I Will Send My Messenger
(Matthew 11:7–19; Luke 7:24–35)

1  הִנְנִ֤י (Behold) שֹׁלֵחַ֙ (I am sending) מַלְאָכִ֔י (My messenger), וּפִנָּה־ (and he will prepare) דֶ֖רֶךְ (the way) לְפָנָ֑י (before My face) וּפִתְאֹם֩ (and suddenly) יָב֨וֹא (he will come) אֶל־ (to) הֵיכָל֜וֹ (His temple), הָאָד֣וֹן׀ (the Lord) אֲשֶׁר־ (whom) אַתֶּ֣ם (you⁺) מְבַקְשִׁ֗ים (are seeking), וּמַלְאַ֨ךְ (and the Messenger) הַבְּרִ֜ית (of the covenant), אֲשֶׁר־ (in whom) אַתֶּ֤ם (you⁺) חֲפֵצִים֙ (delight) הִנֵּה־ (behold), בָ֔א (He is coming), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts).

2  וּמִ֤י (And who) מְכַלְכֵּל֙ (will be enduring) אֶת־ (-) י֣וֹם (the day) בּוֹא֔וֹ (of His coming)? וּמִ֥י (And who) הָעֹמֵ֖ד (will be standing) בְּהֵרָֽאוֹת֑וֹ (during His appearing)? כִּֽי־ (For) הוּא֙ (He is) כְּאֵ֣שׁ (like the fire), מְצָרֵ֔ף (of a refiner) וּכְבֹרִ֖ית (and like the soap) מְכַבְּסִֽים׃ (of those laundering).

3  וְיָשַׁ֨ב (And He will sit) מְצָרֵ֤ף (as One refining) וּמְטַהֵר֙ (and purifying) כֶּ֔סֶף (silver), וְטִהַ֤ר (and He will purify) אֶת־ (-) בְּנֵֽי־ (the sons) לֵוִי֙ (of Levi), וְזִקַּ֣ק (and He will refine) אֹתָ֔ם (them) כַּזָּהָ֖ב (like gold) וְכַכָּ֑סֶף (and silver), וְהָיוּ֙ (and they will be) לַֽיהוָ֔ה (unto YHWH) מַגִּישֵׁ֥י (ones bringing forward) מִנְחָ֖ה (an offering) בִּצְדָקָֽה׃ (in righteousness).

4  וְעָֽרְבָה֙ (And will be pleasing) לַֽיהוָ֔ה (to YHWH), מִנְחַ֥ת (the offering) יְהוּדָ֖ה (of Judah) וִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (and Jerusalem) כִּימֵ֣י (as in the days) עוֹלָ֔ם (of old), וּכְשָׁנִ֖ים (and as in years) קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת׃ (former).

5  וְקָרַבְתִּ֣י (And I will come near) אֲלֵיכֶם֮ (to you⁺) לַמִּשְׁפָּט֒ (for the judgment); וְהָיִ֣יתִי׀ (and I will be) עֵ֣ד (a witness) מְמַהֵ֗ר (making haste) בַּֽמְכַשְּׁפִים֙ (against the sorcerers), וּבַמְנָ֣אֲפִ֔ים (and against the adulterers), וּבַנִּשְׁבָּעִ֖ים (and against those swearing), לַשָּׁ֑קֶר (to a lie) וּבְעֹשְׁקֵ֣י (and against those oppressing) שְׂכַר־ (the wage), שָׂ֠כִיר (of the hireling) אַלְמָנָ֨ה (the widow), וְיָת֤וֹם (and the fatherless), וּמַטֵּי־ (and against those stretching away) גֵר֙ (a sojourner) וְלֹ֣א (and not) יְרֵא֔וּנִי (they do fear me) אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts).

Robbing God

6  כִּ֛י (For) אֲנִ֥י (I) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH), לֹ֣א (do not); שָׁנִ֑יתִי (change) וְאַתֶּ֥ם (and you⁺) בְּנֵֽי־ (sons) יַעֲקֹ֖ב (of Jacob) לֹ֥א (not) כְלִיתֶֽם׃ (have been consumed). 7  לְמִימֵ֨י (From the days) אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֜ם (of your⁺ fathers) סַרְתֶּ֤ם (you⁺ have turned aside) מֵֽחֻקַּי֙ (from My statutes), וְלֹ֣א (and not) שְׁמַרְתֶּ֔ם (kept them) שׁ֤וּבוּ (Return) אֵלַי֙ (to Me) וְאָשׁ֣וּבָה (and I will return) אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם (to you⁺) אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֑וֹת (Hosts).

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם (And you⁺ say), בַּמֶּ֥ה (In what way) נָשֽׁוּב׃ (can we return)?

