| 1:1 |
The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Mal′achiMalachi |
| 1:2 |
I have loved you says the Lord But you say How hasthave thouyou loved us Is not Esau Jacobs brother saysdeclares the Lord Yet I have loved Jacob |
| 1:3 |
but Esau I have hated Esau; I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert |
| 1:4 |
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 tilland they arewill be called the wicked country and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever forever |
| 1:6 |
A son honors his father and a servant his master If then I am a father where is my honor And if I am a master where is my fear says the Lord of hosts to you O priests who despise my name YouBut you say How have we despised thyyour name |
| 1:7 |
By offering polluted food upon my altar AndBut you say How have we polluted ityou By thinkingsaying that the Lords table may be despised |
| 1:8 |
When you offer blind animals in sacrifice is that nonot evil And when you offer those that are lame or sick is that nonot evil Present that to your governor; will he beaccept pleased with you or show you favor says the Lord of hosts |
| 1:10 |
Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors that you might not kindle fire uponon my altar in vain I have no pleasure in you says the Lord of hosts and I will not accept an offering from your hand |
| 1:11 |
For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name iswill be great among the nations and in every place incense iswill be offered to my name and a pure offering; forFor my name iswill be great among the nations says the Lord of hosts |
| 1:12 |
But you profane it when you say that the Lords table is polluted and theits foodfruit forthat itis its food may be despised |
| 1:13 |
But you say What a weariness this is you say and you sniffsnort at meit says the Lord of hosts You 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 |
| 1:14 |
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock and vows it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; forFor I am a great King says the Lord of hosts and my name iswill be feared among the nations |
| 2:2 |
If you will not listen if you will not laytake it to heart to give gloryhonor to my name says the Lord of hosts then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; indeedIndeed I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart |
| 2:3 |
Behold I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung uponon your faces the dung of your offerings and Iyou willshall putbe youtaken outaway ofwith my presence it |
| 2:4 |
So shall you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may holdstand says the Lord of hosts |
| 2:5 |
My covenant with him was aone covenant of life and peace and I gave them to him thatIt hewas mighta covenant of fear; and he feared me heHe stood in awe of my name |
| 2:7 |
For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and menpeople should seek instruction from his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts |
| 2:8 |
But you have turned aside from the way; youYou have caused many to stumble by your instruction; youYou have corrupted the covenant of Levi says the Lord of hosts |
| 2:9 |
and so I make you despised and abased before all the people inasmuch as you havedo not keptkeep my ways but haveshow shown partiality in your instruction |
| 2:10 |
Have we not all one fatherFather Has not one God created us Why then are we faithless to one another profaning the covenant of our fathers |
| 2:11 |
Judah has been faithless and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; forFor Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which he loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god |
| 2:12 |
May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob forany descendant of the man who does this anywho tobrings witness or answer or to bring an offering to the Lord of hosts |
| 2:13 |
And this againsecond thing you do You cover the Lords altar with tears with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor atfrom your hand |
| 2:14 |
YouBut askyou say Why does he not Because the Lord was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth to whom you have been faithless though she is your companion and your wife by covenant |
| 2:15 |
HasDid he not themake them one Godwith madea andportion sustainedof forthe usSpirit thein spirittheir ofunion life And what doeswas hethe desireone God seeking Godly offspring So takeguard heedyourselves toin yourselvesyour spirit and let none of you be faithless to the wife of hisyour youth |
| 2:16 |
For Ithe hateman divorcewho does not love his wife but divorces her says the Lord the God of Israel andcovers coveringhis ones garment with violence says the Lord of hosts So takeguard heedyourselves toin yourselvesyour spirit and do not be faithless |
| 2:17 |
You have wearied the Lord with your words YetBut you say How have we wearied him By saying EveryEveryone one who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them Or by asking Where is the God of justice |
| 3:1 |
Behold I send my messenger toand he will prepare the way before me andAnd the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold he is coming says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:2 |
But who can endure the day of his coming and who can stand when he appears For he is like a refiners fire and like fullers soap; |
| 3:3 |
heHe will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver tilland they presentwill rightbring offerings in righteousness to the Lord |
| 3:5 |
Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely against those who oppress the hirelinghired worker in his wages the widow and the orphanfatherless against those who thrust aside the sojourner and do not fear me says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:6 |
For I the Lord do not change; therefore you O sonschildren of Jacob are not consumed |
| 3:8 |
Will man rob God Yet you are robbing me But you say How arehave we robbingrobbed theeyou In your tithes and offerings contributions |
| 3:9 |
You are cursed with a curse for you are robbing me; the whole nation of you |
| 3:10 |
Bring the full tithestithe into the storehouse that there may be food in my house; andAnd thereby put me to the test says the Lord of hosts if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you ana overflowing blessing until there is no more need |
| 3:11 |
I will rebuke the devourer for you so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:13 |
Your words have been stouthard against me says the Lord YetBut you say How have we spoken against thee you |
| 3:14 |
You have said It is vain to serve God What is the goodprofit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts |
| 3:15 |
HenceforthAnd now we deemcall the arrogant blessed; evildoersEvildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test and they escape |
| 3:16 |
Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another; theThe Lord heededpaid attention and heard them and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and thoughtesteemed on his name |
| 3:17 |
They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts myin special possession on the day when I actmake up my treasured possession and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him |
| 3:18 |
Then once more you shall distinguishsee the distinction between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves God and one who does not serve him |
| 4:1 |
For behold the day comesis coming burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; theThe day that comesis coming shall burnset them upablaze says the Lord of hosts so that it will leave them neither root nor branch |
| 4:2 |
But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings You shall go forthout leaping like calves from the stall |
| 4:4 |
Remember the law of my servant Moses the statutes and ordinancesrules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel |
| 4:5 |
Behold I will send you Eli′jahElijah the prophet before the great and terribleawesome day of the Lord comes |
| 4:6 |
And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers lest I come and smitestrike the land with a cursedecree of utter destruction |