Malachi 2

1 “And now this decree is for you, O priests:

2 If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already begun to curse them, because you are not taking it to heart.

3 Behold, I will rebuke your descendants, and I will spread dung on your faces, the waste from your feasts, and you will be carried off with it.

4 Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment so that My covenant with Levi may continue,” says the LORD of Hosts.

5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, which I gave to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

6 True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity.

7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.

8 But you have departed from the way, and your instruction has caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of Hosts.

9 “So I in turn have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

10 Do we not all have one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we break faith with one another so as to profane the covenant of our fathers?

11 Judah has broken faith; an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the LORD’s beloved sanctuary by marrying the daughter of a foreign god.

12 As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and aware—even if he brings an offering to the LORD of Hosts.

13 And this is another thing you do: You cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and groaning, because He no longer regards your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.

14 Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

15 Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.

16 “For I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “He who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

17 You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”

1 ¶ And now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you.

2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart.

3 Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; and [one] shall take you away with it.

4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him [for] the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

8 But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

10 ¶ Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

11 Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

12 The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

13 And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth [it] with good will at your hand.

14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet [is] she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

15 And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

16 For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

17 Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where [is] the God of judgment?

1 And now, ye priests, this commandment is for you.

2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, then will I send a curse upon you, and curse your blessing; yea, I will curse it, because ye will not lay it to heart.

3 Behold, I will rebuke you with the seed, and will cast the dung of your feasts in your faces, and it shall cleave unto you.

4 Then ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that it should be my covenant with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

5 For my covenant was with him for life and peace: and I gave him the fear, that he might fear me, and put my name in awe.

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and no evil was found in his lips. He walked peaceably and uprightly before me, and converted many from sin.

7 For the lips of the priest shall keep the doctrine, to seek the law out of his mouth: for he is an angel of the LORD of hosts.

8 But ye are gone out of the way, and have offended many in the law, and have broken the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

9 Therefore have I also made you to be despised and worthless before all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, and have looked upon persons in the law.

10 For have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why then do we despise one another, and profane the covenant made with our fathers?

11 For Judah is become a despiser, and abominations are done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD, which he loveth, and hath trifled with the daughter of a strange god.

12 But the LORD shall cut off him that doeth these things out of the tabernacle of Jacob, both master and pupil, and him that offereth meat offerings unto the LORD of hosts.

13 And ye also do this, that before the altar of the LORD there is weeping and weeping and groaning, that I cannot look upon the meat offering, nor receive any good thing at your hands.

14 And ye say, Wherefore is this? Because the LORD hath put between thee and the wife of thy youth, whom thou despisest, when she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

15 So the one did not, and yet was of a great spirit. But what did the one do? He sought the seed of God. Therefore beware of your spirit, and let no man despise the wife of his youth.

16 But let him that hateth her depart, saith the LORD God of Israel, and let him give her a covering of iniquity out of his garment, saith the LORD of hosts. Therefore beware of your spirit, and despise her not.

17 Ye make the LORD displeased by your words. Say ye, Wherewith shall we make him displeased? By this ye say, He that doeth evil pleaseth the LORD, and delighteth in him: or, Where is the LORD that punisheth?