1 A pronouncement: ⓚ The word of the LORD ⓛ to Israel through ⓜ Malachi. [1]
2 “I have loved you,” ⓝ says the LORD. Yet you ask, “How have you loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” ⓐ This is the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob,
3 but I hated Esau. ⓑ I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.” ⓒ
4 Though Edom says: “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild [2] the ruins,” the LORD of Armies says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country ⓓ and the people the LORD has cursed [3] forever. ⓔ
5 Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The LORD is great, even beyond [4] the borders of Israel.’ ⓕ
Priests Despise the Name of the Lord
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? ⓖ 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. ⓗ When you say: “The LORD’s table is contemptible.” ⓘ
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? ⓙ 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? ⓚ Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?” ⓛ asks the LORD of Armies.
10 “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, ⓜ so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! ⓝ I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of Armies, “and I will accept ⓐ no offering from your hands. ⓑ
11 “My name will be great among the nations, ⓒ from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense [5] and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations,” [6] says the LORD of Armies.
12 “But you are profaning it ⓓ 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 [7] it,” [8] ⓔ says the LORD of Armies. “You bring stolen, [9] ⓕ 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. ⓖ For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.