הִנְנִי שֹׁלֵחַ מַלְאָכִי וּפִנָּה דֶרֶךְ לְפָנָי וּפִתְאֹם יָבוֹא אֶל־הֵיכָלוֹ הָאָדוֹן אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּם מְבַקְשִׁים וּמַלְאַךְ הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם חֲפֵצִים הִנֵּה־בָא אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

Behold, I am sending My messenger, and he will clear a way free of obstacles from before Me. This messenger will eliminate evil from the world in preparation for the revelation of the Divine Presence. And suddenly the Lord of justice whom you seek will come to His Sanctuary; the messenger, the appointed guardian of the eternal covenant, whom you desire, behold, he is coming, said the Lord of hosts.

וּמִי מְכַלְכֵּל אֶת־יוֹם בּוֹאוֹ! וּמִי הָעֹמֵד בְּהֵרָאוֹתוֹ כִּי־הוּא כְּאֵשׁ מְצָרֵף וּכְבֹרִית מְכַבְּסִים

But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will be able to survive when he, the messenger, appears in order to clear the path? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderers’ soap, an especially potent detergent.

וְיָשַׁב מְצָרֵף וּמְטַהֵר כֶּסֶף וְטִהַר אֶת־בְּנֵי־לֵוִי וְזִקַּק אֹתָם כַּזָּהָב וְכַכָּסֶף וְהָיוּ לַה' מַגִּישֵׁי מִנְחָה בִּצְדָקָה

He will sit, refining and purifying silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi as one purifies silver by removing the dross, and he will rarefy them like gold and like silver, and they will be for the Lord, presenters of an offering in righteousness, in the appropriate manner.

וְעָרְבָה לַה' מִנְחַת יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִָם כִּימֵי עוֹלָם וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמֹנִיּוֹת

The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as they were in the best days of old and as in former years.

וְקָרַבְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְהָיִיתִי עֵד מְמַהֵר בַּמְכַשְּׁפִים וּבַמְנָאֲפִים וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִים לַשָּׁקֶר וּבְעֹשְׁקֵי שְׂכַר־שָׂכִיר אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם וּמַטֵּי גֵר וְלֹא יְרֵאוּנִי אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

I will approach you for judgment, as both prosecutor and judge, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, who sin in private, against the takers of false oaths, against the exploiters of the wages of the hireling, who abuse their power by withholding wages from those whom they hired, and who exploit the widow, and the orphan, and the perverters of justice against the defenseless stranger, they, all such individuals, do not fear Me, said the Lord of hosts. These people, who act in seclusion or exploit the weak, will be held accountable for their conduct. God is aware of their actions; He will expose them and bring them to justice.

כִּי אֲנִי ה' לֹא שָׁנִיתִי וְאַתֶּם בְּנֵי־יַעֲקֹב לֹא כְלִיתֶם

There should be no doubt about the future arrival of the Day of Judgment, when God will reveal Himself and cleanse you, for I the Lord did not change. I did not grow old, nor have I ceased to intervene in My world. And you, sons of Jacob, did not perish, as I stand watch over you; even if you are struck down and punished for your deeds, our bond remains eternal. These are the two basic facets of the Jewish people’s existence: the eternity of God and their survival.

לְמִימֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם סַרְתֶּם מֵחֻקַּי וְלֹא שְׁמַרְתֶּם שׁוּבוּ אֵלַי וְאָשׁוּבָה אֲלֵיכֶם אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֶּה נָשׁוּב

The prophet resumes his rebuke: From the days of your forefathers you deviated from My statutes, and you did not observe them. This is not a new phenomenon. Return to Me, and I will return to you, said the Lord of hosts. This general call to repentance was issued by other prophets as well. The prophet continues: But you cannot discern the disintegration of your society, as it appears stable from the outside, since your transgressions are generally performed in seclusion. Therefore, you say in bewilderment: For what should we return? They did not understand why they needed to repent. They felt that they acted correctly.

הֲיִקְבַּע אָדָם אֱלֹהִים! כִּי אַתֶּם קֹבְעִים אֹתִי וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמֶּה קְבַעֲנוּךָ

Can a person rob God, as you rob Me? But you say: How have we robbed You? It, the answer, is that you have robbed Me in the tithes and the gifts; if you consider your actions regarding tithes and gifts, you will see how you rob Me.

