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.