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 honours his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honour due to me? If I am a master, where is the respect due to 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.
1Nkɔmhyɛ nsɛm a Awurade nam Odiyifoɔ Malaki so de maa Israel.
Wɔdɔ Yakob, Wɔtane Esau
2“Madɔ mo,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
“Nanso, mobisa sɛ, ‘Wodɔɔ yɛn ɛkwan bɛn so?’ ”
Na Awurade bua sɛ, “Esau nyɛ Yakob nua anaa? Nanso madɔ Yakob, 3na matane Esau, mayɛ nʼasase mmepɔ mmepɔ no bonini, na nʼagyapadeɛ nso madane no anweatam a nnompo te soɔ.”
4Ebia Edom bɛka sɛ, “Ɛwom sɛ wɔadwera yɛn deɛ, nanso yɛbɛsane asi mmubuiɛ no bio.”
Nanso, yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade nso seɛ: “Wɔbɛsi nanso mɛbubu no. Wɔbɛfrɛ wɔn, Amumuyɛ Asase, nnipa a Awurade abufuo bɛtena wɔn so daa. 5Mode mo ankasa ani bɛhunu na moaka sɛ, ‘Awurade kɛseyɛ tra Israel ahyeɛ nyinaa so!’
Afɔrebɔ A Ɛmfata
6“Ɔbabarima de obuo ma nʼagya, na ɔsomfoɔ de anidie ma ne wura. Sɛ meyɛ Agya a, anidie a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde ma me no wɔ he? Sɛ meyɛ Owura a, obuo a ɛfata me no wɔ he?” Yei na Asafo Awurade bisa.
Mo asɔfoɔ, mo na mosɛe me din.
“Na mobisa sɛ, ‘Ɛkwan bɛn na yɛ nam so sɛee wo din?’
7“Mode aduane a ɛho agu fi bɛgu mʼafɔrebukyia so.
“Afei mobisa sɛ ‘Ɛkwan bɛn so na yɛfa guu wo ho fi?’
“Sɛ mokaa sɛ, Awurade ɛpono ho yɛ aniwu enti. 8Sɛ mode mmoa a wɔn ani abɔ bɔ afɔdeɛ a, ɛnyɛ mmusuo? Sɛ mode mmoa a wɔyare anaa wɔyɛ mpakye bɔ afɔdeɛ a, ɛnyɛ mmusuo? Ɛyɛ a, momfa akyɛdeɛ a ɛte saa no nkɔma mo amrado, na monhwɛ sɛ, nʼani bɛsɔ na wagye wo ato mu anaa?” Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
9“Afei mo nsrɛ Onyankopɔn, na ɔnhunu yɛn mmɔbɔ. Sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ sei firi mo nkyɛn a, ɔbɛgye mo ato mu anaa?” Asafo Awurade na ɔrebisa.
10“Anka mepɛ sɛ mo mu baako kɔtoto asɔredan no apono mu, na obi ankɔsɔ ogya a ɛmfata wɔ mʼafɔrebukyia so! Mʼani nsɔ mo, na merennye afɔrebɔdeɛ biara a ɛfiri mo nkyɛn,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie. 11“Ɛfiri deɛ owia pue kɔsi deɛ owia kɔtɔ, me din bɛyɛ kɛseɛ wɔ amanaman no mu. Baabiara, wɔde afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛho teɛ ne nnuhwam bɛbrɛ me, ɛfiri sɛ, me din bɛyɛ kɛseɛ wɔ amanaman no mu,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
12“Nanso mode kasa fi ka sɛ Awurade ɛpono ho nte. Na mobu ɛso aduane nso animtia. 13Na moka sɛ adesoa bɛn nie, na moyi mo ani firi mʼasɛm so,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
“Sɛ mode mmoa a wɔapirapira, a wɔyɛ mpakye anaa wɔyareyare bɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ma me a, me nsɔ mu anaa?” Yei na Awurade bisa. 14“Nnome nka osisifoɔ a ɔwɔ odwennini a ɔfata wɔ ne nnwankuo mu, na ɔhyɛ bɔ sɛ ɔde no bɛma nanso ɔde deɛ wadi dɛm na ɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ma Awurade. Meyɛ ɔhempɔn, na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsuro me din wɔ amanaman mu,” sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie.
