Malachi 1:10-11

1:10 “I wish that one of you would close the temple doors, ¹  so that you no longer would light useless fires on my altar. I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord who rules over all, “and I will no longer accept an offering from you. 1:11 For from the east to the west my name will be great among the nations. Incense and pure offerings will be offered in my name everywhere, for my name will be great among the nations,” ²  says the Lord who rules over all.

Malachi 2:17

Resistance to the Lord through Self-deceit

2:17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied him?” Because you say, “Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord’s opinion, ³  and he delights in them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

Malachi 3:5

3:5 “I ⁴  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ⁵  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ⁶  who refuse to help ⁷  the immigrant ⁸  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

[1:10]  ¹ sn The rhetorical language suggests that as long as the priesthood and people remain disobedient, the temple doors may as well be closed because God is not “at home” to receive them or their worship there.

[1:11]  ² sn My name will be great among the nations. In what is clearly a strongly ironic shift of thought, the Lord contrasts the unbelief and virtual paganism of the postexilic community with the conversion and obedience of the nations that will one day worship the God of Israel.

[2:17]  ³ tn Heb “in the eyes of the Lord.”

[3:5]  ⁴ tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the Lord) indicates that the Lord himself now speaks (see also v. 1). The prophet speaks in vv. 2-4 (see also 2:17).

[3:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”

[3:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”

[3:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “those who turn aside.”

[3:5]  ⁸ tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”