| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. | 1"I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me. Indeed, the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you long for, is certainly coming," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. | 2Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap. |
| 3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD. | 3He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the LORD a proper offering. |
| 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. | 4The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in former times and years past. |
| 5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. | 5"I will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the immigrant and in this way show they do not fear me," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 6“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. | 6"Since, I, the LORD, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. |
| 7From 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 the LORD of hosts. But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ | 7From the days of your ancestors you have ignored my commandments and have not kept them! Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD who rules over all. "But you say, 'How should we return?' |
| 8Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. | 8Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, 'How are we robbing you?' In tithes and contributions! |
| 9You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. | 9You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me--this whole nation is guilty. |
| 10Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. | 10"Bring the entire tithe into the storehouse so that there may be food in my temple. Test me in this matter," says the LORD who rules over all, "to see if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until there is no room for it all. |
| 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts. | 11Then I will stop the plague from ruining your crops, and the vine will not lose its fruit before harvest," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 12Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts. | 12"All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in a delightful land," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 13“Your words have been hard against me, says the LORD. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ | 13"You have criticized me sharply," says the LORD, "but you ask, 'How have we criticized you?' |
| 14You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts? | 14You have said, 'It is useless to serve God. How have we been helped by keeping his requirements and going about like mourners before the LORD who rules over all? |
| 15And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.’” | 15So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!'" |
| 16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. | 16Then those who respected the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD took notice. A scroll was prepared before him in which were recorded the names of those who respected the LORD and honored his name. |
| 17“They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. | 17"They will belong to me," says the LORD who rules over all, "in the day when I prepare my own special property. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. |
| 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. | 18Then once more you will see that I make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not. |
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