1 A prophecy: This message came from the Lord concerning Israel through Malachi. 2 I have loved you, says the Lord. But you ask, “How have you loved us?” Wasn't Esau Jacob's brother? the Lord responds. But I loved Jacob 3 and despised Esau. I have made Esau's mountain homeland into a wasteland, and turned his inheritance into a desert for jackals. 4 The people of Edom may be saying: “We have been beaten down, but we will rebuild the ruins.” But this is what the Lord Almighty says, They may try and build, but I will tear down. They will be called a land of wickedness, and the people those who make the Lord angry forever. 5 You will see this destruction with your own eyes, and you will say, “The Lord is great, even beyond the borders of Israel.” 6 A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. So if I am your father, where is my honor? If I am your master, where is my respect? says the Lord Almighty to you priests who show contempt for me. But you ask, “How have we shown contempt for you?” 7 By making defiled offerings on my altar. Then you ask, “How have we defiled you?” By saying the Lord's table doesn't deserve respect. 8 When you offer a blind animal as a sacrifice, isn't that wrong? Or when you offer an animal that is crippled or sick, isn't that wrong? Would you give such gifts to your governor? Would he be pleased with you? Would he be kind and show favor to you? asks the Lord Almighty. 9 So why don't you try being kind to God, begging him to be merciful to you? But when you bring such offerings, why should he show favor to you? asks the Lord Almighty. 10 I really wish one of you would shut the Temple doors to stop you lighting pointless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept offerings from you. 11 I am honored by nations from the farthest east to the distant west; everywhere people make offerings to me of incense and pure sacrifices. I am honored among the nations, says the Lord Almighty. 12 But you dishonor me when you say the Lord's table doesn't deserve respect, and that its food can be treated with contempt. 13 You say, “All this is too much trouble!” and you sniff scornfully at it, says the Lord Almighty. But when you bring animals that are stolen or crippled or sick and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept what you're giving? asks the Lord. 14 Cursed are those who cheat by vowing to bring a ram as a sacrifice and then offers an imperfect animal to the Lord. For I am a great King, says the Lord Almighty, and I am respected among the nations!
Malachi 1 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Malachi
The prophet through whom the word of the LORD came to Israel; the name may mean 'my messenger'.
Cited in the guide: Malachi 1:1
Cross references (14)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Habakkuk 1:1; Isaiah 13:1; Nahum 1:1; Zechariah 9:1; Zechariah 12:1
- 2 Jeremiah 31:3; Isaiah 41:8–9; Deuteronomy 10:15; Romans 9:10–13; Malachi 3:7–8
- 3 Obadiah 10; Joel 3:19; Ezekiel 35:3–4; Jeremiah 49:16–18; Ezekiel 36:14–15
- 4 Ezekiel 25:14; Ezekiel 35:9; Isaiah 10:15–16; Isaiah 9:9–10; Isaiah 11:14
- 5 Luke 10:23–24; Deuteronomy 11:7; Psalm 58:10–11; Ezekiel 38:16; Psalm 35:26–27
- 6 Luke 6:46; Isaiah 1:2; John 13:13–17; Exodus 20:12; 1 Peter 2:17–19
- 7 Malachi 1:12; 1 Corinthians 11:27–32; 1 Corinthians 10:21; Malachi 1:8; 1 Samuel 2:15–17
- 8 Deuteronomy 15:21; Leviticus 22:19–25; Hosea 8:13; Jeremiah 14:10; Malachi 1:13–14
- 9 John 9:31; 1 Peter 1:17; Jeremiah 27:18; Exodus 32:11; 2 Chronicles 30:27
- 10 1 Peter 5:2; Jeremiah 6:20; Amos 5:21–24; Hosea 5:6; Micah 3:11
- 11 Isaiah 45:6; Isaiah 54:5; Hebrews 13:15–16; Matthew 28:19; Zechariah 8:7
- 12 Malachi 1:6–8; Malachi 1:13; Numbers 11:4–8; Malachi 2:8; Amos 2:7
- 13 Micah 6:3; Mark 14:37–38; Malachi 1:7–8; Leviticus 22:19–23; Isaiah 43:22–23
- 14 Acts 5:1–10; Ecclesiastes 5:4–5; 2 Corinthians 8:12; Luke 12:46; Psalm 76:12
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… the rising of the sun, unto the going down [of the same], My name is glorified among the Gentiles, and in every place incense is offered to My name, and a pure sacrifice; for great is My name among the Gentiles, saith the Lord Omnipotent;" --indicating in the plainest manner, by these words, that the former people [the Jews] shall …
… even to the going down of the sun, my name is great among the nations; and in every place sacrifice shall be made, and a pure oblation shall be offered unto my name: for my name shall be great among the nations, saith the Lord." Since we can already see this sacrifice offered to God in every place, from the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Agreeably to which the prophet also said to the Jews, I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord Almighty; and immediately afterwards, For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My name is glorified among the Gentiles.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"A son," it is said, "honoureth his father, and a servant his master." Of these two the one, the servile, is given by the creature; the other, which may be called the intimate, is fulfilled by the Spirit.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
This surely is that pure and bloodless sacrifice which the Lord through the prophet said is offered to Him from the rising to the setting of the sun.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 9 (1899)