Malachi 3

1 # Cited Matt. 11:10; Mark 1:2; Luke 7:27; [ch. 4:5; Luke 1:76] “Behold, I send #See ch. 2:7 my messenger, and #See Isa. 40:3 he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord #[ch. 2:17] whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and #[ch. 4:5]the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But #Joel 2:11 who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For #Isa. 4:4he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3He will sit #Isa. 1:25; Zech. 13:9 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 #[ch. 1:7]offerings in righteousness to the Lord.#3:3 Or and they will belong to the Lord, bringers of an offering in righteousness 4#Ezek. 20:40Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be #ch. 2:14; Jer. 29:23 a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those #See Lev. 19:13 who oppress the hired worker in his wages, #See Deut. 24:17the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Robbing God

6“For #Ps. 102:27; See Num. 23:19 I the Lord do not change; #Lam. 3:22therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 7#Acts 7:51 From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. #See Zech. 1:3 Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. #[ch. 1:2]But you say, ‘How shall we return?’ 8Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. #[See ver. 7 above] But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ #[Neh. 13:10]In your tithes and contributions. 9#[ch. 2:2]You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10#[Prov. 3:9, 10] Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby #See 2 Cor. 9:6-8 put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open #See Gen. 7:11the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. 11I will rebuke #[Joel 1:4]the devourer#3:11 Probably a name for some crop-destroying pest or pests 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. 12Then #Zeph. 3:19 all nations will call you blessed, for you will be #[Isa. 62:4]a land of delight, says the Lord of hosts.

13 # [ch. 2:17] “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. #[ch. 1:2]But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14You have said, #[Zeph. 1:12] ‘It is vain to serve God. #[Job 21:15]What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15And now we call #[ch. 4:1] the arrogant blessed. #[ch. 4:1] Evildoers not only prosper but #[Ps. 95:9]they put God to the test and they escape.’”

The Book of Remembrance

16Then those who feared the Lord #[Deut. 6:6, 7] spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and #See Ex. 32:32a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, #[ch. 4:3; Acts 17:31] in the day when I make up #Ex. 19:5; 1 Pet. 2:9my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once more you shall #[ch. 4:1]see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

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Malachi 3: ESV

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