3 “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. ² 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) 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.^(H) 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^(I) 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.^(J) They do not fear me,”^(K) says the Lord of Armies. ⁶ “Because I, the Lord, have not changed,^(L) you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.^[b](M)

Robbing God

⁷ “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?”

⁸ “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) 9} 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.