(A)“Behold, I send (B)my messenger, and (C)he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord (D)whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and (E)the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But (F)who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For (G)he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit (H)as 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 (I)offerings in righteousness to the Lord.[a] (J)Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be (K)a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those (L)who oppress the hired worker in his wages, (M)the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Robbing God

“For (N)I the Lord do not change; (O)therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (P)From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. (Q)Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. (R)But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. (S)But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ (T)In your tithes and contributions. (U)You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10 (V)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby (W)put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open (X)the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11 I will rebuke (Y)the devourer[b] 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 (Z)all nations will call you blessed, for you will be (AA)a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 (AB)“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. (AC)But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, (AD)‘It is vain to serve God. (AE)What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call (AF)the arrogant blessed. (AG)Evildoers not only prosper but (AH)they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who feared the Lord (AI)spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and (AJ)a 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, (AK)in the day when I make up (AL)my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall (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 3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness
  2. Malachi 3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests

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

¶ Seyè a pale, li di konsa: -Men m'ap voye mesaje mwen devan pou l' pare yon chemen pou mwen. N'ap rete konsa, n'ap wè Seyè n'ap plede chache a ap vini nan tanp li a. Mesaje nou te anvi wè a, men l'ap vini pou l' fè tout moun konnen kontra a.

Men, ki moun ki ka sipòte jou l'ap vini an? Ki moun ki va rete kanpe devan l' lè la parèt la? L'ap tankou dife yo sèvi pou fonn fè. L'ap tankou gwo savon yo sèvi pou blanchi rad.

La vini tankou moun k'ap fonn fè pou wete kras ki ladan l'. L'ap netwaye pitit pitit Levi yo, l'ap wete tou sa ki pa bon nan yo tankou yo netwaye lò ak ajan, pou yo ka nan kondisyon ankò pou yo prezante ofrann bay Bondye jan yo dwe fè l' la.

Lè sa a, ofrann moun peyi Jida yo ak ofrann moun lavil Jerizalèm yo va fè Seyè a plezi, jan sa te konn ye nan tan lontan, depi nan konmansman.

Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a di ankò: -m'a vin jwenn nou pou rann jistis. Parèt mwen parèt, m'ap denonse moun k'ap fè maji, moun k'ap fè adiltè, moun k'ap fè sèman pou twonpe moun, moun k'ap kenbe nan lajan moun k'ap travay pou yo, moun k'ap peze fanm ki pèdi mari yo ak timoun ki pèdi papa yo, moun k'ap pwofite sou moun lòt nasyon, moun ki pa genyen m' krentif.

Mwen se Seyè a, mwen p'ap chanje. Se poutèt sa nou menm, pitit pitit Jakòb yo, nou pa disparèt nèt.

¶ Depi sou tan zansèt nou yo nou pa okipe sa m' te ban nou lòd fè. Nou pa swiv yo. Tounen vin jwenn mwen. Mwen menm, m'a tounen vin jwenn nou tou. Se Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a menm ki di sa. N'ap mande m' sa pou nou fè pou nou tounen vin jwenn mwen?

Mwen menm m'ap mande nou: Eske yon moun ka twonpe Bondye? Non. Men, se twonpe n'ap twonpe m'. N'ap mande ki jan n'ap twonpe m' lan. M'ap reponn nou: Nan keksyon ladim ak lòt bagay nou fèt pou nou ofri m' yo.

Gen yon madichon ki gen pou tonbe sou nou tout, paske tout moun nan peyi a ap twonpe m'.

10 Pote tout ladim lan nèt nan tanp lan, san wete anyen ladan l', pou ka gen manje nan tanp lan. Se pou nou fè sa pou nou wè si mwen p'ap kenbe pawòl mwen vre. n'a wè si mwen p'ap louvri syèl la fè lapli tonbe, si mwen p'ap vide benediksyon sou nou an kantite.

11 Mwen p'ap kite chini vini pou detwi rekòt jaden nou ankò, ni pou anpeche pye rezen nou yo donnen. Se Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a menm ki di sa.

12 Lè sa a, moun toupatou sou latè va rekonèt jan Bondye beni nou, paske sa pral bon nèt pou moun k'ap viv nan peyi nou an. Se Seyè ki gen tout pouvwa a ki di sa.

13 ¶ Seyè a di ankò: -Nou te pale m' mal. Men nou reponn: Kisa nou di sou ou konsa?

14 Nou te di: Sa pa sèvi anyen pou yon moun sèvi Bondye. Sa sa ap rapòte yon moun pou li fè sa Seyè a mande, pou li fè Seyè a wè li gen lapenn pou sa li fè ki mal?

15 Koulye a, nou tou wè se awogan yo k'ap viv ak kè kontan. Moun k'ap fè mal yo, se yo ki wè zafè yo ap mache. Yo sonde Bondye pou wè kote li ye ak yo epi anyen pa rive yo.

16 Men koze ki te nan bouch moun ki gen krentif pou Bondye yo. Tansèlman, Seyè a t'ap swiv yo, li tande tou sa yo t'ap di. Li pran yon liv, li fè ekri non tout moun ki gen krentif pou li epi ki respekte l'.

17 Seyè a di konsa: Y'ap yon pèp apa pou mwen. Jou m'a deside pou m' aji a, se moun pa m' nèt y'ap ye. m'a gen pitye pou yo, menm jan yon papa gen pitye pou pitit gason l' k'ap sèvi l'.

18 Lè sa a ankò, n'a wè diferans ant moun k'ap mache dwat ak moun k'ap fè sa ki mal, ant moun k'ap sèvi Bondye ak moun ki p'ap sèvi l'.