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God's Love for Jacob

¹ The ^(C1)pronouncement of the word of the LORD to ^(C2)Israel through ^(F1)Malachi:

² "I have ^(C1)loved you," says the LORD. But you say, "How have You loved us?" "Was Esau not 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 given his inheritance to 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"; this is what the LORD of armies says: "They may ^(C3)build, but I will tear down; and people will call them the ^(F2)territory of wickedness, and the people ^(F3)with whom the LORD is indignant ^(C4)forever."⁵ And your eyes will see this, and you will say, "^(C1)The LORD ^(F1)be exalted 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 armies to you, the ^(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 "And when you present a ^(C1)blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your ^(C2)governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of armies.⁹ "But now, do indeed ^(C1)plead for God's favor, so that He will be gracious to us. ^(F1)With such an offering on your part, will He ^(C2)receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of armies.¹⁰ "If only there were one among you who would ^(C1)shut the ^(F1)gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of armies, "^(C2)nor will I accept an offering from your hand.¹¹ "For from the ^(C1)rising of the sun even to its setting, ^(C2)My name shall be ^(C3)great among the nations, and in every place ^(C4)frankincense 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 armies.¹² "But you are ^(C1)profaning it by your saying, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'¹³ "You also say, 'See, ^(F1)how ^(C1)tiresome it is!' And you view it as trivial," says the LORD of armies, "and you bring what was taken by ^(C2)robbery and what is ^(C3)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I ^(C4)accept it 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 armies, "and My name is ^(F1)(C4)feared among the ^(F2)nations."