The Lord’s Love for Israel

1 An oracle:^(A) The word of the Lord^(B) to Israel through^(C) Malachi.^[a]

² “I have loved you,”^(D) says the Lord.

But you ask: “How have You loved us?”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?”^(E) This is the Lord’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, ³ but I hated Esau.^(F) I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”^(G)

⁴ Though Edom says: “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild^[b] the ruins,” the Lord of Hosts says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country^(H) and the people the Lord has cursed^[c] forever.^{(I) 5} Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The Lord is great, even beyond^[d] the borders of Israel.’^(J)

Disobedience of the Priests

⁶ “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?^(K) says Yahweh of Hosts to you priests, who despise My name.”

Yet you ask: “How have we despised Your name?”

⁷ “By presenting defiled food on My altar.”

You ask: “How have we defiled You?”^(L)

When you say: “The Lord’s table is contemptible.”^(M)

⁸ “When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong?^(N) Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord of Hosts. ⁹ “And now ask for God’s favor. Will He be gracious to us?^(O) Since this has come from your hands, will He show any of you favor?”^(P) asks the Lord of Hosts. ¹⁰ “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors,^(Q) so you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My altar!^(R) I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Hosts, “and I will accept^(S) no offering from your hands.^(T)

¹¹ “For My name will be great among the nations,^(U) from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense^[e] and pure offerings will be presented in My name in every place because My name will be great among the nations,”^[f] says Yahweh of Hosts.

¹² But you are profaning it^(V) when you say: “The Lord’s table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.” ¹³ You also say: “Look, what a nuisance!” “And you scorn^[g] it,”^[h](W) says the Lord of Hosts. “You bring stolen,^[i](X) lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?” asks the Lord.

¹⁴ “The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord.^(Y) For I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Hosts, “and My name^[j] will be feared among the nations.