以下是耶和華藉瑪拉基對以色列人的宣告。

耶和華愛以色列

耶和華說:「我曾愛你們。」你們卻說:「你在何事上愛我們呢?」耶和華說:「以掃不是雅各的哥哥嗎?但我卻愛雅各, 厭惡以掃。我使以掃的山嶺荒涼,把他的地業留給曠野的豺狼。」 也許以掃的後代以東人會說:「我們現在雖然被毀,但我們要重建毀壞之處。」萬軍之耶和華卻這樣說:「他們儘管建造,但我必拆毀。他們的土地要被稱為『罪惡之地』,他們要被稱為『耶和華永遠惱怒之民。』」 以色列人啊,你們必親眼看見這事,也必說:「願耶和華在以色列境外受尊崇!」

斥責祭司

萬軍之耶和華對祭司說:「兒子應當尊敬父親,僕人應當敬畏主人。我是你們的父親,但你們對我的尊敬在哪裡呢?我是你們的主人,但你們對我的敬畏在哪裡呢?你們藐視我的名,卻狡辯說,『我們在何事上藐視過你的名呢?』 你們把污穢的食物獻在我的祭壇上,還說,『我們在何事上玷污了你呢?』你們說耶和華的桌子是可藐視的。 你們拿瞎眼、瘸腿和有病的牲畜來獻祭,難道這不是罪過嗎?你試試把這樣的東西送給你的省長,看他會不會悅納你、恩待你。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。」

現在,你們祈求上帝向我們施恩吧!然而,你們獻上這樣的祭物,祂怎會垂聽你們的祈求呢? 10 萬軍之耶和華說:「我真希望你們當中有人把殿門關上,免得你們在我祭壇上枉然點火。因為我不喜悅你們,也不接納你們的祭物。」 11 萬軍之耶和華說:「從日出之地到日落之處,列國必尊崇我的名。世上每個角落都有人向我焚香,獻上潔淨的供物。因為我的名必受列國尊崇。 12 可是,你們卻褻瀆我的名,竟然說我的桌子是污穢的,上面的祭物是可藐視的。 13 你們不屑地說,『哼!這些事真麻煩!』這是萬軍之耶和華說的。你們把搶來的、瘸腿的、有病的獻給我,我豈能接納呢?這是耶和華說的。 14 許願時說要獻上羊群中的公羊,後來卻拿傷殘的來獻給主,這種人該受咒詛!因為我是大君王,就是外族人也敬畏我的名。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。」

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.

The burden of the Devar Hashem to Yisroel by Malachi.

I have loved you, saith Hashem. Yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us? Was not Esav Ya’akov’s brother? saith Hashem; yet I loved Ya’akov,

But I hated Esav, and his mountains and his nachalah I laid waste into wasteland for the jackals of the midbar.

Whereas Edom saith, We are dashed to pieces, but we will return and rebuild the ruins; thus saith Hashem Tzva’os: They may build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, Gevul Rishah (territory of wickedness), and the people against whom Hashem hath indignation ad olam (for ever).

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Hashem is gadol (great) even beyond the Gevul Yisroel.

A ben honoreth his av, and an eved his adon; if then I be an Av, where is Mine honor? And if I be Adonim, where is My reverence? saith Hashem Tzva’os unto you, O kohanim, that despise My Name. But ye say, Wherein have we despised Thy name?

Ye offer lechem mego’al (defiled food) upon Mine mizbe’ach; and ye say, Wherein have we defiled Thee? In that ye say, The shulchan of Hashem is to be despised.

And when ye offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not rah? And when ye offer the lame and diseased, is it not rah? Offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or receive thee? saith Hashem Tzva’os.

And now, I pray you, beseech G-d that He will be gracious unto us; with such offerings from your hand, will He receive you? saith Hashem Tzva’os.

10 Who is there even among you that would shut the dlatayim of the Beis Hamikdash so that eish would not be kindled on Mine mizbe’ach in vain? There is no chefetz (pleasure) to Me with you, saith Hashem Tzva’os, neither will I accept a minchah at your hand.

11 For from the rising of the shemesh even unto the going down of the same My name shall be gadol among the Goyim; and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, and a minchah tehorah; for My name shall be gadol among the Goyim, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

12 But ye have committed chillul Hashem (desecration of the Name), in that ye say, The shulchan Adonoi is mego’al (defiled); and the fruit, even the food thereof, is contemptible.

13 Ye said also, Hinei, what a burden it is! And ye have sniffed scornfully at it, saith Hashem Tzva’os; and ye brought that which was injured, and the lame, and the diseased; thus ye brought a minchah; should I accept this of your hand? saith Hashem.

14 But cursed be the nokhel (cheat, swindler, charlatan), which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto Hashem the one being blemished; for I am a Melech Gadol, saith Hashem Tzva’os, and My name is to be feared among the Goyim.