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The Lord’s Love for Israel

¹ A pronouncement:^(C1)

The word of the Lord^(C2) to Israel through^(C3) Malachi.^(F1)

² “I have loved you,”^(C1) says the Lord.

Yet you ask, “How have you loved us?”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” ^(C2) This is the Lord’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, ³ but I hated Esau.^(C1) I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”^(C2)

⁴ Though Edom says: “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild^(F1) the ruins,” the Lord of Armies says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country^(C1) and the people the Lord has cursed^(F2) forever.^{(C2) 5} Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, ‘The Lord is great, even beyond^(F1) the borders of Israel.’^(C1)

Disobedience of the Priests

⁶ “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me?^(C1) says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.”

Yet you ask: “How have we despised your name?”

⁷ “By presenting defiled food on my altar.”

“How have we defiled you?” you ask.^(C1)

When you say: “The Lord’s table is contemptible.”^(C2)

⁸ “When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong?^(C1) Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the Lord of Armies. ⁹ “And now plead for God’s favor. Will he be gracious to us?^(C1) Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?” ^(C2) asks the Lord of Armies. ¹⁰ “I wish one of you would shut the temple doors,^(C1) so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar!^(C2) I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I will accept^(C3) no offering from your hands.^(C4)

¹¹ “My name will be great among the nations,^(C1) from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense^(F1) and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations,”^(F2) says the Lord of Armies.

¹² “But you are profaning it^(C1) when you say: ‘The Lord’s table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.’ ¹³ You also say: ‘Look, what a nuisance!’ And you scorn^(F1) it,”^(F2)(C1) says the Lord of Armies. “You bring stolen,^(F3)(C2) lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?” asks the Lord.

¹⁴ “The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord.^(C1) For I am a great King,” says the Lord of Armies, “and my name will be feared among the nations.