Font Size
Malachi 2:13-3:5
New International Version
Malachi 2:13-3:5
New International Version
13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.(A) You weep and wail(B) because he no longer looks with favor(C) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.(D) 14 You ask,(E) “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness(F) between you and the wife of your youth.(G) You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.(H)
15 Has not the one God made you?(I) You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.[a](J) So be on your guard,(K) and do not be unfaithful(L) to the wife of your youth.
16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,(M)” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,”[b](N) says the Lord Almighty.
So be on your guard,(O) and do not be unfaithful.
Breaking Covenant Through Injustice
17 You have wearied(P) the Lord with your words.
“How have we wearied him?” you ask.(Q)
By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased(R) with them” or “Where is the God of justice?(S)”
3 “I will send my messenger,(T) who will prepare the way before me.(U) Then suddenly the Lord(V) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,(W) whom you desire,(X) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
2 But who can endure(Y) the day of his coming?(Z) Who can stand(AA) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire(AB) or a launderer’s soap.(AC) 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;(AD) he will purify(AE) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.(AF) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,(AG) 4 and the offerings(AH) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.(AI)
5 “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,(AJ) adulterers(AK) and perjurers,(AL) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,(AM) who oppress the widows(AN) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners(AO) among you of justice, but do not fear(AP) me,” says the Lord Almighty.
Footnotes
- Malachi 2:15 The meaning of the Hebrew for the first part of this verse is uncertain.
- Malachi 2:16 Or “I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,”
Malachi 2:13-3:5
King James Version
Malachi 2:13-3:5
King James Version
13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.
16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.
17 Ye have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
3 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former 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 false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2:13-3:5
New King James Version
Malachi 2:13-3:5
New King James Version
13 And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and (A)the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
(B)Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
15 But (C)did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks (D)godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “For (E)the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
17 (F)You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,
(G)“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
The Coming Messenger
3 “Behold, (H)I send My messenger,
And he will (I)prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
(J)Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, (K)He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure (L)the day of His coming?
And (M)who can stand when He appears?
For (N)He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 (O)He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may (P)offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
4 “Then (Q)the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be [b]pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
5 And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
(R)Against perjurers,
Against those who (S)exploit wage earners and (T)widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
Footnotes
- Malachi 3:3 Or refine
- Malachi 3:4 pleasing
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.