3:2 Who can endure the day of his coming? Who can keep standing when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire, 1 like a launderer’s soap. 3:3 He will act like a refiner and purifier of silver and will cleanse the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will offer the Lord a proper offering. 3:4 The offerings 2 of Judah and Jerusalem 3 will be pleasing to the Lord as in former times and years past.
3:5 “I 4 will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, 5 and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, 6 who refuse to help 7 the immigrant 8 and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.
1 sn The refiner’s fire was used to purify metal and refine it by melting it and allowing the dross, which floated to the top, to be scooped off.
2 tn Or “gift.”
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the
5 tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”
6 tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”
7 tn Heb “those who turn aside.”
8 tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”