New International Version
Malachi 3:5
5“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.
Malachi 3:5 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien— Because they do not fear Me,” Says the Lord of hosts.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“At that time I will put you on trial. I am eager to witness against all sorcerers and adulterers and liars. I will speak against those who cheat employees of their wages, who oppress widows and orphans, or who deprive the foreigners living among you of justice, for these people do not fear me,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Context of Malachi 3:5
3He 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 will bring offerings in righteousness, 4and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years. “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. 6“I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’
Read all of Malachi 3Malachi 3:5 word by word
וְקָרַבְתִּ֣י אֲלֵיכֶם֮ לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒ וְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ עֵ֣ד מְמַהֵ֗ר בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י שְׂכַר־שָׂ֠כִיר אַלְמָנָ֨ה וְיָת֤וֹם וּמַטֵּי־גֵר֙ וְלֹ֣א יְרֵא֔וּנִי אָמַ֖ר יְהוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And I will come nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
- to you to judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- and I will be a swiftמָהַרmâhar · to hastenH4116
- witnessעֵד‛êd · witnessH5707
- against the sorcerersכָּשַׁףkâshaph · to practice sorceryH3784
- and against the adulterersנָאַףnâ'aph · to commit adulteryH5003
- and against falseשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
- swearersשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- and against those that oppressעָשַׁק‛âshaq · to oppressH6231
- the hirelingשָׂכִירώâkîyr · hiredH7916
- wagesשָׂכָרώâkâr · wagesH7939
- the widowאַלְמָנָה'almânâh · widowH490
- and the fatherlessיָתוֹםyâthôm · orphanH3490
- and that turn asideנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
- the strangerגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
- and fearיָרֵאyârê' · to fear: revereH3372
- not me, saithאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- of hostsצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · HostsH6635
Cross-references for Malachi 3:5
- Malachi 2:17You have wearied the Lord with your words. “How have we wearied him?” you ask. By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased with them” or “Where is the God of justice?”
- Psalms 50:3Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.
- Psalms 96:13Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.
- Psalms 98:9let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
- Ezekiel 34:20“ ‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
- Hebrews 10:30For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
- James 5:8You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
- Jude 1:14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
- Malachi 2:14You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
- Psalms 50:7“Listen, my people, and I will speak; I will testify against you, Israel: I am God, your God.
- Psalms 81:8Hear me, my people, and I will warn you— if you would only listen to me, Israel!
- Jeremiah 29:23For they have done outrageous things in Israel; they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and in my name they have uttered lies—which I did not authorize. I know it and am a witness to it,” declares the Lord.
- Micah 1:2Hear, you peoples, all of you, listen, earth and all who live in it, that the Sovereign Lord may bear witness against you, the Lord from his holy temple.
- Leviticus 20:6“ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.
- Deuteronomy 5:11“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Commentaries on Malachi 3:5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 5I will come near to you to judgment - And what fearful cases does he get to judge! Sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, defrauders of the wages of the hireling, oppressors of widows and orphans, and perverters of the stranger and such as do not fear the Lord: a horrible crew; and the land at that time was full of them. Several were converted under the preaching of Christ and his apostles, and the rest the Romans destroyed or carried into captivity.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 5And I will come near to you to judgment - They had clamored for the coming of “the God of judgment;” God assures them that He will come to judgment, which they had desired, but far other than they look for. The few would be purified; the great mass of them (so that He calls them “you”), the main body of those who had so clamored, would find that He came as a Judge, not for them but against them. And I will be a swift witness - o“In judging I will bear…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 5The phrase swift witness suggests a legal case where God acts as both the prosecutor and the main witness against Judah after the exile in Babylon. Sorcerers used witchcraft, black magic, or fortune-telling for personal gain. On the coming day of God’s judgment, sinful Judeans would either be purified (Malachi 3:3) or destroyed (4:1–2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55. I ... come near ... to judgment--I whom ye challenged, saying, "Where is the God of judgment?" (Mal 2:17). I whom ye think far off, and to be slow in judgment, am "near," and will come as a "swift witness"; not only a judge, but also an eye-witness against sorcerers; for Mine eyes see every sin, though ye think I take no heed. Earthly judges need witnesses to enable them to decide aright: I alone need none (Psa 10:11; 73:11; 94:7, &c.). sorcerers--a…Read the comment
Topics related to Malachi 3:5
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Malachi 3
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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