Malachi 1:6-14
Christian Standard Bible
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?(A) says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.”
Yet you ask, “How have we despised your name?”
7 “By presenting defiled food on my altar.”
“How have we defiled you?” you ask.(B)
When you say, “The Lord’s table is contemptible.”(C)
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?(D) Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord of Armies. 9 “And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us?(E) Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?” (F) asks the Lord of Armies. 10 “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors,(G) so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar!(H) I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept(I) no offering from your hands.(J)
11 “My name will be great among the nations,(K) from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense[a] and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations,”[b] says the Lord of Armies.
12 “But you are profaning it(L) 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[c] it,”[d](M) says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen,[e](N) 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.(O) For I am a great King,” says the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.
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Malachi 1:6-14
Common English Bible
Honoring the Lord
6 A son honors a father,
and a servant honors his master.
But if I’m a father, where is my honor?
Or if I’m a master, where is my respect?
says the Lord of heavenly forces
to you priests who despise my name.
So you say, “How have we despised your name?”
7 By approaching my altar with polluted food.
But you say, “How have we polluted it[a]?”
When you say, “The table of the Lord can be despised.”
8 If you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that evil?
If you bring a lame or sick one, isn’t that evil?
Would you bring it to your governor?
Would he be pleased with it or accept you?
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
9 So now ask God to be gracious to us.
After what you have done, will he accept you?
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
10 Who among you will shut the doors of the temple[b]
so that you don’t burn something on my altar in vain?
I take no delight in you,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
I won’t accept a grain offering from your hand.
11 Nevertheless, from sunrise to sunset,
my name will be great among the nations.
Incense and a pure grain offering will be offered everywhere in my name,
because my name is great among the nations,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
12 But you make my name impure when you say,
“The table of the Lord is polluted.
Its fruit, its food, is despised.”
13 But you say, “How tedious!”
and you groan about it,
says the Lord of heavenly forces.
You permit what is stolen, lame, or sick to be brought for a sacrifice,[c]
and you bring the grain offering.
Should I accept such from your hands?
says the Lord.
14 I will curse the cheater who has a healthy[d] male in his flock,
but who promises and sacrifices to the Lord that which is corrupt.
I am truly a great king,
says the Lord of heavenly forces,
and my name is feared among the nations.
Footnotes
- Malachi 1:7 Gk; Heb you
- Malachi 1:10 Heb lacks of the temple.
- Malachi 1:13 Heb lacks for a sacrifice.
- Malachi 1:14 Heb lacks healthy.
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