Malachi 1

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

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

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

I have loved you, says the LORD. Yet all of you say, Wherein have you loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says 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 YHWH of hosts, "They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them 'The Wicked Land,' even the people against whom YHWH shows wrath forever."

Whereas Edom says, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus says 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 has indignation for ever.

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

And your eyes shall see, and all of you 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 YHWH of hosts to you, cohanim, who despise my name. You say, 'How have we despised your name?'

A son honors his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And all of you say, Wherein have we despised your name?

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

All of you offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and all of you say, Wherein have we polluted you? In that all of you 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 YHWH of hosts.

And if all of you offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if all of you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto your governor; will he be pleased with you, or accept your person? says 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 YHWH of hosts.

And now, I pray you, plead to God that he will be gracious unto us: this has been by your means: will he regard your persons? says 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 YHWH of hosts, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nothing? neither do all of you kindle fire on mine altar for nothing. I have no pleasure in you, says 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 YHWH of hosts.

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 heathen, says the LORD of hosts.

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

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

13 You say also, 'Look, what a weariness it is.' and you sniff scornfully at it," says YHWH 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 YHWH of hosts.

All of you said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and all of you have snuffed at it, says the LORD of hosts; and all of you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus all of you brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? says the LORD.

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

But cursed be the deceiver, which has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.