Malachi 2

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

1And now, priests, this command is for you.

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

2If you do not listen and if you do not decide in your heart to honor my name, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, I will send a curse on you. I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already cursed them because you have not taken this to heart.

3Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and ye shall be taken away with it.

3Look, I will rebuke your descendants. I will spread the waste from your festival sacrifices on your faces, and you will be thrown out with it.

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

4Then you will know that I have sent this command to you, so that my covenant with Levi may continue, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

5My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and stood in awe of my name.

5My covenant with him was one of life and peace. I gave these to him so that he would respect me. He did respect me and stood in awe of my name.

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

6True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and honesty, and he turned many people away from sin.

7For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts.

7For a priest’s lips should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

8But ye are turned aside out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

8But you have turned away from the right path. You have caused many to stumble by your teaching. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

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

9So I have made you despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown favoritism when applying the law.

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

10Do we not all have one Father? Didn't one God create us? Why then do we break faith with each other, dishonoring the covenant of our ancestors?

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

11The people of Judah have been unfaithful. A disgusting thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has defiled the sanctuary the LORD loves by marrying women who worship a foreign god.

12Jehovah will cut off, to the man that doeth this, him that waketh and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto Jehovah of hosts.

12As for the man who does this, may the LORD cut him off from the tents of Jacob—whoever he is—even if he brings an offering to the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

13And this again ye do: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, neither receiveth it with good will at your hand.

13Here is another thing you do: You cover the LORD’s altar with tears, weeping and groaning because he no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with favor from your hands.

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

14You ask, 'Why?' It is because the LORD was a witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, even though she is your partner and your legal wife by a covenant.

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

15Didn't God make them one? They belong to him in body and spirit. And why one? Because he was seeking godly children. So watch yourself, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

16For I hate putting away, saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, and him that covereth his garment with violence, saith Jehovah of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

16'I hate divorce,' says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'and I hate it when a man covers his clothes with violence,' says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. So guard your heart and do not be unfaithful.

17Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or where is the God of justice?

17You have exhausted the LORD with your words. Yet you ask, 'How have we exhausted him?' By saying, 'Anyone who does evil is good in the LORD’s sight, and he is pleased with them,' or by asking, 'Where is the God of justice?'