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Malachi 1 - Matthew 4
New King James Version
Malachi 1 - Matthew 4
New King James Version
Polluted Offerings to God
1 The [a]burden of the word of the Lord to Israel [b]by Malachi.
Israel Beloved of God
2 “I(A) have loved you,” says the Lord.
“Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?”
Says the Lord.
“Yet (B)Jacob I have loved;
3 But Esau I have hated,
And (C)laid waste his mountains and his heritage
For the jackals of the wilderness.”
4 Even though Edom has said,
“We have been impoverished,
But we will return and build the desolate places,”
Thus says the Lord of hosts:
“They may build, but I will (D)throw down;
They shall be called the Territory of Wickedness,
And the people against whom the Lord will have indignation forever.
5 Your eyes shall see,
And you shall say,
(E)‘The Lord is magnified beyond the border of Israel.’
Polluted Offerings
6 “A son (F)honors his father,
And a servant his master.
(G)If then I am the Father,
Where is My honor?
And if I am a Master,
Where is My reverence?
Says the Lord of hosts
To you priests who despise My name.
(H)Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
7 “You offer (I)defiled food on My altar,
But say,
‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying,
(J)‘The table of the Lord is [c]contemptible.’
8 And (K)when you offer the blind as a sacrifice,
Is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick,
Is it not evil?
Offer it then to your governor!
Would he be pleased with you?
Would he (L)accept[d] you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
9 “But now entreat God’s favor,
That He may be gracious to us.
(M)While this is being done by your hands,
Will He accept you favorably?”
Says the Lord of hosts.
10 “Who is there even among you who would shut the doors,
(N)So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain?
I have no pleasure in you,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
(O)“Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
11 For (P)from the rising of the sun, even to its going down,
My name shall be great (Q)among the Gentiles;
(R)In every place (S)incense shall be offered to My name,
And a pure offering;
(T)For My name shall be great among the nations,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
12 “But you profane it,
In that you say,
(U)‘The table of the [e]Lord is defiled;
And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’
13 You also say,
‘Oh, what a (V)weariness!’
And you sneer at it,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick;
Thus you bring an offering!
(W)Should I accept this from your hand?”
Says the Lord.
14 “But cursed be (X)the deceiver
Who has in his flock a male,
And takes a vow,
But sacrifices to the Lord (Y)what is blemished—
For (Z)I am a great King,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“And My name is to be feared among the nations.
Corrupt Priests
2 “And now, O (AA)priests, this commandment is for you.
2 (AB)If you will not hear,
And if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“I will send a curse upon you,
And I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them (AC)already,
Because you do not take it to heart.
3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants
And spread (AD)refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts;
And one will (AE)take you away [f]with it.
4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
5 “My(AF) covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him (AG)that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
6 (AH)The[g] law of truth was in his mouth,
And [h]injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And (AI)turned many away from iniquity.
7 “For(AJ) the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
(AK)For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But you have departed from the way;
You (AL)have caused many to stumble at the law.
(AM)You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
9 “Therefore (AN)I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown (AO)partiality in the law.”
Treachery of Infidelity
10 (AP)Have we not all one Father?
(AQ)Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
11 Judah has dealt treacherously,
And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem,
For Judah has (AR)profaned
The Lord’s holy institution which He loves:
He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob
The man who does this, being [i]awake and aware,
Yet (AS)who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and (AT)the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
(AU)Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
15 But (AV)did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks (AW)godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “For (AX)the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
17 (AY)You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,
(AZ)“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
The Coming Messenger
3 “Behold, (BA)I send My messenger,
And he will (BB)prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
(BC)Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, (BD)He is coming,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
2 “But who can endure (BE)the day of His coming?
And (BF)who can stand when He appears?
For (BG)He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 (BH)He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [j]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may (BI)offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.
4 “Then (BJ)the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be [k]pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
5 And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
(BK)Against perjurers,
Against those who (BL)exploit wage earners and (BM)widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
6 “For I am the Lord, (BN)I do not change;
(BO)Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 Yet from the days of (BP)your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
(BQ)Return to Me, and I will return to you,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
(BR)“But you said,
‘In what way shall we return?’
Do Not Rob God
8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet you have robbed Me!
But you say,
‘In what way have we robbed You?’
(BS)In tithes and offerings.
9 You are cursed with a curse,
For you have robbed Me,
Even this whole nation.
10 (BT)Bring all the tithes into the (BU)storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“If I will not open for you the (BV)windows of heaven
And (BW)pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
11 “And I will rebuke (BX)the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the Lord of hosts;
12 “And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be (BY)a delightful land,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
The People Complain Harshly
13 “Your(BZ) words have been [l]harsh against Me,”
Says the Lord,
“Yet you say,
‘What have we spoken against You?’
