Malachi 1

1 This is the burden of the word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi:

The prophecy of the word of the Lord to Israel by means of Malachi.

2 “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved,

I have loved you, so hath said the Lord: yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Is not Esau brother to Jacob? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob;

3 but Esau I have hated, and I have made his mountains a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

And Esau I hated; and I rendered his mountains a desert, and his heritage a dwelling for the monsters of the wilderness.

4 Though Edom may say, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Land of Wickedness, and a people with whom the LORD is indignant forever.

Should Edom even say, We are impoverished; but we will return and build the ruined places: thus hath said the Lord of hosts, They may indeed build, but I will surely throw down; and men shall call them, The territory of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation to eternity.

5 You will see this with your own eyes, and you yourselves will say, ‘The LORD is great—even beyond the borders of Israel.’”

And your eyes shall see it; and ye shall then say, The Lord will be magnified beyond the territory of Israel.

6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’

A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name; and ye say, wherein have we despised thy name?

7 By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.

Ye offer upon my altar polluted bread; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.

8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.

And if ye bring near the blind to sacrifice it, is this not evil? and if ye bring near the lame and the sick, is this not evil? do but present it unto thy governor, will he be pleased with thee, or receive thee with favor? saith the Lord of hosts.

9 “But ask now for God’s favor. Will He be gracious? Since this has come from your hands, will He show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.

And now, I pray you, beseech the presence of God that he may be gracious unto us; from your hand hath this thing come: will he receive one of you with favor? saith the Lord of hosts.

10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.

Oh that there were some one among you that would lock up the doors [of the sanctuary], that ye might not light up my altar for nought: I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept in favor an offering from your hand.

11 For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.

For from the rising of the sun even unto his going down my name is great among the nations; and in every place incense is burnt and there is offered unto my name, even a pure offering; for great is my name among the nations, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 “But you profane it when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is contemptible.’

But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and by the assertion, Its food is contemptible.

13 You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.

And ye have said, Behold, what a wearisome task is it! and ye have left it to famish, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye have brought what was robbed, and the lame, and the sick, and thus ye have brought an offering: should I accept this in favor from your hand? saith the Lord.

14 “But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.

But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth a corrupt thing unto the Lord; for I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.