2 The Lord Almighty says this to the priests:
2 ‘Listen carefully to what I say to you. You must respect my name properly. If not, I will punish you. I will no longer bless you but I will curse you. I am already doing that because you do not respect my name as you should.
3 I will punish your descendants. When you offer an animal as a sacrifice at your festivals, I will cover your faces with its dirty bits. Then they will throw you away with all the other dirty bits. Those are the bits that I cannot accept as clean.’ [ a ]
4 The Lord Almighty says, ‘When I punish you like that, you will know that I have warned you. Then the covenant that I made with Levi and his descendants, the priests, can continue. [ b ] 5 I promised to give them a good life with many blessings. Levi received what I promised to him. He served me and he respected me, as a priest should do. 6 He taught my true message. He did not teach people anything that was bad. He lived in a good and honest way as he served me. He helped many people to stop doing wrong things.
7 Priests should help people to know the truth about God. People should ask the priests to teach them, because the Lord Almighty has chosen priests to speak his message. 8 But you priests do not serve me in the right way. What you teach causes many people to do wrong things. In that way, you have spoiled the covenant that I made with Levi.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
9 ‘So I have caused all the people to insult you. They no longer respect you, because you do not obey my rules. When you teach my people, you are kind to some of them but you cheat others.’ [ c ]
10 You know that we all have one Father. It is God himself who made all of us. But now we turn against each other. We do not respect the covenant that God made with our ancestors. [ d ]
11 Judah's people have turned against God. [ e ] As a result, people have done disgusting things in Jerusalem and in all Israel. [ f ] You have spoiled the holy place, the temple that the Lord loves. [ g ] You have turned away from the Lord and you worship foreign gods. 12 I pray that the Lord will remove all people like that from among his people. Not one of them will continue to belong to the family of Jacob. [ h ] They will no longer be able to offer gifts to the Lord Almighty.
13 Also, you weep so much that your tears cover the Lord 's altar! You cry because the Lord no longer accepts your gifts. He is not happy with the gifts that you offer to him.
14 You ask, ‘Why is the Lord not happy with our gifts?’ The Lord knows that you men have not done the right thing with your wives. When you married as a young man, you promised to take care of your wife always. But you have sent her away, when the law says that you must stay with her as your wife. 15 The Lord has joined you together, as a man with his wife. Your body and your spirit belong to him. Why did God put you together? He wanted you to have children who would belong to him. So think carefully about how you live. Do not leave the wife that you married when you were a young man.
16 The Lord God of Israel says this: ‘If a man sends his wife away from him, I hate that! He has been cruel to his wife when he should take care of her. So be very careful! Remember your promise to take care of your wife.’
That is what the Lord Almighty says.
17 The Lord has become tired as he listens to your words.
You ask, ‘Why is he tired? What have we done to cause that?’ You say, ‘The Lord thinks that all people who do evil things are good! He does not punish them but he is happy with them.’ You also say, ‘God is not here to bring justice!’
2 “Priests, this rule is for you. 2 Listen to me! Pay attention to what I say. Show honor to my name. If you don’t respect my name, bad things will happen to you. You will say blessings, [ a ] but they will become curses. I will make bad things happen because you don’t show respect for my name.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
3 “Look, I will punish your descendants. During the festivals, you priests offer sacrifices to me. You take the dung and inside parts from the dead animals and throw them away. But I will smear the dung on your faces, and you will be thrown away with it! 4 Then you will learn why I am giving you this command. I am telling you these things so that my agreement with Levi will continue.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.
5 The Lord said, “I made that agreement with Levi. I promised to give him life and peace—and I gave him those things. Levi respected me and showed honor to my name. 6 He taught the true teachings and didn’t teach lies. Levi was honest, and he loved peace. He followed me and saved many people from being punished for the evil things they did. 7 A priest should know God’s teachings. People should be able to go to a priest and learn God’s teachings. A priest should be the Lord ’s messenger to the people.
8 “But you priests stopped following me! You used the teachings to make people do wrong. You ruined the agreement with Levi.” This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. 9 “You don’t live the way I told you. You have not accepted my teachings. So I will cause people to hate you and think you are worth nothing.”
10 We all have the same father. The same God made every one of us. So why do people cheat one another? They show that they don’t respect the agreement. They don’t respect the agreement that our ancestors made with God. 11 The people of Judah cheated other people. People in Jerusalem and Israel did terrible things. God loves the Temple, but the people in Judah didn’t respect the Lord ’s holy Temple. The people of Judah began to worship a foreign goddess. 12 The Lord will remove them from Judah’s family. They might bring gifts to the Lord All-Powerful—but it will not help. 13 You can cry and cover the Lord ’s altar with tears, but the Lord will not accept your gifts. He will not be pleased with the things you bring to him.
14 You ask, “Why are our gifts not accepted?” It is because the Lord saw the evil things you did—he is a witness against you. He saw you cheat on your wife. You have been married to her since you were young. She was your girlfriend. Then you made your vows to each other—and she became your wife. 15 God wants husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit. Why? So that they would have holy children and protect that spiritual unity. Don’t cheat on your wife. She has been your wife from the time you were young.
