| Holman Christian Standard Bible | NET Bible |
| 1An oracle: The word of the LORD to Israel through Malachi." | 1What follows is divine revelation. The word of the LORD came to Israel through Malachi: |
| 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, | 2"I have shown love to you," says the LORD, but you say, "How have you shown love to us?" "Esau was Jacob's brother," the LORD explains, "yet I chose Jacob |
| 3but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into a wasteland, and gave his inheritance to the desert jackals." | 3and rejected Esau. I turned Esau's mountains into a deserted wasteland and gave his territory to the wild jackals." |
| 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. | 4Edom says, "Though we are devastated, we will once again build the ruined places." So the LORD who rules over all responds, "They indeed may build, but I will overthrow. They will be known as the land of evil, the people with whom the LORD is permanently displeased. |
| 5Your own eyes will see this, and you yourselves will say, 'The LORD is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.'" | 5Your eyes will see it, and then you will say, 'May the LORD be magnified even beyond the border of Israel!'" |
| 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?"" | 6"A son naturally honors his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? The LORD who rules over all asks you this, you priests who make light of my name! But you reply, 'How have we made light of your name?' |
| 7By presenting defiled food on My altar." You ask: "How have we defiled You?" When you say: "The LORD's table is contemptible."" | 7You are offering improper sacrifices on my altar, yet you ask, 'How have we offended you?' By treating the table of the LORD as if it is of no importance! |
| 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. " | 8For when you offer blind animals as a sacrifice, is that not wrong? And when you offer the lame and sick, is that not wrong as well? Indeed, try offering them to your governor! Will he be pleased with you or show you favor?" asks the LORD who rules over all. |
| 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. " | 9But now plead for God's favor that he might be gracious to us. "With this kind of offering in your hands, how can he be pleased with you?" asks the LORD who rules over all. |
| 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." | 10"I wish that one of you would close the temple doors, so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you," says the LORD who rules over all, "and I will no longer accept an offering from you. |
| 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. | 11For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD who rules over all. |
| 12But you are profaning it when you say: "The Lord's table is defiled, and its product, its food, is contemptible." | 12"But you are profaning it by saying that the table of the Lord is common and its offerings despicable. |
| 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." | 13You also say, 'How tiresome it is.' You turn up your nose at it," says the LORD who rules over all, "and instead bring what is stolen, lame, or sick. You bring these things for an offering! Should I accept this from you?" asks the LORD. |
| 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." | 14"There will be harsh condemnation for the hypocrite who has a valuable male animal in his flock but vows and sacrifices something inferior to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD who rules over all, "and my name is awesome among the nations." |
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