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

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

2 I f ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, said the LORD of the hosts, I will 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.

If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yes, I have already turned them to curses because you do not lay it to heart.

3 B ehold, I reprehend your seed and spread the dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemnities; and ye shall be removed with it.

Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and I will spread the dung from the festival offerings upon your faces, and you shall be taken away with it.

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

And you shall know, recognize, and understand that I have sent this decree to you priests, to be My covenant with Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

5 M y covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear with which he feared me and was broken before my name.

My covenant was to give him life and peace, because of the fear with which would revere Me and stand in awe of My name.

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

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

7 F or the priest’s lips keep wisdom, and they seek the law at his mouth; for he is an angel of the LORD of the hosts.

For the priest’s lips should guard and keep pure the knowledge, and the people should seek (inquire for and require) instruction at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

8 B ut ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble in the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, said the LORD of the hosts.

But you have turned aside out of the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

9 T herefore I have 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.

Therefore have I also made you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept My ways but have shown favoritism to persons in your administration of the law.

10 ¶ Have we not all one father? has not one God created us? why do we despise each man his brother by breaking the covenant of our fathers?

Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then do we deal faithlessly and treacherously each against his brother, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

11 J udah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of the LORD by loving and marrying the daughter of a strange god.

Judah has been faithless and dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holy sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

12 T he LORD will cut off the man that does this, the master and the scholar out of the tabernacles of Jacob and him that offers an offering unto the LORD of the hosts.

The Lord will cast out of the tents of Jacob to the last man those who do this, the master and the servant alike, even him who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts.

13 A nd once again ye shall cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, for I shall not even look at the offering any more to receive a free will offering from your hand.

And this you do with double guilt; you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, and with weeping and crying out because the Lord does not regard your offering any more or accept it with favor at your hand.

14 Y et ye say, Why? Because the LORD has been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously; yet she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant.

Yet you ask, Why does He reject it? Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously and to whom you were faithless. Yet she is your companion and the wife of your covenant.

15 A nd did he not make one, having in himself abundance of the Spirit? And why one? That he might seek offspring of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

And did not God make one ? Did not One make you and preserve your spirit alive? And why one? Because He sought a godly offspring. Therefore take heed to yourselves, and let no one deal treacherously and be faithless to the wife of his youth.

16 H e that rejects her, sending her away, said the LORD God of Israel, covers the violence with his garment, said the LORD of the hosts; therefore take heed in your spirit, and do not be treacherous.

For the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I hate divorce and marital separation and him who covers his garment with violence. Therefore keep a watch upon your spirit, that you deal not treacherously and faithlessly.

17 Y e have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, In what have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that does evil pleases the LORD, and he delights in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

You have wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? you say, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord and He delights in them. Or, Where is the God of justice?