Malachi 1

1The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.

1This is the message that the LORD gave to Israel through Malachi.

2I have loved you, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith Jehovah: yet I loved Jacob;

2“I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have you loved us?” The LORD answers, “Wasn’t Esau the brother of Jacob? Yet I loved Jacob,

3but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.

3but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals of the desert.”

4Whereas Edom saith, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places; thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and men shall call them The border of wickedness, and The people against whom Jehovah hath indignation for ever.

4The people of Edom might say, “We have been destroyed, but we will rebuild the ruins.” But the LORD of Armies says: “They may build, but I will tear it down. People will call them ‘The Land of Wickedness’ and ‘The People the LORD is always angry with.’

5And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel.

5You will see this with your own eyes and say, ‘The LORD is great even beyond the borders of Israel!’

6A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

6“A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due to me? If I am a master, where is the respect due to me?” says the LORD of Armies to you priests who despise my name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’

7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.

7“You offer defiled food on my altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’ You do it by saying that the LORD’s table deserves no respect.

8And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts.

8When you sacrifice blind animals, isn’t that wrong? When you sacrifice lame or sick animals, isn’t that wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD of Armies.

9And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he accept any of your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts.

9“Now go ahead and plead with God to be kind to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he show you any favor?” says the LORD of Armies.

10Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

10“I wish one of you would just shut the Temple doors so you wouldn’t light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I will not accept any offering from your hands.

11For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts.

11“My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Armies.

12But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible.

12“But you dishonor my name by saying that the Lord’s table is defiled and its food is worthless.

13Ye say also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah.

13You say, ‘What a burden!’ and you turn up your noses at it,” says the LORD of Armies. “When you bring stolen, lame, or sick animals as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the LORD.

14But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith Jehovah of hosts, and my name is terrible among the Gentiles.

14“A curse on the cheat who has a healthy male in his flock and promises to give it, but then sacrifices a flawed animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations.”