Malachi 1
Names of God Bible
“I Loved Jacob, but Esau I Hated”
1 This is a divine revelation. Yahweh spoke his word to Israel through Malachi.
2 “I loved you,” says Yahweh.
“But you ask, ‘How did you love us?’
“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares Yahweh. “I loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I hated. I turned his mountains into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the jackals in the desert.
4 “The descendants of Esau may say, ‘We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.’
“Yet, this is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: They may rebuild, but I will tear it down. They will be called ‘the Wicked Land’ and ‘the people with whom Yahweh is always angry.’ 5 You will see these things with your own eyes and say, ‘Even outside the borders of Israel Yahweh is great.’
The Priests Offer Unacceptable Sacrifices to the Lord
6 “This is what Yahweh Tsebaoth says: A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is my respect? You priests despise my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we despised your name?’
7 “You offer contaminated food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘Then how have we contaminated you?’
“When you say that Yahweh’s table may be despised. 8 When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks Yahweh Tsebaoth.
9 “Now try asking El to be kind to you. This is what you are doing! Will he welcome you?” asks Yahweh Tsebaoth.
10 “I wish one of you would shut the doors to my house so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says Yahweh Tsebaoth, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
11 “From the nations where the sun rises to the nations where the sun sets, my name will be great. Incense and pure offerings will be offered everywhere in my name, because my name will be great among the nations,” says Yahweh Tsebaoth. 12 “But you dishonor it when you say that Adonay’s table may be contaminated and that its food may be despised.
13 “You say, ‘Oh what a nuisance it is,’ and you sniff at it in disgust,” says Yahweh Tsebaoth. “You bring stolen, lame, and sick animals. When you bring such offerings, should I accept them from you?” asks Yahweh.
14 “Cheaters are under a curse. They have male animals in their flocks that they vow to give as a sacrifice. But they sacrifice second-rate ones to Adonay instead. I am a great Melek,” says Yahweh Tsebaoth. “Among the nations my name is respected.
Malachi 1
Expanded Bible
1 This ·message [oracle; burden] is the word of the Lord given to Israel through Malachi [C “my messenger”].
God Loves Israel
2 The Lord said, “I have loved you.”
But you ask, “How have you loved us?”
The Lord said, “Esau and Jacob were brothers. I loved Jacob, 3 but I ·hated [rejected] Esau [Gen. 25:19–34]. I ·destroyed [laid waste] his mountain country and left his ·land [inheritance] to the ·wild dogs [jackals] of the ·desert [wilderness].”
4 The people of Edom [L descendants of Esau] might say, “We were ·destroyed [crushed; shattered], but we will go back and rebuild the ruins.”
But the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, “If they rebuild them, I will ·destroy [demolish] them. ·People will say, ‘Edom is a wicked country. The Lord is always angry with the Edomites.’ [or They will be known as, ‘The Wicked Land’ and ‘The people always under God’s wrath.’] 5 You will see these things with your own eyes. And you will say, ‘The Lord is great, even ·outside [beyond] the borders of Israel!’”
The Priests Don’t Respect God
6 The Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts] says, “A son honors his father [Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16], and a ·servant [slave] honors his master.” ·I am a [L If I am your] father, so why don’t you honor me? ·I am a [L If I am your] master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests ·do not respect me [L despise my name].
“But you ask, ‘How have we ·shown you disrespect [L despised your name]?’
7 “You have shown it by bringing ·unclean [defiled] food to my altar.
“But you ask, ‘What makes it ·unclean [defiled]?’
“It is ·unclean [defiled] because you ·don’t respect [treat as contemptible] the altar of the Lord. 8 When you ·bring [offer] blind animals as sacrifices, ·that is [L is that not…?] wrong. When you ·bring [offer] crippled and sick animals, ·that is [L is that not…?] wrong [Lev. 1:3]. Try giving them to your governor. Would he be pleased with you? ·He wouldn’t [L Would he…?] accept you,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
9 “Now ·ask [plead with] God to ·be kind [show favor] to you, but he won’t ·accept [show favor to] you with such offerings,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
10 “I wish one of you would close the Temple doors so that you would not light ·useless [worthless; meaningless] fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you and will not accept ·your gifts [L an offering from your hand],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts]. 11 “From the east to the west ·I [L my name] will be honored among the nations. Everywhere they will bring incense and ·clean [pure; undefiled] offerings to me, because ·I will be honored [L my name will be great] among the nations,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
12 “But you ·don’t honor [profane] me. You say about the Lord’s ·altar [table], ‘It is ·unclean [defiled], and the food ·has no worth [is despicable/contemptible].’ 13 You say, ‘We are tired of doing this,’ and you ·sniff [sneer] at it in disgust,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].
“And you bring ·hurt [or stolen], crippled, and sick animals as gifts. You bring them as ·gifts [offerings], but I won’t accept them from ·you [L your hands],” says the Lord. 14 “The person who cheats will be cursed. He has a male animal in his flock and promises to offer it, but then he offers to the Lord an animal that ·has something wrong with it [is blemished; Lev. 1:3]. I am a great king,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts], “and ·I am [my name is] feared ·by all [among] the nations.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.