Malachi 1

God’s Love for Jacob

1The 1pronouncement of the word of the Lord to 2Israel through 3Malachi:

2“I have 4loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I 5have loved Jacob; 3but I have hated Esau, and I have 6made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4Though Edom says, “We have been 7beaten down, but we will 89return and build up the ruins”; this is what the Lord of armies says: “They may 10build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the 11territory of wickedness, and the people 12with whom the Lord is indignant 13forever.” 5And your eyes will see this, and you will say, “14The Lord 15be exalted beyond the 16border of Israel!”

Sin of the Priests

6“‘A son 17honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a 18father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My 19respect?’ says the Lord of armies to you, the 20priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7You are presenting 21defiled 2223food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The 24table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8And when you present a 25blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your 26governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 9“But now, do indeed 27plead for God’s favor, so that He will be gracious to us. 28With such an offering on your part, will He 29receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 10“If only there were one among you who would 30shut the 31gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of armies, “32nor will I accept an offering from your hand. 11For from the 33rising of the sun even to its setting, 34My name shall be 35great among the nations, and in every place 36frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be 37great among the nations,” says the Lord of armies. 12“But you are 38profaning it by your saying, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13You also say, ‘See, 39how 40tiresome it is!’ And you view it as trivial,” says the Lord of armies, “and you bring what was taken by 41robbery and what is 42lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I 43accept it from your hand?” says the Lord. 14“But cursed be the 44swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a 45blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great 46King,” says the Lord of armies, “and My name is 4748feared among the 49nations.”