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Orakulli i fjalës të Zotit iu drejtua Izraelit me anë të Malakias.

"Unë ju kam dashur," thotë Zoti. Por ju thoni: "Si na ke dashur?". "Vallë Ezau nuk ishte vëllai i Jakobit?," thotë Zoti. "Megjithëatë unë e kam dashur Jakobin

dhe e kam urryer Ezaun; malet e tij i kam kthyer në shkreti dhe trashëgiminë e tij ua kam dhënë çakejve të shkretëtirës.

Edhe sikur Edomi të thotë: "Ne u shkatërruam, por do të rifillojmë ndërtimin e vendeve të shkretuara,"" kështu thotë Zoti i ushtrive, "ata do të rindërtojnë, por unë do të shemb; dhe do të emërtohen Territori i paudhësisë dhe populli kundër të cilit Zoti do të jetë përjetë i indinjuar.

Sytë tuaj do të shikojnë dhe ju do të thoni: "Zoti u përlëvdua përtej kufijve të Izraelit"".

"Një bir nderon të atin dhe një shërbëtor zotin e tij. Në se unë, pra, jam ati, ku është nderi im? Dhe në se jam zot, ku ma kanë frikën?," iu thotë Zoti i ushtrive juve, priftërinjve, "që përbuzni emrin tim dhe megjithatë thoni: "Si e kemi përbuzur emrin tënd?".

Ju ofroni mbi altarin tim ushqime të ndotura, dhe megjithatë thoni: "Në ç’mënyrë të kemi ndotur?". Kur thoni: "Tryeza e Zotit është e përbuzshme".

Kur ofroni për flijim një kafshë të verbër, a nuk është keq? Kur ofroni një kafshë të çalë ose të sëmurë, nuk është keq? Paraqite, pra, te qeveritari yt. A do të jetë i kënaqur prej teje? Do të të pranojë me kënaqësi?," thotë Zoti i ushtrive.

Tani, pra, kërkoni favorin e Perëndisë, që ai të ketë mëshirë për ne. Duart tuaja e kanë bërë këtë, a do t’ju pranojë vallë me kënaqësi?,," thotë Zoti i ushtrive.

10 "Oh, sikur të paktën dikush prej jush t’i mbyllte dyert! Atëherë nuk do ta ndiznit zjarrin kot mbi altarin tim. Unë nuk kam asnjë kënaqësi me ju," thotë Zoti i ushtrive, "dhe as që pëlqej çfarëdo oferte nga duart tuaja.

11 Sepse, që nga lind dielli e deri atje ku perëndon, emri im do të jetë i madh midis kombeve dhe në çdo vend do t’i ofrohet temjan emrit tim dhe një blatim i pastër, sepse emri im do të jetë i madh midis kombeve," thotë Zoti i ushtrive.

12 "Por ju e përdhosni kur thoni: "Tryeza e Zotit është e ndotur dhe fryti i saj, domethënë ushqimi i saj, është i përbuzshëm".

13 Ju thoni gjithashtu: "Ah, sa u lodhëm!," dhe e trajtoni me përçmim," thotë Zoti i ushtrive. "Kështu ju sillni kafshë të vjedhura, të çala ose të sëmura; kjo është oferta që sillni. A do të mund ta pranoja nga duart tuaja?," thotë Zoti.

14 Mallkuar qoftë hileqari që ka një mashkull në kopenë e tij dhe bënë një premtim solemn, por flijon për Zotin një kafshë me të meta. Sepse unë jam një Mbret i madh," thotë Zoti i ushtrive, "dhe emri im është i tmerrshëm midis kombeve".

A prophecy:(A) The word(B) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

“I have loved(C) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,(D) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,(E) but Esau I have hated,(F) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland(G) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.(H)

Edom(I) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild(J) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.(K) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.(L) You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great(M) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’(N)

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

“A son honors his father,(O) and a slave his master.(P) If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect(Q) due me?” says the Lord Almighty.(R)

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask,(S) ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

“By offering defiled food(T) on my altar.

“But you ask,(U) ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table(V) is contemptible. When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,(W) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased(X) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.(Y)

“Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings(Z) from your hands, will he accept(AA) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

10 “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,(AB) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased(AC) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept(AD) no offering(AE) from your hands. 11 My name will be great(AF) among the nations,(AG) from where the sun rises to where it sets.(AH) In every place incense(AI) and pure offerings(AJ) will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

12 “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table(AK) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food(AL) is contemptible.’ 13 And you say, ‘What a burden!’(AM) and you sniff at it contemptuously,(AN)” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,(AO) should I accept them from your hands?”(AP) says the Lord. 14 “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal(AQ) to the Lord. For I am a great king,(AR)” says the Lord Almighty,(AS) “and my name is to be feared(AT) among the nations.(AU)

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 1:1 Malachi means my messenger.

The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.

Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the Lord of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever.

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel.

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the Lord is contemptible.

And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.

And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the Lord of hosts.

10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts.

12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the Lord.

14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.