2 And now, O ye kohanim, this mitzvah is for you.

² If ye will not hear, and if ye will not take it to lev, to give kavod unto My name, saith Hashem Tzva’os, I will even send a me’erah (curse) upon you, and I will curse your brakhot; yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not take it to lev.

³ Hineni, I am rebuking your zera, and I will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your chagim; and it will take you away with it.

⁴ And ye shall have da’as that I have sent this mitzvah unto you, that My brit might continue with Levi, saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁵ My brit was with him of chayyim and shalom; and I gave them to him that he might fear Me; so he feared Me, and stood in reverence before My name.

⁶ Torat emes was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips: he walked with Me in shalom and yashrus, and did turn rabbim (many) away from avon (iniquity).

⁷ For the kohen’s lips should preserve da’as, and they should seek torah at his mouth: for he is the malach Hashem Tzva’os.

⁸ But ye are departed out of HaDerech; ye have caused rabbim to fall into a michshol (stumbling block) at the torah (teaching); ye have corrupted the Brit of Levi saith Hashem Tzva’os.

⁹ Therefore have I also made you contemptible and shefalim before kol HaAm because ye have not been shomrim of darkhei of Me, but have shown partiality in torah.

¹⁰ Have we not all Av Echad? Hath not El Echad created us? Why do we commit chillul Brit Avoteinu by every man breaking faith with his brother?

¹¹ Yehudah hath broken faith, and a toeva (abomination) is committed in Yisroel and in Yerushalayim; for Yehudah hath committed chillul against the Beis Hamikdash Hashem loves, by marrying the bat el nekhar.

¹² May Hashem cut off the man that doeth this, [offspring] awake and answering, from the ohalim of Ya’akov, that offereth a minchah unto Hashem Tzva’os.

¹³ And this too have ye done, covering the mizbe’ach of Hashem with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, because that He regardeth not the minchah any more, nor receiveth it with ratzon (good will) at your hand.

¹⁴ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Hashem hath been ed (witness) between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, breaking faith: yet is she thy chaveret, and the wife of thy brit.

¹⁵ And did not Hashem make echad? And the remnant of the ruach is Hashem’s. And why echad? That He might seek zera Elohim. Therefore be shomer of your ruach, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

¹⁶ For Hashem Elohei Yisroel saith that He hateth putting away: for it covereth one’s garment with chamas (violence), saith the Hashem Tzva’os: therefore, be shomer of your ruach, that ye deal not treacherously, breaking faith.

¹⁷ Ye have wearied Hashem with your devarim. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied Him? When ye say, Everyone that doeth rah is tov in the sight of Hashem, and in them Hashem finds chafetz; or, Where is Elohei HaMishpat?