The Purifier

(A)Behold, I am sending (B)My [a]messenger, and he will (C)clear a way before Me. And the Lord, whom you are seeking, will suddenly come to His temple; [b]and the [c](D)messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of armies. “But who can (E)endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a (F)refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap. 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 the Lord [d]offerings in righteousness. Then the [e]offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be (I)pleasing to the Lord as in the (J)days of old, and as in former years.

“Then I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the (K)sorcerers, the (L)adulterers, against those who (M)swear falsely, those who [f]oppress the (N)wage earner in his wages or the (O)widow or the [g]orphan, and those who turn away the (P)stranger from justice and do not [h]fear Me,” says the Lord of armies. “For [i]I, the Lord, (Q)do not change; therefore you, the sons of Jacob, have not come to an end.

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

You Have Robbed God

“Would anyone rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In (T)tithes and [j]offerings. You are (U)cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the entire nation of you! 10 (V)Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and put Me to the test now in this,” says the Lord of armies, “if I do not (W)open for you the windows of heaven and (X)pour out for you a blessing until [k](Y)it overflows. 11 Then I will rebuke the (Z)devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor will the vine in the field prove fruitless to you,” says the Lord of armies. 12 (AA)All the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a (AB)delightful land,” says the Lord of armies.

13 “Your words have been [l]arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is (AC)pointless to serve God; and what (AD)benefit is it for us that we have done what He required, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of armies? 15 So now we (AE)call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up, but they also put God to the test and (AF)escape punishment.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16 Then those who [m]feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord (AG)listened attentively and heard it, and a (AH)book of remembrance was written before Him for those who [n]fear the Lord and esteem His name. 17 “And they will be (AI)Mine,” says the Lord of armies, “on the (AJ)day that I [o]prepare My (AK)own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man (AL)has compassion for his own son who serves him.” 18 So you will again (AM)distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.

Final Admonition

[p]For behold, the day is coming, (AN)burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be (AO)chaff; and the day that is coming will (AP)set them ablaze,” says the Lord of armies, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branches. But for you who [q]fear My name, the (AQ)sun of righteousness will rise with (AR)healing in its wings; and you will go forth and (AS)frolic like calves from the stall. And you will (AT)crush the wicked underfoot, for they will be (AU)ashes under the soles of your feet (AV)on the day [r]that I am preparing,” says the Lord of armies.

(AW)Remember the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel.

“Behold, I am going to send you (AX)Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will (AY)turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and (AZ)strike the land with complete destruction.”

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 3:1 Or angel
  2. Malachi 3:1 Or that is, the
  3. Malachi 3:1 Or angel
  4. Malachi 3:3 Or grain offerings
  5. Malachi 3:4 Or grain offering
  6. Malachi 3:5 Or exploit
  7. Malachi 3:5 Or fatherless
  8. Malachi 3:5 Or revere
  9. Malachi 3:6 Or I am the Lord; I do not
  10. Malachi 3:8 Or contributions
  11. Malachi 3:10 Or there is not room enough
  12. Malachi 3:13 Lit strong
  13. Malachi 3:16 Or revere(d)
  14. Malachi 3:16 Or revere(d)
  15. Malachi 3:17 Lit make
  16. Malachi 4:1 Ch 3:19 in Heb
  17. Malachi 4:2 Or revere
  18. Malachi 4:3 Or when I act

“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)

Judgment and Covenant Renewal

[a]“Surely the day is coming;(BJ) it will burn like a furnace.(BK) All the arrogant(BL) and every evildoer will be stubble,(BM) and the day that is coming will set them on fire,(BN)” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch(BO) will be left to them. But for you who revere my name,(BP) the sun of righteousness(BQ) will rise with healing(BR) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic(BS) like well-fed calves. Then you will trample(BT) on the wicked; they will be ashes(BU) under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

“Remember the law(BV) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb(BW) for all Israel.(BX)

“See, I will send the prophet Elijah(BY) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.(BZ) He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,(CA) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike(CB) the land with total destruction.”(CC)

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:19-24.

The River and the Tree of Life

22 And (A)he showed me a (B)river of the (C)water of life, [a]clear (D)as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of [b]the Lamb, in the middle of (E)its street. (F)On either side of the river was (G)the tree of life, bearing twelve [c]kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (H)There will no longer be any curse; and (I)the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will (J)serve Him; they will (K)see His face, and His (L)name will be on their (M)foreheads. And (N)there will no longer be any night; and they [d]will not have need (O)of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will (P)reign forever and ever.

And (Q)he said to me, “(R)These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the (S)God of the spirits of the prophets, (T)sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place.

“And behold, (U)I am coming quickly. (V)Blessed is the one who [e]keeps (W)the words of the prophecy of this book.”

(X)I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, (Y)I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. And (Z)he *said to me, “[f]Do not do that; I am a (AA)fellow servant of yours and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who [g]keep the words of (AB)this book. Worship God!”

