¹ The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel by the hand of Malachi.

² I have loved you, said the LORD. Yet ye say, In what hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? said the LORD; yet I loved Jacob,

³ and I rejected Esau and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

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

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

⁶ The son honours [his] father and the servant his master; if then I [am] a father, where [is] my honour? and if I [am] a master, where [is] my fear? said the LORD of the hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, In what have we despised thy name?

⁷ Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar; and ye say, In what have we polluted thee? In that ye say, We die of hunger in the service of the LORD.

⁸ And when ye offer the blind [animal] for sacrifice, [is it] not evil? Likewise when ye offer the lame and sick, [is it] not evil? offer it now unto thy prince; will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person? said the LORD of the hosts.

⁹ And now, therefore, beseech the face of God, and he will have compassion on us; this has come by your hand: will he regard your persons? said the LORD of the hosts.

¹⁰ Who [is there] even among you that would shut the doors or tend [the fire] on my altar for free? I have no pleasure in you, said the LORD of the hosts, neither will the offering from your hand be agreeable unto me.

¹¹ For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name is great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense is offered unto my name, and a clean offering; for my name [is] great among the Gentiles, said the LORD of the hosts.

¹² And ye have profaned it when ye say, We die of hunger at the service of the LORD and when ye speak that his food is contemptible.

¹³ And ye say, Behold, what a weariness [it is]! and ye have rejected it, said the LORD of the hosts; and ye brought [that which was] stolen or lame or sick and presented an offering: should this be acceptable unto me by your hand? said the LORD.

¹⁴ But cursed [be] the deceiver, who has in his flock a male and vows and sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I [am] a great King, saith the LORD of the hosts, and my name [is] formidable among the Gentiles.: