Malachi 3

1Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.

1Look, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look forward to, is definitely coming, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

2But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:

2But who can endure the day he arrives? Who can stand when he appears? He will be like a fire that refines metal or like a strong soap used for cleaning.

3and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness.

3He will sit like a refiner of silver, purifying the descendants of Levi. He will refine them like gold and silver until they present righteous offerings to the LORD.

4Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

4Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, just as they were in the past and in years long ago.

5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.

5I will come to judge you. I will be a quick witness against those who practice sorcery, those who commit adultery, those who lie under oath, those who cheat workers of their wages, those who mistreat widows and orphans, and those who deprive foreigners of justice—all who do not fear me, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

6For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

6I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you, the descendants of Jacob, have not been completely destroyed.

7From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?

7Ever since the time of your ancestors, you have turned away from my laws and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. But you ask, 'How are we supposed to return?'

8Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.

8Should a person rob God? Yet you are robbing me! But you ask, 'How have we robbed you?' You have robbed me of the tithes and offerings that are due to me.

9Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation.

9You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me.

10Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

10Bring the full tenth of your income into the storehouse so there will be food in my Temple. Test me in this, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. See if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it all in!

11And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts.

11I will protect your crops from pests so they do not destroy your harvest. Your grapevines will not drop their fruit before it is ripe, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

12And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts.

12Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

13Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

13You have said hard things against me, says the LORD. But you ask, 'What have we said against you?'

14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?

14You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. What did we gain by obeying his requirements or by dressing in mourning to show the LORD of Heaven’s Armies we were sorry?'

15and now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape.

15'Now we call the arrogant blessed. Evil people get ahead, and even when they dare God to punish them, they escape unharmed.'

16Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.

16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with each other. The LORD listened and heard them. A book of remembrance was written in his presence for those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

17And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.

17'They will be my own special treasure,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. 'On the day that I act, I will spare them as a father spares an obedient son.'

18Then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

18Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.