¹ The burden of a word of Jehovah unto Israel by the hand of Malachi:

² I have loved you, said Jehovah, And ye have said, `In what hast Thou loved us?'

³ Is not Esau Jacob's brother? -- an affirmation of Jehovah, And I love Jacob, and Esau I have hated, And I make his mountains a desolation, And his inheritance for dragons of a wilderness.

⁴ Because Edom saith, `We have been made poor, And we turn back and we build the wastes,' Thus said Jehovah of Hosts: They do build, and I do destroy, And [men] have called to them, `O region of wickedness,' `O people whom Jehovah defied to the age.'

⁵ And your eyes do see, and ye say, `Magnified is Jehovah beyond the border of Israel,

⁶ A son honoureth a father, and a servant his master. And if I [am] a father, where [is] Mine honour? And if I [am] a master, where [is] My fear? Said Jehovah of Hosts to you, O priests, despising My name! And ye have Said: `In what have we despised Thy name?'

⁷ Ye are bringing nigh on Mine altar polluted bread, And ye have said: `In what have we polluted Thee?' In your saying: `The table of Jehovah -- it [is] despicable,'

⁸ And when ye bring nigh the blind for sacrifice, `There is no evil,' And when ye bring nigh the lame and sick, `There is no evil;' Bring it near, I pray thee, to thy governor -- Doth he accept thee? or doth he lift up thy face? Said Jehovah of Hosts.

⁹ And now, appease, I pray thee, the face of God, And He doth favour us; From your own hand hath this been, Doth He accept of you appearances? Said Jehovah of Hosts.

¹⁰ Who [is] even among you, And he shutteth the two-leaved doors? Yea, ye do not kindle Mine altar for nought, I have no pleasure in you, said Jehovah of Hosts, And a present I do not accept of your hand.

¹¹ For, from the rising of the sun to its going in, Great [is] My name among nations, And in every place perfume is brought nigh to My name, and a pure present, For great [is] My name among nations, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

¹² And ye are polluting it in your saying, `The table of Jehovah -- it is polluted, As to its fruit -- despicable is its food.'

¹³ And ye have said, `Lo, what a weariness,' And ye have puffed at it, said Jehovah of Hosts, And ye have brought in plunder, And the lame and the sick, And ye have brought in the present! Do I accept it from your hand? said Jehovah.

¹⁴ And cursed [is] a deceiver, who hath in his drove a male, And is vowing, and is sacrificing a marred thing to the Lord, For a great king [am] I, said Jehovah of Hosts, And My name [is] revered among nations!

¹ And Job answereth and saith: --

² Truly -- ye [are] the people, And with you doth wisdom die.

³ I also have a heart like you, I am not fallen more than you, And with whom is there not like these?

⁴ A laughter to his friend I am: `He calleth to God, and He answereth him,' A laughter [is] the perfect righteous one.

⁵ A torch -- despised in the thoughts of the secure Is prepared for those sliding with the feet.

⁶ At peace are the tents of spoilers, And those provoking God have confidence, He into whose hand God hath brought.

⁷ And yet, ask, I pray thee, [One of] the beasts, and it doth shew thee, And a fowl of the heavens, And it doth declare to thee.

⁸ Or talk to the earth, and it sheweth thee, And fishes of the sea recount to thee:

⁹ `Who hath not known in all these, That the hand of Jehovah hath done this?

¹⁰ In whose hand [is] the breath of every living thing, And the spirit of all flesh of man.'

¹¹ Doth not the ear try words? And the palate taste food for itself?

¹² With the very aged [is] wisdom, And [with] length of days understanding.

¹³ With Him [are] wisdom and might, To him [are] counsel and understanding.

¹⁴ Lo, He breaketh down, and it is not built up, He shutteth against a man, And it is not opened.

¹⁵ Lo, He keepeth in the waters, and they are dried up, And he sendeth them forth, And they overturn the land.

¹⁶ With Him [are] strength and wisdom, His the deceived and deceiver.

¹⁷ Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.

¹⁸ The bands of kings He hath opened, And He bindeth a girdle on their loins.

¹⁹ Causing ministers to go away a spoil And strong ones He overthroweth.

²⁰ Turning aside the lip of the stedfast, And the reason of the aged He taketh away.

²¹ Pouring contempt upon princes, And the girdle of the mighty He made feeble.

²² Removing deep things out of darkness, And He bringeth out to light death-shade.

²³ Magnifying the nations, and He destroyeth them, Spreading out the nations, and He quieteth them.

²⁴ Turning aside the heart Of the heads of the people of the land, And he causeth them to wander In vacancy -- no way!

²⁵ They feel darkness, and not light, He causeth them to wander as a drunkard.