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Malachi 1
New International Version

1 A prophecy:(A)The word(B)of theLordto Israel through Malachi.[a]

### Israel Doubts God’s Love

2 “I have loved(C)you,” says theLord.

“But you ask,(D)‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares theLord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,(E)3 but Esau I have hated,(F)and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland(G)and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.(H)”

4 Edom(I)may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild(J)the ruins.”

But this is what theLordAlmighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.(K)They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of theLord.(L)5 You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great(M)is theLord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’(N)

### Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

6 “A son honors his father,(O)and a slave his master.(P)If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect(Q)due me?” says theLordAlmighty.(R)

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask,(S)‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

7 “By offering defiled food(T)on my altar.

“But you ask,(U)‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that theLord’s table(V)is contemptible.8 When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,(W)is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased(X)with you? Would he accept you?” says theLordAlmighty.(Y)

9 “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings(Z)from your hands, will he accept(AA)you?”—says theLordAlmighty.

10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,(AB)so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased(AC)with you,” says theLordAlmighty, “and I will accept(AD)no offering(AE)from your hands.11 My name will be great(AF)among the nations,(AG)from where the sun rises to where it sets.(AH)In every place incense(AI)and pure offerings(AJ)will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says theLordAlmighty.

12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table(AK)is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food(AL)is contemptible.’13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’(AM)and you sniff at it contemptuously,(AN)” says theLordAlmighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,(AO)should I accept them from your hands?”(AP)says theLord.14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal(AQ)to the Lord. For I am a great king,(AR)” says theLordAlmighty,(AS)“and my name is to be feared(AT)among the nations.(AU)

#### Footnotes

1. Malachi 1:1 Malachimeansmy messenger.

#### Cross references

1. Malachi 1:1:S Na 1:1
2. Malachi 1:1:Ac 7:38; Ro 3:1-2; 1Pe 4:11
3. Malachi 1:2:S Dt 4:37
4. Malachi 1:2:ver 6, 7; Mal 2:14, 17; 3:7, 13
5. Malachi 1:2:S Jer 46:27; Ro 9:13*
6. Malachi 1:3:Lk 14:26
7. Malachi 1:3:S Isa 34:10
8. Malachi 1:3:S Isa 13:22
9. Malachi 1:4:S Isa 11:14; S 34:11
10. Malachi 1:4:Isa 9:10
11. Malachi 1:4:S Isa 34:5
12. Malachi 1:4:S La 4:22; S Eze 25:12-14; S 26:14
13. Malachi 1:5:Ps 35:27; 48:1; Mic 5:4
14. Malachi 1:5:Isa 45:22; 52:10; S Am 1:11-12
15. Malachi 1:6:S Lev 20:9; Mt 15:4; 23:9
16. Malachi 1:6:Lk 6:46
17. Malachi 1:6:S Dt 31:12; S Isa 1:2
18. Malachi 1:6:Job 5:17
19. Malachi 1:6:S ver 2
20. Malachi 1:7:ver 12; Lev 21:6
21. Malachi 1:7:S ver 2
22. Malachi 1:7:S Eze 23:41
23. Malachi 1:8:S Lev 1:3; S Dt 15:21
24. Malachi 1:8:S Ge 32:20
25. Malachi 1:8:S Isa 43:23
26. Malachi 1:9:Lev 23:33-44; Ps 51:17; Mic 6:6-8; Ro 12:1; Heb 13:16
27. Malachi 1:9:S Jer 6:20
28. Malachi 1:10:2Ch 28:24
29. Malachi 1:10:S Hos 5:6
30. Malachi 1:10:Lev 22:20
31. Malachi 1:10:ver 13; Isa 1:11-14; Jer 14:12; Mal 2:12
32. Malachi 1:11:S Isa 24:15; 56:6
33. Malachi 1:11:S Isa 6:3; S 12:4
34. Malachi 1:11:S Ps 113:3; S Mt 8:11
35. Malachi 1:11:Isa 60:6-7; Rev 5:8; 8:3
36. Malachi 1:11:S Isa 19:21; Heb 13:15
37. Malachi 1:12:S Eze 41:22
38. Malachi 1:12:S ver 7
39. Malachi 1:13:Isa 43:22-24
40. Malachi 1:13:S Nu 14:11
41. Malachi 1:13:S ver 10
42. Malachi 1:13:S Dt 15:21
43. Malachi 1:14:Ex 12:5; S Lev 22:18-21
44. Malachi 1:14:Ps 95:3; S Ob 1:21; 1Ti 6:15
45. Malachi 1:14:Jer 46:18
46. Malachi 1:14:S Dt 28:58
47. Malachi 1:14:Ps 72:8-11

New International Version(NIV)

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