הַמַּעֲשֵׂר וְהַתְּרוּמָה בַּמְּאֵרָה אַתֶּם נֵאָרִים ואֹתִי אַתֶּם קֹבְעִים הַגּוֹי כֻּלּוֹ

You are cursed with the curse, yet you rob Me, or: As a result of the poverty that is due to the curse, you rob me. You cheat or are stingy with regard to tithes. The entire nation acts in this manner.

הָבִיאוּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמַּעֲשֵׂר אֶל־בֵּית הָאוֹצָר וִיהִי טֶרֶף בְּבֵיתִי וּבְחָנוּנִי נָא בָּזֹאת אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אִם־לֹא אֶפְתַּח לָכֶם אֵת אֲרֻבּוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וַהֲרִיקֹתִי לָכֶם בְּרָכָה עַד־בְּלִי־דָי

God declares: Bring all the tithes to the storehouse, where all the peoples’ tithes will be gathered, and let them, the tithes, be food in My house, as they will be divided among the Levites serving in the Temple. Test Me now with this – the utterance of the Lord of hosts – if I will not open for you the windows of the heavens, and pour out an endless blessing for you. Although it is generally prohibited to test God, in this instance God invites the people to do so, assuring them that if they bring the tithes in the proper manner, He will bestow blessing upon them.

וְגָעַרְתִּי לָכֶם בָּאֹכֵל וְלֹא־יַשְׁחִת לָכֶם אֶת־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה וְלֹא־תְשַׁכֵּל לָכֶם הַגֶּפֶן בַּשָּׂדֶה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

I will rebuke the devourer for you. God will remove the various insects that harm produce. And he, the devourer, will not destroy the fruits of your land, and the vine will not prematurely lose its fruit for you in the field, said the Lord of hosts. The grape vine is often used to symbolize the matriarchs and the nation of Israel. The vine will not lose its grape clusters and will yield ripe produce. In parallel, the nation will not be bereaved of its children, on the condition that the people wholeheartedly and generously fulfill their duty to give tithes.

וְאִשְּׁרוּ אֶתְכֶם כָּל־הַגּוֹיִם כִּי־תִהְיוּ אַתֶּם אֶרֶץ חֵפֶץ אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

When you do so, all the nations will praise you and encourage you, as you will be a desired and acclaimed land, said the Lord of hosts.

חָזְקוּ עָלַי דִּבְרֵיכֶם אָמַר ה' וַאֲמַרְתֶּם מַה־נִּדְבַּרְנוּ עָלֶיךָ

The prophet presents another dialogue between the people and God: Your words have been harsh against Me, said the Lord; but you say: How have we spoken harshly against you?

אֲמַרְתֶּם שָׁוְא עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים וּמַה־בֶּצַע כִּי שָׁמַרְנוּ מִשְׁמַרְתּוֹ וְכִי הָלַכְנוּ קְדֹרַנִּית מִפְּנֵי ה' צְבָאוֹת!

You said, perhaps not directly or in the form of public protest, but in conversation with friends, or when grumbling in the privacy of your home: It is vain to worship God, and what is the profit in our having kept His commission and fulfilling His commandments, and in our having walked in the dark because of the Lord of hosts? They meant that they walked as if hunched over in darkness, restrained under the enormous burden of God’s commandments, and questioned what they gained from it all.

וְעַתָּה אֲנַחְנוּ מְאַשְּׁרִים זֵדִים גַּם־נִבְנוּ עֹשֵׂי רִשְׁעָה גַּם בָּחֲנוּ אֱלֹהִים וַיִּמָּלֵטוּ

Now we ultimately find that we praise and strengthen criminals, as we see that the wicked are successful and joyful; also, the wicked are built up with children. They also test God with their sins and escape punishment. These are the harsh comments that the Jewish people spoke against God.

