Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
1A pronouncement: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. | 1A prophecy: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi. |
2"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, | 2"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, |
3but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals." | 3but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals." |
4Though 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. | 4Edom 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. |
5Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, 'The LORD is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.' | 5You will see it with your own eyes and say, 'Great is the LORD--even beyond the borders of Israel!' |
6"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me? says the LORD of Armies to you priests, who despise my name." Yet you ask: "How have we despised your name?" | 6"A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you priests who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?' |
7"By presenting defiled food on my altar." "How have we defiled you?" you ask. When you say: "The LORD's table is contemptible." | 7"By offering defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible. |
8"When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong? Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?" asks the LORD of Armies. | 8When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty. |
9"And now plead for God's favor. Will he be gracious to us? Since this has come from your hands, will he show any of you favor?" asks the LORD of Armies. | 9"Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty. |
10"I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of Armies, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. | 10"Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. |
11"My name will be great among the nations, from the rising of the sun to its setting. Incense and pure offerings will be presented in my name in every place because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD of Armies. | 11My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty. |
12"But you are profaning it when you say: 'The Lord's table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible.' | 12"But you profane it by saying, 'The Lord's table is defiled,' and, 'Its food is contemptible.' |
13You also say: 'Look, what a nuisance!' And you scorn it," says the LORD of Armies. "You bring stolen, lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?" asks the LORD. | 13And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty. "When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD. |
14"The deceiver is cursed who has an acceptable male in his flock and makes a vow but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King," says the LORD of Armies, "and my name will be feared among the nations. | 14"Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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