1 An oracle. The word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.^[a]

Corruption of the Priesthood

⁶ A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, “How have we despised your name?”^{(A) 7} By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, “How have we polluted it?”^[a] By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised.^{(B) 8} When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.^{(C) 9} And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.^{(D) 10} Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple^[b] doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.^{(E) 11} For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure offering, for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.^{(F) 12} But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted and its food^[c] may be despised. ¹³ “What a weariness this is,” you say, and you sniff at it,^[d] says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.^{(G) 14} Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.^(H)

Two Kinds of Wisdom

¹³ Who is wise and knowledgeable among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.^{(A) 14} But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be arrogant and lie about the truth. ¹⁵ This is not wisdom that comes down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish.^{(B) 16} For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.^{(C) 17} But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.^{(D) 18} And the fruit of righteousness^[a] is sown in peace by those who make peace.^(E)

Friendship with the World

4 Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? ² You want something and do not have it, so you commit murder. And you covet^[b] something and cannot obtain it, so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.^{(F) 4} Adulterers!^[c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.^{(G) 5} Or do you suppose that the scripture speaks to no purpose? Does the spirit that God caused to dwell^[d] in us desire envy?^{(H) 6} But God gives all the more grace; therefore it says,

⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.^{(J) 8} Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.^{(K) 9} Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.^(L)

Warning against Judging Another

¹¹ Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another speaks evil against the law and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.^{(M) 12} There is one lawgiver and judge^[e] who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?^(N)

Jesus Cleanses Ten Men with a Skin Disease

¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem Jesus^[a] was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee.^{(A) 12} As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance,^{(B) 13} they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” ¹⁴ When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.^{(C) 15} Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.^{(D) 16} He prostrated himself at Jesus’s^[b] feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.^{(E) 17} Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”^(F)