Malachi

The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

1This is the heavy message the LORD sent to Israel. He sent it through Malachi, a man who told people what God said.

2I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,

2"I have loved you," says the LORD. But you ask, "How have you loved us?" The LORD says, "Wasn't Esau the brother of Jacob? Even so, I loved Jacob,

3And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

3but I hated Esau. I turned his mountains into empty, broken land. I left the land his family owned to the wild dogs of the desert."

NoteThe King James Bible says "dragons" here. The old word stood for wild animals of the desert, most likely jackals, which are wild dogs.

4Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.

4The people of Edom, who came from Esau, say, "We are poor and ruined, but we will go back and build again." The LORD who leads heaven's armies says, "They may build, but I will knock it down. People will call their land the Land of Wickedness. They will call them the people the LORD is angry with forever.

5And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel.

5You will see this with your own eyes. Then you will say, 'The LORD is great, even far past the edges of Israel.'"

6A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

6A son gives honor to his father. A servant gives honor to his master. "So if I am a father, where is my honor? If I am a master, where is your respect for me?" This is what the LORD who leads heaven's armies says to you priests, the men who serve God at his temple. "You treat my name as worthless. But you ask, 'How have we treated your name that way?'

7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.

7You put dirty food on my altar, the table where gifts are given to God. Then you ask, 'How have we made you dirty?' You do it by saying the LORD's table does not matter.

8And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

8You bring blind animals as gifts. Is that not wrong? You bring hurt and sick animals. Is that not wrong? Try giving those to your governor, the ruler over your land. Would he be pleased with you? Would he treat you kindly?" says the LORD who leads heaven's armies.

9And 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 the LORD of hosts.

9"Now go ahead and ask God to be kind to you. These gifts came from your own hands. Will he treat you kindly?" asks the LORD who leads heaven's armies.

10Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

10"I wish one of you would shut the temple doors! Then you would stop lighting useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you," says the LORD who leads heaven's armies. "And I will not take any gift from your hands.

NoteIn the King James Bible, verse 10 sounds like a question about working for no pay. The meaning is a wish that someone would shut the temple doors and stop the useless fires.

11For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

11From where the sun comes up to where it goes down, my name will be great among the nations. In every place people will burn incense for my name. Incense is a dried plant that makes sweet smoke when burned. They will bring clean, good gifts. My name will be great among the nations," says the LORD who leads heaven's armies.

12But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

12"But you treat my name as if it were nothing. You say the LORD's table is dirty. You say the food on it does not matter.

13Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

13You also say, 'What a tiring bother this is!' You turn up your nose at it," says the LORD who leads heaven's armies. "You bring animals that wild beasts tore apart. You bring animals that are hurt or sick. That is the gift you bring. Should I take that from your hands?" asks the LORD.

14But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.

14"A cheater has a fine male animal in his flock. He promises to give it to the LORD. Then he gives the LORD a poor, damaged animal instead. That cheater is under a curse. For I am a great King," says the LORD who leads heaven's armies, "and my name is feared among the nations."

Note"Dreadful" in the King James Bible means "to be feared," not "terrible" or "awful."