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Malachi 1
Lexham English Bible

1 An oracle.[a] The word of Yahweh to Israel through[b] Malachi.[c]

An Oracle Against Edom

2 “I have loved you,” says Yahweh, but you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares[d] Yahweh. “I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated. I have made his[e] mountain ranges a desolation, and given his inheritance to the jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,” Yahweh of hosts says this: “They may build, but I will tear down; and they will be called a territory of wickedness, and the people with whom Yahweh is angry forever.” 5 Your eyes will see this, and you will say, “Yahweh is great beyond the borders[f] of Israel.”

An Oracle Against the Temple Priesthood

6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master;[g] but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master,[h] where is my reverence?” says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, who despise[i] my name. “But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food on my altar! But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the table of Yahweh is despised! 8 When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is that not wrong?[j] And when you offer the lame and the one who is ill, is that not wrong?[k] Present it, please, to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Will he show you favor?”[l] says Yahweh of hosts. 9 So then, implore the favor of God[m] so that he will be gracious to us. “This is what you have done.[n] Will he show favor to any of you?”[o] says Yahweh of hosts. 10 “Who also among you will shut the temple doors so that you will not kindle fire in vain on my altar? I take no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I will not accept[p] an offering from your hand. 11 From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is being presented to my name, and a pure offering. For my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12 “But you are profaning it by saying the table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit—its food[q]—is despised! 13 And you say, ‘Look! This is a weariness,’ and you sniff with disdain at it,” says Yahweh of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the one that is sick—this you bring as the offering! Should I accept it[r] from your hand?” says Yahweh. 14 “Cursed is the one who cheats, who has in his flock a male and vows it, but instead sacrifices a blemished one to the Lord! For I am a great king,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 1:1 Literally “A burden”
  2. Malachi 1:1 Literally “by the hand of”
  3. Malachi 1:1 The name “Malachi” means “my messenger” in Hebrew
  4. Malachi 1:2 Literally “declaration of”
  5. Malachi 1:3 That is, “Esau’s”
  6. Malachi 1:5 Hebrew “boundary”
  7. Malachi 1:6 Hebrew “masters”
  8. Malachi 1:6 Hebrew “masters”
  9. Malachi 1:6 Literally “despisers of”
  10. Malachi 1:8 Or “is there no wrong?”
  11. Malachi 1:8 Or “is there no wrong?”
  12. Malachi 1:8 Literally “Will he lift your face?”
  13. Malachi 1:9 Literally “appease, please, the face of God”
  14. Malachi 1:9 Literally “From your hand was this”
  15. Malachi 1:9 Literally “will he lift up from you a face”
  16. Malachi 1:10 Literally “I will not take pleasure in”
  17. Malachi 1:12 The Hebrew here is difficult; “its food” may function to explain “its fruit”
  18. Malachi 1:13 Literally “take pleasure in it”
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Malachi 1
New International Version

1 A prophecy:(A) The word(B) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

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)

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

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)

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
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Zechariah 14
Malachi 2
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