Malachi 1

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

The burden of a word of Jehovah unto Israel by the hand of 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, said Jehovah, And ye have said, 'In what hast Thou loved us?'

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

Is not Esau Jacob's brother? — an affirmation of Jehovah, And I love Jacob, and Esau I have hated, And I make his mountains a desolation, And his inheritance for dragons of a 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."

Because Edom saith, 'We have been made poor, And we turn back and we build the wastes,' Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They do build, and I do destroy, And [men] have called to them, 'O region of wickedness,' 'O people whom Jehovah defied to the age.'

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

And your eyes do see, and ye say, 'Magnified is Jehovah beyond 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 honoureth a father, and a servant his master. And if I [am] a father, where [is] Mine honour? And if I [am] a master, where [is] My fear? Said Jehovah of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My name! And ye have said: 'In what have we despised Thy 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.'

Ye are bringing nigh on Mine altar polluted bread, And ye have said: 'In what have we polluted Thee?' In your saying: 'The table of Jehovah — it [is] despicable,'

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 when ye bring nigh the blind for sacrifice, 'There is no evil,' And when ye bring nigh the lame and sick, 'There is no evil;' Bring it near, I pray thee, to thy governor — Doth he accept thee? or doth he lift up thy face? Said Jehovah 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, appease, I pray thee, the face of God, And He doth favour us; From your own hand hath this been, Doth He accept of you appearances? Said Jehovah 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] even among you, And he shutteth the two-leaved doors? Yea, ye do not kindle Mine altar for nought, I have no pleasure in you, said Jehovah of Hosts, And a present I do not accept of 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 to its going in, Great [is] My name among nations, And in every place perfume is brought nigh to My name, and a pure present, For great [is] My name among nations, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

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

And ye are polluting it in your saying, 'The table of Jehovah — it is polluted, As to its fruit — despicable is its food.'

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.

And ye have said, 'Lo, what a weariness,' And ye have puffed at it, said Jehovah of Hosts, And ye have brought in plunder, And the lame and the sick, And ye have brought in the present! Do I accept it from your hand? said Jehovah.

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."

And cursed [is] a deceiver, who hath in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For a great king [am] I, said Jehovah of Hosts, And My name [is] revered among nations!