1 An|strong="H3068" oracle|strong="H4853". The|strong="H3068" message|strong="H1697" of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3068" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* to|strong="H3478" Israel|strong="H3478" through|strong="H3027" Malachi|strong="H4401".
2 ‘I|strong="H3808" have|strong="H3068" loved you|strong="H3808",’ says|strong="H5002" the|strong="H5002" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w*. ‘But|strong="H3808" you|strong="H3808" ask, “How|strong="H4100" have|strong="H3068" you|strong="H3808" shown love to|strong="H3068" us?” Was|strong="H3068" not|strong="H3808" Esau|strong="H6215" Jacob|strong="H3290"’s brother?’ explains the|strong="H5002" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts, ‘yet|strong="H3068" I|strong="H3808" loved Jacob|strong="H3290",
3 but hated|strong="H8130" Esau|strong="H6215", and|strong="H2022" made|strong="H7760" his|strong="H7760" mountains|strong="H2022" a|strong="H3068" desolation|strong="H8077", and|strong="H2022" transformed|strong="H7760" his|strong="H7760" ancestral land|strong="H5159" into|strong="H7760" a|strong="H3068" wilderness|strong="H4057".
4 When|strong="H3588" Edom says|strong="H3541", “We|strong="H3588" are|strong="H1992" beaten|strong="H7567" down|strong="H2040", but|strong="H3588" we|strong="H3068" will|strong="H3068" return|strong="H7725" and|strong="H3068" rebuild|strong="H1129" the|strong="H3588" ruined|strong="H2040" places|strong="H2723"”’ the|strong="H3588" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635" says|strong="H3541", ‘They|strong="H1992" may|strong="H3068" build|strong="H1129", but|strong="H3588" I|strong="H3588" will|strong="H3068" throw down|strong="H2040". They|strong="H1992" will|strong="H3068" be|strong="H3068" called|strong="H7121", “The|strong="H3588" border|strong="H1366" land|strong="H1366" of|strong="H3068" wickedness|strong="H7564",” the|strong="H3588" people|strong="H5971" against|strong="H3068" whom|strong="H1992" the|strong="H3588" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* is|strong="H3068" angry|strong="H2194" forever|strong="H5769".
5 Your|strong="H3068" own|strong="H5869" eyes|strong="H5869" will|strong="H3068" see|strong="H7200" this|strong="H7200", and|strong="H3478" you|strong="H5921" will|strong="H3068" say|strong="H3478", “the|strong="H5921" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w*’s greatness reaches beyond|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" border|strong="H1366" of|strong="H3068" Israel|strong="H3478".”’
6 ‘A|strong="H3068" son|strong="H1121" honours his|strong="H3068" father|strong="H1121" and|strong="H1121" servant|strong="H5650" their|strong="H3068" master. If|strong="H1121" I|strong="H5650" am|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3068" father|strong="H1121", where|strong="H4100" is|strong="H3068" my|strong="H3068" honour|strong="H3519"? And|strong="H1121" if|strong="H1121" I|strong="H5650" am|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3068" master, where|strong="H4100" is|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3068" one|strong="H1121" who|strong="H3068" fears me|strong="H5650"? So|strong="H5650" says the|strong="H3068" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* to|strong="H3068" you|strong="H4100", priests|strong="H3548" who|strong="H3068" despise my|strong="H3068" name|strong="H8034". You|strong="H4100" ask, “How|strong="H4100" have|strong="H3068" we|strong="H3068" despised your|strong="H3068" name|strong="H8034"?”
7 You|strong="H5921" offer|strong="H5066" on|strong="H5921" my|strong="H3068" altar|strong="H4196" bread|strong="H3899" that|strong="H1931" is|strong="H3068" polluted|strong="H1351". You|strong="H5921" ask, “How|strong="H4100" have|strong="H3068" we|strong="H3068" polluted|strong="H1351" it|strong="H1931"?” Because|strong="H5921" you|strong="H5921" say, “The|strong="H5921" table|strong="H7979" of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H5921" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* is|strong="H3068" contemptible.”
8 When|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" offer|strong="H7126" the|strong="H6440" blind|strong="H5787" animal for|strong="H3588" sacrifice|strong="H2076", “It|strong="H7126" doesn’t matter!” And|strong="H3068" when|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" offer|strong="H7126" the|strong="H6440" lame|strong="H6455" and|strong="H3068" the|strong="H6440" sick|strong="H2470" “It|strong="H7126" doesn’t matter!” Give|strong="H5375" an|strong="H7126" animal like|strong="H3068" that|strong="H3588" to|strong="H3068" your|strong="H3068" governor|strong="H6346"; will|strong="H3068" he|strong="H3588" be|strong="H3068" pleased|strong="H7521" with|strong="H3068" it|strong="H7126"? Will|strong="H3068" he|strong="H3588" receive|strong="H5375" you|strong="H3588" favourably?’ says the|strong="H6440" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635".
