| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1"See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in--see, he is coming," says the LORD of Armies. |
| 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. | 2But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire and like launderer's bleach. |
| 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. | 3He will be like a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness. |
| 4The offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in former times and years past. | 4And the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD as in days of old and years gone by. |
| 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. | 5"I will come to you in judgment, and I will be ready to witness against sorcerers and adulterers; against those who swear falsely; against those who oppress the hired worker, the widow, and the fatherless; and against those who deny justice to the resident alien. They do not fear me," says the LORD of Armies. |
| 6"Since, I, the LORD, do not go back on my promises, you, sons of Jacob, have not perished. | 6"Because I, the LORD, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. |
| 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?' | 7"Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from my statutes; you have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Armies. Yet you ask, "How can we return?" |
| 8Can a person rob God? You indeed are robbing me, but you say, 'How are we robbing you?' In tithes and contributions! | 8"Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!" "How do we rob you?" you ask. "By not making the payments of the tenth and the contributions. |
| 9You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me--this whole nation is guilty. | 9You are suffering under a curse, yet you--the whole nation--are still robbing me. |
| 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. | 10Bring the full tenth into the storehouse so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this way," says the LORD of Armies. "See if I will not open the floodgates of heaven and pour out a blessing for you without measure. |
| 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. | 11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not ruin the produce of your land and your vine in your field will not fail to produce fruit," says the LORD of Armies. |
| 12"All nations will call you happy, for you indeed will live in a delightful land," says the LORD who rules over all. | 12"Then all the nations will consider you fortunate, for you will be a delightful land," says the LORD of Armies. |
| 13"You have criticized me sharply," says the LORD, "but you ask, 'How have we criticized you?' | 13"Your words against me are harsh," says the LORD. Yet you ask, "What have we spoken against you?" |
| 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? | 14You have said: "It is useless to serve God. What have we gained by keeping his requirements and walking mournfully before the LORD of Armies? |
| 15So now we consider the arrogant to be happy; indeed, those who practice evil are successful. In fact, those who challenge God escape!'" | 15So now we consider the arrogant to be fortunate. Not only do those who commit wickedness prosper, they even test God and escape." |
| 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. | 16At that time those who feared the LORD spoke to one another. The LORD took notice and listened. So a book of remembrance was written before him for those who feared the LORD and had high regard for his name. |
| 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. | 17"They will be mine," says the LORD of Armies, "my own possession on the day I am preparing. I will have compassion on them as a man has compassion on his son who serves 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. | 18So you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him. |
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