [m]contributions. 9 You are (U)cursed with a curse, for you are [n]robbing Me, the whole nation of you! 10 (V)Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be [o]food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says Yahweh of hosts, “if I will not (W)open for you the windows of heaven and (X)empty out for you a blessing until [p](Y)it is beyond enough. 11 Then I will rebuke the (Z)devourer for you so that it will not corrupt the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field [q]fail to bear,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12 “(AA)So all the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a (AB)delightful land,” says Yahweh of hosts.

Arrogant Words

13 “Your words have been strong against Me,” says Yahweh. “But you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is (AC)worthless to serve God; and what (AD)gain is it that we have kept His charge and that we have walked in mourning before Yahweh of hosts? 15 So now we (AE)call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also test God and (AF)escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who [r]feared Yahweh spoke to one another, and Yahweh (AG)gave heed and heard it, and a (AH)book of remembrance was written before Him for those who [s]fear Yahweh and who think upon His name. 17 “And they will be (AI)Mine,” says Yahweh of hosts, “on the (AJ)day that I [t]prepare My [u](AK)own treasured possession, and I will [v]spare them as a man [w](AL)spares his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will return and (AM)see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:1 Or angel
  2. Malachi 3:1 Or clear
  3. Malachi 3:1 Or even
  4. Malachi 3:1 Or angel
  5. Malachi 3:2 Lit laundrymen’s
  6. Malachi 3:3 Or grain offerings
  7. Malachi 3:4 Or grain offering
  8. Malachi 3:5 Or fatherless
  9. Malachi 3:5 Or reverence
  10. Malachi 3:6 Or I am Yahweh; I do not
  11. Malachi 3:6 Or have not come to an end
  12. Malachi 3:8 Or defraud
  13. Malachi 3:8 Or heave offerings
  14. Malachi 3:9 Or defrauding
  15. Malachi 3:10 Lit prey
  16. Malachi 3:10 Or there is not room enough
  17. Malachi 3:11 Lit be bereaved
  18. Malachi 3:16 Or reverence(d)
  19. Malachi 3:16 Or reverence(d)
  20. Malachi 3:17 Lit make
  21. Malachi 3:17 Or special treasure
  22. Malachi 3:17 Or have compassion on
  23. Malachi 3:17 Or has compassion on
Close RSV

Malachi 3
Revised Standard Version

The Coming Messenger

3 “Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

“For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3 he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord. 4 Then 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 a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Do Not Rob God

6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. 7 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8 Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How are we robbing thee?’ In your tithes and offerings. 9 You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you. 10 Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house; and thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. 11 I will rebuke the devourer[a] 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 all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 “Your words have been stout against me, says the Lord. Yet you say, ‘How have we spoken against thee?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the good of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 Henceforth we deem the arrogant blessed; evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they escape.’”

The Reward of the Faithful

16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another; the Lord heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and thought on his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:11 Or devouring locust
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Malachi 2
Malachi 4
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Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.