1 This is the message that the Lord told to Malachi. [ a ] Malachi knew that he must tell this message to the Israelites.
2 The Lord says, ‘I have loved you.’
But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’ [ b ]
The Lord says, ‘I chose to love Jacob and his descendants. Esau was Jacob's brother. 3 But I have not loved Esau and his descendants. [ c ]
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.’
4 Esau'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”. [ d ] They will call them, “The Nation that the Lord is angry with for ever”. 5 You will see with your own eyes what I will do to them. Then you will say, “The Lord has great power, even beyond Israel's borders.” ’
6 The Lord Almighty says this to the priests:
‘A son respects his father. A servant respects his master. If I am really your father and your master, why do you not respect me? You are my priests, but you insult my name. [ e ]
But then you ask, “What have we done to insult your name?”
7 You insult my name when you offer unclean sacrifices to me on my altar.
But you ask, “How have we offered unclean sacrifices to you?”
You have shown that you do not respect the Lord 's altar as important. [ f ] 8 You offer blind animals as a sacrifice to me. You know that is wrong. You offer to me animals that cannot walk or animals that are ill. That is also a wrong thing to do. You would not give gifts like that to your city's ruler. If you did, he would surely not accept them. He would not be happy with your gifts.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
9 ‘Now you ask me to be kind to you. You want me to forgive you. But when you offer unclean animals as gifts to me, I will not be happy with your gifts.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
10 ‘It would be better if one of you shut the temple doors! Then you would not be able to offer useless sacrifices on my altar. I am not happy with you. I will not accept any more gifts from you.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
11 ‘People in every nation of the whole world will respect my name. People everywhere will offer incense and pure sacrifices to worship me. They will all know that I am great.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
12 ‘But you priests insult my name. You say that the Lord's altar is not special. You think that the food which you offer to me has no value. 13 You also say, “It is too much trouble to serve the Lord .” You think that you are too important to serve me.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
‘You offer to me animals that cannot walk or that are ill. You have even robbed other people to get some of these animals. Do you think that I will accept these unclean animals from you? Will I be happy with them?’
That is what the Lord says.
14 ‘You may promise to offer to me a valuable male animal from among your sheep. But then you change your mind. Instead, you offer to me an animal that has no value. I will surely punish you when you cheat me like that. Remember that I am a great king. People of all nations in the world respect my name with fear.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
1 This is a message from the Lord to Israel. God used Malachi to tell this message to the people.
2 The Lord said, “I love you people.”
But you said, “What shows you love us?”
The Lord said, “Esau was Jacob’s brother, but I chose [ a ] Jacob. 3 And I did not accept [ b ] Esau. I destroyed his hill country. [ c ] His country was destroyed, and now only wild dogs [ d ] live there.”
4 The people of Edom might say, “We were destroyed, but we will go back and rebuild our cities.”
But the Lord All-Powerful says, “If they rebuild their cities, I will destroy them again.” That is why people say Edom is an evil country—a nation the Lord hates forever.
5 You people saw these things, and you said, “The Lord is great, even outside of Israel!”
6 The Lord All-Powerful said, “Children honor their fathers. Servants honor their masters. I am your Father, so why don’t you honor me? I am your master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests don’t respect my name.
“But you say, ‘What have we done that shows we don’t respect your name?’
7 “You bring unclean bread to my altar.
“But you ask, ‘What makes that bread unclean?’
“It is unclean because you show no respect for the altar of the Lord . 8 You bring blind animals as sacrifices, and that is wrong. You bring sick and crippled animals for sacrifices, and that is wrong. Try giving those sick animals as a gift to your governor. Would he accept those sick animals? No, he would not accept them.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
9 “Now try asking God to be good to you. But he will not listen to you, and it is all your fault.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
10 “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors to stop the lighting of useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you. I will not accept your gifts.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
11 “People all around the world respect my name. All around the world they bring good gifts to me and burn good incense as a gift to me, because my name is important to all of them.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
12 “But you people show that you don’t respect my name. You say that the Lord’s altar is unclean. And you don’t like the food from that altar. 13 You smell the food and refuse to eat it. You say it is bad. Then you bring sick, crippled, and hurt animals to me. You try to give sick animals to me as sacrifices, but I will not accept them.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. 14 “Some people have good, male animals that they could give as sacrifices, but don’t. Some people bring good animals and promise to give those healthy animals to me. But then they secretly exchange those good animals and give me sick animals instead. Bad things will happen to those people. I am the Great King and people all around the world respect me!” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
1 The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.
2 I have loved you, saith the Lord . Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord : yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.
