Malachi 1

The burden of the word of God to Israel by the hand of Malachi.

“I have loved you,” says God. But you say, “In what have you loved us?” “{Was} not Esau a brother to Jacob?” the declaration of God. “Yet I loved Jacob,

but Esau I hated. And I made his mountains a desolation and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” \*

Though Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the ruins,” thus says God of Armies: “They themselves may build, but I myself will tear down. And they will call them ‘the territory of wickedness’ and ‘the people whom God abhors forever.’

And your eyes will see, and you yourselves will say, ‘Great is God beyond the border of Israel!’ \*

A son honors a father, and a servant his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear?” says God of Armies to you, O priests, despisers of my name. But you say, “In what have we despised your name?”

“{You are} presenting defiled food upon my altar. But you say, ‘In what have we defiled you?’ In your saying, ‘The table of God, it is despised.’ \*

And when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present it now to your governor. Will he accept you or lift up your face?” says God of Armies.

“And now, please entreat the face of God, that he may be gracious to us. This has been from your hand. Will he lift up your faces?” says God of Armies. \*

“Who even among you will shut the doors, that you might not kindle {fire} on my altar in vain? Pleasure in you is not to me,” says God of Armies, “and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

For from the rising of the sun and unto its setting, my name {will be} great among the nations. And in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name {will be} great among the nations,” says God of Armies.

“But you are profaning it in your saying, ‘The table of the Lord, it {is} defiled, and its fruit, its food, is despised.’ \*

But you say, ‘Behold, what a weariness!’ And you puff at it,” says God of Armies. “And you bring the stolen and the lame and the sick—thus you bring the offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” says God.

“But cursed {be} the deceiver if a male is in his flock and he vows {it}, but he sacrifices the blemished to the Lord. For I {am} a great King, says God of Armies, and my name is feared among the nations. \*