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The Coming of the Messenger

“Watch out! I’m sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly, the Lord you are looking for will come to his Temple. He is the messenger of the covenant whom you desire. Watch out! He is coming!” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

But who will survive the day when he comes? Or who can stand when he appears? Because he’s like a refiner’s fire and a launderer’s soap, he will sit refining and purifying silver, purifying the descendants of Levi, refining them like gold and silver. Then they’ll bring a righteous offering to the Lord. Then the offering to the Lord by Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable as it was in the past, even as in former years.

The Judgment of God

“I’ll come near to you for judgment. I’ll be a witness, quick to speak against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who defraud the laborer of his wage, against those who defraud[a] the widow and the orphan, against those who deprive the alien of justice, and against those who don’t fear me,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:5 The Heb. lacks against those who defraud

Yahweh’s Messenger is Coming

“Look! I am going to send my messenger,[a] and he will prepare[b] the way before me.[c] And the Lord whom you are seeking will come suddenly to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you are taking pleasure—look!—he is about to come,” says Yahweh of hosts. And who can endure the day of his coming? And who is the one who can stand when he appears?[d] For he is like a refiner’s fire, like launderers’ alkali.[e] He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings[f] in righteousness. And the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to Yahweh, like in the days of old and like in former years.

“Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear falsely,[g] and against the oppressors of the hired worker with his wages, the widow and the orphan, and the abusers of[h] the alien,[i] and yet do not fear me,” says Yahweh of hosts.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:1 Or “my angel”
  2. Malachi 3:1 Or “clear”
  3. Malachi 3:1 Literally “before my face”
  4. Malachi 3:2 Literally “at his appearing”
  5. Malachi 3:2 Or “lye,” or “soap”
  6. Malachi 3:3 Hebrew “offering”
  7. Malachi 3:5 Literally “as far as the falseness”
  8. Malachi 3:5 Literally “those pushing aside”
  9. Malachi 3:5 Or “sojourner”