Malachi Chapter 3

¹ “I’m going to send my messenger to fix the road ahead of me. Then Yahveh you’re looking for will suddenly come to his Temple, the messenger of the covenant you delight in. ² But who can endure it when he comes? Who can withstand his appearing? He’ll like a refiner’s fire and a fuller’s soap. ³ He’ll sit like a refiner that smelts and purifies dross from silver. He’ll purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver so they can present acceptable offerings. ⁴ Then the offerings in Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to me^Y like before.

⁵ “Then I’ll put you on trial and eagerly testify against sorcerers, adulterers, people that swear falsely, cheat wage earners, abuse widows and orphans; are prejudiced against foreigners, and don’t respect me. 

Mal 3:1-5

Robbing God

⁶ “I don’t change. That’s why I haven’t consumed you yet, Jacob. ⁷ From the time of your ancestors, you’ve repeatedly turned away from my statutes. Come back to me, and I’ll come back to you.”

“What do you mean ‘come back’?”

⁸ “Will a mortal steal from God? Yet you’re stealing from me!”

“Stealing from you?”

“Tithes and offerings. ⁹ You’re accursed because the whole nation is stealing from me! ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe to the storehouse so there’ll be enough food for my Temple staff. Test me in that and see if I don’t open the sky and pour out blessing on you till there’s no more need. ¹¹ I’ll drive away diseases and locust plagues for you so they won’t ruin your produce and your grapevines won’t drop their grapes before they’re ripe. ¹² Other nations will say you’re fortunate to have such a delightful land.”

Mal 3:6-12

¹³ “You say arrogant things about me,” Yahveh says.

“Like what?”

¹⁴ “Like, ‘There’s no point in serving God. What good’s it do to keep his charges or mourn in front of him when we fail to do so? ¹⁵ We may as well consider proud people fortunate: not only do they prosper; but when they make trial of God, they get away with it!’”

¹⁶ Then Yahveh heard people talking to one another who did respect and honor him. He recorded their names ¹⁷ and said, “They’ll be mine when I render judgment on who is my special possession. I’ll have mercy on them like a man has on a reliable son. ¹⁸ I’ll distinguish the good ones that serve me and from the bad ones that won’t.