The Lord’s Love for Israel

A pronouncement:(A)

The word of the Lord(B) to Israel through(C) Malachi.[a]

“I have loved you,”(D) says the Lord.

Yet 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, but I hated Esau.(F) I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”(G)

Though Edom says, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild[b] the ruins,” the Lord of Armies 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) 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

“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 the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.”

Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name?”

“By presenting defiled food on my altar.”

“How have we defiled you?” you ask.(L)

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

“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 Armies. “And now plead 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 Armies. 10 “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors,(Q) so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar!(R) I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept(S) no offering from your hands.(T)

11 “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 the Lord of Armies.

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 Armies. “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 the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1 = My Messenger
  2. 1:4 Or will return and build
  3. 1:4 Or Lord is angry with
  4. 1:5 Or great over
  5. 1:11 Or Burnt offerings
  6. 1:11 Or is great... are presented... is great
  7. 1:13 Lit blow at
  8. 1:13 Alt Hb tradition reads me
  9. 1:13 Or injured

The burden of a word of Jehovah unto Israel by the hand of Malachi:

I have loved you, said Jehovah, And ye have said, `In what hast Thou loved us?'

Is not Esau Jacob's brother? -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I love Jacob, and Esau I have hated, And I make his mountains a desolation, And his inheritance for dragons of a wilderness.

Because Edom saith, `We have been made poor, And we turn back and we build the wastes,' Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They do build, and I do destroy, And [men] have called to them, `O region of wickedness,' `O people whom Jehovah defied to the age.'

And your eyes do see, and ye say, `Magnified is Jehovah beyond the border of Israel,

A son honoureth a father, and a servant his master. And if I [am] a father, where [is] Mine honour? And if I [am] a master, where [is] My fear? Said Jehovah of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My name! And ye have said: `In what have we despised Thy name?'

Ye are bringing nigh on Mine altar polluted bread, And ye have said: `In what have we polluted Thee?' In your saying: `The table of Jehovah -- it [is] despicable,'

And when ye bring nigh the blind for sacrifice, `There is no evil,' And when ye bring nigh the lame and sick, `There is no evil;' Bring it near, I pray thee, to thy governor -- Doth he accept thee? or doth he lift up thy face? Said Jehovah of Hosts.

And now, appease, I pray thee, the face of God, And He doth favour us; From your own hand hath this been, Doth He accept of you appearances? Said Jehovah of Hosts.

10 Who [is] even among you, And he shutteth the two-leaved doors? Yea, ye do not kindle Mine altar for nought, I have no pleasure in you, said Jehovah of Hosts, And a present I do not accept of your hand.

11 For, from the rising of the sun to its going in, Great [is] My name among nations, And in every place perfume is brought nigh to My name, and a pure present, For great [is] My name among nations, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

12 And ye are polluting it in your saying, `The table of Jehovah -- it is polluted, As to its fruit -- despicable is its food.'

13 And ye have said, `Lo, what a weariness,' And ye have puffed at it, said Jehovah of Hosts, And ye have brought in plunder, And the lame and the sick, And ye have brought in the present! Do I accept it from your hand? said Jehovah.

14 And cursed [is] a deceiver, who hath in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For a great king [am] I, said Jehovah of Hosts, And My name [is] revered among nations!