1 The burden of the word of the
LORD to Israel by Malachi.
* 2 I have loved you, saith the
LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the
LORD: yet I loved Jacob,
3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the
LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the
LORD hath indignation for ever.
5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The
LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.
† 6 ¶ A son honoureth
his father, and a servant his master: if then I
be a father, where
is mine honour? and if I
be a master, where
is my fear? saith the
LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the
LORD is contemptible.
‡ 8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice,
is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick,
is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the
LORD of hosts.
§ 9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the
LORD of hosts.
**†† 10 Who
is there even among you that would shut the doors
for nought? neither do ye kindle
fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the
LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name
shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense
shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name
shall be great among the heathen, saith the
LORD of hosts.
12 ¶ But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the
LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof,
even his meat,
is contemptible.
13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness
is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the
LORD of hosts; and ye brought
that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the
LORD.
‡‡ 14 But cursed
be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I
am a great King, saith the
LORD of hosts, and my name
is dreadful among the heathen.
§§ 