God’s Love for Jacob

1 The ^(A)pronouncement of the word of the Lord to ^(B)Israel through ^[a]Malachi:

² “I have ^(C)loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I ^(D)have loved Jacob; ³ but I have hated Esau, and I have ^(E)made his mountains a desolation and given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness.” ⁴ Though Edom says, “We have been ^(F)beaten down, but we will ^[b](G)return and build up the ruins”; this is what the Lord of armies says: “They may ^(H)build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the ^[c]territory of wickedness, and the people ^[d]with whom the Lord is indignant ^(I)forever.” ⁵ And your eyes will see this, and you will say, “^(J)The Lord ^[e]be exalted beyond the ^[f]border of Israel!”

Sin of the Priests

⁶ “‘A son ^(K)honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a ^(L)father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My ^[g]respect?’ says the Lord of armies to you, the ^(M)priests who despise My name! But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ ⁷ You are presenting ^(N)defiled ^[h](O)food upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The ^(P)table of the Lord is to be despised.’ ⁸ And when you present a ^(Q)blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your ^(R)governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. ⁹ “But now, do indeed ^(S)plead for God’s favor, so that He will be gracious to us. ^[i]With such an offering on your part, will He ^(T)receive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of armies. ¹⁰ “If only there were one among you who would ^(U)shut the ^[j]gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of armies, “^(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 shall be ^(Y)great among the nations, and in every place ^(Z)frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be ^(AA)great among the nations,” says the Lord of armies. ¹² “But you are ^(AB)profaning it by your saying, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ ¹³ You also say, ‘See, ^[k]how ^(AC)tiresome it is!’ And you view it as trivial,” says the Lord of armies, “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 it from your hand?” says the Lord. ¹⁴ “But cursed be the ^(AG)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a ^(AH)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great ^(AI)King,” says the Lord of armies, “and My name is ^[l](AJ)feared among the ^[m]nations.”