Malachi 1:1-4

1This is the message that the Lord told to Malachi. Malachi knew that he must tell this message to the Israelites.

2The Lord says, ‘I have loved you.’ But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ The Lord says, ‘I chose to love Jacob and his descendants. Esau was Jacob's brother.

3But I have not loved Esau and his descendants. Instead, I have caused trouble for Esau. I caused Esau's mountains to become a wilderness. Nobody uses that land any longer. Now there are only jackals in the land that belongs to Esau.’

4Esau's descendants in Edom may say, ‘They have destroyed our towns, but we will build our houses again.’ But the Lord Almighty says, ‘They may build again, but I will knock everything down. People will call Edom, “The Evil Land”. They will call them, “The Nation that the Lord is angry with for ever”.