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Malachi's Message about the Lord's Messenger, Tithes, and Judgment
The prophet Malachi delivers God's message to the people after their return from exile. The Lord promises to send his messenger to prepare the way, and the angel of the covenant will come to the temple to refine the sons of Levi like gold and silver, so that their offerings may once again be pleasing to him. God announces judgment against sorcerers, adulterers, those who swear falsely, and those who oppress the weak, calling the people to turn back. He rebukes them for robbing him by withholding tithes and offerings, and promises to open the windows of heaven with abundant blessing for those who bring the full tithe into the storehouse. Finally, a book of remembrance is written for those who fear the Lord, and it is promised that the distinction between the righteous and the wicked will become clear on the day when the Lord acts.
Malaquías 3,1-18
1Look, I am sending my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord whom you are seeking will come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant whom you desire—look, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
הִנְנִ֤י שֹׁלֵחַ֙ מַלְאָכִ֔י וּפִנָּה־דֶ֖רֶךְ לְפָנָ֑י וּפִתְאֹם֩ יָב֨וֹא אֶל־הֵיכָל֜וֹ הָאָד֣וֹן ׀ אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֣ם מְבַקְשִׁ֗ים וּמַלְאַ֨ךְ הַבְּרִ֜ית אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֤ם חֲפֵצִים֙ הִנֵּה־בָ֔א אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
2But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, like a launderer's soap.
וּמִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔וֹ וּמִ֥י הָעֹמֵ֖ד בְּהֵרָֽאוֹת֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוּא֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may bring offerings to the LORD in righteousness.
וְיָשַׁ֨ב מְצָרֵ֤ף וּמְטַהֵר֙ כֶּ֔סֶף וְטִהַ֤ר אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־לֵוִי֙ וְזִקַּ֣ק אֹתָ֔ם כַּזָּהָ֖ב וְכַכָּ֑סֶף וְהָיוּ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מַגִּישֵׁ֥י מִנְחָ֖ה בִּצְדָקָֽה׃
4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD, as in the days of old, as in years long past.
וְעָֽרְבָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מִנְחַ֥ת יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירֽוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם כִּימֵ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וּכְשָׁנִ֖ים קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת׃
5I will come near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who defraud the hired worker of his wages, who oppress the widow and the orphan, who push aside the foreigner and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.
וְקָרַבְתִּ֣י אֲלֵיכֶם֮ לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒ וְהָיִ֣יתִי ׀ עֵ֣ד מְמַהֵ֗ר בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י שְׂכַר־שָׂ֠כִיר אַלְמָנָ֨ה וְיָת֤וֹם וּמַטֵּי־גֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרֵא֔וּנִי אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
6For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, children of Jacob, are not consumed.
כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א שָׁנִ֑יתִי וְאַתֶּ֥ם בְּנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב לֹ֥א כְלִיתֶֽם׃
7Ever since the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you ask, "How are we to return?"
לְמִימֵ֨י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם סַרְתֶּ֤ם מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם שׁ֤וּבוּ אֵלַי֙ וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֥ה נָשֽׁוּב׃
8Can a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you ask, "How have we robbed you?" In the tithes and the offerings.
הֲיִקְבַּ֨ע אָדָ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים כִּ֤י אַתֶּם֙ קֹבְעִ֣ים אֹתִ֔י וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם בַּמֶּ֣ה קְבַעֲנ֑וּךָ הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר וְהַתְּרוּמָֽה׃
9You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.
בַּמְּאֵרָה֙ אַתֶּ֣ם נֵֽאָרִ֔ים וְאֹתִ֖י אַתֶּ֣ם קֹבְעִ֑ים הַגּ֖וֹי כֻּלּֽוֹ׃
10Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the LORD of hosts, and see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour out on you a blessing beyond measure.
הָבִ֨יאוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֜ר אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הָאוֹצָ֗ר וִיהִ֥י טֶ֙רֶף֙ בְּבֵיתִ֔י וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי נָא֙ בָּזֹ֔את אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־לֹ֧א אֶפְתַּ֣ח לָכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת אֲרֻבּ֣וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י לָכֶ֛ם בְּרָכָ֖ה עַד בְּלִי דָֽי׃
11I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruit of your soil, and the vine in your field will not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.
וְגָעַרְתִּ֤י לָכֶם֙ בָּֽאֹכֵ֔ל וְלֹֽא־יַשְׁחִ֥ת לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־פְּרִ֣י הָאֲדָמָ֑ה וְלֹא־תְשַׁכֵּ֨ל לָכֶ֤ם הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
12Then all the nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.
וְאִשְּׁר֥וּ אֶתְכֶ֖ם כָּל־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם כִּֽי־תִהְי֤וּ אַתֶּם֙ אֶ֣רֶץ חֵ֔פֶץ אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ ס
13Your words against me have been harsh, says the LORD. Yet you ask, "What have we said against you?"
חָזְק֥וּ עָלַ֛י דִּבְרֵיכֶ֖ם אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם מַה־נִּדְבַּ֖רְנוּ עָלֶֽיךָ׃
14You have said, "It is pointless to serve God. What do we gain by keeping his charge and walking about in mourning before the LORD of hosts?
אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם שָׁ֖וְא עֲבֹ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֑ים וּמַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ וְכִ֤י הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית מִפְּנֵ֖י יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃
15"So now we call the arrogant blessed. Those who do evil prosper; they put God to the test and get away with it."
וְעַתָּ֕ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים זֵדִ֑ים גַּם־נִבְנוּ֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י רִשְׁעָ֔ה גַּ֧ם בָּחֲנ֛וּ אֱלֹהִ֖ים וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ׃
16Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written before him about those who fear the LORD and treasure his name.
אָ֧ז נִדְבְּר֛וּ יִרְאֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב יְהוָה֙ וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע וַ֠יִּכָּתֵב סֵ֣פֶר זִכָּר֤וֹן לְפָנָיו֙ לְיִרְאֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י שְׁמֽוֹ׃
17They will be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my treasured possession on the day when I act. I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
וְהָ֣יוּ לִ֗י אָמַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת לַיּ֕וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲנִ֖י עֹשֶׂ֣ה סְגֻלָּ֑ה וְחָמַלְתִּ֣י עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יַחְמֹ֣ל אִ֔ישׁ עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ הָעֹבֵ֥ד אֹתֽוֹ׃
18Then once again you will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves God and the one who does not serve him.
וְשַׁבְתֶּם֙ וּרְאִיתֶ֔ם בֵּ֥ין צַדִּ֖יק לְרָשָׁ֑ע בֵּ֚ין עֹבֵ֣ד אֱלֹהִ֔ים לַאֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א עֲבָדֽוֹ׃ ס