9 Now|strong="H6258", plead|strong="H2470" for|strong="H6440" the|strong="H6440" favour|strong="H2603" of|strong="H3068" God|strong="H3068" with|strong="H3068" such|strong="H2063" an|strong="H1961" offering|strong="H3068", so|strong="H4480" that|strong="H3068" he|strong="H3068" may|strong="H1961" be|strong="H1961" gracious|strong="H2603" to|strong="H3068" us|strong="H4994". ‘Would|strong="H3068" I|strong="H6258" receive|strong="H5375" any|strong="H4480" of|strong="H3068" you|strong="H6440" favourably?’ says the|strong="H6440" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635".
10 ‘If only|strong="H1571" one|strong="H3808" of|strong="H3068" you|strong="H3808" would|strong="H4310" shut|strong="H5462" the|strong="H3068" temple doors|strong="H1817", so|strong="H3808" that|strong="H3068" you|strong="H3808" could|strong="H4310" not|strong="H3808" kindle useless|strong="H2600" fires on|strong="H3027" my|strong="H3068" altar|strong="H4196"! I|strong="H3808" have|strong="H3068" no|strong="H3808" pleasure|strong="H2656" in|strong="H3068" you|strong="H3808",’ says the|strong="H3068" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635", ‘Nor|strong="H3808" will|strong="H3068" I|strong="H3808" accept|strong="H7521" an|strong="H3068" offering|strong="H4503" from|strong="H3027" your|strong="H3068" hand|strong="H3027".
11 For|strong="H3588" from|strong="H1471" the|strong="H3605" rising|strong="H4217" of|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3605" sun|strong="H8121" to|strong="H5704" its|strong="H3605" setting|strong="H3996" my|strong="H3605" name|strong="H8034" is|strong="H3068" great|strong="H1419" among|strong="H8034" the|strong="H3605" nations|strong="H1471", and|strong="H3068" in|strong="H3068" every|strong="H3605" place|strong="H4725" they|strong="H3588" offer|strong="H6999" to|strong="H5704" my|strong="H3605" name|strong="H8034" a|strong="H3068" pure|strong="H2889" offering|strong="H4503". For|strong="H3588" my|strong="H3605" name|strong="H8034" is|strong="H3068" great|strong="H1419" among|strong="H8034" the|strong="H3605" nations|strong="H1471",’ says the|strong="H3605" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635".
12 ‘But|strong="H1931" you profane|strong="H2490" me when you say, “The|strong="H2490" table|strong="H7979" of|strong="H7979" the|strong="H2490" Lord is|strong="H1931" polluted|strong="H2490", and|strong="H7979" its|strong="H2490" food is|strong="H1931" contemptible.”
13 You|strong="H3027" say also|strong="H3068", “How|strong="H2009" tired we|strong="H3068" are|strong="H3027" of|strong="H3068" all|strong="H2009" this|strong="H3068"!” and|strong="H3068" you|strong="H3027" sniff|strong="H5301" contemptuously at|strong="H3068" it|strong="H5301". You|strong="H3027" have|strong="H3068" brought|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3068" blind, the|strong="H3068" lame|strong="H6455" and|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3068" sick|strong="H2470" as|strong="H3068" offerings|strong="H4503". Should|strong="H3068" I|strong="H2009" accept|strong="H7521" this|strong="H3068" from|strong="H3027" your|strong="H3068" hand|strong="H3027"?’ says the|strong="H3068" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H3068" hosts|strong="H6635".
14 ‘Cursed be|strong="H3426" the|strong="H3588" cheat, who|strong="H3068" has|strong="H3068" in|strong="H3068" his|strong="H3068" flock|strong="H5739" a|strong="H3068" valuable male|strong="H2145", but|strong="H3588" vows|strong="H5087" and|strong="H3068" sacrifices|strong="H2076" to|strong="H3068" the|strong="H3588" Lord|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3068" blemished|strong="H7843" animal|strong="H7843"! For|strong="H3588" I|strong="H3588" am|strong="H3068" a|strong="H3068" great|strong="H1419" king|strong="H4428",’ says the|strong="H3588" \+w Lord|strong="H3068"\+w* of|strong="H4428" hosts|strong="H6635", ‘and|strong="H3068" my|strong="H3068" name|strong="H8034" is|strong="H3068" feared|strong="H3372" among|strong="H8034" the|strong="H3588" nations|strong="H1471".’