The bellowsblowfiercely,The leadis consumedby the fire;In vainthe refininggoeson, But the wickedare not separated.
The refiningpotis for silverand the furnacefor gold,But the LORDtestshearts.
But I said,"I have toiledin vain,I have spentMy strengthfor nothingand vanity;Yet surelythe justice[due] to Me is with the LORD,And My rewardwith My God."
Therefore,thussaysthe LORD,"Ifyou return,then I will restoreyou-- BeforeMe you will stand;And ifyou extractthe preciousfrom the worthless,You will becomeMy spokesman.They for their partmay turnto you, But as for you, you must not turnto them.
Thereforethussaysthe LORDof hosts,"Behold,I will refinethem and assaythem; For what[else] can I do,becauseof the daughterof My people?
"She has wearied[Me] with toil,Yet her greatrusthas not gonefrom her; [Let] her rust[be] in the fire!
"In your filthinessis lewdness.BecauseI [would] have cleansedyou, Yet you are not clean,You will not be cleansedfrom your filthinessagainUntilI have spentMy wrathon you.
So My peopleare benton turningfrom Me. Though they callthem to [the One] on high,Noneat allexalts[Him].
"And I will bringthe thirdpartthrough the fire,Refinethem as silveris refined,And testthem as goldis tested.They will callon My name,And I will answerthem; I will say,They are My people,'And they will say,'The LORDis my God.'"
sothat the proofof your faith,[being] more preciousthan goldwhich is perishable,even thoughtestedby fire,may be foundto resultin praiseand gloryand honorat the revelationof JesusChrist;
Beloved,do not be surprisedat the fiery ordealamongyou, which comesupon you for your testing,as thoughsome strange thingwere happeningto you;
So when he returnedthe silverto his mother,his mothertooktwo hundred[pieces] of silverand gavethem to the silversmithwho madethem into a gravenimageand a moltenimage,and they were in the houseof Micah.