16 The Lord , the God of Israel, says, “I hate divorce, and I hate the cruel things that men do. So protect your spiritual unity. Don’t cheat on your wife.”
17 You have taught wrong things, and it makes the Lord very sad. People were doing evil things, but you said that this pleased the Lord and that he accepted those things. And you taught that God does not punish people for the evil they do.
2 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?
2 “And now, this commandment is for you, the priests. 2 If you do ( A ) not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of armies, “then I will send the ( B ) curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have ( C ) cursed them already , because you are not taking it to heart. 3 Behold, I am going to ( D ) rebuke your [ a ] descendants, and I will ( E ) spread [ b ] dung on your faces, the [ c ] dung of your ( F ) feasts; and you will be taken away [ d ] with it. 4 Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, [ e ] so that My ( G ) covenant may [ f ] continue with Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and ( H ) peace, and I gave them to him as an object of [ g ] reverence; so he [ h ] ( I ) revered Me and was in awe of My name. 6 [ i ] ( J ) True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked ( K ) with Me in peace and justice, and he ( L ) turned many back from wrongdoing. 7 For the lips of a priest should maintain ( M ) knowledge, and people should ( N ) seek [ j ] instruction from his mouth; for he is the ( O ) messenger of the Lord of armies. 8 But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to ( P ) stumble [ k ] by the instruction; you have ( Q ) ruined the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of armies. 9 “So ( R ) I also have made you despised and of ( S ) low reputation [ l ] in the view of all the people, since you are not keeping My ways but are showing ( T ) partiality in the [ m ] instruction.”
10 Do we not all have ( U ) one Father? ( V ) Is it not one God who has created us? Why do we deal ( W ) treacherously, each against his brother so as to profane the ( X ) covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt ( Y ) treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has ( Z ) profaned the sanctuary of the Lord [ n ] which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, may the ( AA ) Lord eliminate from the tents of Jacob everyone who is awake and answers, or who ( AB ) presents [ o ] an offering to the Lord of armies.
13 And this is [ p ] another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He ( AC ) no longer gives attention to the [ q ] offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the ( AD ) wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt ( AE ) treacherously, though she is your marriage companion and your wife by covenant. 15 [ r ] But not one has ( AF ) done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And [ s ] why the one? He was seeking a ( AG ) godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals ( AH ) treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For [ t ] I hate [ u ] ( AI ) divorce,” says the Lord , the God of Israel, “and [ v ] him who covers his garment with ( AJ ) violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have ( AK ) wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him ?” In that you say, “ ( AL ) Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord , and He ( AM ) delights in them,” or, “ ( AN ) Where is the God of ( AO ) justice?”
2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you. ( A ) 2 If you do not listen, ( B ) and if you do not resolve to honor ( C ) my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse ( D ) on you, and I will curse your blessings. ( E ) Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.
3 “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants [ a ] ; I will smear on your faces the dung ( F ) from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it. ( G ) 4 And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi ( H ) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. 5 “My covenant was with him, a covenant ( I ) of life and peace, ( J ) and I gave them to him; this called for reverence ( K ) and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. 6 True instruction ( L ) was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked ( M ) with me in peace ( N ) and uprightness, ( O ) and turned many from sin. ( P )
7 “For the lips of a priest ( Q ) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger ( R ) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth. ( S ) 8 But you have turned from the way ( T ) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; ( U ) you have violated the covenant ( V ) with Levi,” ( W ) says the Lord Almighty. 9 “So I have caused you to be despised ( X ) and humiliated ( Y ) before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality ( Z ) in matters of the law.” ( AA )
10 Do we not all have one Father [ b ] ? ( AB ) Did not one God create us? ( AC ) Why do we profane the covenant ( AD ) of our ancestors by being unfaithful ( AE ) to one another?
11 Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable ( AF ) thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves ( AG ) by marrying ( AH ) women who worship a foreign god. ( AI ) 12 As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove ( AJ ) him from the tents of Jacob [ c ] ( AK ) —even though he brings an offering ( AL ) to the Lord Almighty.
13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord ’s altar with tears. ( AM ) You weep and wail ( AN ) because he no longer looks with favor ( AO ) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. ( AP ) 14 You ask, ( AQ ) “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness ( AR ) between you and the wife of your youth. ( AS ) You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. ( AT )
15 Has not the one God made you? ( AU ) You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring. [ d ] ( AV ) So be on your guard, ( AW ) and do not be unfaithful ( AX ) to the wife of your youth.
16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife, ( AY ) ” says the Lord , the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” [ e ] ( AZ ) says the Lord Almighty.
So be on your guard, ( BA ) and do not be unfaithful.
17 You have wearied ( BB ) the Lord with your words.
“How have we wearied him?” you ask. ( BC )
By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord , and he is pleased ( BD ) with them” or “Where is the God of justice? ( BE ) ”
