1A prophecy: The word of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.1:1 Malachi means my messenger.
Israel Doubts God’s Love
2“I have loved you,” says the Lord.
“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’
“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”
4Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”
But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord. 5You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’
Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices
6“A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says the Lord Almighty.
“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.
“But you ask, ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’
7“By offering defiled food on my altar.
“But you ask, ‘How have we defiled you?’
“By saying that the Lord’s table is contemptible. 8When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.
9“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?”—says the Lord Almighty.
10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept no offering from your hands. 11My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.
12“But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food is contemptible.’ 13And you say, ‘What a burden!’ and you sniff at it contemptuously,” says the Lord Almighty.
“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?” says the Lord. 14“Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,” says the Lord Almighty, “and my name is to be feared among the nations.
1Ọ̀rọ̀-ìjìnlẹ̀: ọ̀rọ̀ Olúwa sí Israẹli láti ẹnu Malaki.
Ọlọ́run fẹ́ràn Jakọbu, o sì kórìíra Esau
21.2-3: Ro 9.13.1.2-5: Isa 34; 63.1-6; Jr 49.7-22; El 25.12-14; 35; Am 1.11-12; Ọd.“Èmí ti fẹ́ ẹ yín,” ni Olúwa wí.
“Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀yin béèrè pé, ‘Báwo ni ìwọ ṣe fẹ́ wa?’
“Esau kì í ha ṣe arákùnrin Jakọbu bí?” ni Olúwa wí. “Síbẹ̀ èmi fẹ́ràn Jakọbu, 3ṣùgbọ́n Esau ni mo kórìíra, mo ti sọ àwọn òkè ńlá rẹ̀ di aṣálẹ̀, mo sì fi ìní rẹ̀ fún àwọn akátá aginjù.”
4Edomu lè wí pé, “Bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé a run wá, àwa yóò padà wá, a ó sì tún ibùgbé náà kọ́.”
Ṣùgbọ́n èyí ni ohun tí Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí pé: “Àwọn lè kọ́, ṣùgbọ́n èmi yóò wó palẹ̀. Wọn yóò sì pè wọ́n ní ilẹ̀ búburú, àwọn ènìyàn tí wọ́n máa ń wà ní ìbínú Olúwa. 5Ẹ̀yin yóò sì fi ojú yín rí i, ẹ̀yin yóò sì wí pé, ‘Títóbi ni Olúwa, títóbi rẹ̀ tayọ kọjá agbègbè Israẹli.’
Ẹbọ àìmọ́
6“Ọmọ a máa bu ọ̀wọ̀ fún baba rẹ̀, ọmọ ọ̀dọ̀ a sì máa bu ọlá fún olúwa rẹ̀. Ǹjẹ́ bí èmí bá jẹ́ baba, ọlá tí ó tọ́ sí mi ha dà? Bí èmi bá sì jẹ́ olúwa, ẹ̀rù tí ó tọ́ sí mi dà?” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
“Ẹ̀yin ni, ẹ̀yin àlùfáà, ni ẹ ń gan orúkọ mi.
“Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀yin béèrè pé, ‘Báwo ni àwa ṣe gan orúkọ rẹ?’
7“Ẹ̀yin gbé oúnjẹ àìmọ́ sí orí pẹpẹ mi.
“Ẹ̀yin sì tún béèrè pé, ‘Báwo ni àwa ṣe ṣe àìmọ́ sí ọ?’
“Nípa sísọ pé tábìlì Olúwa di ẹ̀gàn. 8Nígbà tí ẹ̀yin mú afọ́jú ẹran wá fún ìrúbọ, ṣé èyí kò ha burú bí? Nígbà tí ẹ̀yin fi amúnkùn ún àti aláìsàn ẹran rú ẹbọ, ṣé èyí kò ha burú gidigidi bí? Ẹ dán an wò, ẹ fi wọ́n rú ẹbọ sí àwọn baálẹ̀ yín! Ṣé inú rẹ̀ yóò dùn sí yín? Ṣé yóò gbà yín?” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
9“Ní ìsinsin yìí, ẹ bẹ Ọlọ́run kí ó ṣàánú fún wa. Ṣùgbọ́n pẹ̀lú irú àwọn ẹbọ wọ̀nyí láti ọwọ́ yín wá, ṣé yóò gbà yín?” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
10“Hó ò! Ẹnìkan ìbá jẹ́ wà láàrín yín ti yóò sé ìlẹ̀kùn tẹmpili, pé kí ẹ má ba à ṣe dá iná asán lórí pẹpẹ mi mọ́! Èmi kò ní inú dídùn sí i yín,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, “bẹ́ẹ̀ ni èmi kì yóò gba ọrẹ kan lọ́wọ́ yín. 11Orúkọ mi yóò tóbi láàrín àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè, láti ìlà-oòrùn títí ó sì fi dé ìwọ̀-oòrùn. Ní ibi gbogbo ni a ó ti mú tùràrí àti ọrẹ mímọ́ wá fún orúkọ mi, nítorí orúkọ mi tóbi láàrín àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
12“Nítorí ẹ̀yin ti sọ ọ́ di àìmọ́, nínú èyí tí ẹ wí pé, ‘Tábìlì Olúwa di àìmọ́ àti èso rẹ̀,’ àní oúnjẹ rẹ̀ ni ohun ẹ̀gàn. 13Ẹ̀yin wí pẹ̀lú pé, ‘Wò ó, irú àjàgà kín ni èyí!’ Ẹ̀yin sì yínmú sí i,” ní Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí.
“Nígbà tí ẹ̀yin sì mú èyí tí ó fi ara pa, arọ àti ọlọkùnrùn ẹran tí ẹ sì fi rú ẹbọ, Èmi o ha gba èyí lọ́wọ́ yín?” ni Olúwa wí. 14“Ṣùgbọ́n ègún ni fún ẹlẹ́tàn náà, tí ó ni akọ nínú ọ̀wọ́ ẹran rẹ̀, tí ó sì ṣe ìlérí láti fi lélẹ̀ tí ó sì fi ẹran tó lábùkù rú ẹbọ sí Olúwa; nítorí ọba ńlá ni Èmi,” ni Olúwa àwọn ọmọ-ogun wí, “ẹ̀rù sì ni orúkọ mi láàrín àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè.
