Malachi 1:1-8

This message is the word of the LORD given to Israel through Malachi. The LORD said, “I have loved you.” But you ask, “How have you loved us?” The LORD said, “Esau and Jacob were brothers. I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. I destroyed his mountain country and left his land to the wild dogs of the desert.” The people of Edom might say, “We were destroyed, but we will go back and rebuild the ruins.” But the LORD All-Powerful says, “If they rebuild them, I will destroy them. People will say, ‘Edom is a wicked country. The LORD is always angry with the Edomites.’ You will see these things with your own eyes. And you will say, ‘The LORD is great, even outside the borders of Israel!’ ” The LORD All-Powerful says, “A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master.” I am a father, so why don’t you honor me? I am a master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests do not respect me. “But you ask, ‘How have we shown you disrespect?’ “You have shown it by bringing unclean food to my altar. “But you ask, ‘What makes it unclean?’ “It is unclean because you don’t respect the altar of the LORD. When you bring blind animals as sacrifices, that is wrong. When you bring crippled and sick animals, that is wrong. Try giving them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? He wouldn’t accept you,” says the LORD All-Powerful.