Behold, I
will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the
way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall
suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger
of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he
shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
02 But who may 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:
03 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of
silver: and 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.
04 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old,
and as in former years.
05 And I will come near to you to 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 fear not me, saith the Lord of
hosts.
06 For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye
sons of Jacob are not consumed.
07 Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone
away from mine ordinances, and have not kept
them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you,
saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein
shall we return?
08 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But
ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes
and offerings.
09 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed
me, even this whole nation.
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10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove
me now herewith, saith the Lord 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.
11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits of your
ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit
before the time in the field, saith the Lord of
hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye
shall be a delightsome land, saith the Lord of
hosts.
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith
the Lord. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much
against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and
what profit is it that we have kept his
ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully
before the Lord of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they
that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that
tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one
to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it,
and a book of remembrance was written before him
for them that feared the Lord, and that thought
upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of
hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and
I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son
that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the
righteous and the wicked, between him that
serveth God and him that serveth him not.
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