Malachi 1

The Lord’s Love for Israel

¹A pronouncement: ^a

The word of the Lord^b to Israel through ^c Malachi. ^d

²“I have loved you,” ^e says the Lord.

Yet you ask, “How have you loved us? ”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother? ” ^f This is the Lord’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, ³but I hated Esau. ^g I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.” ^h

⁴Though Edom says, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild ⁱ the ruins,” the Lord of Armies says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country ^j and the people the Lord has cursed ^k forever. ^{l 5}Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The Lord is great, even beyond ^m the borders of Israel.’ ⁿ

Disobedience of the Priests

⁶“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? ^o says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.”

Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name? ”

⁷“By presenting defiled food on my altar.”

“How have we defiled you? ” you ask. ^p

When you say, “The Lord’s table is contemptible.” ^q

⁸“When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong? ^r Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor? ” asks the Lord of Armies. ⁹“And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us? ^s Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor? ” ^t asks the Lord of Armies. ¹⁰“I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, ^u so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! ^v I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept ^w no offering from your hands. ^x

¹¹“My name will be great among the nations, ^y from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense ^z and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations,” ^aa says the Lord of Armies.

¹²“But you are profaning it ^ab when you say, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.’ ¹³You also say, ‘Look, what a nuisance! ’ And you scorn ^ac it,” ^ad,^ae says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, ^af,^ag lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands? ” asks the Lord.

¹⁴“The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. ^ah For I am a great King,” says the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.