1 An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi.
1 The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.
2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, How have you loved us? "Was not Esau Jacobs brother?" the LORD says. "Yet I have loved Jacob,
2 I have loved you, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacobs brother, saith Jehovah: yet I loved Jacob;
3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals."
3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and (gave) his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.
4 Edom may say, "Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins." But this is what the LORD Almighty says: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the LORD.
4 Whereas 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.
5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, Great is the LORD--even beyond the borders of Israel!
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel.
6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, How have we shown contempt for your name?
6 A 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?
7 "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, How have we defiled you? "By saying that the LORDS table is contemptible.
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.
8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
8 And 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.
9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty.
9 And 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.
10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.
10 Oh 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.
11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. 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 Almighty.
11 For 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.
12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lords table, It is defiled, and of its food, It is contemptible.
12 But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible.
13 And you say, What a burden! and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.
13 Ye 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.
14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.
14 But 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.