1 *aThe burden of the word of the Lord to bIsrael †by Malachi.

2  cI have loved you, saith the Lord.

rYet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?

dWas not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord:

Yet eI loved Jacob,

3  And I fhated Esau,

And glaid his mountains and his heritage hwaste for ithe dragons of the wilderness.

4  Whereas Edom saith, We are jimpoverished,

But we will return and build the desolate places;

Thus saith the Lord of hosts,

dThey shall build, but I will throw down;

And they shall call them, kThe border of wickedness,

And, lThe people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.

5  And myour eyes shall see, and ye shall say,

nThe Lord will be magnified ||†from kthe border of Israel.

6  oA son honoureth his father, and a servant his master:

pIf then I be a father, where is mine honour?

And if qI be a master, where is my fear?

Saith the Lord of hosts unto you, qqO priests, that despise my name.

rAnd ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

7  Ye ||soffer tpolluted ubread upon mine altar;

rAnd ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee?

In that ye say, vThe table of the Lord is contemptible.

8  And if ye soffer wthe blind †for sacrifice, is it not evil?

And if ye offer wthe lame and sick, is it not evil?

Offer it now unto xthy governor;

Will he be pleased with thee, or yaccept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

9  And now, I pray you, beseech †God that he will be gracious unto us:

zThis hath been †by your means:

Will he yregard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.

10  aWho is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought?

Neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought.

I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts,

bNeither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11  For cfrom the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same

dMy name shall be great eamong the Gentiles;

And fin every place gincense shall be hoffered unto my name, and ia pure koffering:

For dmy name shall be great eamong the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

12  But ye have profaned it, in that ye say,

lThe table of the Lord is polluted;

And the fruit thereof, even his meat, lis contemptible.

13  Ye said also, Behold, mwhat a weariness is it!

||And nye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts;

And ye brought that which was otorn, and pthe lame, and pthe sick;

Thus ye brought an offering:

qShould I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.

14  But cursed be the deceiver, †which hath in his flock ra male,

And voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord sa corrupt thing:

For I am ta great King, saith the Lord of hosts,

And my name is tdreadful among the heathen.