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God's Love for Jacob

¹ The ^(F1)(C1)oracle of the word of the LORD to ^(C2)Israel through ^(F2)Malachi.

² "I have ^(C1)loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD. "Yet I ^(C2)have loved Jacob;³ but I have hated Esau, and I have ^(C1)made his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness."⁴ Though Edom says, "We have been ^(C1)beaten down, but we will ^(F1)(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 ^(F2)wicked territory, and the people ^(F3)toward whom the LORD is indignant ^(C4)forever."⁵ Your eyes will see this and you will say, "^(C1)The LORD ^(F1)be magnified beyond the ^(F2)border of Israel!"

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 My ^(F1)respect?' says the LORD of hosts to you, O ^(C3)priests who despise My name. But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?'⁷ "You are presenting ^(C1)defiled ^(F1)(C2)food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The ^(C3)table of the LORD is to be despised.'⁸ "But when you present the ^(C1)blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? ^(F1)Why not offer it to your ^(C2)governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts.⁹ "But now ^(F1)will you not ^(C1)entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us? ^(F2)With such an offering on your part, will He ^(C2)receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of hosts.¹⁰ "Oh that there were one among you who would ^(C1)shut the ^(F1)gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of hosts, "^(C2)nor will I accept an offering from ^(F2)you.¹¹ "For from the ^(C1)rising of the sun even to its setting, ^(C2)My name will be ^(C3)great among the nations, and in every place ^(C4)incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be ^(C5)great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts.¹² "But you are ^(C1)profaning it, in that you say, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'¹³ "You also say, '^(F1)My, how ^(C1)tiresome it is!' And you disdainfully sniff at it," says the LORD of hosts, "and you bring what was taken by ^(C2)robbery and what is ^(C3)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I ^(C4)receive that from your hand?" says the LORD.¹⁴ "But cursed be the ^(C1)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a ^(C2)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great ^(C3)King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is ^(F1)(C4)feared among the ^(F2)nations."