Malachi 1:1-3:5

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) ³but 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)”

⁴Edom^(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) ⁵You 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. ⁸When 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. ¹¹My 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.’ ¹³And 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)

Additional Warning to the Priests

2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.^(AV) ²If you do not listen,^(AW) and if you do not resolve to honor^(AX) my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse^(AY) on you, and I will curse your blessings.^(AZ) Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

³“Because of you I will rebuke your descendants^[b]; I will smear on your faces the dung^(BA) from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.^(BB) ⁴And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi^(BC) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. ⁵“My covenant was with him, a covenant^(BD) of life and peace,^(BE) and I gave them to him; this called for reverence^(BF) and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. ⁶True instruction^(BG) was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked^(BH) with me in peace^(BI) and uprightness,^(BJ) and turned many from sin.^(BK)

⁷“For the lips of a priest^(BL) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(BM) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^(BN) ⁸But you have turned from the way^(BO) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble;^(BP) you have violated the covenant^(BQ) with Levi,”^(BR) says the Lord Almighty. ⁹“So I have caused you to be despised^(BS) and humiliated^(BT) before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality^(BU) in matters of the law.”^(BV)

Breaking Covenant Through Divorce

¹⁰Do we not all have one Father^[c]?^(BW) Did not one God create us?^(BX) Why do we profane the covenant^(BY) of our ancestors by being unfaithful^(BZ) to one another?

¹¹Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable^(CA) thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves^(CB) by marrying^(CC) women who worship a foreign god.^(CD) ¹²As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove^(CE) him from the tents of Jacob^[d]^(CF)—even though he brings an offering^(CG) to the Lord Almighty.

¹³Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.^(CH) You weep and wail^(CI) because he no longer looks with favor^(CJ) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.^(CK) ¹⁴You ask,^(CL) “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness^(CM) between you and the wife of your youth.^(CN) You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.^(CO)

¹⁵Has not the one God made you?^(CP) You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.^[e]^(CQ) So be on your guard,^(CR) and do not be unfaithful^(CS) to the wife of your youth.

¹⁶“The man who hates and divorces his wife,^(CT)” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,”^[f]^(CU) says the Lord Almighty.

So be on your guard,^(CV) and do not be unfaithful.

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

¹⁷You have wearied^(CW) the Lord with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.^(CX)

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased^(CY) with them” or “Where is the God of justice?^(CZ)”

3 “I will send my messenger,^(DA) who will prepare the way before me.^(DB) Then suddenly the Lord^(DC) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,^(DD) whom you desire,^(DE) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

²But who can endure^(DF) the day of his coming?^(DG) Who can stand^(DH) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(DI) or a launderer’s soap.^(DJ) ³He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;^(DK) he will purify^(DL) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.^(DM) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,^(DN) ⁴and the offerings^(DO) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.^(DP)

⁵“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,^(DQ) adulterers^(DR) and perjurers,^(DS) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,^(DT) who oppress the widows^(DU) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners^(DV) among you of justice, but do not fear^(DW) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Footnotes

Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
Malachi 2:3 Or will blight your grain
Malachi 2:10 Or father
Malachi 2:12 Or ¹²May the Lord remove from the tents of Jacob anyone who gives testimony in behalf of the man who does this
Malachi 2:15 The meaning of the Hebrew for the first part of this verse is uncertain.
Malachi 2:16 Or “I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,”

Proverbs 3-4

New International Version

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

3 My son,^(A) do not forget my teaching,^(B)
but keep my commands in your heart,
²for they will prolong your life many years^(C)
and bring you peace and prosperity.^(D)

³Let love and faithfulness^(E) never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.^(F)
⁴Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.^(G)

⁵Trust in the Lord^(H) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths^(I) straight.^[a]^(J)

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;^(K)
fear the Lord^(L) and shun evil.^(M)
⁸This will bring health to your body^(N)
and nourishment to your bones.^(O)

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits^(P) of all your crops;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled^(Q) to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.^(R)

¹¹My son,^(S) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,^(T)
and do not resent his rebuke,
¹²because the Lord disciplines those he loves,^(U)
as a father the son he delights in.^[b]^(V)

¹³Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.^(W)
¹⁵She is more precious than rubies;^(X)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.^(Y)
¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;^(Z)
    in her left hand are riches and honor.^(AA)
¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.^(AB)
¹⁸She is a tree of life^(AC) to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.^(AD)

¹⁹By wisdom^(AE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,^(AF)
by understanding he set the heavens^(AG) in place;
²⁰by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son,^(AH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,^(AI)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²²they will be life for you,^(AJ)
    an ornament to grace your neck.^(AK)
²³Then you will go on your way in safety,^(AL)
    and your foot will not stumble.^(AM)
²⁴When you lie down,^(AN) you will not be afraid;^(AO)
    when you lie down, your sleep^(AP) will be sweet.
²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶for the Lord will be at your side^(AQ)
    and will keep your foot^(AR) from being snared.^(AS)

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
²⁸Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.^(AT)
²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.^(AU)
³⁰Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy^(AV) the violent
or choose any of their ways.

³²For the Lord detests the perverse^(AW)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.^(AX)
³³The Lord’s curse^(AY) is on the house of the wicked,^(AZ)
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.^(BA)
³⁴He mocks^(BB) proud mockers^(BC)
    but shows favor to the humble^(BD) and oppressed.
³⁵The wise inherit honor,
    but fools get only shame.

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

4 Listen, my sons,^(BE) to a father’s instruction;^(BF)
    pay attention and gain understanding.^(BG)
²I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
³For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
⁴Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold^(BH) of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.^(BI)
⁵Get wisdom,^(BJ) get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;^(BK)
    love her, and she will watch over you.^(BL)
⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get^[c] wisdom.
    Though it cost all^(BM) you have,^[d] get understanding.^(BN)
⁸Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
    embrace her, and she will honor you.^(BO)
⁹She will give you a garland to grace your head
    and present you with a glorious crown.^(BP)”

¹⁰Listen, my son,^(BQ) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.^(BR)
¹¹I instruct^(BS) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.^(BT)
¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.^(BU)
¹³Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.^(BV)
¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.^(BW)
¹⁵Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
¹⁶For they cannot rest until they do evil;^(BX)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.^(BY)

¹⁸The path of the righteous^(BZ) is like the morning sun,^(CA)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.^(CB)
¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;^(CC)
they do not know what makes them stumble.^(CD)

²⁰My son,^(CE) pay attention to what I say;
    turn your ear to my words.^(CF)
²¹Do not let them out of your sight,^(CG)
    keep them within your heart;
²²for they are life to those who find them
    and health to one’s whole body.^(CH)
²³Above all else, guard^(CI) your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.^(CJ)
²⁴Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
²⁵Let your eyes^(CK) look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶Give careful thought to the^[e] paths for your feet^(CL)
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
²⁷Do not turn to the right or the left;^(CM)
    keep your foot from evil.

Footnotes

Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level