Malachi 3
3
Malachi 3
1¶ Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, and the angel of the covenant, whom ye desire: behold, he comes, said the Lord of the hosts.
2But who may abide the time of his coming? and who shall stand when he appears? for he shall be like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap:
3And he shall sit to refine and to purify the silver: for he shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5And I will come near unto you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against false swearers and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and do not fear me, said the Lord of the hosts.
6For I am the Lord, I have not changed; therefore, ye sons of Jacob have not been consumed.
7¶ Even from the days of your fathers, ye had departed from my ordinances and had never kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, said the Lord of the hosts. But ye said, In what shall we return?
8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, In what have we robbed thee? In the tithes and the offerings.
9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye, even this whole nation, have robbed me.
10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, and there shall be food in my house, and prove me now in this, said the Lord of the 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.
11And I will reprehend the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of the ground; neither shall the vine in the field abort, said the Lord of the hosts.
12And all the Gentiles shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, said the Lord of the hosts.
13¶ Your words have prevailed against me, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?
14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his law and that we walk mournfully before the Lord of the hosts?
15We say, therefore, now, that blessed are the proud and even that those that work wickedness are prospered; those that tempted God have escaped.
16Then those that feared the Lord spoke one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those that feared the Lord and for those that think in his name.
17And they shall be mine, said the Lord of the hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.
18Therefore become ye converted, and ye shall make a difference between the just and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that did not serve him.
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Malachi 3: JUB
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International
Malachi 3
3
The Coming Day of Judgment
1“Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
2“But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. 3He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. 4Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in the past.
5“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
A Call to Repentance
6“I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. 7Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
“But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’
8“Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!
“But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’
“You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. 9You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! 11Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.#3:11 Hebrew from the devourer. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12“Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
13“You have said terrible things about me,” says the Lord.
“But you say, ‘What do you mean? What have we said against you?’
14“You have said, ‘What’s the use of serving God? What have we gained by obeying his commands or by trying to show the Lord of Heaven’s Armies that we are sorry for our sins? 15From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.’”
The Lord’s Promise of Mercy
16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and always thought about the honor of his name.
17“They will be my people,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “On the day when I act in judgment, they will be my own special treasure. I will spare them as a father spares an obedient child. 18Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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