1. I am Malachi. And this is the message that the Lord gave me for Israel.
2. Israel, I, the Lord, have loved you. And yet you ask in what way have I loved you. Don't forget that Esau was the brother of your ancestor Jacob, but I chose Jacob
3. instead of Esau. And I turned Esau's hill country into a barren desert where jackals roam.
4. Esau's descendants may say, “Although our nation Edom is in ruins, we will rebuild.”But I, the Lord All-Powerful, promise to tear down whatever they build. Then everyone will know that I will never stop being angry with them as long as they are so sinful.
5. Israel, when you see this, you will shout, “The Lord's great reputation reaches beyond our borders.”
6. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have something to say to you priests. Children respect their fathers, and servants respect their masters. I am your father and your master, so why don't you respect me? You priests have insulted me, and now you ask, “How did we insult you?”
7. You embarrass me by offering worthless food on my altar. Then you ask, “How have we embarrassed you?” You have done it by saying, “What's so great about the Lord's altar?”