4 "Edom says, 'We have been beaten down, but we will return and build on the ruins." Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They may build, but I will tear it down, and their territory will be called wicked, and the LORD is indignant against it forever." 5 "You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD, even outside the borders of Israel!'"

6 "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. Then if I am your Father, where is My honor? And if I am your Master, where is My respect?' Says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. You ask, 'How have we despised Your name?'" 7 "By presenting defiled food upon My alter." But you ask, "How have we defiled You?" "By having contempt for the LORD's table." 8 "When you bring what is blind for a sacrifice, this is evil. When you present the lame, or the sick, this is wrong. Would you bring these to your governor? Would this be pleasing to him?" Says the LORD of Hosts. 9 "If you ask the LORD's favor with such an offering on your part, will He receive you kindly?" Says the LORD of Hosts.

10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on My altar! I am not pleased with you, and I will accept no offering from your hands, " says the LORD of Hosts.

11 "From the place where the sun comes up to the place where it sets, My name will be great among the nations. In every place incense will be offered in My name and a pure grain offering given, for My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of Hosts. 12 "You profane My name when you say that the LORD's table is defiled, and its food is contemptible.'." 13 "You refer to it as tiresome, as you sniff with disdain. You bring what you took by robbery and the lame and sick." The LORD asks, "Should I be expected to receive such an offering from you?" 14 "Cursed is the swindler who vows a male from his flock and then brings a blemished animal to the LORD. I am a great King, " says the LORD, "And My name is to be feared among the nations."

Malachi 2 - RWB Paraphrase (17 V)
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1 "Here is a command for you, O priests." 2 The LORD of Hosts says, "If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name, then I will send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already cursed them, because you are not taking it to heart." 3 "I will rebuke your offspring and spread the refuse of your feasts on your faces, and you will be taken away." 4 "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, and that My covenant may continue with Levi, " says the LORD of hosts. 5 "I had a covenant with him of life and peace. I gave it to him so that he would revere Me and stand in awe of My name." 6 "True instruction was in his mouth and righteousness was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity."

7 "Priests should preserve knowledge and acquire instruction, for they are the messengers of the LORD of Hosts." 8 "But you have turned from the way and cause many to stumble. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, " says the LORD of Hosts. 9 "So I have caused the people to despise you because you are not keeping My ways, but show partiality in your administration of the law."

The Sinful People
10 "Everyone has one father, for the LORD God created us. So why do you deal treacherously between brothers, thereby profaning the covenant of our fathers?" 11 "Judah has dealt treacherously, committing an abomination in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD which He loves. He has married the daughter of a foreign god." 12 "May the LORD cut off from Jacob every man who does this. He may not present an offering to the LORD of Hosts."

13 "Another thing you do is cover the alter of the LORD with tears, weeping and groaning because He no longer regards the offering you bring." 14 "You ask why I say this? Because I have witnessed your treachery against the wife of your youth, who has been your companion and wife by covenant." 15 "Did God not make you one? No one having any of My Spirit treats the wife of his youth in this manner." 16 "I hate divorce, " says the LORD God of israel."whoever treats his wife in this way commits violence against her. So be careful that you do not deal treacherously with her." 17 "Your words weary Me," says the LORD of Hosts."You ask how this can be? I'll tell you. You say that everyone who does evil is good in My sight, and that I delight in him. You even ask, 'Where is the God of justice?'"

Malachi 3 - RWB Paraphrase (18 V)
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The Coming Of The Lord
1 "Behold, I am going to send My messenger to clear the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple. The messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, is coming, " says the LORD of hosts.

COMMENT: John the Baptist was the one sent to prepare the way for Jesus the Messiah.

2 "But who can endure the day of His coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire, and a launderer's soap." 3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who bring their offerings in righteousness." 4 "Then the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will please the LORD as it was in former years." 5 "Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers and those who swear falsely. I will be against those who hold back the wages of the workers, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me, " says the LORD of hosts.

6 "I the LORD do not change. Therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." 7 "Since the days of your fathers you have ignored My statutes. Return to Me, and I will return to you, " says the LORD of hosts."but you ask, 'How shall we return?'" 8 "By not robbing God?" But you ask, "How have we robbed you?" "In tithes and offerings." 9 "You are cursed because you and the whole nation are robbing Me." 10 "Bring your entire tithe into the storehouse, so that there will be food in My house. Test Me in this, " says the LORD of hosts, "See if I do not open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you until it overflows." 11 "I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit, " says the LORD of hosts. 12 "All nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land, " says the LORD of hosts.

13 "Your words have been arrogant against Me," says the LORD."You ask, 'What have we spoken against You?'" 14 "You have said that it is vain to serve the LORD, for there is no profit in doing this." 15 "For now the arrogant are called blessed. Those doing evil prosper, and those who challenge God escape."

The Faithful Few
16 Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened. A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and honor His name. 17 "On the day that I have prepared My own possession, they will be Mine, " says the LORD of hosts."I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him." 18 "Then you will once more distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, those who serve God and those who do not."

Malachi 4 - RWB Paraphrase (6 V)
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The Great Judgment Day Of The Lord
1 "The day is coming, that will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evil doer will be as chaff before it. They will all be set ablaze," says the LORD of Hosts."There will be nothing left of them." 2 "But for those of you who fear My name, the Sun of righteousness will rise with healing in His wings. And you will go out and leap as calves released from the stall." 3 "You will tread down the wicked, for on that day they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, " says the LORD of hosts.

COMMENT: This will be the case when God has purified the earth with fire before He makes everything new.

4 "Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel."

COMMENT: These laws are still of lasting value to God's people.

5 "I will send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD." 6 "He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse."

Chapters: 1 2 3 4