⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,^(A) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased^(B) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.^(C)

⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings^(D) from your hands, will he accept^(E) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

¹⁰ “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,^(F) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased^(G) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept^(H) no offering^(I) from your hands. ¹¹ My name will be great^(J) among the nations,^(K) from where the sun rises to where it sets.^(L) In every place incense^(M) and pure offerings^(N) 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^(O) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food^(P) is contemptible.’ ¹³ And you say, ‘What a burden!’^(Q) and you sniff at it contemptuously,^(R)” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,^(S) should I accept them from your hands?”^(T) 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^(U) to the Lord. For I am a great king,^(V)” says the Lord Almighty,^(W) “and my name is to be feared^(X) among the nations.^(Y)

Additional Warning to the Priests

2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.^{(A) 2} If you do not listen,^(B) and if you do not resolve to honor^(C) my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse^(D) on you, and I will curse your blessings.^(E) Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

⁴ And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi^(A) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. ⁵ “My covenant was with him, a covenant^(B) of life and peace,^(C) and I gave them to him; this called for reverence^(D) and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. ⁶ True instruction^(E) was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked^(F) with me in peace^(G) and uprightness,^(H) and turned many from sin.^(I)

⁷ “For the lips of a priest^(J) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(K) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^{(L) 8} But you have turned from the way^(M) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble;^(N) you have violated the covenant^(O) with Levi,”^(P) says the Lord Almighty. ⁹ “So I have caused you to be despised^(Q) and humiliated^(R) before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality^(S) in matters of the law.”^(T)

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

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

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

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

3 “I will send my messenger,^(A) who will prepare the way before me.^(B) Then suddenly the Lord^(C) you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,^(D) whom you desire,^(E) will come,” says the Lord Almighty.

² But who can endure^(F) the day of his coming?^(G) Who can stand^(H) when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire^(I) or a launderer’s soap.^{(J) 3} He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver;^(K) he will purify^(L) the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.^(M) Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,^{(N) 4} and the offerings^(O) of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the Lord, as in days gone by, as in former years.^(P)

⁵ “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers,^(Q) adulterers^(R) and perjurers,^(S) against those who defraud laborers of their wages,^(T) who oppress the widows^(U) and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners^(V) among you of justice, but do not fear^(W) me,” says the Lord Almighty.

⁸ “Will a mere mortal rob^(A) God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes^(B) and offerings. ⁹ You are under a curse^(C)—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. ¹⁰ Bring the whole tithe^(D) into the storehouse,^(E) 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^(F) of heaven and pour out^(G) so much blessing^(H) that there will not be room enough to store it.^{(I) 11} I will prevent pests from devouring^(J) your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,^(K)” says the Lord Almighty. ¹² “Then all the nations will call you blessed,^(L) for yours will be a delightful land,”^(M) says the Lord Almighty.^(N)