| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1A declaration: a message from the LORD to Israel by Malachi. | 1An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi." |
| 2"I've loved you," says the LORD. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' "Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" declares the LORD, "yet I loved Jacob, | 2I have loved you," says the LORD. But you ask: "How have You loved us?"" Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?" This is the LORD's declaration. "Even so, I loved Jacob, |
| 3rejected Esau, turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to desert jackals. | 3but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals." |
| 4Even though Edom may claim, 'We were crushed, but we will return and rebuild the ruins,' this is what the LORD of the Heavenly Armies says: "They may rebuild, but I'll demolish. People will call them, 'The Wicked Land,' and, 'The People With Whom the LORD is Forever Angry.' | 4Though Edom says: "We have been devastated, but we will rebuild the ruins," the LORD of Hosts says this: "They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called a wicked country and the people the LORD has cursed forever. |
| 5Your own eyes will see this, and you will say, 'Great is the LORD even beyond the borders of Israel!'" | 5Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, 'The LORD is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.'" |
| 6"A son honors his father and a servant his master. So if I'm a father, where is my honor? And if I'm a master, where is my respect?" says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies to you priests who are despising my name. "But you ask, 'How have we despised your name?' | 6A 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 Yahweh of Hosts to you priests, who despise My name." Yet you ask: "How have we despised Your name?"" |
| 7By presenting defiled food on my altar. And you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' By saying, 'The Table of the LORD is contemptible.' | 7By presenting defiled food on My altar." You ask: "How have we defiled You?" When you say: "The LORD's table is contemptible."" |
| 8When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Offer that to your governor—would he be pleased with you or receive you favorably?" asks the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. | 8When 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 Hosts. " |
| 9"And now, go ahead and implore God by saying, 'Be gracious to us.' Will he receive you favorably and accept offerings like that from your hand?" asks the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. | 9And now ask 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 Hosts. " |
| 10"Oh, that one of you would shut the Temple doors and not light useless fires on the altar! I'm not pleased with you," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and I'll accept no offerings from you. | 10I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so you would no longer kindle a useless fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of Hosts, "and I will accept no offering from your hands." |
| 11Even so, from where the sun rises to where it sets my name will be great among the Gentiles. Incense will be brought to me everywhere, along with pure offerings, because my name will be great among the Gentiles," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. | 11For 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 Yahweh of Hosts. |
| 12"But you are profaning my name by saying that the Table of the LORD is defiled and that its fruit and its food are contemptible. | 12But you are profaning it when you say: "The Lord's table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible." |
| 13"And you say, 'What a burden!' and sniff contemptuously at it," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "when you present maimed, crippled, and diseased animals, and when you bring the offering. Should I accept this from your hand?" asks the LORD. | 13You also say: "Look, what a nuisance!" "And you scorn it," says the LORD of Hosts. "You bring stolen, lame, or sick animals. You bring this as an offering! Am I to accept that from your hands?" asks the LORD." |
| 14"Cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock, and vows to give it, but sacrifices a mutilated one to the LORD. Indeed, I am a great king," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "and my name is feared among the Gentiles." | 14The 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 Yahweh of Hosts, "and My name will be feared among the nations." |
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