Priests to Be Disciplined

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.”