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- ¶ THE vision of the words of the LORD concerning Israel by Malachi.
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- I have loved you, says the LORD.
But you say, In what way hast thou loved us?
Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?
says the LORD;
yet I have loved Jacob, and I have not favored Esau;
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- And I have made his mountains waste and his heritage for camps of shepherds in the wilderness.
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- And if the Edomites say, We are impoverished, but let us return and build the desolate places;
thus says the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will demolish;
and they shall call them, The border of wickedness and, The people against whom the LORD is angry for ever.
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- And your eyes shall see it, and you shall say, The LORD will be magnified beyond the border of Israel.
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- ¶ A son honors his father, and a servant his master;
if then I am a father, where is my honor?
And if I am a master, where is my fear?
says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name.
And if you say, In what have we despised thy name?
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- In that you offer polluted bread upon my altar;
and if you say, In what have we polluted it?
In that you say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.
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- And when you offer a blind animal to the altar, is it not evil?
And when you offer the lame and sick animals, is it not evil?
Offer it now to your governor;
will he be pleased with you or accept your person?
says the LORD of hosts.
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- And now, pray before the LORD that he may be gracious to us for this disaster has been brought by your means;
I will not regard your persons, says the LORD of hosts.
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- Who is there among you who would guard my doors or offer on my altar for nothing?
I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering from your hand.
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- For from the rising of the sun even to its going down, my name is great among the Gentiles;
and in every place they burn incense and offer to my name pure offerings;
for my name is great among the Gentiles, says the LORD of hosts.
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- But you are profaning it, in that you say, The table of the LORD is polluted and its food is contemptible.
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- And you say, This is because we are miserable;
and I have sniffed at it, says the LORD of hosts;
for you bring offerings that are taken by violence, the lame and the sick;
I will not accept them from your hands, says the LORD.
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- Cursed be he who has in his flock a ram, and vows and sacrifices for the LORD that which is sick;
for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreaded among the Gentiles.
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