Malachi 1:2-4

Contemporary English Version

The Lord's Love for Israel

^2 (A)(B) Israel, I, the Lord, have loved you. And yet you ask in what way have I loved you. Don't forget that Esau was the brother of your ancestor Jacob, but I chose Jacob ³ instead of Esau. And I turned Esau's hill country into a barren desert where jackals^[a] roam. ⁴ Esau's descendants may say, “Although our nation Edom is in ruins, we will rebuild it.”

But I, the Lord All-Powerful, promise to tear down whatever they build. Then everyone will know that I will never stop being angry with them as long as they are so sinful.