Malachi:3

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Seeker Overlay ON

* "Behold , I send My messenger , And he will prepare the way before Me . And the Lord , whom you seek , Will suddenly come to His temple , Even the Messenger of the covenant , In whom you delight . Behold , He is coming ," Says the LORD of hosts . * "But who can endure the day of His coming ? And who can stand when He appears ? For He is like a refiner 's fire And like launderers ' soap . * He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver ; He will purify the sons of Levi , And purge them as gold and silver , That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness . * "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD , As in the days of old , As in former years . * And I will come near you for judgment ; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers , Against adulterers , Against perjurers , Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans , And against those who turn away an alien -- Because they do not fear Me ," Says the LORD of hosts . * "For I am the LORD , I do not change ; Therefore you are not consumed , O sons of Jacob . * Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them . Return to Me , and I will return to you ," Says the LORD of hosts . "But you said , "In what way shall we return ?' * "Will a man rob God ? Yet you have robbed Me ! But you say , "In what way have we robbed You ?' In tithes and offerings . * You are cursed with a curse , For you have robbed Me , Even this whole nation . * Bring all the tithes into the storehouse , That there may be food in My house , And try Me now in this ," Says the LORD of hosts , "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it . * "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes , So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground , Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field ," Says the LORD of hosts ; * And all nations will call you blessed , For you will be a delightful land ," Says the LORD of hosts . * "Your words have been harsh against Me ," Says the LORD , "Yet you say , "What have we spoken against You ?' * You have said , "It is useless to serve God ; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance , And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts ? * So now we call the proud blessed , For those who do wickedness are raised up ; They even tempt God and go free ."' * Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another , And the LORD listened and heard them ; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name . * "They shall be Mine ," says the LORD of hosts , "On the day that I make them My jewels . And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him ." * Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked , Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him .

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