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3 1 “I am about to send my messenger,[a] who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord[b] you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger[c] of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire,[d] like a launderer’s soap. 3 He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering. 4 The offerings[e] of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in former times and years past.
5 “I[f] will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination; those who commit adultery; those who break promises;[g] and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans,[h] who refuse to help[i] the resident foreigner[j] and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Resistance to the Lord through Selfishness
6 “Since, I, the Lord, do not go back on my promises,[k] you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. 7 From the days of your ancestors you have ignored[l] my commandments[m] and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “But you say, ‘How should we return?’ 8 Can a person rob[n] God? You are indeed robbing me, but you say, ‘How are we robbing you?’ In tithes and contributions![o] 9 You are bound for judgment[p] because you are robbing me—this whole nation is guilty.[q]
10 “Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse[r] so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out blessing for you until there is no room for it all. 11 Then I will stop the plague[s] from ruining your crops,[t] and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “All nations will call you blessed, for you indeed will live in[u] a delightful land,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Resistance to the Lord through Self-sufficiency
13 “You have criticized me sharply,”[v] says the Lord, “but you ask, ‘How have we criticized you?’ 14 You have said, ‘It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped[w] by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord of Heaven’s Armies?[x] 15 So now we consider the arrogant to be blessed; indeed, those who practice evil are successful.[y] In fact, those who challenge[z] God escape!’”
16 Then those who respected[aa] the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord took notice.[ab] A scroll[ac] was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the Lord and honored his name. 17 “They will belong to me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “in the day when I prepare my own special property.[ad] I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between[ae] the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not.
4 (3:19)[af] “For indeed the day[ag] is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “It[ah] will not leave them even a root or branch. 2 But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication[ai] will rise with healing wings,[aj] and you will skip about[ak] like calves released from the stall. 3 You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Restoration through the Lord
4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, to whom at Horeb[al] I gave rules and regulations for all Israel to obey.[am] 5 Look, I will send you Elijah[an] the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrives. 6 He will encourage fathers and their children to return to me,[ao] so that I will not come and strike the earth with judgment.”[ap]
22 Then[a] the angel[b] showed me the river of the water of life—water as clear as crystal—pouring out[c] from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 flowing down the middle of the city’s[d] main street.[e] On each side[f] of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds[g] of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year.[h] Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 3 And there will no longer be any curse,[i] and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city.[j] His[k] servants[l] will worship[m] him, 4 and they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will be no more, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.
A Final Reminder
6 Then[n] the angel[o] said to me, “These words are reliable[p] and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants[q] what must happen soon.”
7 (Look ! I am coming soon!
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.)[r]
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things,[s] and when I heard and saw them,[t] I threw myself down[u] to worship at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me. 9 But[v] he said to me, “Do not do this![w] I am a fellow servant[x] with you and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey[y] the words of this book. Worship God!” 10 Then[z] he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy contained in this book, because the time is near. 11 The evildoer must continue to do evil,[aa] and the one who is morally filthy[ab] must continue to be filthy. The[ac] one who is righteous must continue to act righteously, and the one who is holy must continue to be holy.”
12 (Look ! I am coming soon,
and my reward is with me to pay[ad] each one according to what he has done!
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end!)[ae]
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access[af] to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers[ag] and the sexually immoral, and the murderers, and the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood![ah]
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star!”[ai] 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.
18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described[aj] in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life[ak] and in the holy city that are described in this book.
20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.[al]
Psalm 150[a]
150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength![b]
2 Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him for his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with the blast of the horn;
praise him with the lyre and the harp!
4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing;
praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!
5 Praise him with loud cymbals;
praise him with clanging cymbals!
6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
25 her clothing[a] was[b] strong[c] and splendid;
and she laughed[d] at the time[e] to come.
26 She has opened[f] her mouth[g] with wisdom,
with loving instruction[h] on her tongue.
27 Watching over[i] the ways of her household,
she would not eat[j] the bread of idleness.[k]
28 Her children[l] have risen[m] and called[n] her blessed;
her husband[o] also has praised[p] her:
29 “Many[q] daughters[r] have done valiantly,[s]
but you have surpassed them all!”
30 Charm[t] is deceitful[u] and beauty is fleeting.[v]
A woman who fears the Lord[w]—she makes herself praiseworthy.[x]
31 Give[y] her credit for what she has accomplished,[z]
and let her works praise her[aa] in the city gates.[ab]
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