Malachi 1

1 [This is] the message that Yahweh gave to [the prophet] Malachi to [give to the people of] Israel.

١ وَحْيُ كَلِمَةِ ٱلرَّبِّ لِإِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ يَدِ مَلَاخِي:

2 Yahweh says, “I have [always] loved you [Israeli people].”

٢ «أَحْبَبْتُكُمْ، قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ. وَقُلْتُمْ: بِمَ أَحْبَبْتَنَا؟ أَلَيْسَ عِيسُو أَخًا لِيَعْقُوبَ، يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ، وَأَحْبَبْتُ يَعْقُوبَ

3 But you reply, “In what way have you loved us?” Yahweh replies, “[This is how I loved you]: [It is true that your ancestor] Jacob was [RHQ] Esau’s [younger] brother, and I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau. I caused his hilly region to become (desolate/a place where crops did not grow). I caused the land which he possessed to become a desert where jackals/wolves live.”

٣ وَأَبْغَضْتُ عِيسُوَ، وَجَعَلْتُ جِبَالَهُ خَرَابًا وَمِيرَاثَهُ لِذِئَابِ ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ؟

4 [The descendants of Esau who live in] Edom may say, “[Yes, ] we have been crushed/ruined, but we will rebuild [houses] in the ruins.” But the Commander of the armies of angels replies, “They may build [houses again], but I will demolish [them again]. Their [country] will be called ‘The land where wicked people [live]’ and [their people will be called] ‘The people with whom Yahweh is angry forever’.”

٤ لِأَنَّ أَدُومَ قَالَ: قَدْ هُدِمْنَا، فَنَعُودُ وَنَبْنِي ٱلْخِرَبُ. هَكَذَا قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ: هُمْ يَبْنُونَ وَأَنَا أَهْدِمُ. وَيَدْعُونَهُمْ تُخُومَ ٱلشَّرِّ، وَٱلشَّعْبَ ٱلَّذِي غَضِبَ عَلَيْهِ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَى ٱلْأَبَدِ.

5 When you [Israeli] people yourselves see [what I will do to them], you will say, “[It is evident far] beyond the borders of Israel that Yahweh is [very] great!”

٥ فَتَرَى أَعْيُنُكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ: لِيَتَعَظَّمِ ٱلرَّبُّ مِنْ عِنْدِ تُخْمِ إِسْرَائِيلَ.

6 But the Commander of the armies of angels says to the priests, “Boys honor their fathers, and servants [respect] their masters. So, if I am [like your] father and your master, why [RHQ] do you not honor and respect me? You have despised me [MTY]!” But you ask, “(How/In what way) have we despised you?”

٦ «ٱلِٱبْنُ يُكْرِمُ أَبَاهُ، وَٱلْعَبْدُ يُكْرِمُ سَيِّدَهُ. فَإِنْ كُنْتُ أَنَا أَبًا، فَأَيْنَ كَرَامَتِي؟ وَإِنْ كُنْتُ سَيِّدًا، فَأَيْنَ هَيْبَتِي؟ قَالَ لَكُمْ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. أَيُّهَا ٱلْكَهَنَةُ ٱلْمُحْتَقِرُونَ ٱسْمِي. وَتَقُولُونَ: بِمَ ٱحْتَقَرْنَا ٱسْمَكَ؟

7 [Yahweh replies, ] “[Instead of honoring me, you have despised me] by offering sacrifices on my altar that are unacceptable to me.” Then you ask, “What sacrifices have we given that have been unacceptable to you?” [Yahweh replies, ] “You think that (it does not matter/it is okay) if you do not respect my altar.

٧ تُقَرِّبُونَ خُبْزًا نَجِسًا عَلَى مَذْبَحِي. وَتَقُولُونَ: بِمَ نَجَّسْنَاكَ؟ بِقَوْلِكُمْ: إِنَّ مَائِدَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ مُحْتَقَرَةٌ.

8 You offer for sacrifices animals that are blind. (Is that not wrong?/That is disgusting!) [RHQ] And you offer for sacrifices animals that are crippled or that have diseases. (Is that also not wrong?/That [also] is disgusting!) [RHQ] If you tried to give presents like that to your governor, (do you think [RHQ] that he would be pleased?/he would certainly not be pleased!) (Would he [RHQ] accept such gifts? He would certainly not accept such gifts!) [That is what] the Commander of the armies of angels says!”

