Malachi 1
1 The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.2 I have loved you, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother, saith Jehovah: yet I loved Jacob;3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.4 Whereas Edom saith, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places; thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and men shall call them The border of wickedness, and The people against whom Jehovah hath indignation for ever.5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel.6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.8 And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts.9 And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he accept any of your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts.10 Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts.12 But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible.13 Ye say also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah.14 But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith Jehovah of hosts, and my name is terrible among the Gentiles.
Malachi 1
Introduction and God’s Election of Israel
1 What follows is divine revelation.t The word of the Lord came to Israel through Malachi:t
2 “I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?”
“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob
3 and rejected Esau.t I turned Esau’st mountains into a deserted wastelandt and gave his territoryt to the wild jackals.”
4 Edoms says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over alls responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known ast the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.
5 Your eyes will see it, and then you will say, ‘May the Lord be magnifiedt even beyond the border of Israel!’”
The Sacrilege of Priestly Service
6 “A son naturally honors his father and a slave respectst his master. If I am yourt father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’7 You are offering improper sacrifices on my altar, yet you ask, ‘How have we offended you?’ By treating the tables of the Lord as if it is of no importance!8 For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick,s is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering themt to your governor! Will he be pleased with yous or show you favor?” asks the Lord who rules over all.
9 But now plead for God’s favort that he might be gracious to us.t “With this kind of offering in your hands, how can he be pleased with you?” asks the Lord who rules over all.
10 “I wish that one of you would close the temple doors,s so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will no longer accept an offering from you.11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,”s says the Lord who rules over all.12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offeringst despicable.13 You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?”t asks the Lord.
14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,”s says the Lord who rules over all, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”