Malachi 3:1-18 NKJV


Malachi 3:1-18 "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, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight, Behold, He is coming," says the LORD of hosts.

"But 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 launderer's soap.

He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

"Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As is former years.

And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien--because they do not fear Me,"  Says the LORD of hosts.

"For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "but you said, 'In what way shall we return?'

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now on this," says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the fields," Says the LORD of hosts;

"And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.

"Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the LORD, "Yet you say, 'What have we spoken against You?'

You have said, 'It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,  And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts?

So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free.'"

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

"They shall be mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him."

Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Malachi 1:1-3 THE burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

"I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Say the LORD. "yet Jacob I have loved;

But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."

Malachi 2:13-17 And this is the second thing you do; You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands,

Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant.

But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

"For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence." Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

You have wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "everyone who does evil Is good in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God of justice?"