The Final Message

10 And he *said to me, “(AC)Do not seal up (AD)the words of the prophecy of this book, (AE)for the time is near. 11 (AF)Let the one who does wrong still do wrong, and the one who is filthy still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous still practice righteousness, and the one who is holy still keep himself holy.”

12 “Behold, (AG)I am coming quickly, and My (AH)reward is with Me, (AI)to reward each one as his work [h]deserves. 13 I am the (AJ)Alpha and the Omega, (AK)the first and the last, (AL)the beginning and the end.”

14 Blessed are those who (AM)wash their robes, so that they will have the right to (AN)the tree of life, and may (AO)enter the city by the (AP)gates. 15 (AQ)Outside are the (AR)dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

16 (AS)I, Jesus, have sent (AT)My angel to testify to you of these things [i](AU)for the churches. I am (AV)the root and the (AW)descendant of David, the bright (AX)morning star.”

17 The (AY)Spirit and the (AZ)bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And (BA)let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the (BB)water of life without cost.

18 I testify to everyone who hears (BC)the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone (BD)adds to them, God will add to him (BE)the plagues that are written in (BF)this book; 19 and if anyone (BG)takes away from the (BH)words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from (BI)the tree of life and [j]from the holy city, (BJ)which are written in this book.

20 He who (BK)testifies to these things says, “Yes, (BL)I am coming quickly.” Amen. (BM)Come, Lord Jesus.

21 (BN)The grace of the Lord Jesus be with [k]all. Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 22:1 Lit bright
  2. Revelation 22:1 Or the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was
  3. Revelation 22:2 Or crops of fruit
  4. Revelation 22:5 Lit do not have
  5. Revelation 22:7 Or follows
  6. Revelation 22:9 Lit See that you do not
  7. Revelation 22:9 Or follows
  8. Revelation 22:12 Lit is
  9. Revelation 22:16 Or concerning
  10. Revelation 22:19 Lit out of
  11. Revelation 22:21 One early ms the saints

Eden Restored

22 Then the angel showed me the river(A) of the water of life,(B) as clear as crystal,(C) flowing(D) from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life,(E) bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.(F) No longer will there be any curse.(G) The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.(H) They will see his face,(I) and his name will be on their foreheads.(J) There will be no more night.(K) They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.(L) And they will reign for ever and ever.(M)

John and the Angel

The angel said to me,(N) “These words are trustworthy and true.(O) The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets,(P) sent his angel(Q) to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

“Look, I am coming soon!(R) Blessed(S) is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”(T)

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.(U) And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet(V) of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll.(W) Worship God!”(X)

10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up(Y) the words of the prophecy of this scroll,(Z) because the time is near.(AA) 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”(AB)

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

12 “Look, I am coming soon!(AC) My reward is with me,(AD) and I will give to each person according to what they have done.(AE) 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,(AF) the First and the Last,(AG) the Beginning and the End.(AH)

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes,(AI) that they may have the right to the tree of life(AJ) and may go through the gates(AK) into the city.(AL) 15 Outside(AM) are the dogs,(AN) those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “I, Jesus,(AO) have sent my angel(AP) to give you[a] this testimony for the churches.(AQ) I am the Root(AR) and the Offspring of David,(AS) and the bright Morning Star.”(AT)

17 The Spirit(AU) and the bride(AV) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.(AW)

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll:(AX) If anyone adds anything to them,(AY) God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.(AZ) 19 And if anyone takes words away(BA) from this scroll of prophecy,(BB) God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life(BC) and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

20 He who testifies to these things(BD) says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”(BE)

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.(BF)

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people.(BG) Amen.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 22:16 The Greek is plural.

A Psalm of Praise.

150 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise God in His (A)sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty [c](B)expanse.
Praise Him for His (C)mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent (D)greatness.

Praise Him with (E)trumpet sound;
Praise Him with (F)harp and lyre.
Praise Him with (G)tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with (H)stringed instruments and (I)flute.
Praise Him with loud (J)cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
(K)Everything that has breath shall praise [d]the Lord.
[e]Praise [f]the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 150:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 150:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 150:1 Or firmament; i.e., atmosphere and space
  4. Psalm 150:6 Heb Yah
  5. Psalm 150:6 Or Hallelujah!
  6. Psalm 150:6 Heb Yah

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise God in his sanctuary;(B)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.(C)
Praise him for his acts of power;(D)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.(E)
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,(F)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,(G)
praise him with timbrel and dancing,(H)
    praise him with the strings(I) and pipe,(J)
praise him with the clash of cymbals,(K)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything(L) that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 150:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 6

25 Strength and (A)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [a]future.
26 She (B)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [b]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the (C)bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [c](D)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [d]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:25 Lit latter days
  2. Proverbs 31:26 Or law
  3. Proverbs 31:30 Or reveres
  4. Proverbs 31:31 Lit fruit

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.(A)
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise(B) at the city gate.

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