以下是耶和华借玛拉基对以色列人的宣告。

耶和华爱以色列

耶和华说:“我曾爱你们。”你们却说:“你在何事上爱我们呢?”耶和华说:“以扫不是雅各的哥哥吗?但我却爱雅各, 厌恶以扫。我使以扫的山岭荒凉,把他的地业留给旷野的豺狼。” 也许以扫的后代以东人会说:“我们现在虽然被毁,但我们要重建毁坏之处。”万军之耶和华却这样说:“他们尽管建造,但我必拆毁。他们的土地要被称为‘罪恶之地’,他们要被称为‘耶和华永远恼怒之民。’” 以色列人啊,你们必亲眼看见这事,也必说:“愿耶和华在以色列境外受尊崇!”

斥责祭司

万军之耶和华对祭司说:“儿子应当尊敬父亲,仆人应当敬畏主人。我是你们的父亲,但你们对我的尊敬在哪里呢?我是你们的主人,但你们对我的敬畏在哪里呢?你们藐视我的名,却狡辩说,‘我们在何事上藐视过你的名呢?’ 你们把污秽的食物献在我的祭坛上,还说,‘我们在何事上玷污了你呢?’你们说耶和华的桌子是可藐视的。 你们拿瞎眼、瘸腿和有病的牲畜来献祭,难道这不是罪过吗?你试试把这样的东西送给你的省长,看他会不会悦纳你、恩待你。这是万军之耶和华说的。”

现在,你们祈求上帝向我们施恩吧!然而,你们献上这样的祭物,祂怎会垂听你们的祈求呢? 10 万军之耶和华说:“我真希望你们当中有人把殿门关上,免得你们在我祭坛上枉然点火。因为我不喜悦你们,也不接纳你们的祭物。” 11 万军之耶和华说:“从日出之地到日落之处,列国必尊崇我的名。世上每个角落都有人向我焚香,献上洁净的供物。因为我的名必受列国尊崇。 12 可是,你们却亵渎我的名,竟然说我的桌子是污秽的,上面的祭物是可藐视的。 13 你们不屑地说,‘哼!这些事真麻烦!’这是万军之耶和华说的。你们把抢来的、瘸腿的、有病的献给我,我岂能接纳呢?这是耶和华说的。 14 许愿时说要献上羊群中的公羊,后来却拿伤残的来献给主,这种人该受咒诅!因为我是大君王,就是外族人也敬畏我的名。这是万军之耶和华说的。”

以色列忘記主愛

以下是耶和華藉瑪拉基對以色列宣判的話。

耶和華說:“我愛你們。”你們卻說:“你怎樣愛了我們呢?”耶和華說:“以掃不是雅各的哥哥嗎?我卻愛雅各, 惡以掃。我使以掃的山地荒涼,把他的產業給了曠野的豺狼。” 如果以東說:“我們雖然遭破壞,但仍要把廢墟重建起來。”萬軍之耶和華這樣說:“他們只管建造,我卻要拆毀。人要稱他們為罪惡的境地,為耶和華永遠惱怒的子民。” 你們要親眼看見,也要親自說:“耶和華在以色列的境地以外,必被尊為大。”

斥責不虔不敬的祭司

萬軍之耶和華對你們說:“藐視我名的祭司啊!兒子尊敬父親,僕人敬畏主人。我若是父親,我該受的尊敬在哪裡呢?我若是主人,我應得的敬畏在哪裡呢?”你們卻說:“我們怎樣藐視了你的名呢?” “你們把污穢的食物獻在我的壇上,你們竟說:‘我們怎樣污穢了你的壇呢?’因你們以為耶和華的桌子是可以藐視的。” 萬軍之耶和華說:“你們把瞎眼的獻為祭,這不是惡嗎?你們把瘸腿的和有病的獻上,這不是罪嗎?你把這樣的禮物獻給你的省長,他會喜歡你或是悅納你的禮物嗎?” 現在,你們要向 神求情,好使他恩待我們。這污穢的祭物,既是你們經手獻的,他還能悅納你們嗎?萬軍之耶和華說: 10 “真願你們當中有人把殿門關上,免得你們在我的壇上徒然點火。”萬軍之耶和華說:“我不喜歡你們,也不從你們手中收納禮物。” 11 萬軍之耶和華說:“從日出到日落的地方,我的名在列國中為大;在各處都有人向我的名燒香,獻上潔淨的禮物,因為我的名在列國中為大。” 12 萬軍之耶和華說:“你們卻褻瀆了我,因你們以為主的桌子是污穢的,桌上的食物也是可藐視的。 13 你們又說:‘唉,真麻煩!’你們就嗤之以鼻。”耶和華說:“你們把搶來的、瘸腿的和有病的帶來作禮物,我怎能從你們的手中收受呢?” 14 萬軍之耶和華說:“凡以家畜中公的許了願,卻又詭詐地拿有殘疾的獻給主,那人當受咒詛;因為我是大君王,我的名在列國中是可敬畏的。”

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

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,

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

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.

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.

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?

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.

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.

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.