Malachi 2

Modern

Literal

A Warning to the Priests

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

¹“ And now, to you is this commandment, O priests:

²If 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.

²If you do not listen and if you do not set it upon the heart to give glory to My name,” says YHWH of Hosts, “Then I will send upon you the curse, and I will curse your blessings; indeed already I have cursed them, because there is none of you setting it upon the heart.

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

³Behold, I am giving a rebuke to your seed, and I will spread dung on your faces, the dung from your feasts, and it will carry you off with it.

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

⁴And you will know that I have sent to you this commandment, in order to continue My covenant with Levi,” says YHWH 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.

⁵“My covenant was with him—life and peace—and I gave them to him; fear, and he feared Me, and before My name he was in awe.

⁶True 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.

⁶The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips; in peace and in uprightness He walked with Me, and many did he turn away from iniquity.

⁷For 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.

⁷For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and instruction they should seek from his mouth, for he is the messenger of YHWH of Hosts.

⁸But 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.

⁸And you have turned aside from the way, you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says YHWH 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.”

⁹“And also I have made you despised and low before all the people, according to the measure by which you were not keeping guard of My ways, and were lifting faces regarding the instruction.”

Judah’s Unfaithfulness

¹⁰Do 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?

¹⁰Is there not for all of us one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we act treacherously, a man against his brother, to profane the covenant of our fathers?

¹¹Judah 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.

¹¹Judah has acted treacherously, and an abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of YHWH, which He loves, and he has married the daughter of a foreign god.

¹²As 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.

¹²May YHWH cut off the man who does this, the one being awake and the one answering from the tents of Jacob, and the one drawing near with an offering to YHWH of Hosts.

¹³And 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.

¹³And this is the second thing you do: You cover with tears the altar of YHWH, with weeping and groaning, because there is not anymore turning to the offering or receiving it with acceptance from your hand.

¹⁴Yet 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.

¹⁴And you say, “For what?” Because that YHWH is a witness between you and between the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously, and she is your companion and the wife of your covenant.

¹⁵Has 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.

¹⁵And did He not make them one, and a remnant of the Spirit unto him? And what is the one? He was seeking seed of God. Therefore keep guard over your spirit, and do not deal treacherously 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,”^a says the LORD of Hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith.

¹⁶“For He hates sending away,” says YHWH the God of Israel, “And he who has covered violence with his garment.” Says YHWH of Hosts. You must keep guard over your spirit and not act treacherously.

¹⁷You 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?”

¹⁷You have wearied YHWH with your words. And you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” By your saying, “Everyone doing evil is good in the eyes of YHWH, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”