Malachi 1

1 An oracle: the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.

The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

2 "I have loved you," says Jehovah. Yet you say, "How have you loved us?" "Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?" says Jehovah, "Yet I loved Jacob;

I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, How hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: 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."

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

4 Whereas Edom says, "We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places;" thus says Jehovah of hosts, "They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them 'The Wicked Land,' even the people against whom Jehovah shows wrath forever."

Though Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

5 Your eyes will see, and you will say, "Jehovah is great—even beyond the border of Israel."

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says Jehovah of hosts to you, cohanim, who despise my name. You say, 'How have we despised your name?'

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, How have we despised thy name?

7 You offer defiled bread on my altar. You say, 'How have we defiled you?' In that you say, 'Jehovah's table is despised, and its fruit, its food, is despised.'

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

8 When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn't that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn't that evil? Present it now to your governor. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?" says Jehovah of hosts.

And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now to thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

9 "Now, please entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?" says Jehovah of hosts.

And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious to us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your person? saith the LORD of hosts.

10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain. I have no pleasure in you," says Jehovah of hosts, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on my altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations," says Jehovah of hosts.

For from the rising of the sun even to the setting of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 "But you profane it, in that you say, 'Jehovah's table is defiled, and its fruit, its food, is despised.'

But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit of it, even his food, is contemptible.

13 You say also, 'Look, what a weariness it is.' and you sniff scornfully at it," says Jehovah of hosts; "and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this from your hand?" says Jehovah of hosts.

Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have sneered at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this from your hand? saith the LORD.

14 "But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to Jehovah a blemished thing; for I am a great King," says Jehovah of hosts, "and my name is awesome among the nations."

But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is terrible among the heathen.