The Messenger of the Lord
17 You have fwearied the Lord with your gwords. hBut you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, i“Where is the God of justice?”
1 j“Behold, I send my messenger, and khe will lprepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2 But mwho can endure the day of his coming, and nwho can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them olike gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord.1 4 Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
5 “Behold, hI will send you Elijah the prophet before the igreat and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 jAnd he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and kstrike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”1
