Malachi 2:1-9

Evangelical Heritage Version

A Warning to the Priests From the Lord

2 Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.

² If you do not listen, if you do not set your heart on giving glory to my name, says the Lord of Armies, then I will send the curse^[a] against you. I will curse your blessings. In fact, I have already cursed your offerings because you are not putting your heart into it. ³ Yes, I will rebuke your offspring.^[b] I will smear animal bowels and their contents on your faces, the bowels produced by your festivals, and you will be hauled off with them.^[c]

⁴ You will know that I sent you this commandment, so that my covenant with Levi may continue, says the Lord of Armies. ⁵ My covenant with him was life and peace, which I gave to him. It was a covenant of reverence,^[d] and he revered me. He respected my name. ⁶ The true law was in his mouth, and no injustice was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness. He turned many away from guilt. ⁷ The lips of a priest should be guardians of knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth because he is a messenger of the Lord of Armies.

⁸ But you priests have turned from the way. You have made many people stumble in regard to the law.^[e] You have ruined the covenant with Levi, says the Lord of Armies. ⁹ So I have made you despised and humiliated in the view of all the people, because you are not keeping my ways but are showing favoritism in carrying out the law.