| 1:1 |
TheAn oracle ofThe 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 says the Lord Yet I have loved Jacob |
| 1:3 |
but I have hated Esau; I have laidmade waste his hill country a desolation and left his heritage toa jackalsdesert offor thejackals 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 tilluntil they are called the wicked country the people with whom the Lord is angry forforever ever |
| 1:5 |
Your own eyes shall see this and you shall say Great is the Lord beyond the borderborders of Israel |
| 1:6 |
A son honors his father and aservants servanttheir his master If then I am a father where is mythe honor due me And if I am a master where is mythe fearrespect due me says the Lord of hosts to you O priests who despise my name You say How have we despised thyyour name |
| 1:7 |
By offering polluted food uponon my altar And you say How have we polluted it By thinking that the Lords table may be despised |
| 1:8 |
When you offer blind animals in sacrifice is that nonot evilwrong And when you offer those that are lame or sick is that nonot evilwrong PresentTry presenting that to your governor; will he be pleased with you or show you favor says the Lord of hosts |
| 1:9 |
And now entreatimplore the favor of God that he may be gracious to us WithThe suchfault ais giftyours fromWill your hand will he show favor to any of you says the Lord of hosts |
| 1:10 |
Oh that theresomeone were one among you who would shut the temple doors so that you mightwould 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 handhands |
| 1:14 |
Cursed be the cheat who has a male in histhe flock and vows to give it and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King says the Lord of hosts and my name is fearedreverenced among the nations |
| 2:2 |
If you will not listen if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name says the Lord of hosts then I will send the curse uponon you and I will curse your blessings; indeed 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 I will put you out of my presence |
| 2:4 |
SoKnow shallthen you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may hold says the Lord of hosts |
| 2:5 |
My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peacewell andbeing which I gave them to him; thatthis hecalled mightfor fear;reverence and he fearedrevered me heand stood in awe of my name |
| 2:6 |
True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips He walked with me in peaceintegrity and uprightness and he turned many from iniquity |
| 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 |
| 2:10 |
Have we not all one father Has not one God created us Why then are we faithless to one another profaning the covenant of our fathersancestors |
| 2:12 |
May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob foranyone the man who does this —any to witness or answer or to bring an offering to the Lord of hosts |
| 2:13 |
And this again you do as well: You cover the Lords altar with tears with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor at your hand |
| 2:14 |
You ask Why does he not Because the Lord was a 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 not the one God mademake andher sustainedBoth forflesh usand the spirit ofare lifehis And what does hethe one God desire Godly offspring So takelook heed to yourselves and do not let noneanyone be faithless to the wife of his youth |
| 2:17 |
You have wearied the Lord with your words Yet you say How have we wearied him By saying EveryAll one who doesdo evil isare good in the sight of the Lord and he delights in them Or by asking Where is the God of justice |
| 3:1 |
BeholdSee I sendam sending my messenger to prepare the way before me and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; theThe messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed behold he is coming says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:3 |
he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he will purify the sonsdescendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver tilluntil they present right offerings to the Lord in righteousness |
| 3:5 |
Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift to bear witness against the sorcerers against the adulterers against those who swear falsely against those who oppress the hirelinghired workers in histheir wages the widow and the orphan against those who thrust aside the sojourneralien 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 arehave not consumedperished |
| 3:7 |
FromEver since the days of your fathersancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them Return to me and I will return to you says the Lord of hosts But you say How shall we return |
| 3:8 |
Will mananyone rob God Yet you are robbing me But you say How are we robbing theeyou In your tithes and offerings |
| 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 so that there may be food in my house; and therebythus put me to the test says the Lord of hosts; see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing |
| 3:11 |
I will rebuke the devourerlocust for you so that it will not destroy the fruitsproduce of your soil; and your vine in the field shall not failbe tobarren bear says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:12 |
Then all nations will callcount you blessedhappy for you will be a land of delight says the Lord of hosts |
| 3:13 |
YourYou words have beenspoken stoutharsh words against me says the Lord Yet you say How have we spoken against theeyou |
| 3:14 |
You have said It is vain to serve God What isdo thewe goodprofit ofby our keeping his chargecommand or ofby walkinggoing about as inmourners mourning before the Lord of hosts |
| 3:15 |
HenceforthNow we deemcount the arrogant blessedhappy; evildoers not only prosper but when they put God to the test they escape |
| 3:16 |
Then those who fearedrevered the Lord spoke with one another; theThe Lord heededtook note and heardlistened them and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who fearedrevered the Lord and thought on his name |
| 3:17 |
They shall be mine says the Lord of hosts my special possession on the day when I act and I will spare them as aparents manspare sparestheir hischildren son who servesserve himthem |
| 3:18 |
Then once more you shall distinguishsee the difference between the righteous and the wicked between one who serves God and one who does not serve him |
| 4:1 |
ForSee behold the day comesis coming burning like an oven when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up says the Lord of hosts so that it will leave them neither root nor branch |
| 4:2 |
But for you who fearrevere 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 lawteaching of my servant Moses the statutes and ordinances that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel |
| 4:5 |
BeholdLo I will send you Eli′jah the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes |
| 4:6 |
AndHe he will turn the hearts of fathersparents to their children and the hearts of children to their fathersparents lestso that I will not come and smitestrike the land with a curse |