Malachi 3

1 “Behold [look, take notice], I will send My messenger [angel, prophet], who will prepare the way [path, journey] before Me. Then the Lord [Adonai, Master] whom you seek [search for, desire] will suddenly [without warning, unexpectedly] come to His temple [sanctuary, holy place]—the Messenger [Angel] of the covenant [agreement, promise], in whom you delight [take pleasure, rejoice]—see, He is coming,” says the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 2 But who [what person, anyone] can endure [sustain, bear] the day [period of time, era] of His coming [arrival, presence]? And who [what person, anyone] can stand [remain, endure] when He appears [is seen, revealed]? For He will be like [resemble, compare to] a refiner’s fire [purifying flame, blazing furnace], like [similar to, comparable with] a launderer’s soap [lye, strong alkali]. word study 3 And He will sit [as a judge, in refinement] as a refiner [purifying silver, removing impurities] and purifier [making clean, holy] of silver; He will purify [cleanse, make righteous] the sons [descendants, offspring] of Levi [the priestly tribe, spiritual leaders] and refine [purge, test] them like gold [precious, valuable] and silver [pure, refined]. Then they will present [offer, bring near] offerings [gifts, sacrifices] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] in righteousness [justice, moral integrity, virtue]. word study 4 Then the offerings [gifts, sacrifices] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace] will please [be pleasing, sweet] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], as in days [periods of time] of old [former years, ancient times] and years [periods of time, seasons] gone by [past, previous]. word study 5 “Then I will draw near [come to, approach] to you for judgment [to render a verdict, to decide]. And I will be a swift [speedy, quick] witness [testifier, one who gives evidence] against sorcerers [those who practice witchcraft, magicians] and adulterers [those who commit immorality, the unfaithful] and perjurers [those who lie under oath, false swearers], against oppressors [those who exploit, take advantage of] of the widowed [women who have lost their husbands, alone] and fatherless [children without a father, orphans], and against those who defraud [cheat, deprive of rightful wages] laborers [hired workers, employees] of their wages [payment, compensation] and deny [refuse, withhold] justice [what is right, fairness] to the foreigner [stranger, sojourner] but do not fear [revere, respect] Me,” says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 6 “Because [for this reason] I, the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], do not [in no way] change [alter or modify], you descendants [sons, offspring] of Jacob [the son of Isaac and Rebekah] have not [never] been destroyed [consumed, cut off, ended]. word study 7 Yet from the days [since the time] of your fathers [ancestors, forefathers], you have turned away [departed, gone astray] from My statutes [divine laws, ordinances] and have not kept [obeyed, observed] them. Return [turn back, come back] to Me, and I will return [turn back, come back] to you,” says the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. “But you ask, ‘How [in what way, wherein] can we return [turn back, change our ways]?’ word study 8 Will a man [afflict, defraud] rob God [Elohim, the supreme One]? Yet you are robbing [deceiving, spoiling] Me! But you ask, ‘How [in what way] do we rob [defraud, deceive] You?’ In tithes [a tenth part] and offerings [contributions]. word study 9 You [as a nation, the whole people] are cursed [under a divine judgment, afflicted with want] with a curse [execration, a negative consequence], yet you [the entire nation, all of you]—the whole nation [Gentile, a large group]—are still robbing [defrauding, taking by deceit] Me [deceiving, withholding what is due to Me]. word study 10 Bring the full [entire, complete] tithe [a tenth part] into the storehouse [treasure house, depository], so that there may be food [meat, provisions] in My house [temple, dwelling place]. Test [prove, examine] Me in this [matter, trial],” says the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. “See if I will not [certainly not, surely not] open [unlock, pour out from] the windows [lattices, openings] of heaven [the sky, the spiritual realm] and pour out [empty, lavish] for you blessing [prosperity, divine favor] without [lacking, insufficient] measure [limit, boundary]. word study 11 I will rebuke [reprove, sternly correct] the devourer [locusts, consumer] for you, so that it will not destroy [ruin, corrupt] the fruits [crops, produce] of your land [earth, soil], and the vine [a grapevine] in your field [cultivated land] will not fail to produce [be barren, unfruitful] fruit,” says the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 12 “Then all [every single one] the nations [Gentile peoples, non-Hebrews] will call you blessed [happy, fortunate, having God’s favor], for you will be a land [country, territory, region] of delight [pleasure, joy, a pleasant place],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]. word study 13 “Your words [stout, strong, harsh] against Me [the Lord] have been harsh [unsufferable, severe],” says the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God]. “Yet you ask [say, speak], ‘What have we spoken [communicated, uttered] against You [toward, regarding You]?’ word study 14 You have said, ‘It is [vain, useless] futile to serve [worship, obey] God [Elohim, the supreme God]. What have we gained [profit, benefit] by keeping [obeying, following] His requirements [commandments, ordinances] and walking [going, proceeding] mournfully [in sorrow, with humility] before [in the presence of] the LORD [Yehovah] of Hosts [armies, heavenly forces]? word study 15 So now [at this time, in this present age] we call the arrogant [proud, presumptuous] blessed [happy, content, guided by God]. Not only [also, even] do evildoers [those who work wickedness] prosper [become rich, successful], they even [also, too] test [examine, prove] God [Elohim, the supreme One] and escape [are delivered, slip away to safety].’” word study 16 At that time [then, in a past era] those who feared [revered, stood in awe of] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] spoke [communicated, conversed] with one another [each to his neighbor, friend to friend], and the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] listened [attended carefully, gave heed] and heard [perceived, understood] them. So a scroll [book, written document] of remembrance [memorial, reminder] was written [recorded, inscribed] before Him [in His presence, face to face] regarding those who feared [revered, honored] the LORD [Yehovah, the mighty God] and honored [esteemed, thought upon] His name [identity, character, reputation]. word study 17 “They will be Mine [my special treasure, my own possession],” says the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] of Hosts [armies, a large group of people], “on the day [a literal 24-hour period or a figurative space of time] when I prepare [make, do, or create] My treasured possession [a valuable possession, something highly prized]. And I will spare [have pity on, show mercy to] them as a man [a male person, an individual] spares his own son [a descendant, a child] who serves [works, obeys, or is in bondage to] him. word study 18 So you will again distinguish [clearly see the difference] between the righteous [just, morally upright] and the wicked [morally wrong, guilty of sin], between those who serve [obey, worship] God [Elohim, the supreme God] and those who do not [refuse to obey, disobey].” word study