Malachi 2:10–3:15
10 “Do we not all have aone father? bHas not one God created us? Why do we deal ctreacherously each against his brother so as to profane the dcovenant of our fathers?
11 “Judah has dealt atreacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has bprofaned the sanctuary of the Lord 1which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 “As for the man who does this, may the aLord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who bpresents 1an offering to the Lord of hosts.
13 “This is 1another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He ano longer regards the 2offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
14 “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the awife of your youth, against whom you have dealt btreacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
15 “1But not one has adone so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And 2what did that one do while he was seeking a bgodly 3offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal ctreacherously against the wife of your youth.
16 “For 1I hate 2adivorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and 3him who covers his garment with 4bwrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have awearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “bEveryone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He cdelights in them,” or, “dWhere is the God of ejustice?”
1 “aBehold, I am going to send bMy 1messenger, and he will 2cclear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; 3and the 1dmessenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can aendure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a brefiner’s fire and like 1fullers’ soap.
3 “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will apurify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may bpresent to the Lord 1offerings in righteousness.
4 “Then the 1offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be apleasing to the Lord as in the bdays of old and as in former years.
5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the asorcerers and against the badulterers and against those who cswear falsely, and against those who oppress the dwage earner in his wages, the ewidow and the 1orphan, and those who turn aside the 2falien and do not 3fear Me,” says the Lord of hosts.
6 “For 1I, the Lord, ado not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, 2are not consumed.
7 “From the adays of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. bReturn to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’
8 “Will a man 1rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you say, ‘How have we robbed You?’ In atithes and 2offerings.
9 “You are acursed with a curse, for you are 1robbing Me, the whole nation of you!
10 “aBring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be 1food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not bopen for you the windows of heaven and cpour out for you a blessing until 2dit overflows.
11 “Then I will rebuke the adevourer for you, so that it will not 1destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” says the Lord of hosts.
12 “aAll the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a bdelightful land,” says the Lord of hosts.
13 “Your words have been 1arrogant against Me,” says the Lord. “Yet you say, ‘What have we spoken against You?’
14 “You have said, ‘It is avain to serve God; and what bprofit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the Lord of hosts?
15 ‘So now we acall the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and bescape.’ ”