Malachi 1

1 The word of the Lord to Israel by 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 You have been loved by me, says the Lord. But you say, Where was your love for us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord: but Jacob was loved by me,

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

3 And Esau was hated, and I sent destruction on his mountains, and gave his heritage to the beasts of the waste land.

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

4 Though Edom says, We are crushed down but we will come back, building up the waste places; this is what the Lord of armies has said: They may put up buildings, but I will have them pulled down; and they will be named The land of evil-doing, and The people against whom the Lord keeps his wrath for ever.

Because one will say, Idumea has been overthrown, but let us return and rebuild the desolate places; thus says 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 And your eyes will see it; and you will say, The Lord is great even outside the limits of Israel.

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

6 A son gives honour to his father, and a servant has fear of his master: if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is the fear of me? says the Lord of armies to you, O priests, who give no value to my name. And you say, How have we not given value to 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? says the Lord Almighty. You the priests are they that despise my name: yet you said, Wherein have we despised your name?

7 You put unclean bread on my altar. And you say, How have we made it unclean? By your saying, The table of the Lord is of no value.

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

8 And when you give what is blind for an offering, it is no evil! and when you give what is damaged and ill, it is no evil! Give it now to your ruler; will he be pleased with you, or will you have his approval? says the Lord of armies.

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

9 And now, make request for the grace of God so that he may have mercy on us: this has been your doing: will he give his approval to any of you? says the Lord of armies.

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

10 If only there was one among you who would see that the doors were shut, so that you might not put a light to the fire on my altar for nothing! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of armies, and I will not take an offering from your hands.

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

11 For, from the coming up of the sun till its going down, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place the smell of burning flesh is offered to my name, and a clean offering: for my name is great among the Gentiles, says the Lord of armies.

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

12 But you make it unholy by saying, The Lord's table has become unclean, and his food is of no value.

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

13 And you say, See, what a weariness it is! and you let out your breath at it, says the Lord of armies; and you have given what has been cut about by beasts, and what is damaged in its feet and ill; this is the offering you give: will this be pleasing to me from your hands? says the Lord.

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

14 A curse on the false man who has a male in his flock, and takes his oath, and gives to the Lord a damaged thing: for I am a great King, says the Lord of armies, and my name is to be feared among the Gentiles.

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, says the Lord Almighty, and my name is glorious amongst the nations.