Malachi 3:5 web — I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, a…

World English Bible

"I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don't fear me," says Yahweh of Armies."

— Malachi 3:5, World English Bible

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Malachi 3:5 in Other Translations

6 versions All translations
  • 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.”

  • ASV

    “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 the false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the sojourner from his right, and fear not me, saith Jehovah of hosts. ”

  • NET

    ““I 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, and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, who refuse to help the resident foreigner and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.”

  • DRB

    “And I will come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widows, and the fatherless: and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.”

  • BBE

    “And I will come near to you for judging; I will quickly be a witness against the wonder-workers, against those who have been untrue in married life, against those who take false oaths; against those who keep back from the servant his payment, and who are hard on the widow and the child without a father, who do not give his rights to the man from a strange country, and have no fear of me, says the Lord of armies.”

  • KJVA

    “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.”

Malachi 3 — Context

2

"But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire, and like launderer's soap;

3

and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.

4

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to Yahweh, as in the days of old, and as in ancient years.

5

I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don't fear me," says Yahweh of Armies.

6

"For I, Yahweh, don't change; therefore you, sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

7

From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my ordinances, and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says Yahweh of Armies. "But you say, 'How shall we return?'

8

Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me! But you say, 'How have we robbed you?' In tithes and offerings.

Malachi 3:5 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does Malachi 3:5 say?
Malachi 3:5 in the World English Bible reads: “I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don't fear me," says Yahweh of Armies.”
Where is Malachi 3:5 in the Bible?
Malachi 3:5 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Malachi, chapter 3, verse 5.
Who wrote Malachi?
Malachi is traditionally attributed to Malachi. It was written c. 430 BC.
What is the book of Malachi about?
Malachi closes the Old Testament with a series of disputations: God says one thing, the people say another, and God answers. He confronts faithless priests, broken marriages, and stingy worship, then promises a coming messenger who will prepare the way of the LORD.
What are the major themes of Malachi?
Malachi explores themes including Covenant Faithfulness, Worship, Tithing, Marriage, Coming Messenger. These themes shape the meaning and context of Malachi 3:5.
What translation should I read Malachi 3:5 in?
Malachi 3:5 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize Malachi 3:5?
Malachi 3:5 reads (WEB): “I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don't fear me," says Yahweh of Armies.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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