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Malachi 3 |
1 |
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. |
2 |
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: |
3 |
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. |
4 |
Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant
unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former
years. |
5 |
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. |
6 |
For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob
are not consumed. |
7 |
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? |
8 |
Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say,
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. |
9 |
Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this
whole nation. |
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. |