Hebrew Names Version HNV
The Message Bible MSG
1 An oracle: the word of the LORD to Yisra'el by Mal'akhi.
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A Message. God's Word to Israel through Malachi:
2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. Yet you say, "How have you loved us?" "Wasn't Esav Ya`akov's brother?" says the LORD, "Yet I loved Ya`akov;
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God said, "I love you." You replied, "Really? How have you loved us?"
3 but Esav I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness."
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and hated Esau. I reduced pretentious Esau to a molehill, turned his whole country into a ghost town."
4 Whereas Edom says, "We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places;" thus says the LORD of Hosts, "They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them 'The Wicked Land,' even the people against whom the LORD shows wrath forever."
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When Edom (Esau) said, "We've been knocked down, but we'll get up and start over, good as new," God-of-the-Angel-Armies said, "Just try it and see how far you get. When I knock you down, you stay down. People will take one look at you and say, 'Land of Evil!' and 'the God-cursed tribe!'
5 Your eyes will see, and you will say, "The LORD is great -- even beyond the border of Yisra'el!"
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"Yes, take a good look. Then you'll see how faithfully I've loved you and you'll want even more, saying, 'May God be even greater, beyond the borders of Israel!'
6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me? Says the LORD of Hosts to you, Kohanim, who despise my name. You say, 'How have we despised your name?'
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"Isn't it true that a son honors his father and a worker his master? So if I'm your Father, where's the honor? If I'm your Master, where's the respect?" God-of-the-Angel-Armies is calling you on the carpet: "You priests despise me! "You say, 'Not so! How do we despise you?' "By your shoddy, sloppy, defiling worship. "You ask, 'What do you mean, "defiling"? What's defiling about it?'
7 You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, 'How have we polluted you?' In that you say, 'The LORD's table contemptible.'
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"When you say, 'The altar of God is not important anymore; worship of God is no longer a priority,' that's defiling.
8 When 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 the LORD of Hosts.
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And when you offer worthless animals for sacrifices in worship, animals that you're trying to get rid of - blind and sick and crippled animals - isn't that defiling? Try a trick like that with your banker or your senator - how far do you think it will get you?" God-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you.
9 "Now, please entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With this, will he accept any of you?" says the LORD of Hosts.
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"Get on your knees and pray that I will be gracious to you. You priests have gotten everyone in trouble. With this kind of conduct, do you think I'll pay attention to you?" God-of-the-Angel-Armies asks you.
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 the LORD of hosts, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
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"Why doesn't one of you just shut the Temple doors and lock them? Then none of you can get in and play at religion with this silly, empty-headed worship. I am not pleased. The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is not pleased. And I don't want any more of this so-called worship! Offering God Something Hand-Me-Down, Broken, or Useless
11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same my name is be 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 the LORD of Hosts.
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"I am honored all over the world. And there are people who know how to worship me all over the world, who honor me by bringing their best to me. They're saying it everywhere: 'God is greater, this God-of-the-Angel-Armies.'
12 "But you profane it, in that you say, 'The LORD's table is polluted, and its fruit, even its food, is contemptible.'
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"All except you. Instead of honoring me, you profane me. You profane me when you say, 'Worship is not important, and what we bring to worship is of no account,'
13 You say also, 'Behold, what a weariness it is!' and you have sniffed at it," says the LORD of Hosts; "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 the LORD.
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and when you say, 'I'm bored - this doesn't do anything for me.' You act so superior, sticking your noses in the air - act superior to me, God-of-the-Angel-Armies! And when you do offer something to me, it's a hand-me-down, or broken, or useless. Do you think I'm going to accept it? This is God speaking to you!
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 the LORD of hosts, "and my name is awesome among the nations."
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"A curse on the person who makes a big show of doing something great for me - an expensive sacrifice, say - and then at the last minute brings in something puny and worthless! I'm a great king, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, honored far and wide, and I'll not put up with it!
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.