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Introduction and God’s Election of Israel
1 This is an oracle,[a] the Lord’s message to Israel through Malachi:[b]
2 “I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?”
“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob 3 and rejected Esau.[c] I turned Esau’s[d] mountains into a deserted wasteland[e] and gave his territory[f] to the wild jackals.”[g]
4 Edom[h] says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord of Heaven’s Armies[i] responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as[j] the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased. 5 Your eyes will see it, and then you will say, ‘May the Lord be magnified[k] even beyond the border of Israel!’”
The Sacrilege of Priestly Service
6 “A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects[l] his master. If I am your[m] father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The Lord of Heaven’s Armies asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, ‘How have we made light of your name?’ 7 You are offering improper sacrifices on my altar, yet you ask, ‘How have we offended you?’ By treating the table[n] of the Lord as if it is of no importance. 8 For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick,[o] is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering them[p] to your governor! Will he be pleased with you[q] or show you favor?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 “But now plead for God’s favor[r] that he might be gracious to us.”[s] “With this kind of offering in your hands, how can he be pleased with you?” asks the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
10 “I wish that one of you would close the temple doors,[t] so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will no longer accept an offering from you. 11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,”[u] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 12 “But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings[v] despicable. 13 You also say, ‘How tiresome it is.’ You turn up your nose at it,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?”[w] asks the Lord. 14 “There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king,”[x] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is awesome among the nations.”
The Sacrilege of the Priestly Message
2 “Now, you priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you do not listen and take seriously[y] the need to honor my name,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will send judgment[z] on you and turn your blessings into curses—indeed, I have already done so because you are not taking it to heart. 3 I am about to discipline your children[aa] and will spread offal[ab] on your faces,[ac] the very offal produced at your festivals, and you will be carried away along with it. 4 Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant[ad] may continue to be with Levi,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 5 “My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me. 6 He taught what was true;[ae] sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin. 7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him[af] because he is the messenger of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law;[ag] you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,”[ah] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 9 “Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent that you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your[ai] instruction.”
The Rebellion of the People
10 Do we not all have one father?[aj] Did not one God create us? Why do we betray one another, thus making light of the covenant of our ancestors? 11 Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned[ak] the holy things that the Lord loves and has turned to a foreign god![al] 12 May the Lord cut off from the community[am] of Jacob every last person who does this,[an] as well as the person who presents improper offerings to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies!
13 You also do this: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears[ao] as you weep and groan, because he no longer pays any attention to the offering nor accepts it favorably from you. 14 Yet you ask, “Why?” The Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young,[ap] to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law.[aq] 15 No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this.[ar] What did our ancestor[as] do when seeking a child from God? Be attentive, then, to your own spirit, for one should not be disloyal to the wife he took in his youth.[at] 16 “I hate divorce,”[au] says the Lord God of Israel, “and the one who is guilty of violence,”[av] says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. “Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful.”
Resistance to the Lord through Self-deceit
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” Because you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s opinion,[aw] and he delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
A New Heaven and a New Earth
21 Then[a] I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist,[b] and the sea existed no more. 2 And I saw the holy city—the new Jerusalem—descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Look! The residence[c] of God is among human beings.[d] He[e] will live among them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them.[f] 4 He[g] will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more—or mourning, or crying, or pain, for the former things have ceased to exist.”[h]
5 And the one seated on the throne said: “Look! I am making all things new!” Then[i] he said to me, “Write it down,[j] because these words are reliable[k] and true.” 6 He also said to me, “It is done![l] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water[m] free of charge[n] from the spring of the water of life. 7 The one who conquers[o] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells,[p] idol worshipers,[q] and all those who lie, their place[r] will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.[s] That[t] is the second death.”
The New Jerusalem Descends
9 Then[u] one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven final plagues came and spoke to me,[v] saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb!” 10 So[w] he took me away in the Spirit[x] to a huge, majestic mountain[y] and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. 11 The city possesses[z] the glory of God; its brilliance is like a precious jewel, like a stone of crystal-clear jasper.[aa] 12 It has[ab] a massive, high wall[ac] with twelve gates,[ad] with twelve angels at the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel[ae] are written on the gates.[af] 13 There are[ag] three gates on the east side, three gates on the north side, three gates on the south side and three gates on the west side.[ah] 14 The[ai] wall of the city has twelve foundations, and on them are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel[aj] who spoke to me had a golden measuring rod with which to measure the city and its foundation stones and wall. 16 Now[ak] the city is laid out as a square,[al] its length and width the same. He[am] measured the city with the measuring rod[an] at 1,400 miles[ao] (its length and width and height are equal). 17 He also measured its wall, 144 cubits[ap] according to human measurement, which is also the angel’s.[aq] 18 The city’s[ar] wall is made[as] of jasper and the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.[at] 19 The foundations of the city’s wall are decorated[au] with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation is jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate,[av] the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx,[aw] the sixth carnelian,[ax] the seventh chrysolite,[ay] the eighth beryl,[az] the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase,[ba] the eleventh jacinth,[bb] and the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates are twelve pearls—each one of the gates is made from just one pearl! The[bc] main street[bd] of the city is pure gold, like transparent glass.
22 Now[be] I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God—the All-Powerful[bf]—and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations[bg] will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur[bh] into it. 25 Its gates will never be closed during the day[bi] (and[bj] there will be no night there).[bk] 26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth[bl] of the nations[bm] into it, 27 but[bn] nothing ritually unclean[bo] will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable[bp] or practices falsehood,[bq] but only those whose names[br] are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Psalm 149[a]
149 Praise the Lord.
Sing to the Lord a new song.
Praise him in the assembly of the godly.[b]
2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator.
Let the people[c] of Zion delight in their King.[d]
3 Let them praise his name with dancing.
Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp.
4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;
he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.[e]
5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication.[f]
Let them shout for joy upon their beds.[g]
6 May the praises of God be in their mouths
and a two-edged sword in their hands,
7 in order to take[h] revenge on the nations,
and punish foreigners.
8 The godly bind[i] their enemies’ kings in chains,
and their nobles in iron shackles,
9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies[j] have been sentenced.[k]
All his loyal followers will be vindicated.[l]
Praise the Lord.
The Wife of Noble Character[a]
10 Who can find[b] a wife[c] of noble character?[d]
For her value[e] is far more than rubies.[f]
11 Her husband’s heart has trusted[g] her,
and he does not lack the dividends.[h]
12 She has rewarded him[i] with good and not harm[j]
all the days of her life.
13 She sought out[k] wool and flax,
then worked[l] happily with her hands.[m]
14 She was[n] like the merchant ships;[o]
she would bring in[p] her food from afar.
15 Then she rose[q] while it was still night,
and provided[r] food[s] for her household and a portion[t] to her female servants.
16 She considered[u] a field and bought[v] it;
from her own income[w] she planted[x] a vineyard.
17 She clothed[y] herself in might,
and she strengthened[z] her arms.
18 She perceived[aa] that her merchandise was good.
Her lamp[ab] would[ac] not go out in the night.
19 She extended[ad] her hands[ae] to the spool,
and her hands grasped[af] the spindle.
20 She opened[ag] her hand[ah] to the poor,
and extended[ai] her hands to the needy.
21 She would not[aj] fear[ak] for her household in winter,[al]
because all her household were clothed with scarlet,[am]
22 because[an] she had made[ao] coverings for herself;[ap]
and because her clothing was fine linen and purple.[aq]
23 Her husband is well-known[ar] in the city gate[as]
when he sits with the elders[at] of the land.
24 She made[au] linen garments[av] then sold[aw] them,
and traded[ax] belts to the merchants;[ay]
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