Malachi, Chapters 1-2, verses 6-17: BIBLE, New American Standard Bible == BIBLE-CENTER

Malachi, Chapter 1, verses 6-14

⁶ “‘A son honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My^hrespect?’ says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests who despise My name. But you say, ‘How have we despised Your name?’ ⁷ You are presenting defiledⁱfood upon My altar. But you say, ‘How have we defiled You?’ In that you say, ‘The table of the LORD is to be despised.’ ⁸ But when you present the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you present the lame and sick, is it not evil?^jWhy not offer it to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Or would he receive you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. ⁹ “But now^kwill you not entreat God’s favor, that He may be gracious to us?^lWith such an offering on your part, will He receive any of you kindly?” says the LORD of hosts. ¹⁰ “Oh that there were one among you who would shut the^mgates, that you might not uselessly kindle fire on My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering fromⁿyou. ¹¹ For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of hosts. ¹² “But you are profaning it, in that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.’ ¹³ You also say, ‘^oMy, how tiresome it is!’ And you disdainfully sniff at it,” says the LORD of hosts, “and you bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I receive that from your hand?” says the LORD. ¹⁴ “But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King,” says the LORD of hosts, “and My name is^pfeared among the^qnations.”

Malachi, Chapter 2

¹ “And now this commandment is for you, O priests. ² If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. ³ Behold, I am going to rebuke your^aoffspring, and I will spread^brefuse on your faces, the^crefuse of your feasts; and you will be taken away^dwith it. ⁴ Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you,^ethat My covenant may^fcontinue with Levi,” says the LORD of hosts. ⁵ “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of^greverence; so he^hrevered Me and stood in awe of My name. ⁶ ⁱTrue instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. ⁷ For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and^jmen should seek^kinstruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. ⁸ But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble^lby the instruction; you have^mcorrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of hosts. ⁹ “So I also have made you despised and abasedⁿbefore all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the^oinstruction.

¹⁰ “Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? ¹¹ Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the LORD^pwhich He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. ¹² As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents^qan offering to the LORD of hosts.

¹³ “This is^ranother thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the^soffering or accepts it with favor from your hand. ¹⁴ Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. ¹⁵ ^tBut not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And^uwhat did that one do while he was seeking a godly^voffspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. ¹⁶ For^wI hate^xdivorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and^yhim who covers his garment with^zwrong,” says the LORD of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

¹⁷ You have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”


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