Malachi 1

God’s Love for Jacob

1The 12oracle of the word of the Lord to 3Israel through 4Malachi.

2“I have 5loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I 6have loved Jacob; 3but I have hated Esau, and I have 7made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” 4Though Edom says, “We have been 8beaten down, but we will 910return and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may 11build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the 12wicked territory, and the people 13toward whom the Lord is indignant 14forever.” 5Your eyes will see this and you will say, “15The Lord 16be magnified beyond the 17border of Israel!”

Sin of the Priests

6“‘A son 18honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a 19father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My 20respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O 21priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7You are presenting 22defiled 2324food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The 25table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8But when you present the 26blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? 27Why not offer it to your 28governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 9“But now 29will you not 30entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? 31With such an offering on your part, will He 32receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts. 10“Oh that there were one among you who would 33shut the 34gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “35nor will I accept an offering from 36you. 11For from the 37rising of the sun even to its setting, 38My name will be 39great among the nations, and in every place 40incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be 41great among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts. 12“But you are 42profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13You also say, ‘43My, how 44tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by 45robbery and what is 46lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I 47receive that from your hand?” says the Lord. 14“But cursed be the 48swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a 49blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great 50King,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is 5152feared among the 53nations.”