1 Behold, I send My messenger, and He will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says Jehovah of Hosts.

2 But who can endure the day of His coming? And who will stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fuller’s soap.

3 And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and He shall purify the sons of Levi and purge them like gold and like silver, that they may draw near to Jehovah with an offering in righteousness.

4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as in former years.

5 And I will come near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against those swearing to a lie; and against those who defraud the hired laborer of his pay, and turn away the widow, and the fatherless, and the alien; and who do not fear Me, says Jehovah of Hosts.

6 For I, Jehovah, change not. Therefore you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.

7 From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says Jehovah of Hosts. But you say, In what way shall we return?

8 Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, How have we robbed You? In the tithe and the offering.

9 You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation.

10 Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, whether I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing until there is not enough room to store it.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for you, and he shall not destroy the fruit of your ground; nor shall your vine fail to bear fruit in the field, says Jehovah of Hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, says Jehovah of Hosts.

13 Your words have been strong against Me, says Jehovah. Yet you say, What have we spoken against you?

14 You have said, It is vain to serve God. And, What profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked as mourners before Jehovah of Hosts?

15 And now we are calling the arrogant blessed. Those that work wickedness are built up; they even test God, and escape.

16 Then those who feared Jehovah spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And Jehovah gave attention and heard. And a Book of Remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah, and for those who thought on His name.

17 And they shall be Mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, for the day that I will make up My treasure. And I will pity them as a man has compassion on his son who serves him.

18 Then you shall again distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.