Malachi 1:13
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The priests treat God's service as a tiresome burden and bring torn, lame, and sick animals, prompting God to ask whether He should accept such gifts.
What Does Malachi 1:13 Mean?
Now the inward attitude is spoken aloud: 'What a weariness is it!' The service of God had become a chore to be endured, and they 'snuffed at it' in contempt. Out of that boredom came the offerings, torn by beasts, lame, and sick, the very animals they were glad to be rid of. God asks the obvious question: 'Should I accept this of your hand?'
When worship feels like a weariness, the problem is never with God but with the heart that has lost sight of Him. These priests had stopped seeing whom they served, and so service became drudgery and their gifts became garbage. The challenge to us is honest and gentle: has time with God become a burden to escape rather than a joy to seek? The cure is not to try harder at a duty but to rediscover the One we serve. When the heart sees God rightly, even costly worship becomes a delight rather than a weariness.