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。”

'瑪 拉 基 書 1 ' not found for the version: Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version.

BOŽJA poruka Izraelu preko Malahije:

Božja ljubav prema Izraelu

»Uvijek sam vas volio«, kaže BOG, »a vi pitate: ‘Kako si nas uvijek volio?’«

»Tako što je Ezav bio Jakovljev brat«, kaže BOG, »ali Jakova sam zavolio, a Ezava zamrzio. Njegov sam gorski kraj Edom pretvorio u pustoš i njegovo nasljedstvo predao pustinjskim šakalima.«

Edomci[a] bi mogli reći: »Iako smo uništeni, obnovit ćemo ruševine.«

No BOG Svevladar kaže: »Mogu oni obnoviti, ali ja ću srušiti. Edomce će zvati zemljom zla i narodom na koji se BOG zauvijek ljuti.«

»Svojim ćete očima to vidjeti i reći: ‘BOG je velik i preko granica Izraela!’«

Nepoštovanje Boga

»Sin iskazuje čast ocu, a sluga gospodaru. Ako sam ja otac, gdje je čast koja mi pripada? Ako sam gospodar, gdje je poštovanje koje mi pripada? Tako kaže BOG Svevladar. Vi, svećenici, mene[b] ne poštujete.

A vi pitate: ‘Kako te ne poštujemo?’

Prinosite nečiste žrtve na mom žrtveniku.

A vi pitate: ‘Čime smo ga[c] onečistili?’

Tako što ne poštujete Božji žrtvenik[d]. Kad slijepu životinju dovodite kao žrtvu, ne postupate li krivo? I kad žrtvujete sakatu ili bolesnu životinju, ne postupate li krivo? Pokušajte je prinijeti svom upravitelju! Hoće li on biti zadovoljan i naklonjen vama?« kaže BOG Svevladar.

»Sad molite Boga da vam se smiluje. Budući da tako postupate, hoće li vam on biti naklonjen?« Tako kaže BOG Svevladar.

10 »O, kad bi netko od vas zatvorio vrata Hrama, da ne palite vatru uzalud na mom žrtveniku! Nisam zadovoljan s vama«, kaže BOG Svevladar, »i neću primati žrtve iz vaših ruku.

11 Po čitavom svijetu[e] narodi me smatraju velikim. Posvuda mi prinose kâd i žrtve koje su čiste jer narodi smatraju moje ime velikim«, kaže BOG Svevladar. 12 »Ali vi ga oskvrnjujete govoreći da je Božji žrtvenik nečist, a hrana na njemu vrijedna prijezira.

13 I još govorite: ‘Kakva gnjavaža!’ i s prijezirom frkćete«, kaže BOG Svevladar. »Donosite ukradenu, sakatu ili bolesnu životinju pa je prinosite kao žrtvu! Zar da to primim od vas?« kaže BOG.

14 »Neka je proklet varalica koji ima zdravog mužjaka u stadu. Njega mi zavjetuje, a žrtvuje mi manjkavoga! Ja sam velik kralj«, kaže BOG Svevladar, »narodi imaju strahopoštovanja prema meni.«

Footnotes

  1. 1,4 Edomci Edom je drugo ime za Ezava, a Edomci su njegovi potomci.
  2. 1,6 mene Doslovno: »moje ime«. Isto u 11. i 14. retku.
  3. 1,7 ga Prema starogrčkom tekstu. Hebrejski tekst navodi: »tebe«.
  4. 1,7 žrtvenik Doslovno: »stol«.
  5. 1,11 Po čitavom svijetu Doslovno: »Od mjesta izlaska do mjesta zalaska sunca«.

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

Israel Doubts God’s Love

“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) 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)

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) 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

“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?’

“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. 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)

“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.

This is the message[a] that the Lord gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi.[b]

The Lord’s Love for Israel

“I have always loved you,” says the Lord.

But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”

And the Lord replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau’s inheritance into a desert for jackals.”

Esau’s descendants in Edom may say, “We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.”

But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies replies, “They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as ‘The Land of Wickedness,’ and their people will be called ‘The People with Whom the Lord Is Forever Angry.’ When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ‘Truly, the Lord’s greatness reaches far beyond Israel’s borders!’”

Unworthy Sacrifices

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!

“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’

“You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.

“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?[c]

“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

“Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. 11 But my name is honored[d] by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer[e] sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. 13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.

14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!

Footnotes

  1. 1:1a Hebrew An Oracle: The message.
  2. 1:1b Malachi means “my messenger.”
  3. 1:7 As in Greek version; Hebrew reads defiled you?
  4. 1:11a Or will be honored.
  5. 1:11b Or will offer.