The LORD’s Love for Israel
(Genesis 25:19–28; Romans 9:6–29)

1The burthen of the word of the Lorde to Israel, by the ministerie of Malachi.

2I haue loued you saith the Lord: yet ye say, wherein hast thou loued vs? Was not Esau Iacobs brother, saith the Lorde, yet loued I Iacob? 3And I hated Esau, & made his mountaynes waste, and his heritage a wildernesse for Dragons. 4Though Edom say, We are impouerished, but we wil returne and builde the desolate places: yet saith the Lorde of hoastes, They shal builde, but I wil destroy: & they shal cal them, The border of wickednes, & the people with whom the Lorde is angry for euer. 5And your eyes shall see: and you shal say, The Lorde wylbe magnified vpon the borders of Israel.

The Polluted Offerings

6A sonne honoureth his father, and a seruaunt his maister: If then I be a father, where is myne honour? if I be a maister, where is my feare? Saith the Lorde God of hoastes to you O ye pristes that despise my name, and ye say, Wherein haue we despised thy name? 7Ye offer vpon myne aulter vncleane bread, and say, Wherein haue we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lorde is not to be regarded. 8When ye bring the blinde for sacrifice, you say it is not euil: and when ye bring the lame and sicke, you say it is not euil: offer it nowe to thy prince, wyll he be content with thee, or accept thy person, saith the Lorde of hoastes? 9And now I pray you, pray before God, that he may haue mercie vpon vs: (this euill hath ben done by your meanes) wyll he regarde your persons, saith the Lorde of hoastes? 10Who is there euen among you that would shutte the doores, and kindle not fire on myne aulter in vaine? I haue no pleasure in you, saith the Lorde of hoastes, neither wyll I accept an offering at your hande. 11From the rysing of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the gentiles, and in euery place incense shalbe offred to my name, & a pure offering: for my name is great among the very heathen, saith the Lord of hoastes. 12But ye haue polluted it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted, & the fruite thereof, euen his meate is not to be regarded. 13And ye saide, beholde it is a weerynesse, and you haue snuffed at it saith the Lorde of hoastes, and ye haue offered the stolne, and the lame, and the sicke, ye haue offered an offering: shoulde I accept this of your handes, saith the lorde? 14Cursed be the deceitfull which hath in his flocke a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth a corrupt thing to the Lorde: because I am a great king, saith the lord of hoastes, and my name is fearefull among the heathen.