1 The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.¹

The Lord’s Love for Israel

2 ^a“I have loved you,” says the Lord. ^bBut you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau ^cJacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet ^dI have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. ^eI have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 ^fYour own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

The Priests’ Polluted Offerings

6 ^g“A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am ^ha father, where is my honor? And if I am ⁱa master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. ^bBut you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 ^jBy offering polluted food upon my altar. ^bBut you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that ^kthe Lord’s table may be despised. 8 ^lWhen you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now ^mentreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, ⁿwill he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 ^oOh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, ^pand I will not accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name ^qwill be² great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name ^qwill be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that ^rthe Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. 13 But you say, ^s‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, says the Lord of hosts. ^tYou bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the Lord. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has ^ua male in his flock, and ^vvows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For ^wI am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name ^xwill be feared among the nations.

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

1 “And now, ^yO priests, ^zthis command is for you. 2 ^aIf you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send ^bthe curse upon you and I will curse ^cyour blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, ^dI will rebuke your offspring,³ and ^espread dung on your faces, the ^fdung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.⁴ 4 So shall you know that I have sent ^gthis command to you, that ^hmy covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and ⁱpeace, and I gave them to him. ^jIt was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 ^kTrue instruction⁵ was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he ^lturned many from iniquity. 7 For ^mthe lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people⁶ should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. ⁿYou have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted ^othe covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so ^pI make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but ^qshow partiality in your instruction.”

Judah Profaned the Covenant

10 Have we not all ^rone Father? Has not ^sone God created us? Why then are we ^tfaithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been ^tfaithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For ^uJudah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant⁷ of the man who does this, who ^vbrings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

13 And this second thing you do. ^wYou cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 ^xBut you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord ^ywas witness between you and the wife of your youth, ^zto whom ^tyou have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 ^aDid he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?⁸ And what was the one God⁹ seeking?^{10 b}Godly offspring. So guard yourselves¹¹ in your spirit, and let none of you be ^tfaithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For ^cthe man who does not love his wife but divorces her,¹² says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers¹³ his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and ^tdo not be faithless.”

The Messenger of the Lord

17 ^dYou have wearied the Lord with your words. ^xBut you say, “How have we wearied him?” ^eBy saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, ^f“Where is the God of justice?”

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, ^swhen he was in the wilderness of Judah.