14 (CA)You have said,
‘It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the Lord of hosts?
15 So now (CB)we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are [m]raised up;
They even (CC)tempt God and go free.’ ”
A Book of Remembrance
16 Then those (CD)who feared the Lord (CE)spoke to one another,
And the Lord listened and heard them;
So (CF)a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord
And who [n]meditate on His name.
17 “They(CG) shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My (CH)jewels.[o]
And (CI)I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him.”
18 (CJ)Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
The Great Day of God
4 “For behold, (CK)the day is coming,
Burning like an oven,
And all (CL)the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be (CM)stubble.
And the day which is coming shall burn them up,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“That will (CN)leave them neither root nor branch.
2 But to you who (CO)fear My name
The (CP)Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.
3 (CQ)You shall trample the wicked,
For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet
On the day that I do this,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
4 “Remember the (CR)Law of Moses, My servant,
Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel,
With (CS)the statutes and judgments.
5 Behold, I will send you (CT)Elijah the prophet
(CU)Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
6 And (CV)he will turn
The hearts of the fathers to the children,
And the hearts of the children to their fathers,
Lest I come and (CW)strike the earth with (CX)a curse.”
The Genealogy of Jesus Christ(CY)
1 The book of the (CZ)genealogy[p] of Jesus Christ, (DA)the Son of David, (DB)the Son of Abraham:
2 (DC)Abraham begot Isaac, (DD)Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot (DE)Judah and his brothers. 3 (DF)Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, (DG)Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. 4 Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. 5 Salmon begot (DH)Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, 6 and (DI)Jesse begot David the king.
(DJ)David the king begot Solomon by her [q]who had been the wife of Uriah. 7 (DK)Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot (DL)Abijah, and Abijah begot [r]Asa. 8 Asa begot (DM)Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot (DN)Uzziah. 9 Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot (DO)Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. 10 (DP)Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot [s]Amon, and Amon begot (DQ)Josiah. 11 (DR)Josiah begot [t]Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were (DS)carried away to Babylon.
12 And after they were brought to Babylon, (DT)Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot (DU)Zerubbabel. 13 Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. 14 Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. 15 Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. 16 And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of (DV)Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.
17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.
Christ Born of Mary(DW)
18 Now the (DX)birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child (DY)of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being [u]a just man, and not wanting (DZ)to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, (EA)for that which is [v]conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 (EB)And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name [w]Jesus, (EC)for He will save His people from their sins.”
22 So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 (ED)“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
24 Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, 25 and [x]did not know her till she had brought forth (EE)her[y] firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.
Wise Men from the East
2 Now after (EF)Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, [z]wise men (EG)from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, (EH)“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen (EI)His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”
3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all (EJ)the chief priests and (EK)scribes of the people together, (EL)he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
5 So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
6 ‘But(EM) you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;
For out of you shall come a Ruler
(EN)Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”
7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the [aa]wise men, determined from them what time the (EO)star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”
9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, (EP)they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
12 Then, being divinely warned (EQ)in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.
The Flight into Egypt
13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”
14 When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, 15 and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, (ER)“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:
18 “A (ES)voice was heard in Ramah,
Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
Refusing to be comforted,
Because they are no more.”
The Home in Nazareth(ET)
19 Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 (EU)saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who (EV)sought the young Child’s life are dead.” 21 Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a (EW)dream, he turned aside (EX)into the region of Galilee. 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called (EY)Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled (EZ)which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(FA)
3 In those days (FB)John the Baptist came preaching (FC)in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for (FD)the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:
(FE)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(FF)‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
4 Now (FG)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (FH)locusts and (FI)wild honey. 5 (FJ)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 (FK)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, (FL)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from (FM)the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 9 and do not think to say to yourselves, (FN)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. (FO)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 (FP)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. (FQ)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [ab]and fire. 12 (FR)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (FS)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John Baptizes Jesus(FT)
13 (FU)Then Jesus came (FV)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.
16 (FW)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [ac]He saw (FX)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 (FY)And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, (FZ)“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Satan Tempts Jesus(GA)
4 Then (GB)Jesus was led up by (GC)the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, (GD)‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took Him up (GE)into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
(GF)‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
(GG)‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, (GH)‘You shall not [ad]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and (GI)showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, [ae]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, (GJ)‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil (GK)left Him, and behold, (GL)angels came and ministered to Him.
Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry(GM)
12 (GN)Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
15 “The(GO) land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 (GP)The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”
17 (GQ)From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, (GR)“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven [af]is at hand.”
Four Fishermen Called as Disciples(GS)
18 (GT)And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon (GU)called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and (GV)I will make you fishers of men.” 20 (GW)They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
21 (GX)Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.
