^{4:1 (3:19)}¹ “For indeed the day² is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. “It³ will not leave even a root or branch. ^4:2But for you who respect my name, the sun of vindication⁴ will rise with healing wings,⁵ and you will skip about⁶ like calves released from the stall. ^4:3You will trample on the wicked, for they will be like ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,” says the Lord who rules over all.

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Malachi 4:2: But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Footnotes

1 Beginning with 4:1, the verse numbers through 4:6 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (), with 4:1 = 3:19 , 4:2 = 3:20 , etc., through 4:6 = 3:24 . Thus the book of Malachi in the Hebrew Bible has only three chapters, with 24 verses in ch. 3.
2 This day is the well-known “day of the Lord” so pervasive in OT eschatological texts (see Joel 2:30–31; Amos 5:18; Obad 15). For the believer it is a day of grace and salvation; for the sinner, a day of judgment and destruction.
3 Heb “so that it” (so , ). For stylistic reasons a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
4 Here the Hebrew word צְדָקָה (tsédaqah), usually translated “righteousness” (so , , , ; cf. “justice”), has been rendered as “vindication” because it is the vindication of God’s people that is in view in the context. Cf. 842 צְדָקָה 6; “righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.” The expression the sun of vindication will rise is a metaphorical way of describing the day of the Lord as a time of restoration when God vindicates his people (see 2 Sam 23:4; Isa 30:26; 60:1, 3). Their vindication and restoration will be as obvious and undeniable as the bright light of the rising sun.
5 The point of the metaphor of healing wings is unclear. The sun seems to be compared to a bird. Perhaps the sun’s “wings” are its warm rays. “Healing” may refer to a reversal of the injury done by evildoers (see Mal 3:5).
6 Heb “you will go out and skip about.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of hosts.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“For look, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and everyone who commits wickedness will become stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says the Lord of Armies, “not leaving them root or branches. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and playfully jump like calves from the stall. You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day I am preparing,” says the Lord of Armies.

NLTNew Living Translation

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says, “The day of judgment is coming, burning like a furnace. On that day the arrogant and the wicked will be burned up like straw. They will be consumed—roots, branches, and all.

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture. On the day when I act, you will tread upon the wicked as if they were dust under your feet,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“For look! The day is about to come, burning like an oven, and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble. The coming day will consume them,” says Yahweh of hosts. “It will not leave behind for them root or branch. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise, with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like fattened calves. You will trample down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am going to act,” says Yahweh of hosts.

KJV 1900King James Version

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;

And all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble:

And the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts,

That it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise

With healing in his wings;

And ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

And ye shall tread down the wicked;

For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet

In the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

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