1 The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel by the hand of Malachi.
2 I have loved you, said the Lord. Yet ye say, In what hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? said the Lord; yet I loved Jacob,
3 and I rejected Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
4 When Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus hath the Lord of the hosts said, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The province of wickedness and The people against whom the Lord has indignation for ever.
5 And your eyes shall see and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified over the province of Israel.
6 The son honours his father and the slave his master; if then I am a father, where is my honour? and if I am a master, where is my fear? said the Lord of the hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, In what have we despised thy name?
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar; and ye say, In what have we polluted thee? In that ye say, We die of hunger in the service of the Lord.
8 And when ye offer the blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Likewise when ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy prince; will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? said the Lord of the hosts.
9 And now, therefore, beseech the face of God, and he will have compassion on us; this has come by your hand: will he regard your persons? said the Lord of the hosts.
10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors or tend the fire on my altar for free? I have no pleasure in you, said the Lord of the hosts, neither will the offering from your hand be agreeable unto me.
11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered unto my name, and a clean offering; for my name is great among the Gentiles, said the Lord of the hosts.
12 And ye have profaned it when ye say, We die of hunger at the service of the Lord and when ye speak that his food is contemptible.
13 And ye say, Behold, what a weariness it is! and ye have rejected it, said the Lord of the hosts; and ye brought that which was stolen or lame or sick and presented an offering: should this be acceptable unto me by your hand? said the Lord.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male and vows and sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of the hosts, and my name is formidable among the Gentiles.