Malachi 1

1 ¹This is the word of our Father to Israel, delivered through Malachi. ^a a v1 The name Malachi means "my messenger" — fitting for the book that closes the Old Testament by announcing the messenger who prepares the way.

²"I have loved you," says our Father. "But you ask, 'How have you loved us?' Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother?" declares our Father. "Yet I loved Jacob, ³but Esau I hated. I made his hill country wasteland, left his inheritance to desert jackals. ⁴Edom may say, "We are shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." But the Father of heaven's armies says: "They may build, but I will tear down. They will be called the Wicked Land, the people our Father stays angry with forever." ⁵Your own eyes will see it, and you'll say, 'Great is our Father—beyond Israel's borders!'

Priests Who Despise the Father's Name

⁶"A son honors his father, a servant his master. If I am a father, where is my honor? If a master, where is my respect? says the Father of heaven's armies to you priests who despise my name. But you ask, 'How have we despised your name?' ^b b v6 Here our Father names himself Father outright and asks his children for the honor a son naturally gives — the heart-cry that runs through the whole book.

⁷"You put unclean food on my altar, then ask, 'How have we made you unclean?' By calling our Father's table despised. ⁸When you offer a blind animal, isn't that evil? Offer the lame and sick—isn't that evil? Present it to your governor—will he be pleased with you? Will he accept you?" says the Father of heaven's armies.

⁹"Now plead with our Father to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept any of you?" says the Father of heaven's armies.

¹⁰"If only one of you would shut the doors, so you would not light useless fires on my altar! I take no pleasure in you," says the Father of heaven's armies, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. ¹¹From sunrise to sunset my name will be great among the nations. Everywhere incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the Father of heaven's armies. ¹²"But you desecrate it, saying the Sovereign Father's table is unclean and its food may be despised.

¹³"You say, 'What a burden!' and snort at it in contempt," says the Father of heaven's armies. "You bring stolen, lame, and diseased animals as offerings—should I accept them from you?" says our Father.

¹⁴"Cursed is the cheat who has a sound male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Sovereign Father. For I am a great King," says the Father of heaven's armies, "and my name is to be feared among the nations."