Malachi 1:6-Malachi 2:9 - An Oracle Against The Temple Priesthood
6 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 LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. And ye say, How have we despised thy na
7 Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar. And ye say, How have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of LORD is contemptible.
8 And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, [ye say,] It is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, It is no evil! Present it now to thy governor. Will he be pleased with thee, or will he accept thy person? says LORD of hosts. 9 [Ye say,] And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us; this has been by your means. Will he accept any of your persons? says LORD of hosts. 10 Oh that there was among you who would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says LORD of hosts, nor will I accept an offering at your hand.
11 For from the rising of the sun even to the going down of the same, my name [is] great among the Gentiles. And in every place incense [is] offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name [is] great among the Gentiles, says LORD
12 But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of LORD is polluted. And the fruit of it, even its food, is contemptible. 13 Ye also say, Behold, what a weariness it is! And ye have sniffed at it, says LORD of hosts. And ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick. Thus ye bring the offering. Should I accept this at your
14 But cursed be the deceiver, who has in his flock a male, and vows, and sacrifices to LORD a blemished thing. For I am a great King, says LORD of hosts, and my name is feared among the Gentiles.
1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, says LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it
3 Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts, and ye shall be taken away with it. 4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi, says LORD of hosts. 5 My covenant of life and peace was with him. And I gave them to him that he might fear, and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many away from iniquity. 7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth. For he is the messenger of LORD of hosts.
8 But ye are turned aside out of the way. Ye have caused many to stumble in the law. Ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says LORD of hosts. 9 Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have had respect of persons in the law.