Malachi 1–2

¹An oracle. The word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.^a

Israel Preferred to Edom

²“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” says the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,^{* 3}but I have hated Esau; I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage a desert for jackals.^{* 4}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, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry forever. ⁵Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!’ ”^*

Corruption of the Priesthood

⁶A son honors his father and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is the honor due me? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. You say, “How have we despised your name?”^{* 7}By offering polluted food on my altar. And you say, “How have we polluted it?”^b By thinking that the Lord’s table may be despised.^{* 8}When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not wrong? Try presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts.^{* 9}And now implore the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. The fault is yours. Will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts.^{* 10}Oh, that someone among you would shut the temple^c doors, so that you would not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hands.^{* 11}For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure offering, for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.^{* 12}But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted and its food^d may be despised. ¹³“What a weariness this is,” you say, and you sniff at it,^e says the Lord of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord.^{* 14}Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations.^*

²And now, O priests, this command is for you. ²If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings; indeed, I have already cursed them^f because you do not lay it to heart.^{* 3}I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.^g

⁴Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts.^{* 5}My covenant with him was a covenant of life and well-being, which I gave him; this called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.^{* 6}True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in integrity and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.^{* 7}For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.^{* 8}But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts,^{* 9}so I make you despised and humbled before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.^*

The Covenant Profaned by Judah

¹⁰Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?^{* 11}Judah has been faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.^{* 12}For the one who does this, may the Lord cut off any witness^h or advocate from the tents of Jacob or anyone who could bring an offering to the Lord of hosts.^*

¹³And this you do as well: You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand. ¹⁴You ask, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.^{* 15}Did Godⁱ not make them one, flesh with spirit in it? And what does the one desire? Godly offspring. So look to yourselves, and do not let anyone be faithless to the wife of his youth.^{j* 16}For I hate^k divorce, says the Lord, the God of Israel, and covering one’s garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So take heed to yourselves and do not be faithless.

¹⁷You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, “Where is the God of justice?”^*