1 I am Malachi. And this is the message that the Lord gave me for Israel.
2 Israel, I, the Lord, have loved you. And yet you ask in what way have I loved you. Don't forget that Esau was the brother of your ancestor Jacob, but I chose Jacob
3 instead of Esau. And I turned Esau's hill country into a barren desert where jackals roam.
4 Esau's descendants may say, “Although our nation Edom is in ruins, we will rebuild.”But I, the Lord All-Powerful, promise to tear down whatever they build. Then everyone will know that I will never stop being angry with them as long as they are so sinful.
5 Israel, when you see this, you will shout, “The Lord's great reputation reaches beyond our borders.”
6 I, the Lord All-Powerful, have something to say to you priests. Children respect their fathers, and servants respect their masters. I am your father and your master, so why don't you respect me? You priests have insulted me, and now you ask, “How did we insult you?”