12/11/2024
Malachi 1 [NIV]
[ 6] âA son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?â says the LORD Almighty. âIt is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
âBut you ask, âHow have we shown contempt for your name?â
[ 7] âYou place defiled food on my altar.
âBut you ask, âHow have we defiled you?â
âBy saying that the LORDâs table is contemptible.
[ 8] When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?â says the LORD Almighty.
[ 9] âNow implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?ââsays the LORD Almighty.
[ 10] âOh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you,â says the LORD Almighty, âand I will accept no offering from your hands.
[ 11] My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,â says the LORD Almighty.
[ 12] âBut you profane it by saying of the Lordâs table, âIt is defiled,â and of its food, âIt is contemptible.â
[ 13] And you say, âWhat a burden!â and you sniff at it contemptuously,â says the LORD Almighty.
âWhen you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?â says the Lord.
[ 14] âCursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king,â says the LORD Almighty, âand my name is to be feared among the nations.