And the messenger of the covenant, Whom ye delight in,

Behold, he cometh,

Saith the LORD of hosts.

2But 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;
"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;
And there shall be they that shall
offer unto the LORD
Offerings in righteousness.

"Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem

Be pleasant unto the LORD,
As in the days of old,
And as in ancient years.

But ye say: 'Wherein shall we return?'

Will a man rob God?

Yet ye

rob Me.

But ye say: 'Wherein have we robbed Thee?'

In tithes and heave-offerings. 9Ye are cursed with the curse, Yet ye rob Me,

Even this whole nation.

10Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house,

That there may be food in My house,

And try 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 be more than sufficiency.

11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your good,

And he shall not destroy the fruits of your land;

Neither shall your vine cast its

fruit before the time in the field, Saith the LORD of hosts.

12 And all nations shall call you happy; For ye shall be a delightsome land, Saith the LORD of hosts.

13Your words have been all too

strong against Me,

Saith the LORD.

Yet ye say: 'Wherein have we spoken against Thee?'

"From the days of your fathers ye

have turned aside

From Mine ordinances, and have not kept them.

Return unto Me, and I will return unto you,

Saith the LORD of hosts.

God;

And what profit is it that we have kept His charge,

And that we have walked mournfully

Because of the LORD of hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; Yea, they that work wickedness are built up;

Yea, they try God, and are delivered.'

16Then they that feared the LORD

Spoke one with another;

And the LORD hearkened, and heard, 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 the day that I do make, even Mine own treasure;

And I will spare them, as a man spareth

His own son that serveth him. 18Then shall ye again discern between

the righteous and the wicked, Between him that serveth God And him that serveth Him not. 19 For, behold, the day cometh, It burneth as a furnace;

And all the proud, and all that work

wickedness, shall be stubble; And the day that cometh shall set them ablaze,

Saith the LORD of hosts,

That it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

20 But unto you that fear My name

Shall the sun of righteousness arise
with healing in its wings;
And ye shall go forth, and gambol
As calves of the stall.

21 And ye shall tread down the wicked; For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet

In the day that I do make,
Saith the LORD of hosts.

22 Remember ye the law of Moses My servant,

Which I commanded unto him in
Horeb for all Israel,

Even statutes and ordinances.
23 Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet
Before the coming

Of the great and terrible day of the
LORD.

24 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children,

And the heart of the children to their fathers;

Lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction.

Behold, I will send you
Elijah the prophet
Before the coming

Of the great and terrible day of the LORD.