The burden of the word of theLORDto Israel by Malachi.
I have loved you, saith theLORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us?Wasnot Esau Jacob’s brother? saith theLORD: yet I loved Jacob,
And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith theLORDof hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom theLORDhath indignation for ever.
And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, TheLORDwill be magnified from the border of Israel.
A son honourethhisfather, and a servant his master: if then Ibea father, whereismine honour? and if Ibea master, whereismy fear? saith theLORDof hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?
Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of theLORDiscontemptible.
And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice,is itnot evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick,is itnot evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith theLORDof hosts.
And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith theLORDof hosts.
Whois thereeven among you that would shut the doorsfor nought?neither do ye kindlefireon mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith theLORDof hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my nameshall begreat among the Gentiles; and in every place incenseshall beoffered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my nameshall begreat among the heathen, saith theLORDof hosts.
But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of theLORDispolluted; and the fruit thereof,evenhis meat,iscontemptible.
Ye said also, Behold, what a wearinessis it!and ye have snuffed at it, saith theLORDof hosts; and ye broughtthat which wastorn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith theLORD.
But cursedbethe deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for Iama great King, saith theLORDof hosts, and my nameisdreadful among the heathen.