1 This is a message from the Lord to Israel. God used Malachi to tell this message to the people.
2 The Lord said, “I love you people.” But you said, “What shows you love us?” The Lord said, “Esau was Jacob’s brother, but I chose Jacob.
3 And I did not accept Esau. I destroyed his hill country. His country was destroyed, and now only wild dogs live there.”
4 The people of Edom might say, “We were destroyed, but we will go back and rebuild our cities.” But the Lord All-Powerful says, “If they rebuild their cities, I will destroy them again.” That is why people say Edom is an evil country—a nation the Lord hates forever.
5 You people saw these things, and you said, “The Lord is great, even outside of Israel!”
6 The Lord All-Powerful said, “Children honor their fathers. Servants honor their masters. I am your Father, so why don’t you honor me? I am your master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests don’t respect my name. “But you say, ‘What have we done that shows we don’t respect your name?’
7 “You bring unclean bread to my altar. “But you ask, ‘What makes that bread unclean?’ “It is unclean because you show no respect for the altar of the Lord.