“Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob ^1:3and rejected Esau.³ I turned Esau’s⁴ mountains into a deserted wasteland⁵ and gave his territory⁶ to the wild jackals.”

^1:4Edom⁷ says, “Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places.” So the Lord who rules over all⁸ responds, “They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as⁹ the land of evil, the people with whom the Lord is permanently displeased.

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Footnotes

3 Heb “and I loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.” The context indicates this is technical covenant vocabulary in which “love” and “hate” are synonymous with “choose” and “reject” respectively (see Deut 7:8; Jer 31:3; Hos 3:1; 9:15; 11:1).
4 Heb “his”; the referent (Esau) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5 Heb “I set his mountains as a desolation.”
6 Or “inheritance” (so , ).
7 Edom, a “brother” nation to Israel, became almost paradigmatic of hostility toward Israel and God (see Num 20:14–21; Deut 2:8; Jer 49:7–22; Ezek 25:12–14; Amos 1:11–12; Obad 10–12).
8 The epithet Lord who rules over all occurs frequently as a divine title throughout Malachi (24 times total). This name (יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, yéhvah tséva’ot), traditionally translated “Lord of hosts” (so , , ; cf. “Lord Almighty”; , “Lord All-Powerful”), emphasizes the majestic sovereignty of the Lord, an especially important concept in the postexilic world of great human empires and rulers. For a thorough study of the divine title, see T. N. D. Mettinger, In Search of God, 123–57.
9 Heb “and they will call them.” The third person plural subject is indefinite; one could translate, “and people will call them.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’ ”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

“I have loved you,” says the Lord.

Yet you ask, “How have you loved us?”

“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” This is the Lord’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

Though Edom says, “We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of Armies says this: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country and the people the Lord has cursed forever.

NLTNew Living Translation

“I have always loved you,” says the Lord.

But you retort, “Really? How have you loved us?”

And the Lord replies, “This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau’s inheritance into a desert for jackals.”

Esau’s descendants in Edom may say, “We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins.”

But the Lord of Heaven’s Armies replies, “They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as ‘The Land of Wickedness,’ and their people will be called ‘The People with Whom the Lord Is Forever Angry.’

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

“I have loved you,” says Yahweh, but you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is Esau not Jacob’s brother?” declares Yahweh. “I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated. I have made his mountain ranges a desolation, and given his inheritance to the jackals of the desert.” If Edom says, “We are shattered, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,” Yahweh of hosts says this: “They may build, but I will tear down; and they will be called a territory of wickedness, and the people with whom Yahweh is angry forever.”

KJV 1900King James Version

I have loved you, saith the Lord.

Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?

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

Yet I loved Jacob,

And I hated Esau,

And laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished,

But we will return and build the desolate places;

Thus saith the Lord of hosts,

They shall build, but I will throw down;

And they shall call them, The border of wickedness,

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

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