Jesus Heals a Great Multitude(GY)
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, (GZ)teaching in their synagogues, preaching (HA)the gospel of the kingdom, (HB)and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 24 Then [ag]His fame went throughout all Syria; and they (HC)brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. 25 (HD)Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from [ah]Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:1 oracle, prophecy
- Malachi 1:1 Lit. by the hand of
- Malachi 1:7 Or to be despised
- Malachi 1:8 Lit. lift up your face
- Malachi 1:12 So with Bg.; MT Lord
- Malachi 2:3 Lit. to it
- Malachi 2:6 Or True instruction
- Malachi 2:6 Or unrighteousness
- Malachi 2:12 Talmud, Vg. teacher and student
- Malachi 3:3 Or refine
- Malachi 3:4 pleasing
- Malachi 3:13 Lit. strong
- Malachi 3:15 Lit. built
- Malachi 3:16 Or esteem
- Malachi 3:17 Lit. special treasure
- Matthew 1:1 Lit. generation
- Matthew 1:6 Words in italic type have been added for clarity. They are not found in the original Greek.
- Matthew 1:7 NU Asaph
- Matthew 1:10 NU Amos
- Matthew 1:11 Or Coniah or Jehoiachin
- Matthew 1:19 an upright
- Matthew 1:20 Lit. begotten
- Matthew 1:21 Lit. Savior
- Matthew 1:25 Kept her a virgin
- Matthew 1:25 NU a Son
- Matthew 2:1 Gr. magoi
- Matthew 2:7 Gr. magoi
- Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
- Matthew 3:16 Or he
- Matthew 4:7 test
- Matthew 4:10 M Get behind Me
- Matthew 4:17 has drawn near
- Matthew 4:24 Lit. the report of Him
- Matthew 4:25 Lit. Ten Cities
Malachi 1 - Matthew 4
New International Version
Malachi 1 - Matthew 4
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)
Additional Warning to the Priests
2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.(AV) 2 If 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) 4 And 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. 6 True 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) 8 But 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
10 Do 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?
11 Judah 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) 12 As 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.
13 Another 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) 14 You 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)
15 Has 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
17 You 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.
2 But 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) 3 He 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) 4 and 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.
Breaking Covenant by Withholding Tithes
6 “I the Lord do not change.(DX) So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.(DY) 7 Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away(DZ) from my decrees and have not kept them. Return(EA) to me, and I will return to you,”(EB) says the Lord Almighty.
“But you ask,(EC) ‘How are we to return?’
8 “Will a mere mortal rob(ED) God? Yet you rob me.
“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’
“In tithes(EE) and offerings. 9 You are under a curse(EF)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe(EG) into the storehouse,(EH) 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(EI) of heaven and pour out(EJ) so much blessing(EK) that there will not be room enough to store it.(EL) 11 I will prevent pests from devouring(EM) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,(EN)” says the Lord Almighty. 12 “Then all the nations will call you blessed,(EO) for yours will be a delightful land,”(EP) says the Lord Almighty.(EQ)
Israel Speaks Arrogantly Against God
13 “You have spoken arrogantly(ER) against me,” says the Lord.
“Yet you ask,(ES) ‘What have we said against you?’
14 “You have said, ‘It is futile(ET) to serve(EU) God. What do we gain by carrying out his requirements(EV) and going about like mourners(EW) before the Lord Almighty? 15 But now we call the arrogant(EX) blessed. Certainly evildoers(EY) prosper,(EZ) and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’”
The Faithful Remnant
16 Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard.(FA) A scroll(FB) of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared(FC) the Lord and honored his name.
17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my(FD) treasured possession.(FE) I will spare(FF) them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son(FG) who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous(FH) and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.(FI)
Judgment and Covenant Renewal
4 [g]“Surely the day is coming;(FJ) it will burn like a furnace.(FK) All the arrogant(FL) and every evildoer will be stubble,(FM) and the day that is coming will set them on fire,(FN)” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch(FO) will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name,(FP) the sun of righteousness(FQ) will rise with healing(FR) in its rays. And you will go out and frolic(FS) like well-fed calves. 3 Then you will trample(FT) on the wicked; they will be ashes(FU) under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty.
