| 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
messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah
of hosts. 2 But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand
when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap:
3 and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify
the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer
unto Jehovah offerings in righteousness. 4 Then shall the offering of
Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of old, and as
in ancient 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 hireling in
his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner
from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. 6 For I,
Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.
7 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
Jehovah of hosts. But ye say, Wherein shall we return? 8 Will a man rob
God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and
offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with the curse; for ye rob me, even this whole
nation. 10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may
be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I
will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that
there shall not be room enough to receive 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 happy; for ye
shall be a delightsome land, saith Jehovah of hosts. 13 Your words have
been stout against me, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against
thee? 14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that
we have kept his charge, and that we have walked mournfully before Jehovah of
hosts? 15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness
are built up; yea, they tempt God, and escape. 16 Then they that feared
Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, 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 mine, saith Jehovah of hosts,
even mine own possession, in the day that I make; and I will spare
them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. 18 Then shall ye
return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that
serveth God and him that serveth him not.
Genesis - Public
Domain
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