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Malachi 1
New Living Translation
Malachi 1
New Living Translation
1 This is the message[a] that the Lord gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi.[b]
The Lord’s Love for Israel
2 “I have always loved you,” says the Lord.
But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”
And the Lord replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, 3 but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau’s inheritance into a desert for jackals.”
4 Esau’s descendants in Edom may say, “We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.”
But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies replies, “They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as ‘The Land of Wickedness,’ and their people will be called ‘The People with Whom the Lord Is Forever Angry.’ 5 When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, ‘Truly, the Lord’s greatness reaches far beyond Israel’s borders!’”
Unworthy Sacrifices
6 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to the priests: “A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have shown contempt for my name!
“But you ask, ‘How have we ever shown contempt for your name?’
7 “You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar.
“Then you ask, ‘How have we defiled the sacrifices?[c]’
“You defile them by saying the altar of the Lord deserves no respect. 8 When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn’t that wrong? And isn’t it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
9 “Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
10 “How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings. 11 But my name is honored[d] by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer[e] sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
12 “But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the Lord’s table. 13 You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the Lord,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?” asks the Lord.
14 “Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!
Malachi 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Malachi 1
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh’s Love for Jacob
1 The [a](A)oracle of the word of [b]Yahweh to (B)Israel by the hand of [c]Malachi.
2 “I have (C)loved you,” says Yahweh. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares Yahweh. “Yet I (D)have loved Jacob; 3 but I have hated Esau, and I have (E)set his mountains to be a desolation and his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Though Edom says, “We have been (F)demolished, but we will [d](G)return and build up the waste places”; thus says Yahweh of hosts, “They may (H)build, but I will pull down; and men will call them a [e]territory of wickedness, and the people [f]toward whom Yahweh is indignant (I)forever.” 5 And your eyes will see this, and you will say, “(J)Yahweh [g]be magnified beyond the [h]territory of Israel!”
The Priests Defile Yahweh
6 “‘A son (K)honors his father, and a slave his master. Then if I am a (L)father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is the fear of Me?’ says Yahweh of hosts to you, O (M)priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ 7 You are presenting (N)defiled [i](O)food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The (P)table of Yahweh is to be despised.’ 8 But when you present the (Q)blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? Please, bring it near to your (R)governor! Would he accept you? Or would he lift up your face?” says Yahweh of hosts. 9 “But now, [j](S)entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us! With this thing which is from your hand, will He (T)lift up any of your faces?” says Yahweh of hosts. 10 “Oh that there were one among you who would (U)shut the [k]gates, that you might not light a fire on My altar in vain! I have no delight in you,” says Yahweh of hosts, “(V)nor will I accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the (W)rising of the sun even to its setting, (X)My name will be (Y)great among the nations, and in every place (Z)incense is going to be presented to My name, as well as a grain offering that is clean; for My name will be (AA)great among the nations,” says Yahweh of hosts. 12 “But you are (AB)profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ 13 You also say, ‘Behold, how (AC)tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by (AD)robbery and what is (AE)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I (AF)accept that from your hand?” says Yahweh. 14 “But cursed be the (AG)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a [l](AH)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great (AI)King,” says Yahweh of hosts, “and My name is [m](AJ)feared among the [n]nations.”
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:1 Or burden
- Malachi 1:1 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Malachi 1:1 Lit My messenger
- Malachi 1:4 Or rebuild the ruins
- Malachi 1:4 Lit border of wickedness
- Malachi 1:4 Or whom Yahweh has cursed
- Malachi 1:5 Or will be great
- Malachi 1:5 Or border
- Malachi 1:7 Lit bread
- Malachi 1:9 Lit soften the face of
- Malachi 1:10 Or doors
- Malachi 1:14 Or ruined
- Malachi 1:14 Or reverenced
- Malachi 1:14 Or Gentiles
Malachi 1
New International Version
Malachi 1
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)
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.