Malachi 1

This is a serious message from God. God gave it to Malachi to tell to the Israelite people.

God says to the Israelites, “I have shown that I love you.” They may wonder what I mean and ask, “How have you shown love to us?” God would reply, “Esau and Jacob were brothers. I chose to love Jacob and his descendants.

But I did not favor Esau and his descendants. I turned Esau’s hill country into empty land. I let wild dogs live in the places where Esau’s people used to live.” \*

The people of Edom, who are Esau’s descendants, might say, “Enemies have destroyed our towns, but we will rebuild them.” But God, who commands the heavenly armies, says, “Even if they rebuild, I will tear down what they build. People will call Edom a land of evil people. They will say that God will always be angry with the people of Edom.

You Israelites will see this happen. Then you will say, ‘Even outside the land of Israel, people know that God is great!’” \*

God, who commands the heavenly armies, says, “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. Since I am like a father to you, you should honor me, but you do not. Since I am your master, you should respect me, but you do not. I am saying this to you priests who do not respect me. You may wonder what I mean and ask, ‘How have we shown disrespect to you?’

You show disrespect by offering unacceptable sacrifices on my altar. You may wonder what I mean and ask, ‘How have we offered unacceptable sacrifices?’ I will tell you. You show disrespect by thinking that you can treat my altar with contempt. \*

You bring blind animals to sacrifice to me. That is wrong. You bring animals that cannot walk or are sick. That is also wrong. If you gave animals like that to your governor, he would not be pleased with you, and he would not accept them.” This is what God, who commands the heavenly armies, says.

“But you are asking me, God, to be kind to you, even though you have done these wrong things. Do not think that I will accept you!” This is what God, who commands the heavenly armies, says. \*

God. Who commands the heavenly armies, says, “I wish one of you would close the temple doors. Then you would not light useless fires on my altar. I am not happy with you. I will not accept any offerings from you.

People all over the world will respect me. In every place, people will burn incense to honor me and bring me pure offerings, because everyone will know how great I am.” This is what God, who commands the heavenly armies, says.

“But you dishonor me. You say that my altar is not important, and you do not value the food you get from it. \*

You even say, ‘We are tired of doing this work!’ You show that you do not care about it.” This is what God, who commands the heavenly armies, says. “You bring me animals that you stole, cannot walk, or are sick. If you bring these as offerings, do not think that I will accept them from you!” says God.

“I will punish anyone who tries to cheat me. If someone promises to give me a good male animal from his flock but then gives me one that is not healthy, I will punish that person. After all, I am the great King. I am God, who commands the heavenly armies, and people all over the world respect me.” \*