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God's Love for Jacob

¹ The ^(F1)(C1)oracle (burdensome message) of the word of the LORD to ^(C2)Israel through My messenger Malachi.

² "I have ^(C1)loved you," says the LORD. ^(F1)But you say, "How and in what way have You loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I ^(C2)loved Jacob (Israel);³ but in comparison with My love for Jacob I have hated Esau (Edom), and I have ^(C1)made his mountains a wasteland, and have given his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness." ^(VR1)4 Though impoverished Edom says, "We have been ^(C1)beaten down, but we will ^(C2)return and build up the ruins." Thus says the LORD of hosts, "They may ^(C3)build, but I will tear down; and men will call them the Wicked Territory, the people against whom the LORD is indignant ^(C4)forever."⁵ Your own eyes will see this and you will say, "^(C1)The LORD is great and shall be magnified beyond the border of Israel!" ^(VR1)

Sin of the Priests

⁶ "'A son ^(C1)honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a ^(C2)Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the reverent fear and respect due Me?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O ^(C3)priests, who despise My name. But you say, 'How and in what way have we despised Your name?'⁷ "You are presenting ^(C1)defiled ^(C2)food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' By thinking that the ^(C3)table of the LORD is contemptible and may be despised.⁸ "When you priests present the ^(F1)(C1)blind animals for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Offer such a thing as a blind or lame or sick animal to your ^(C2)governor as a gift or as payment for your taxes. Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you graciously?" says the LORD of hosts.⁹ "But now will you not ^(C1)entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? With such an offering from your hand as an imperfect animal for sacrifice, will He ^(C2)show favor to any of you?" says the LORD of hosts.¹⁰ "Oh, that there were even one among you whose duty it is to minister to Me who would ^(C1)shut the gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar uselessly with an empty, worthless pretense! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "^(C2)nor will I accept an offering from your hand.¹¹ "For ^(F1)from the ^(C1)rising of the sun, even to its setting, ^(C2)My name shall be ^(C3)great among the nations. In every place ^(C4)incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be ^(C5)great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts.¹² "But you priests ^(C1)profane it when you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'¹³ "You also say, '^(C1)How tiresome this is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by ^(C2)robbery, and the ^(C3)lame or the sick animals; this you bring as an offering! Should I ^(C4)receive it with pleasure from your hand?" says the LORD. ^(VR1)14 "But cursed is the ^(C1)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows to offer it, but sacrifices to the Lord a ^(C2)blemished or diseased thing! For I am a great ^(C3)King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is to be reverently and greatly ^(C4)feared among the nations."