1 T he burden or oracle (the thing to be lifted up) of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

¶ The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel by the hand of Malachi.

2 I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say, How and in what way have You loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the Lord; yet I loved Jacob (Israel),

I have loved you, said the LORD. Yet ye say, In what hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? said the LORD; yet I loved Jacob,

3 B ut I have hated Esau and have laid waste his mountains, and his heritage I have given to the jackals of the wilderness.

and I rejected Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

4 T hough Edom should say, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places—thus says the Lord of hosts: They may build, but I will tear and throw down; and men will call them the Wicked Country, the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever.

When Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus hath the LORD of the hosts said, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The province of wickedness and The people against whom the LORD has indignation for ever.

5 Y our own eyes shall see this and you shall say, The Lord is great and will be magnified over and beyond the border of Israel!

And your eyes shall see and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified over the province of Israel.

6 A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is the fear due Me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise My name. You say, How and in what way have we despised Your name?

¶ The son honours his father and the slave his master; if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is my fear? said the LORD of the hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, In what have we despised thy name?

7 B y offering polluted food upon My altar. And you ask, How have we polluted it and profaned You? By thinking that the table of the Lord is contemptible and may be despised.

Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar; and ye say, In what have we polluted thee? In that ye say, We die of hunger in the service of the LORD.

8 W hen you offer blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and the sick, is it not evil? Present such a thing now to your governor. Will he be pleased with you? Or will he receive you graciously? says the Lord of hosts.

And when ye offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Likewise when ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy prince; will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? said the LORD of the hosts.

9 N ow then, I beg, entreat God that He will be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will He accept it or show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.

And now, therefore, beseech the face of God, and he will have compassion on us; this has come by your hand: will he regard your persons? said the LORD of the hosts.

10 O h, that there were even one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on My altar to no purpose! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand.

Who is there even among you that would shut the doors or tend the fire on my altar for free? I have no pleasure in you, said the LORD of the hosts, neither will the offering from your hand be agreeable unto me.

11 F or from the rising of the sun to its setting My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and indeed a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered unto my name, and a clean offering; for my name is great among the Gentiles, said the LORD of the hosts.

12 B ut you profane it when you say, The table of the Lord is polluted, and the fruit of it, its food, is contemptible and may be despised.

And ye have profaned it when ye say, We die of hunger at the service of the LORD and when ye speak that his food is contemptible.

13 Y ou say also, Behold, what a drudgery and weariness this is! And you have sniffed at it, says the Lord of hosts. And you have brought that which was taken by violence, or the lame or the sick; this you bring as an offering! Shall I accept this from your hand? says the Lord.

And ye say, Behold, what a weariness it is! and ye have rejected it, said the LORD of the hosts; and ye brought that which was stolen or lame or sick and presented an offering: should this be acceptable unto me by your hand? said the LORD.

14 B ut cursed is the deceiver who has a male in his flock and vows to offer it, yet sacrifices to the Lord a blemished or diseased thing! For I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and My name is terrible and to be feared among the nations.

But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male and vows and sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of the hosts, and my name is formidable among the Gentiles.