6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.
8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.
12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord .
14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.
1 The ( A ) pronouncement of the word of the Lord to ( B ) Israel through [ a ] Malachi:
2 “I have ( C ) loved you,” says the Lord . But you say, “How have You loved us?” “ Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord . “Yet I ( D ) have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have ( E ) made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Though Edom says, “We have been ( F ) beaten down, but we will [ b ] ( G ) return and build up the ruins”; this is what the Lord of armies says: “They may ( H ) build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the [ c ] territory of wickedness, and the people [ d ] with whom the Lord is indignant ( I ) forever.” 5 And your eyes will see this , and you will say, “ ( J ) The Lord [ e ] be exalted beyond the [ f ] border of Israel!”
6 “‘A son ( K ) honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a ( L ) father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My [ g ] respect?’ says the Lord of armies to you, the ( M ) priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 You are presenting ( N ) defiled [ h ] ( O ) food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The ( P ) table of the Lord is to be despised.’ 8 And when you present a ( Q ) blind 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 ( R ) governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 9 “But now, do indeed ( S ) plead for God’s favor, so that He will be gracious to us. [ i ] With such an offering on your part, will He ( T ) receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. 10 “If only there were one among you who would ( U ) shut the [ j ] gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of armies, “ ( V ) nor will I accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the ( W ) rising of the sun even to its setting, ( X ) My name shall be ( Y ) great among the nations, and in every place ( Z ) frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be ( AA ) great among the nations,” says the Lord of armies. 12 “But you are ( AB ) profaning it by your saying, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 You also say, ‘See, [ k ] how ( AC ) tiresome it is!’ And you view it as trivial,” says the Lord of armies, “and you bring what was taken by ( AD ) robbery and what is ( AE ) lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I ( AF ) accept it from your hand?” says the Lord . 14 “But cursed be the ( AG ) swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it , but sacrifices a ( AH ) blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great ( AI ) King,” says the Lord of armies, “and My name is [ l ] ( AJ ) feared among the [ m ] nations.”
1 A prophecy: ( A ) The word ( B ) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi. [ a ]
2 “I have loved ( C ) you,” says the Lord .
“But you ask, ( D ) ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord . “Yet I have loved Jacob, ( E ) 3 but Esau I have hated, ( F ) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland ( G ) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals. ( H ) ”
4 Edom ( I ) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild ( J ) the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. ( K ) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord . ( L ) 5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great ( M ) is the Lord —even beyond the borders of Israel!’ ( N )
6 “A son honors his father, ( O ) and a slave his master. ( P ) If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect ( Q ) due me?” says the Lord Almighty. ( R )
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ( S ) ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7 “By offering defiled food ( T ) on my altar.
“But you ask, ( U ) ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord ’s table ( V ) is contemptible. 8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, ( W ) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased ( X ) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty. ( Y )
9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings ( Z ) from your hands, will he accept ( AA ) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, ( AB ) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased ( AC ) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept ( AD ) no offering ( AE ) from your hands. 11 My name will be great ( AF ) among the nations, ( AG ) from where the sun rises to where it sets. ( AH ) In every place incense ( AI ) and pure offerings ( AJ ) will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table ( AK ) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food ( AL ) is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’ ( AM ) and you sniff at it contemptuously, ( AN ) ” says the Lord Almighty.
“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, ( AO ) should I accept them from your hands?” ( AP ) says the Lord . 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal ( AQ ) to the Lord. For I am a great king, ( AR ) ” says the Lord Almighty, ( AS ) “and my name is to be feared ( AT ) among the nations. ( AU )
