Malachi 1

1 The declaration of the word of Yahweh to Israel by the hand of Malachi.

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by the hand of his messenger. Lay [it], I pray you, to heart.

2 “I have loved you,” says Yahweh. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares Yahweh. “Yet I have loved Jacob,

I have loved you, saith the Lord. And ye said, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,

3 but Esau I have hated. I have made his mountains an abandoned devastation, and I have made his inheritance a place for the jackals of the wilderness.”

and hated Esau and laid waste his borders, and made his heritage as dwellings of the wilderness?

4 If Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins,” Yahweh of hosts will say, “They may rebuild, but I will throw down again. Others will call them 'The country of wickedness' and 'The people whom Yahweh has cursed forever.'

Because one will say, Idumea has been overthrown, but let us return and rebuild the desolate places; thus saith the Lord Almighty, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall be called The borders of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord has set himself for ever.

5 Your own eyes will see this, and you will say, 'Yahweh is great beyond the borders of Israel.'”

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord has been magnified upon the borders of Israel.

6 “A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. If I, then, am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is the reverence for me?” says Yahweh of hosts to you priests, who despise my name. “But you say, 'How have we despised your name?'

A son honours [his] father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honour? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord Almighty. Ye the priests are they that despise my name: yet ye said, Wherein have we despised thy name?

7 By offering polluted bread upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that Yahweh's table is contemptible.

In that ye bring to mine altar polluted bread; and ye said, Wherein have ye polluted it? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and that which was set thereon ye have despised.

8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not evil? When you offer the lame and sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor! Will he accept you or will he lift up your face?” says Yahweh of hosts.

For if ye bring a blind [victim] for sacrifices, [is it] not evil? and if ye bring the lame or the sick, [is it] not evil? offer it now to thy ruler, [and see] if he will receive thee, if he will accept thy person, saith the Lord Almighty.

9 Now you keep asking the face of God, that he may be gracious to us. But Yahweh of hosts says that with such an offering in your hand, would he lift up any of your faces?

And now intreat the face of your God, and make supplication to him. These things have been done by your hands; shall I accept you? saith the Lord Almighty.

10 “Oh, if only there were one of you who would shut the temple gates, so that you might not light fires on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I will not accept any offering from your hand.

Because even among you the doors shall be shut, and [one] will not kindle [the fire of] mine altar for nothing, I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice at your hands.

11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations and in every place incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name. For my name will be great among the nations,” says Yahweh of hosts.

For from the rising of the sun even to the going down [thereof] my name has been glorified among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Almighty.

12 “But you are profaning it when you say the Lord's table is polluted, and that its fruit, its food, is to be despised.

But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and his meats set thereon are despised.

13 You also say, 'How tiresome this is,' and you snort at it,” says Yahweh of hosts. “You bring what has been taken by a wild animal or is lame or sick; and this you bring as your offering. Should I accept this from your hand?” says Yahweh.

And ye said, These [services] are troublesome: therefore I have utterly rejected them with scorn, saith the Lord Almighty: and ye brought in torn victims, and lame, and sick: if then ye should bring an offering, shall I accept them at your hands? saith the Lord Almighty.

14 “May the deceiver be cursed who has a male animal in his flock and vows to give it to me, and yet sacrifices to me, the Lord, what is flawed! For I am a great king,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and my name will be honored among the nations.”

And cursed [is the man] who had the power, and possessed a male in his flock, and whose vow is upon him, and who sacrifices a corrupt thing to the Lord: for I am a great King, saith the Lord Almighty, and my name is glorious among the nations.