1 Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek will suddenly come to his temple, and the Angel of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts.
2 But who shall endure the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? For he will be like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' lye.
3 And he shall sit {as} a refiner and purifier of silver; and he will purify the children of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto Jehovah an oblation in righteousness.
4 Then shall the oblation of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, 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 the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hired servant in {his} wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger {from his right}, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts.
6 For I Jehovah change not, and ye, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 Since the days of your fathers have ye departed from my statutes, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return?
8 Will a man rob God? But ye rob me. And ye say, Wherein do we rob thee? {In} tithes and heave-offerings.
9 Ye are cursed with a curse; and me ye rob, {even} this whole nation.
10 Bring the whole tithe into the treasure-house, that there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I open not to you the windows of the heavens, and pour you out a blessing, till there be no place for 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 its fruit before the time in the field, saith Jehovah of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed; for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts.
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith Jehovah; but ye say, What have we been speaking against thee?
14 Ye say, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we keep his charge, and that we walk mournfully before Jehovah of hosts?
15 And now we hold the proud for happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up; yea, they tempt God, and they escape.
16 Then they that feared Jehovah spoke often one to another; and Jehovah observed {it}, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be unto me a peculiar treasure, saith Jehovah of hosts, in the day that I prepare; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 And ye shall return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.
1 万军之耶和华说： "看哪！ 我派我的使者， 在我前面预备道路； 你们所寻求的主， 必忽然进入他的殿； 你们所爱慕立约的使者， 就要来到。"
2 可是， 他来的日子， 谁能当得起呢？他显现的时候， 谁能站立得住呢？因为他像炼金之人的火， 又像漂布之人的碱。
3 他必坐着， 像熬炼和洁净银子的人； 他必洁净利未人， 炼净他们像炼净金银一样。这样， 他们就会凭公义献礼物给耶和华。
4 那时， 犹大和耶路撒冷所献的礼物， 必蒙耶和华悦纳， 正如古时的日子， 也像往昔之年一样。
5 万军之耶和华说： "我必临近你们施行审判； 我要快快指证那些行邪术的、犯奸淫的、起假誓的、在工钱上欺压雇工的、欺压孤儿寡妇的、屈枉寄居的和不敬畏我的。"
6 万军之耶和华说： "因为我耶和华是不改变的， 所以你们雅各的子孙也不会灭没。
7 "从你们列祖的日子以来， 你们就偏离了我的律例而不遵守。现在你们要转向我， 我就必转向你们。你们还问： ‘我们要怎样回转呢？’
8 人怎可抢夺 神之物呢？你们却抢夺属我之物， 竟还问： ‘我们抢夺了你的什么呢？’就是抢夺了当纳的十分之一和当献的祭物。
9 你们要受严厉的咒诅， 因你们全国的人都抢夺了属我之物。"
10 万军之耶和华说： "你们要把当纳的十分之一， 全部送入仓库， 使我家中有粮； 借此试验我， 看我是不是为你们敞开天窗， 把福气倒给你们， 直到充足有余呢。"
11 万军之耶和华说： "我必为你们斥责那吞吃者， 不容他毁坏你们地上的果实， 也不让你们田间的葡萄在未熟以先就掉下来。"
12 万军之耶和华说： "万国都要称你们为有福， 因为你们的地必成为喜乐之地。"
13 耶和华说： "你们用无礼的话顶撞我。你们还问： ‘我们用什么话顶撞了你呢？’
14 你们说： ‘事奉 神是白费的； 遵守他的吩咐， 在万军之耶和华面前哀痛而行， 有什么益处呢？
15 现在我们称骄傲的人为有福， 作恶的人得建立； 他们虽然试探 神， 却得以逃脱。’"
16 那时， 敬畏耶和华的人彼此谈论， 耶和华也留意细听； 在他面前有记录册， 记录那些敬畏耶和华和思念他名的人。
17 万军之耶和华说： "在我施行作为的日子， 他们要属我， 作特别的产业； 我必怜恤他们， 好像人怜恤那服事自己的儿子一样。
18 那时， 你们就要再看出义人与恶人、事奉 神的人和不事奉他的人之间有什么分别。"