Malachi 1
Lexham English Bible
1 An oracle.[a] The word of Yahweh to Israel through[b] Malachi.[c]
An Oracle Against Edom
2 “I have loved you,” says Yahweh, but you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares[d] Yahweh. “I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated. I have made his[e] mountain ranges a desolation, and given his inheritance to the jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,” Yahweh of hosts says this: “They may build, but I will tear down; and they will be called a territory of wickedness, and the people with whom Yahweh is angry forever.” 5 Your eyes will see this, and you will say, “Yahweh is great beyond the borders[f] of Israel.”
An Oracle Against the Temple Priesthood
6 “A son honors his father, and a slave his master;[g] but if I am a father, where is my honor, and if I am a master,[h] where is my reverence?” says Yahweh of hosts to you, O priests, who despise[i] my name. “But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You are presenting defiled food on my altar! But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying that the table of Yahweh is despised! 8 When you offer a blind animal for sacrifice, is that not wrong?[j] And when you offer the lame and the one who is ill, is that not wrong?[k] Present it, please, to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Will he show you favor?”[l] says Yahweh of hosts. 9 So then, implore the favor of God[m] so that he will be gracious to us. “This is what you have done.[n] Will he show favor to any of you?”[o] says Yahweh of hosts. 10 “Who also among you will shut the temple doors so that you will not kindle fire in vain on my altar? I take no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and I will not accept[p] an offering from your hand. 11 From the rising of the sun to its setting, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is being presented to my name, and a pure offering. For my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12 “But you are profaning it by saying the table of the Lord is defiled, and its fruit—its food[q]—is despised! 13 And you say, ‘Look! This is a weariness,’ and you sniff with disdain at it,” says Yahweh of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the one that is sick—this you bring as the offering! Should I accept it[r] from your hand?” says Yahweh. 14 “Cursed is the one who cheats, who has in his flock a male and vows it, but instead sacrifices a blemished one to the Lord! For I am a great king,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:1 Literally “A burden”
- Malachi 1:1 Literally “by the hand of”
- Malachi 1:1 The name “Malachi” means “my messenger” in Hebrew
- Malachi 1:2 Literally “declaration of”
- Malachi 1:3 That is, “Esau’s”
- Malachi 1:5 Hebrew “boundary”
- Malachi 1:6 Hebrew “masters”
- Malachi 1:6 Hebrew “masters”
- Malachi 1:6 Literally “despisers of”
- Malachi 1:8 Or “is there no wrong?”
- Malachi 1:8 Or “is there no wrong?”
- Malachi 1:8 Literally “Will he lift your face?”
- Malachi 1:9 Literally “appease, please, the face of God”
- Malachi 1:9 Literally “From your hand was this”
- Malachi 1:9 Literally “will he lift up from you a face”
- Malachi 1:10 Literally “I will not take pleasure in”
- Malachi 1:12 The Hebrew here is difficult; “its food” may function to explain “its fruit”
- Malachi 1:13 Literally “take pleasure in it”
Malachi 1
International Standard Version
God’s First Complaint: Against His People—A Despised Love
1 A declaration: a message from the Lord to Israel by Malachi.[a]
2 “I’ve loved you,” says the Lord. “But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord, “yet I loved Jacob, 3 hated Esau, turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave[b] his inheritance to desert jackals. 4 Even though Edom may claim, ‘We were crushed, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,’ this is what the Lord of the Heavenly Armies says: “They may rebuild, but I’ll demolish. People[c] will call them, ‘The Wicked Land,’ and, ‘The People With Whom the Lord is Forever Angry.’ 5 Your own eyes will see this, and you will say, ‘Great is the Lord even beyond the borders of Israel!’”
God’s Second Complaint: Against His Priests—A Despised Offering
6 “A son honors his father and a servant his master. So if I’m a father, where is my honor? And if I’m a master, where is my respect?” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies to you priests who are despising my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By presenting defiled food on my altar. And you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ By saying, ‘The Table of the Lord is contemptible.’ 8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals,[d] is that not wrong? Offer that to your governor—would he be pleased with you or receive you favorably?” asks the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 9 “And now, go ahead and implore God by saying, ‘Be gracious to us.’ Will he receive you favorably and accept offerings like that from your hand?” asks the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.
Useless Offerings and Useless Altar Fires
10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the Temple[e] doors and not light useless fires on the altar! I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “and I’ll accept no offerings from you.[f] 11 Even so, from where the sun rises to where it sets my name will be great among the Gentiles. Incense will be brought to me[g] everywhere, along with pure offerings, because my name will be great among the Gentiles,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. 12 “But you are profaning my name[h] by saying that the Table of the Lord is defiled and that its fruit and its food are contemptible.
13 “And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and sniff contemptuously at it,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “when you present maimed, crippled, and diseased animals,[i] and when you bring the offering. Should I accept this from your hand?” asks the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable[j] male in his flock, and vows to give it,[k] but sacrifices a mutilated one to the Lord. Indeed, I am a great king,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “and my name is feared among the Gentiles.”
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:1 The Heb. name Malachi means My messenger
- Malachi 1:3 The Heb. lacks gave
- Malachi 1:4 Lit. they
- Malachi 1:8 The Heb. lacks animals
- Malachi 1:10 The Heb. lacks temple
- Malachi 1:10 Lit. from your hands
- Malachi 1:11 Lit. to my name
- Malachi 1:12 Lit. it
- Malachi 1:13 The Heb. lacks animals
- Malachi 1:14 The Heb. lacks acceptable
- Malachi 1:14 The Heb. lacks to give it
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