Malachi 1
World English Bible
1 A revelation, Yahweh’s[a] word to Israel by Malachi.
2 “I have loved you,” says Yahweh.
Yet you say, “How have you loved us?”
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says Yahweh, “Yet I loved Jacob; 3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places;” Yahweh of Armies says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever.”
5 Your eyes will see, and you will say, “Yahweh is great—even beyond the border of Israel!”
6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says Yahweh of Armies to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is contemptible.’ 8 When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies.
9 “Now, please entreat the favor of God,[b] that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?” says Yahweh of Armies.
10 “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations,” says Yahweh of Armies. 12 “But you profane it, in that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.’ 13 You say also, ‘Behold,[c] what a weariness it is!’ and you have sniffed at it”, says Yahweh of Armies; “and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?” says Yahweh.
14 “But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord[d] a defective thing; for I am a great King,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
Footnotes
- 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
- 1:9 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
- 1:13 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
- 1:14 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai.”
Malachi 1
Common English Bible
1 A pronouncement. The Lord’s word to Israel through Malachi.[a]
Love of Jacob
2 I have loved you, says the Lord;
but you say, “How have you loved us?”
Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?
says the Lord.
I loved Jacob, 3 but I rejected Esau.
I turned Esau’s mountains into desolation,
his inheritance into a wilderness for jackals.
4 Edom may say, “We are beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins”;
but the Lord of heavenly forces proclaims:
They may build, but I will tear them down.
They will call themselves a wicked territory,
the people against whom the Lord rages forever.
5 Your eyes will see it and you will say,
“May the Lord be great beyond the borders of Israel.”
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[b]?”
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[c]
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,[d]
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[e] 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 1:1 Or my messenger
- 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.
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible