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
- Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
Malachi 3:7-15
New International Version
7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(A) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(B) to me, and I will return to you,”(C) says the Lord Almighty.
“But you ask,(D) ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob(E) God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes(F) and offerings. 9 You are under a curse(G)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(H) into the storehouse,(I) that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates(J) of heaven and pour out(K) so much blessing(L) that there will not be room enough to store it.(M) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(N) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(O)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(P) for yours will be a delightful land,”(Q) says the Lord Almighty.(R)
Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God
13 “You have spoken arrogantly(S) against me,” says the Lord.
“Yet you ask,(T) ‘What have we said against you?’
14 “You have said, ‘It is futile(U) to serve(V) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements(W) and going about like mourners(X) before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant(Y) blessed. Certainly evildoers(Z) prosper,(AA) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
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