Malachi 1
An oracle: the word of Allah to Israel by Malachi.
2"I have loved you," says Allah.
Yet you say, "How have you loved us?"
"Wasn't Esau Yaqub's brother?" says Allah, "Yet Yaqub I loved, 3but Esau I hated[1], and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his inheritance to the jackals of the wilderness." 4Whereas Edom says, "We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places;" thus says Allah, Lord of the universe, "They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them 'The Wicked Land,' even the people against whom Allah shows wrath forever."
5Your eyes will see, and you will say, "Allah is great--even beyond the border of Israel!"
6"A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? says Allah, Lord of the universe to you, priests, who despise my name. You say, 'How have we despised your name?' 7You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, 'How have we polluted you?' In that you say, 'Allah's table is contemptible.' 8When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn't that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn't that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?" says Allah, Lord of the universe.
9"Now, please entreat the favour of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?" says Allah, Lord of the universe.
10"Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you," says Allah, Lord of the universe, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand. 11For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering: for my name is great among the nations," says Allah, Lord of the universe. 12"But you profane it, in that you say, 'Allah's table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.' 13You say also, 'Behold, what a weariness it is!' and you have sniffed at it," says Allah, Lord of the universe; "and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?" says Allah.
14"But the deceiver is cursed, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King," says Allah, Lord of the universe, "and my name is awesome among the nations."