אָז נִדְבְּרוּ יִרְאֵי ה' אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁב ה' וַיִּשְׁמָע וַיִּכָּתֵב סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְפָנָיו לְיִרְאֵי ה' וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ

However, then those who fear the Lord spoke one to another and the Lord listened and heeded. Even when the faithful servants of God feel that the world is bearing down upon them, they do not complain; rather, they offer mutual words of encouragement. Indeed, their statements are not in vain, as God hears their quiet conversations about fearing Him and what that entails. A book of remembrance was written before Him containing this dialogue for those who fear the Lord, and those who think of His name and His ways. Although they thought that their statements and efforts had no effect, they were reminded here that God hears everything and preserves it all. Likewise, God would respond to their harsh complaints that they expressed when they saw the righteous morose, and the wicked joyful.

וְהָיוּ לִי אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת לַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה סְגֻלָּה וְחָמַלְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר יַחְמֹל אִישׁ עַל־בְּנוֹ הָעֹבֵד אֹתוֹ

They, those who feared Me, will be Mine, said the Lord of hosts, on the day that I make a distinguished one. When that special day of judgment and redemption arrives, I promise that I shall protect them. I will have compassion on them just as a man has compassion on his son who serves him. On that day, it will become clear how close such people are to Me, as close as loving children who wish to please their father.

וְשַׁבְתֶּם וּרְאִיתֶם בֵּין צַדִּיק לְרָשָׁע בֵּין עֹבֵד אֱלֹהִים לַאֲשֶׁר לֹא עֲבָדוֹ

When the Day of Judgment arrives, you will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him. These differences, which are not readily apparent at the current time, will one day be publicly revealed.

כִּי הִנֵּה הַיּוֹם בָּא בֹּעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר וְהָיוּ כָל־זֵדִים וְכָל־עֹשֵׂה רִשְׁעָה קַשׁ וְלִהַט אֹתָם הַיּוֹם הַבָּא אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעֲזֹב לָהֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ וְעָנָף

The prophet continues to describe the events of the Day of Judgment: For behold, the great day is coming, it shall be burning like a furnace, and all the criminals and all the doers of wickedness will be straw; the day that is coming will burn them, said the Lord of hosts. The scorching heat of the sun will burn all the wicked as though they were straw, so that it will not leave of them root or branch. Nothing of them will survive.

וְזָרְחָה לָכֶם יִרְאֵי שְׁמִי שֶׁמֶשׁ צְדָקָה וּמַרְפֵּא בִּכְנָפֶיהָ וִיצָאתֶם וּפִשְׁתֶּם כְּעֶגְלֵי מַרְבֵּק

But while the wicked are punished by the sun, the sun of righteousness and salvation will shine for those who fear My name, with healing in its rays of light; and you will emerge and grow fat and healthy, or you will gambol, or you will expand materially, like fattened calves. At the same time that the wicked are destroyed, the righteous will enjoy the bounty of the land.

וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים כִּי־יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת

You will crush and press upon the wicked like dough; for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I am preparing, said the Lord of hosts. When the truth is revealed, and shines forth as the light of day, those who performed evil will be annihilated by its force, while the righteous will rejoice in that same light.

זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי אוֹתוֹ בְחֹרֵב עַל־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים

Overall, the book of Malachi consists of prophecies which deal with specific topics and general problems facing the Jewish people. The book concludes with a parting message on fundamental matters pertaining to the people’s attitudes and behaviors. First, the prophet refers to the past: Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, which I commanded him at Horev for all of Israel, statutes and ordinances.

הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחַ לָכֶם אֵת אֵלִיָּה הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יוֹם ה' הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא

Next, he addresses the future: Behold, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is described both here and elsewhere as a terrifying day of uncertainty, when the wicked will be condemned and the righteous rewarded. Before that day, the prophet Elijah will arrive. Elijah, herald of the redemption, will come to prepare the people for God’s arrival, and to rectify what he can beforehand.

וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב־אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל־אֲבוֹתָם פֶּן אָבוֹא וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶת־הָאָרֶץ חֵרֶם

In the world as it is currently, unredeemed, parents and children remain distant from one another. He, Elijah, will return the heart of the fathers to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers. Elijah will bring about a great reconciliation between the generations. He will galvanize the people to take advantage of the final opportunity to express remorse for their evil ways and to repent, lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction.No matter what, God will be revealed on that day. If He finds that the hearts of the people have not returned to Him, that they remain steadfast in their wickedness, the world is apt to collapse.