Malachi 1

1 The burden of a word of YHWH to Israel by the hand of Malachi:

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

2 “I have loved you, said YHWH, And you have said, In what have You loved us?

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 Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” A declaration of YHWH, “And I love Jacob, and Esau I have hated, And I make his mountains a desolation, And his inheritance for dragons of a wilderness.

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

4 Because Edom says, We have been made poor, And we return and we build the ruins, Thus said YHWH of Hosts: They build, and I destroy, And [men] have called to them, O region of wickedness, O people whom YHWH defied for all time.

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 And your eyes see, and you say, YHWH is magnified beyond the border 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 a father, and a servant his master. And if I [am] a father, where [is] My glory? And if I [am] a master, where [is] My fear? Said YHWH of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My Name! And you have said, In what 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 You are bringing defiled bread near on My altar, And you have said, In what have we defiled You? In your saying, The table of YHWH—it [is] despicable,

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 And when you bring the blind near for sacrifice, [saying], There is no evil, And when you bring the lame and sick near, [saying], There is no evil; Now bring it near to your governor—Does he accept you? Or does he lift up your face?” said YHWH 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 “And now, please appease the face of God, And He favors us; This has been from your own hand, Does He accept your faces?” said YHWH 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 “Who [is] even among you, And he shuts the double doors? Indeed, you do not kindle My altar for nothing, I have no pleasure in you,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And I do not accept a present of your hand.

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 from the rising of the sun to its going in, Great [is] My Name among nations, And in every place incense is brought near for My Name, and a pure present, For great [is] My Name among nations,” said YHWH 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 “And you are defiling it in your saying, The table of YHWH—it is defiled, As for its fruit—its food is despicable.

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

13 And you have said, Behold, what a weariness, And you have puffed at it,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And you have brought in plunder, And the lame and the sick, And you have brought in the present! Do I accept it from your hand?” said YHWH.

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 “And a deceiver [is] cursed, who has in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For I [am] a great King,” said YHWH of Hosts, “And My Name [is] revered among 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.