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   and invaders will never again pass through her.   
   18 (Isa 30:25; 35:6) And it will be that in that day the mountains will drip   
   sweet wine, and the hills will flow with milk,   
   and all the streambeds of Judah will flow with water;   
   a spring will proceed from the house of the Lord   
   and will water the Valley of Shittim.   
   19 (Isa 19:1-15) Egypt will become a desolation,   
   and Edom a desolate wasteland,   
   because of the violence done to the people of Judah-   
   they shed innocent blood in their land.   
   20 (Eze 37:25; Am 9:15) But Judah will be inhabited forever,   
   and Jerusalem for generations and generations.   
   21 (Isa 4:4; Eze 36:25) I will avenge their blood,   
   which I have not yet avenged.   
   The Lord dwells in Zion!   
      
   [17] So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy   
   mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass   
   through her any more.   
   [18] And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop   
   down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of   
   Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house   
   of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.   
   [19] Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness,   
   for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed   
   innocent blood in their land.   
   [20] But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to   
   generation.   
   [21] For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD   
   dwelleth in Zion.   
      
   Malachi 1   
      
   1 (Isa 13:1; Hab 1:1) The oracle of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.   
   [1] The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.   
      
   Israel Preferred to Edom   
      
   2 (Jer 31:3; Isa 41:8-9) I have loved you, says the Lord.   
   But you say, "How have You loved us?"   
   Was not Esau Jacob's brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob;   
   3 (Jer 49:16-18; Eze 35:3-4) but Esau I have hated, and I have made   
   his mountains a desolation and left his inheritance for the jackals   
   of the desert.   
   4 (Isa 9:9-10; Eze 25:14) Whereas Edom says, "We are impoverished,   
   but we will rebuild the ruins," thus says the Lord of Hosts: They may build,   
   but I will tear down. They will be called the Wicked Territory,   
   and the people against whom the Lord has indignation forever.   
   5 Your eyes will see this, and you will say, "   
   Great is the Lord, beyond the border of Israel!"   
      
   [2] I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou   
   loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob,   
   [3] And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for   
   the dragons of the wilderness.   
   [4] Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and   
   build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall   
   build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of   
   wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.   
   [5] And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be   
   magnified from the border of Israel.   
      
   Profane Offerings   
      
   6 (Lk 6:46; Ex 20:12) 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.   
   But you say, "How have we despised Your name?"   
   7 (Mal 1:12) You offer defiled food on My altar, but say,   
   "How have we defiled You?"   
   By saying, "The table of the Lord is contemptible."   
   8 (Dt 15:21) When you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil?   
   When you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil?   
   Offer it now to your governor! Would he be pleased with you,   
   or accept you? says the Lord of Hosts.   
   9 (Jer 27:18) But now entreat God's favour, that He may be gracious to us.   
   With such offerings from your hands, will He accept you favorably?   
   says the Lord of Hosts.   
   10 (Jer 6:20) Who is there among you who would shut the doors, that you might   
   not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord   
   of Hosts, nor will I accept an offering from your hand.   
   11 (Isa 66:19-20; 45:6) For from the rising of the sun to its setting,   
   My name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be   
   offered to My name, and a pure offering. For My name will be great among   
   the nations, says the Lord of Hosts.   
   12 But you profane it, in that you say, "The table of the Lord is defiled,   
   and its fruit, that is, its food is contemptible."   
   13 (Mic 6:3) You also say, "What a weariness it is," and you snort at it,   
   says the Lord of Hosts.   
   You bring in what is stolen, the lame, or the sick;   
   thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?   
   says the Lord.   
   14 (Zec 14:9; Ps 47:2) But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock   
   a male, and vows, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished.   
   For I am a great king, says the Lord of Hosts,   
   and My name is to be feared among the nations.   
      
   [6] A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a   
   father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?   
   saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And   
   ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?   
   [7] Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we   
   polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible.   
   [8] And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye   
   offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor;   
   will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.   
   [9] And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us:   
   this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of   
   hosts.   
   [10] Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought?   
   neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in   
   you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your   
   hand.   
   [11] For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my   
   name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be   
   offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among   
   the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.   
   [12] But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is   
   polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.   
   [13] Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at   
   it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the   
   lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of   
   your hand? saith the LORD.   
   [14] But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth,   
   and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith   
   the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.   
      
   Malachi 2   
      
   Divine Warnings to the Priests   
      
   1 (Mal 1:6) And now, O priests, this commandment is for you.   
   2 (Mal 3:9; Ps 69:22) If you will not listen, and if you will not take it   
   to heart to give honour to My name, says the Lord of Hosts,   
   I will send a curse on you and I will curse your blessings.   
   Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.   
   3 (Na 3:6; Ex 29:14) I rebuke your descendants, and spread refuse   
   on your faces, the refuse of your solemn feasts, and you will be taken   
   away with it.   
   4 And you will know that I have sent this command to you,   
   that My covenant with Levi may remain, says the Lord of Hosts.   
   5 (Nu 25:12-13) My covenant with him was for life and peace,   
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)