Malachi 1

¹ A message. The word of Yahweh to Israel through Malachi.

² 'I have loved you, says Yahweh. But you ask, "How have you shown your love?" Was not Esau Jacob'sbrother? declares Yahweh; even so, I loved Jacob

³ but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a desert and his heritage into dwellings in the wastelands.

⁴ If Edom says, "We have been struck down but we shall rebuild our ruins," Yahweh Sabaoth says this,"Let them build, but I shal pul down! They wil be known as Land of Wickedness and Nation-with-which-Yahweh-is-angry-for-ever.

⁵ You wil see this yourselves and you wil say: Yahweh is mighty beyond the borders of Israel."

⁶ 'The son honours his father, the slave stands in awe of his master. But if I am indeed father, where isthe honour due to me? And if I am indeed master, where is the awe due to me? says Yahweh Sabaoth to youpriests who despise my name. You ask, "How have we despised your name?"

⁷ By putting pol uted food on my altar. You ask, "How have we polluted you?" By saying, "The table ofYahweh deserves no respect."

⁸ When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is this not wrong? When you bring the lame and thediseased, is this not wrong? If you offer them to your governor, see if he is pleased with them or receives yougraciously, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

⁹ In that case, try pleading with God to take pity on us (that is what you have done), and wil he take anynotice? says Yahweh Sabaoth.

¹⁰ Why does one of you not close the doors and so stop the pointless lighting of fires on my altar? I amnot pleased with you, says Yahweh Sabaoth; from your hands I find no offerings acceptable.

¹¹ But from farthest east to farthest west my name is great among the nations, and everywhere incenseand a pure gift are offered to my name, since my name is great among the nations, says Yahweh Sabaoth.

¹² 'But you have profaned it by saying, "The table of the Lord is pol uted, hence the food offered on itdeserves no respect."

¹³ You say, "How tiresome it al is!" and sniff disdainful y at me, says Yahweh Sabaoth. You bring astolen, lame or diseased animal, you bring that as an offering! Am I to accept this from you? says YahwehSabaoth.

¹⁴ Cursed be the rogue who has a male in his flock but pays his vow by sacrificing a blemished animal tome! For I am a great king, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and among the nations my name inspires awe.'