8  הֲיִקְבַּ֨ע (Will rob) אָדָ֜ם (a man) אֱלֹהִ֗ים (God)? כִּ֤י (Yet) אַתֶּם֙ (you⁺) קֹבְעִ֣ים (have robbed) אֹתִ֔י (Me)

וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם (and you⁺ say), בַּמֶּ֣ה (In what way) קְבַעֲנ֑וּךָ (have we robbed You)

הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֖ר (In the tithe) וְהַתְּרוּמָֽה׃ (and the contribution). 9  בַּמְּאֵרָה֙ (With a curse), אַתֶּ֣ם (you⁺) נֵֽאָרִ֔ים (are cursed) וְאֹתִ֖י (and Me) אַתֶּ֣ם (you⁺) קֹבְעִ֑ים (are robbing) הַגּ֖וֹי (the nation) כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ (all of it). 10  הָבִ֨יאוּ (Bring) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) הַֽמַּעֲשֵׂ֜ר (the tithe) אֶל־ (into) בֵּ֣ית (the house) הָאוֹצָ֗ר (of treasure), וִיהִ֥י (that there may be) טֶ֙רֶף֙ (food) בְּבֵיתִ֔י (in My house), וּבְחָנ֤וּנִי (and test Me) נָא֙ (now) בָּזֹ֔את (in this), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֑וֹת (Hosts), אִם־ (If) לֹ֧א (not) אֶפְתַּ֣ח (I will open) לָכֶ֗ם (for you⁺) אֵ֚ת (-) אֲרֻבּ֣וֹת (the windows) הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (of the heavens), וַהֲרִיקֹתִ֥י (and pour out) לָכֶ֛ם (for you⁺) בְּרָכָ֖ה (blessing), עַד־ (until) בְּלִי־ (there is no) דָֽי׃ (space). 11  וְגָעַרְתִּ֤י (And I will rebuke) לָכֶם֙ (for you⁺) בָּֽאֹכֵ֔ל (the devourer) וְלֹֽא־ (and not) יַשְׁחִ֥ת (it will destroy) לָכֶ֖ם (for you⁺) אֶת־ (-) פְּרִ֣י (the fruit) הָאֲדָמָ֑ה (of the ground); וְלֹא־ (and not) תְשַׁכֵּ֨ל (will be barren) לָכֶ֤ם (for you⁺) הַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ (the vine) בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה (in the field), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts).

12  וְאִשְּׁר֥וּ (And will call blessed) אֶתְכֶ֖ם (you⁺) כָּל־ (all) הַגּוֹיִ֑ם (the nations) כִּֽי־ (for) תִהְי֤וּ (will be) אַתֶּם֙ (you⁺) אֶ֣רֶץ (a land), חֵ֔פֶץ (of delight) אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ס (Hosts).

The Book of Remembrance

13  חָזְק֥וּ (Have been strong) עָלַ֛י (against Me) דִּבְרֵיכֶ֖ם (your⁺ words) אָמַ֣ר (says) יְהוָ֑ה (YHWH). וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם (And you⁺ say), מַה־ (What) נִּדְבַּ֖רְנוּ (have we spoken) עָלֶֽיךָ׃ (against You).

14  אֲמַרְתֶּ֕ם (You⁺ have said), שָׁ֖וְא (Is futile) עֲבֹ֣ד (to serve) אֱלֹהִ֑ים (God); וּמַה־ (and What) בֶּ֗צַע (gain is) כִּ֤י (that) שָׁמַ֙רְנוּ֙ (we have kept) מִשְׁמַרְתּ֔וֹ (His charge), וְכִ֤י (that) הָלַ֙כְנוּ֙ (we have walked) קְדֹ֣רַנִּ֔ית (as mourners) מִפְּנֵ֖י (before the face) יְהוָ֥ה (of YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts)? 15  וְעַתָּ֕ה (And now) אֲנַ֖חְנוּ (we) מְאַשְּׁרִ֣ים (call blessed) זֵדִ֑ים (the arrogant); גַּם־ (Also), נִבְנוּ֙ (are raised up); עֹשֵׂ֣י (those doing) רִשְׁעָ֔ה (wickedness) גַּ֧ם (even), בָּחֲנ֛וּ (do they test) אֱלֹהִ֖ים (God) וַיִּמָּלֵֽטוּ׃ (and escape).

16  אָ֧ז (Then) נִדְבְּר֛וּ (spoke) יִרְאֵ֥י (those who fear) יְהוָ֖ה (YHWH) אִ֣ישׁ (each man) אֶת־ (with) רֵעֵ֑הוּ (his neighbor), וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב (and listened), יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע (and heard) וַ֠יִּכָּתֵב (and was written) סֵ֣פֶר (a book) זִכָּר֤וֹן (of remembrance) לְפָנָיו֙ (before Him) לְיִרְאֵ֣י (for those fearing) יְהוָ֔ה (YHWH), וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י (and for those esteeming) שְׁמֽוֹ׃ (His name).

17  וְהָ֣יוּ (And they will belong) לִ֗י (to Me) אָמַר֙ (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֔וֹת (Hosts), לַיּ֕וֹם (On the day) אֲשֶׁ֥ר (when) אֲנִ֖י (I) עֹשֶׂ֣ה (am making) סְגֻלָּ֑ה (a treasured possession); וְחָמַלְתִּ֣י (and I will have compassion) עֲלֵיהֶ֔ם (on them) כַּֽאֲשֶׁר֙ (as when) יַחְמֹ֣ל (has compassion) אִ֔ישׁ (a man) עַל־ (on) בְּנ֖וֹ (his son) הָעֹבֵ֥ד (the one serving) אֹתֽוֹ׃ (him). 18  וְשַׁבְתֶּם֙ (And you⁺ will return), וּרְאִיתֶ֔ם (and see) בֵּ֥ין (between) צַדִּ֖יק (the righteous) לְרָשָׁ֑ע (and between the wicked one), בֵּ֚ין (between) עֹבֵ֣ד (the one serving) אֱלֹהִ֔ים (God) לַאֲשֶׁ֖ר (and between the one who) לֹ֥א (not) עֲבָדֽוֹ׃ס (does serve Him).