4 “Remember the law(FV) of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb(FW) for all Israel.(FX)
5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah(FY) to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.(FZ) 6 He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children,(GA) and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike(GB) the land with total destruction.”(GC)
The Genealogy of Jesus the Messiah(GD)(GE)(GF)
1 This is the genealogy[h] of Jesus the Messiah[i] the son of David,(GG) the son of Abraham:(GH)
2 Abraham was the father of Isaac,(GI)
Isaac the father of Jacob,(GJ)
Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,(GK)
3 Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,(GL)
Perez the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram,
4 Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
Nahshon the father of Salmon,
5 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,(GM)
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
Obed the father of Jesse,
6 and Jesse the father of King David.(GN)
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife,(GO)
7 Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
Abijah the father of Asa,
8 Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
9 Uzziah the father of Jotham,
Jotham the father of Ahaz,
Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
10 Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,(GP)
Manasseh the father of Amon,
Amon the father of Josiah,
11 and Josiah the father of Jeconiah[j] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.(GQ)
12 After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,(GR)
Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,(GS)
13 Zerubbabel the father of Abihud,
Abihud the father of Eliakim,
Eliakim the father of Azor,
14 Azor the father of Zadok,
Zadok the father of Akim,
Akim the father of Elihud,
15 Elihud the father of Eleazar,
Eleazar the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
16 and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary,(GT) and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.(GU)
17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[k]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.(GV) 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[l] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce(GW) her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel(GX) of the Lord appeared to him in a dream(GY) and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[m](GZ) because he will save his people from their sins.”(HA)
22 All this took place to fulfill(HB) what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[n](HC) (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel(HD) of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.(HE)
The Magi Visit the Messiah
2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea,(HF) during the time of King Herod,(HG) Magi[o] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?(HH) We saw his star(HI) when it rose and have come to worship him.”
3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem(HJ) in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[p]”(HK)
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.(HL) Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts(HM) of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned(HN) in a dream(HO) not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel(HP) of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.(HQ) “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”(HR)
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled(HS) what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”[q](HT)
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:(HU)
18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel(HV) weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”[r](HW)
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel(HX) of the Lord appeared in a dream(HY) to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”(HZ)
21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream,(IA) he withdrew to the district of Galilee,(IB) 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.(IC) So was fulfilled(ID) what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.(IE)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way(IF)
3 In those days John the Baptist(IG) came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(IH) has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”[s](II)
4 John’s(IJ) clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist.(IK) His food was locusts(IL) and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized(IM) by him in the Jordan River.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers!(IN) Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?(IO) 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.(IP) 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(IQ) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.(IR)
11 “I baptize you with[t] water for repentance.(IS) But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with[u] the Holy Spirit(IT) and fire.(IU) 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”(IV)
The Baptism of Jesus(IW)
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.(IX) 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened,(IY) and he saw the Spirit of God(IZ) descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven(JA) said, “This is my Son,(JB) whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”(JC)
Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(JD)
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[v](JE) by the devil.(JF) 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights,(JG) he was hungry. 3 The tempter(JH) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,(JI) tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[w]”(JJ)
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city(JK) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,”(JL) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[x]”(JM)
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[y]”(JN)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!(JO) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[z]”(JP)
11 Then the devil left him,(JQ) and angels came and attended him.(JR)
Jesus Begins to Preach
12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison,(JS) he withdrew to Galilee.(JT) 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum,(JU) which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill(JV) what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.”[aa](JW)
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven(JX) has come near.”
Jesus Calls His First Disciples(JY)
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,(JZ) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter(KA) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”(KB) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.(KC)
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.(KD) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.(KE)
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee,(KF) teaching in their synagogues,(KG) proclaiming the good news(KH) of the kingdom,(KI) and healing every disease and sickness among the people.(KJ) 24 News about him spread all over Syria,(KK) and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed,(KL) those having seizures,(KM) and the paralyzed;(KN) and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,[ab] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.(KO)
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 12 May 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,”
- Malachi 4:1 In Hebrew texts 4:1-6 is numbered 3:19-24.
- Matthew 1:1 Or is an account of the origin
- Matthew 1:1 Or Jesus Christ. Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean Anointed One; also in verse 18.
- Matthew 1:11 That is, Jehoiachin; also in verse 12
- Matthew 1:18 Or The origin of Jesus the Messiah was like this
- Matthew 1:19 Or was a righteous man and
- Matthew 1:21 Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means the Lord saves.
- Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14
- Matthew 2:1 Traditionally wise men
- Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:2,4
- Matthew 2:15 Hosea 11:1
- Matthew 2:18 Jer. 31:15
- Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3
- Matthew 3:11 Or in
- Matthew 3:11 Or in
- Matthew 4:1 The Greek for tempted can also mean tested.
- Matthew 4:4 Deut. 8:3
- Matthew 4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
- Matthew 4:7 Deut. 6:16
- Matthew 4:10 Deut. 6:13
- Matthew 4:16 Isaiah 9:1,2
- Matthew 4:25 That is, the Ten Cities
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