Malachi 1
1 An oracle. The message of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.
The oracle of the word of Yahweh, unto Israel, —by the hand of Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you shown love to us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” explains the Lord of hosts, “yet I loved Jacob,
I have loved you, saith Yahweh, and yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Is not Esau, brother, to Jacob? enquireth Yahweh, Yet have I loved Jacob,
3 but hated Esau, and made his mountains a desolation, and transformed his ancestral land into a wilderness.
And, Esau, have I hated, — and made his mountains a desolation, and his inheritance [a dwelling] for the jackals of the wilderness.
4 When Edom says, ‘We are beaten down, but we will return and rebuild the ruined places’” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will throw down. They will be called, ‘The border land of wickedness,’ the people against whom the Lord is angry forever.
Whereas Edom, may say, We are laid waste, but we will again build the desolate places, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, They, may build, but, I, will pull down, — and men shall call them, The Boundary of Lawlessness, and, The people with whom Yahweh hath indignation unto times age-abiding;
5 Your own eyes will see this, and you will say, ‘the Lord’s greatness reaches beyond the border of Israel.’”
And, your own eyes, shall see, —and, ye yourselves, shall say, Yahweh, be magnified, beyond the boundary of Israel.
6 “A son honors his father and servant their master. If I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the one who fears me? So says the Lord to you, priests who despise my name. You ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
A son, will honour a father, and, a servant, his lord, — If then, a father, I am, where is mine honour? And, if, a lord, I am, where is my reverence? saith Yahweh of hosts— to you, ye priests, who despise my Name, and yet say, Wherein have we despised thy Name?
7 You offer on my altar bread that is polluted. You ask, ‘How have we polluted it?’ Because you say, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’
In bringing near upon mine altar, polluted food, while yet ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? Because ye say, As for the table of Yahweh, a thing to be despised, it is;
8 When you offer the blind animal for sacrifice, ‘It doesn’t matter!’ And when you offer the lame and the sick ‘It doesn’t matter!’ Give an animal like that to your governor; will he be pleased with it? Will he receive you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts.
And when ye bring near the blind as a sacrifice, [saying] —No harm! or when ye bring near the lame or the sick [saying] —No harm! Offer it, I pray you, unto thy pasha, Will he accept thee? or lift up thy countenance? saith Yahweh of hosts.
9 Now, plead for the favor of God with such an offering, so that he may be gracious to us. “Would I receive any of you favorably?” says the Lord of hosts.
Now, therefore, pacify, I pray you, the face of GOD, that he may grant us favour, —at your hands, hath this come to pass, Will he lift up the countenances, of any of you? saith Yahweh of hosts.
10 “If only one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you could not kindle useless fires on my altar! I have no pleasure in you,” says the Lord of hosts, “Nor will I accept an offering from your hand.
Who is there, even among you, that will shut the doors, so as not to set light to mine altar, for nothing? I can take no pleasure in you, saith Yahweh of hosts, and, your present, can I not accept at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place they offer to my name a pure offering. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.
For, from the rising of the sun, even unto the going in thereof, great is my Name among the nations, and, in every place, incense, is offered to my Name, and a pure present, —for great is my Name among the nations, saith Yahweh of hosts.
12 “But you profane me when you say, ‘The table of the Lord is polluted, and its food is contemptible.’
But ye are profaning me, — in that ye say, As for the table of the Lord, polluted it is, and, as for his produce, contemptible is his food.
13 You say also, ‘How tired we are of all this!’ and you sniff contemptuously at it. You have brought the blind, the lame and the sick as offerings. Should I accept this from your hand?” says the Lord of hosts.
And ye have said, Lo! what a weariness! And ye have snuffed at Me, saith Yahweh of hosts, and have brought in the torn and the lame and the sick, thus have ye brought the present, — Could I accept it at your hand? saith Yahweh.
14 “Cursed be the cheat, who has in his flock a valuable male, but vows and sacrifices to the Lord a blemished animal! For I am a great king,” says the Lord of hosts, “and my name is feared among the nations.”
But accursed is he that defraudeth, who, when there is in his flock a male, yet voweth and sacrificeth a corrupt thing to the Lord, for, a great king, am I, saith Yahweh of hosts, and, my Name, is revered among the nations.
