1 The ^aoracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.¹

The Lord’s Love for Israel

2 ^b“I have loved you,” says the Lord. ^cBut you say, “How have you loved us?” ^d“Is not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet ^eI have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 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, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, ^f“Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”

The Priests’ Polluted Offerings

6 “A son ^ghonors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a ^hfather, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the Lord of hosts to you, ⁱO priests, who despise my name. But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that the Lord’s table may be despised. 8 When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, ^jis that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the Lord of hosts. 9 And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the Lord of hosts. 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have ^kno pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will ^lnot accept an offering from your hand. 11 For from the rising of the sun to its setting ^mmy name will be² great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. 12 But you profane it when you say that the Lord’s table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food, may be despised. 13 But you say, ‘What a weariness this is,’ and you snort at it, 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. 14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and ⁿvows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a ^ogreat King, says the Lord of hosts, and ^pmy name will be feared among the nations.

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

1 “And now, ^qO priests, this command is for you. 2 ^rIf you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, ^sI have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your offspring,³ and spread dung on your faces, the ^tdung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.⁴ 4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my ^ucovenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and ^vpeace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 ^wTrue instruction⁵ was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the ^xlips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people⁶ should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have ^yturned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but ^zshow partiality in your instruction.”

Judah Profaned the Covenant

10 ^aHave we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been ^bfaithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has ^cmarried the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant⁷ of the man who does this, who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

13 And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 Did he not make them ^done, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?⁸ And what was the one God⁹ seeking?¹⁰ Godly offspring. So guard yourselves¹¹ in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For the man who does not love his wife but ^edivorces her,¹² says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers¹³ his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”

The Messenger of the Lord

17 You have ^fwearied the Lord with your ^gwords. ^hBut you say, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, ⁱ“Where is the God of justice?”

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David, ^awhen he was in the wilderness of Judah.