1 Behold I send mine Angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And forthwith shall come to his temple the Dominatour, whom you seek, and the Angel of the testament, whom you desire. Behold he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts:
1 Behold ¹I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 And who shall be able to think the day of his advent? And who shall stand to see him? For he as it were purging fire, and as the herb of fullers:
2 And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? And who shall stand to see him? For he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller’s herb:
3 and he shall sit purging, and cleansing the silver, and he shall purge the sons of Levi, and will strain them as gold, and as silver, and they shall be offering sacrifices to our Lord in justice.
3 And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.
4 And the sacrifice of Juda and Jerusalem shall please our Lord, as the days of the world, and as the years of old.
4 And the sacrifice of Juda and of Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years.
5 And I will come to you in judgement, and will be a swift witness to sorcerers, and adulterers, and to the perjured, and them that calumniate the hire of the hired man, the widows, and pupils, and oppress the stranger, nor have feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.
5 And I will come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widows, and the fatherless: and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.
6 For I the Lord, and I am not changed: and ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
6 For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed.
7 For from the days of your fathers you have departed from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return?
7 For from the days of your fathers you have departed from my ordinances, and have not kept them: ²Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return?
8 Shall man fasten God, because you do fasten me? And you have said: Wherein do we fasten thee? In tithes, and in first fruits.
8 Shall a man afflict God, for you afflict me. And you have said: Wherein do we afflict thee? In tithes and in firstfruits.
9 And in penury you are accursed, and you your whole nation fasten me.
9 And you are cursed with want, and you afflict me, even the whole nation of you.
10 Bring in all the tithe into the barn: and let there be meat in my house, and prove me upon this, saith our Lord: if I open not unto you the flood-gates of heaven, and pour you out blessing even to aboundance,
10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and try me in this, saith the Lord: if I open not unto you the flood gates of heaven, and pour you out a blessing even to abundance.
11 and I will rebuke for you the devourer, and he shall not corrupt the fruit of your land: neither shall the vine in the field be barren, saith the Lord of hosts.
11 And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he shall not spoil the fruit of your land: neither shall the vine in the field be barren, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all Nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a land worthy to be desired, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land, saith the Lord of hosts.
13 Your words have been forcible upon me, saith the Lord.
13 ³Your words have been unsufferable to me, saith the Lord.
14 And you said: What have we spoken against thee? You have said: He is vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his precepts, and that we have walked sorrowful before the Lord of hosts?
14 And you have said: What have we spoken against thee? You have said: He laboreth in vain that serveth God, and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinances, and that we have walked sorrowful before the Lord of hosts?
15 Therefore now we call the arrogant blessed, for they that do impiety are builded, and they have tempted God and are made safe.
15 Wherefore now we call the proud people happy, for they that work wickedness are built up, and they have tempted God and are preserved.
16 Then spake they that feared our Lord, every one with his neighbour: and our Lord attended, and heard: and a book of monument was written before him for them that fear our Lord, and think on his name.
16 Then they that feared the Lord, spoke everyone with his neighbor: and the Lord gave ear, and heard it: and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that fear the Lord, and think on his name.
17 And they shall be to me, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I do to my peculiar, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his son serving him.
17 And they shall be my special possession, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I do judgment: and I will spare them, as a man spareth his son that serveth him.
18 And you shall convert, and shall see what is between the just & the impious: and between him that serveth God, and serveth him not.
18 And you shall return, and shall see the difference between the just and the wicked: and between him that serveth God, and him that serveth him not.