Malachi 1
1
“I Loved Jacob, but Esau I Hated”
1This is a divine revelation. The Lord spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.
2“I loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “I loved Jacob, 3but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.
4“The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’
“Yet, this is what the Lord of Armies says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is always angry.’ 5You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel the Lord is great.’
The Priests Offer Unacceptable Sacrifices to the LORD
6“This is what the Lord of Armies says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7“You offer contaminated food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated you?’
“When you say that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.
9“Now try asking God to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.
10“I wish one of you would shut the doors ⌞to my house⌟ so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
11“From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord of Armies. 12“But you dishonor it when you say that the Lord’s table may be contaminated and that its food may be despised.
13“You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks the Lord.
14“Cheaters are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow to give ⌞as a sacrifice⌟. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to the Lord instead. I am a great king,” says the Lord of Armies. “Among the nations my name is respected.
Currently Selected:
Malachi 1: GW
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Malachi 1
1
1This is the message that the LORD gave Malachi to tell the people of Israel.
The LORD's Love for Israel
2 #
Rom 9.13
#
Is 34.5–17; 63.1–6; Jer 49.7–22; Ezek 25.12–14; 35.1–15; Amos 1.11–12; Obad 1–14 The LORD says to his people, “I have always loved you.”
But they reply, “How have you shown your love for us?”
The LORD answers, “Esau and Jacob were brothers, but I have loved Jacob and his descendants, 3and have hated Esau and his descendants. I have devastated Esau's hill country and abandoned the land to jackals.”
4If Esau's descendants, the Edomites, say, “Our towns have been destroyed, but we will rebuild them,” then the LORD will reply, “Let them rebuild — I will tear them down again. People will call them ‘The evil country’ and ‘The nation with whom the LORD is angry for ever.’ ”
5The people of Israel are going to see this with their own eyes, and they will say, “The LORD is mighty even outside the land of Israel!”
The LORD Reprimands the Priests
6The LORD Almighty says to the priests, “A son honours his father, and a servant honours his master. I am your father — why don't you honour me? I am your master — why don't you respect me? You despise me, and yet you ask, ‘How have we despised you?’ 7This is how — by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, ‘How have we failed to respect you?’ I will tell you — by showing contempt for my altar. 8#Deut 15.21When you bring a blind or sick or lame animal to sacrifice to me, do you think there's nothing wrong with that? Try giving an animal like that to the governor! Would he be pleased with you or grant you any favours?”
9Now, you priests, try asking God to be good to us. He will not answer your prayer, and it will be your fault. 10The LORD Almighty says, “I wish one of you would close the temple doors so as to prevent you from lighting useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you; I will not accept the offerings you bring me. 11People from one end of the world to the other honour me. Everywhere they burn incense to me and offer acceptable sacrifices. All of them honour me! 12But you dishonour me when you say that my altar is worthless and when you offer on it food that you despise. 13You say, ‘How tired we are of all this!’ and you turn up your nose at me. As your offering to me you bring a stolen animal or one that is lame or sick. Do you think I will accept that from you? 14A curse on the cheat who sacrifices a worthless animal to me, when he has in his flock a good animal that he promised to give me! For I am a great king, and people of all nations fear me.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.