Malachi 1

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

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;

You have been loved by me, says the Lord. But you say, Where was your love for us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord: but Jacob was loved by me,

3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness."

And Esau was hated, and I sent destruction on his mountains, and gave his heritage to the beasts of the waste land.

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 says, We are crushed down but we will come back, building up the waste places; this is what the Lord of armies has said: They may put up buildings, but I will have them pulled down; and they will be named The land of evil-doing, and The people against whom the Lord keeps his wrath for ever.

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

And your eyes will see it; and you will say, The Lord is great even outside the limits 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 gives honour to his father, and a servant has fear of his master: if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is the fear of me? says the Lord of armies to you, O priests, who give no value to my name. And you say, How have we not given value to your 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.'

You put unclean bread on my altar. And you say, How have we made it unclean? By your saying, The table of the Lord is of no value.

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 when you give what is blind for an offering, it is no evil! and when you give what is damaged and ill, it is no evil! Give it now to your ruler; will he be pleased with you, or will you have his approval? says the Lord of armies.

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, make request for the grace of God so that he may have mercy on us: this has been your doing: will he give his approval to any of you? says the Lord of armies.

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.

If only there was one among you who would see that the doors were shut, so that you might not put a light to the fire on my altar for nothing! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of armies, and I will not take an offering from your hands.

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 coming up of the sun till its going down, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place the smell of burning flesh is offered to my name, and a clean offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord of armies.

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

But you make it unholy by saying, The Lord's table has become unclean, and his food is of no value.

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.

And you say, See, what a weariness it is! and you let out your breath at it, says the Lord of armies; and you have given what has been cut about by beasts, and what is damaged in its feet and ill; this is the offering you give: will this be pleasing to me from your hands? says 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."

A curse on the false man who has a male in his flock, and takes his oath, and gives to the Lord a damaged thing: for I am a great King, says the Lord of armies, and my name is to be feared among the Gentiles.