⁵ ‘Ask all the people of the land and the priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth and in the seventh months for these seventy years, did you really fast for me?^{(A) 6} When you eat and drink, don’t you eat and drink simply for yourselves?^(B)

Disobedience of the Priests

⁶ ‘A son honours his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is my honour? And if I am a master, where is your fear of me?^(A) says the Lord of Armies to you priests, who despise my name.’

Yet you ask, ‘How have we despised your name? ’

⁷ ‘By presenting defiled food on my altar.’

‘How have we defiled you? ’ you ask.^(B)

When you say, ‘The Lord’s table is contemptible.’^(C)

⁸ ‘When you present a blind animal for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not wrong?^(D) Bring it to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favour? ’ asks the Lord of Armies.