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 River of Life
1 Then the angel1 showed me the briver of the cwater of life, bright as dcrystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the eLamb 2 through the middle of fthe street of the city; also, gon either side of the river, the htree of life2 with its twelve kinds of fruit, iyielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 jNo longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will ksee his face, and lhis name will be on their foreheads. 5 And mnight will be no more. nThey will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will oreign forever and ever.
Jesus Is Coming
6 And he said to me, p“These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of qthe spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants rwhat must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, sI am coming soon. tBlessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, uI fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not vseal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for wthe time is near. 11 xLet the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, yand the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, zbringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 aI am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who bwash their robes,3 cso that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 dOutside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my eangel to testify to you about these things for fthe churches. I am the groot and the descendant of David, the bright hmorning star.”
17 The Spirit and the iBride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And jlet the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone kadds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. lCome, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.4 Amen.