٨ وَإِنْ قَرَّبْتُمُ ٱلْأَعْمَى ذَبِيحَةً، أَفَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ شَرًّا؟ وَإِنْ قَرَّبْتُمُ ٱلْأَعْرَجَ وَٱلسَّقِيمَ، أَفَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ شَرًّا؟ قَرِّبْهُ لِوَالِيكَ، أَفَيَرْضَى عَلَيْكَ أَوْ يَرْفَعُ وَجْهَكَ؟ قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ.

9 [And he also says, ] “You plead with me to be merciful to you. But you bring to me sacrifices that are not acceptable to me, so why should I be kind to you [RHQ]?”

٩ وَٱلْآنَ تَرَضَّوْا وَجْهَ ٱللهِ فَيَتَرَاءَفَ عَلَيْنَا. هَذِهِ كَانَتْ مِنْ يَدِكُمْ. هَلْ يَرْفَعُ وَجْهَكُمْ؟ قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ.

10 The Commander of the armies of angels [also] says, “I wish/desire that one of you would shut the gates [of the temple courtyard], in order that no one could offer those worthless sacrifices. I am not pleased with you, and I will not accept the offerings that you bring to me.

١٠ «مَنْ فِيكُمْ يُغْلِقُ ٱلْبَابَ! بَلْ لَا تُوقِدُونَ عَلَى مَذْبَحِي مَجَّانًا. لَيْسَتْ لِي مَسَّرَةٌ بِكُمْ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ، وَلَا أَقْبَلُ تَقْدِمَةً مِنْ يَدِكُمْ.

11 [People of other] nations honor me [MTY] [every day], from sunrise/morning until sunset/evening. All over the world people offer incense and [other] pure/acceptable offerings to me [MTY]. [They do that] because [people among all] the nations know that I [MTY] am [very] great.

١١ لِأَنَّهُ مِنْ مَشْرِقِ ٱلشَّمْسِ إِلَى مَغْرِبِهَا ٱسْمِي عَظِيمٌ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُمَمِ، وَفِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ يُقَرَّبُ لِٱسْمِي بَخُورٌ وَتَقْدِمَةٌ طَاهِرَةٌ، لِأَنَّ ٱسْمِي عَظِيمٌ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُمَمِ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ.

12 But you [priests show that you] despise me [by what you do]. You say, ‘[It is all right if] people pollute the altar by bringing sacrifices that are unacceptable.’

١٢ أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ فَمُنَجِّسُوهُ، بِقَوْلِكُمْ: إِنَّ مَائِدَةَ ٱلرَّبِّ تَنَجَّسَتْ، وَثَمَرَتَهَا مُحْتَقَرٌ طَعَامُهَا.

13 You say ‘We are tired of [burning all these sacrifices on the altar].’ You (turn up your noses at/act very disrespectfully toward) [me]. When you bring [to me] animals that have been stolen or ones that are crippled or that have diseases, to offer them for sacrifices, [do you think that] [RHQ] I should accept them?

١٣ وَقُلْتُمْ: مَا هَذِهِ ٱلْمَشَقَّةُ؟ وَتَأَفَّفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ. وَجِئْتُمْ بِٱلْمُغْتَصَبِ وَٱلْأَعْرَجِ وَٱلسَّقِيمِ، فَأَتَيْتُمْ بِٱلتَّقْدِمَةِ. فَهَلْ أَقْبَلُهَا مِنْ يَدِكُمْ؟ قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ.

14 [I will] curse anyone who [tries to] cheat [me] by solemnly promising [to bring to me a perfect] ram from his flock [of sheep] and then brings to me one that has defects. [If anyone does that, I will punish him], because I am a great king; [I am] the Commander of the armies of angels and [people of the other] nations revere me [MTY], [but you do not]!”

١٤ وَمَلْعُونٌ ٱلْمَاكِرُ ٱلَّذِي يُوجَدُ فِي قَطِيعِهِ ذَكَرٌ وَيَنْذُرُ وَيَذْبَحُ لِلسَّيِّدِ عَائِبًا. لِأَنِّي أَنَا مَلِكٌ عَظِيمٌ، قَالَ رَبُّ ٱلْجُنُودِ، وَٱسْمِي مَهِيبٌ بَيْنَ ٱلْأُمَمِ.