OET-RV MAL Chapter 1

2 “I have loved you all,” says Yahweh, but you say, “How have you shown your love for us?”

“Wasn’t Esaw Yacob’s brother?” declares Yahweh. “Yet I’ve loved Yacob[ref] 3 and rejected Esaw. I’ve turned the hills where Esaw lived into a wasteland and given his inheritance to the wild jackals.”

4 If Esaw’s descendants in Edom say, “We’ve been crushed, but we’ll return and rebuild what was destroyed,” then army-commander Yahweh will say, “They might build, but I will tear down. Others will call them ‘The country of wickedness’ and ‘The people who Yahweh is forever angry with.’

5 Your own eyes will see it, and you’ll say, ‘Yahweh is great even outside Israel’s borders.’ ”

6 “A son honours his father, and a servant honours his master, so if I’m a father, where is my honour? If I am a master, where is my respect?” says army-commander Yahweh to all you priests who despise my name.

“But you say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 By offering polluted food on my altar. But you say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ By saying that Yahweh’s table can just be disrespected. 8 Don’t you think it’s wrong when you sacrifice blind animals? Isn’t it evil when you offer lame or sick animals? Try presenting them to your governor! Will he welcome you or would he be offended?” says army-commander Yahweh.[ref]

9 So now bring you requests to God and hope to be showered by his grace. Ha, army-commander Yahweh asks how he could treat you all favourably when you’re bringing second-class offerings?

10 “Yeah, if only there was one person among you who would shut the temple gates so that you all couldn’t just continue to light worthless fires on my altar. I get no pleasure from you all,” says army-commander Yahweh, “and I won’t accept any offering that you all bring me. 11 People in other countries from the east all the way to the west will honour me, and incense and genuine sacrifices will be offered to me, because my reputation in those countries will be praised,” says army-commander Yahweh. 12 “But you all are dishonouring my name when you say that the master’s table is polluted, and that its fruit, its food, can be treated with contempt. 13 You all also say, ‘How tiresome this is,’ and you snort at it,” says army-commander Yahweh. “You all bring animals for your offering that were killed by a wild animal or is lame or sick. Should I accept those from you?” says Yahweh. 14 “May the cheats be cursed who have male animals in their flocks and vow to give them, but instead sacrifices a second-class animal to the master! Yes, I’m a powerful king,” says army-commander Yahweh, “and my name will be carefully respected among the nations.”