God’s Love for Jacob

1 The 1aoracle of the word of the Lord to bIsrael through 2Malachi.

2 “I have aloved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I bhave loved Jacob;

3 but I have hated Esau, and I have amade his mountains a desolation and appointed his inheritance for the jackals of the wilderness.”

4 Though Edom says, “We have been abeaten down, but we will 1breturn and build up the ruins”; thus says the Lord of hosts, “They may cbuild, but I will tear down; and men will call them the 2wicked territory, and the people 3toward whom the Lord is indignant dforever.”

5 Your eyes will see this and you will say, “aThe Lord 1be magnified beyond the 2border of Israel!”

Sin of the Priests

6 “ ‘A son ahonors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a bfather, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My 1respect?’ says the Lord of hosts to you, O cpriests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’

7 “You are presenting adefiled 1bfood upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The ctable of the Lord is to be despised.’

8 “But when you present the ablind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil? 1Why not offer it to your bgovernor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.

9 “But now 1will you not aentreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us? 2With such an offering on your part, will He breceive any of you kindly?” says the Lord of hosts.

10 “Oh that there were one among you who would ashut the 1gates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of hosts, “bnor will I accept an offering from 2you.

11 “For from the arising of the sun even to its setting, bMy name will be cgreat among the nations, and in every place dincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be egreat among the nations,” says the Lord of hosts.

12 “But you are aprofaning 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, ‘1My, how atiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the Lord of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by brobbery and what is clame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I dreceive that from your hand?” says the Lord.

14 “But cursed be the aswindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a bblemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great cKing,” says the Lord of hosts, “and My name is 1dfeared among the 2nations.”

Chapter 2

Priests to Be Disciplined

1 “And now this commandment is for you, O priests.

2 “If you do anot listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the bcurse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have ccursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

3 “Behold, I am going to arebuke your 1offspring, and I will bspread 2refuse on your faces, the 2refuse of your cfeasts; and you will be taken away 3with it.

4 “Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, 1that My acovenant may 2continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.

5 “My covenant with him was one of life and apeace, and I gave them to him as an object of 1reverence; so he 2brevered Me and stood in awe of My name.

6 “1aTrue instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked bwith Me in peace and uprightness, and he cturned many back from iniquity.

7 “For the lips of a priest should preserve aknowledge, and 1men should bseek 2instruction from his mouth; for he is the cmessenger of the Lord of hosts.