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

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

2 I f you will not hear, And if you will not take it to heart, To give glory to My name,” Says the Lord of hosts, “I will send a curse upon you, And I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have cursed them already, Because you do not take 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 “ Behold, I will rebuke your descendants And spread refuse on your faces, The refuse of your solemn feasts; And one will take you away 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 T hen you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue,” Says the Lord of 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 “ My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent 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 injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, 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 “ For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of 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 you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” Says the Lord of 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 “ Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law.” Treachery of Infidelity

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 H ave we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the 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 Lord ’s holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign 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 M ay the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the Lord of 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 this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.

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 you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by 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 B ut did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with 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 “ For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

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 ou have wearied the Lord with your words; Yet you say, “In what way have we wearied Him? ” In that 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?”

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?