Add parallel Print Page Options

祭司違命背約

祭司啊!現在這命令是給你們的。 萬軍之耶和華說:“你們若不聽從,若不放在心上,不把榮耀歸給我的名,我就使咒詛臨到你們中間,我要咒詛你們應得的福分,並且已經咒詛了,因為你們沒有把這命令放在心上。 我要斥責你們的子孫,也要把糞塗抹在你們的臉上,就是節期祭牲的糞;人要把你們抬到糞堆去。” 萬軍之耶和華說:“這樣,你們就知道是我把這命令給你們,使我與利未所立的約得以存留。 我與他所立的是生命和平安的約,也把這些賜給了他。我要使他敬畏我,又畏懼我的名。 在他的口中有真理的教訓,在他的嘴裡也沒有不義;他以平安和正直與我同行,使許多人回頭離開罪孽。” 祭司的嘴當保存知識,人要從他的口中尋求教訓,因為他是萬軍耶和華的使者。 萬軍之耶和華說:“你們卻偏離了正路,使許多人在律法上跌倒;你們也破壞了我與利未所立的約。 因此,我也使你們在眾人面前被藐視、受輕看,因為你們不遵守我的道,在律法上徇人的情面。”

猶大人不忠不貞

10 我們不是同有一位父嗎?不是同一位 神創造我們嗎?為甚麼我們各人對自己的兄弟不忠,褻瀆我們列祖的約呢? 11 猶大人行了詭詐,在以色列和耶路撒冷中作了可憎的事;因為猶大人褻瀆耶和華所愛的聖所,娶了事奉外族神的女子為妻。 12 行這事的,無論是主動的,或是附從的(“無論是主動的,或是附從的”直譯作“叫醒的、答應的”),連那獻禮物給萬軍耶和華的,耶和華必把那人從雅各的帳棚中除掉。 13 你們又行了這事:使眼淚、哀哭和呻吟蓋滿了耶和華的壇,因為耶和華不再垂看禮物,也不喜悅從你們手中收納。 14 你們還問:“為甚麼呢?”因為耶和華在你和你年輕時所娶的妻子中間作證;她是你的伴侶,是你立約的妻子,你竟對她不忠! 15  神所作的不是一個嗎?其餘的氣息都是屬於他的。那一個尋求甚麼呢?就是 神的子孫。(本節原文意思不確定)所以要謹守你們的靈性,不可對年輕時所娶的妻子不忠。 16 耶和華以色列的 神說:“我恨惡休妻和以強暴待妻子。”萬軍之耶和華說:“所以要謹守你們的靈性,不可行詭詐的事。”

17 你們用自己的言語使耶和華厭煩,你們還說:“我們怎樣使他厭煩呢?”因為你們說:“作惡的,耶和華都看為善,並且喜悅他們。”或說:“公義的 神在哪裡呢?”

God’s Third Complaint: Against His Priests—Failing to Honor Him

Now this commandment is for you priests: “If you don’t listen, and if you don’t choose[a] to give honor to my name,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies, “then I’ll curse both you and your blessings.[b] I’ve even cursed them[c] already, because none of you are taking it to heart. Look! I’m rebuking your descendants because of you, and I’ll spread waste[d] on your faces, the waste of your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.

“You will know that I sent this commandment to you in order to continue my covenant with Levi,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave the commandments[e] to him so he would fear me. He did fear me as he stood in my presence.[f] True teachings were in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips. He walked with me peacefully and righteously, and he turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he’s the messenger of the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

“But you priests[g] turned aside from the way, and by your teaching you caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “So I also made you despised, humiliating you before all of the people, because you aren’t following my ways and are showing partiality when you teach.”

A Plea and a Prayer from Malachi

10 Do we not have one father?[h] Has not one God created us? Why does each of us act deceitfully, each man against his own brother, to profane the covenant of our ancestors? 11 Judah has become unfaithful, and a detestable thing was committed in Israel and Jerusalem. Indeed, Judah profaned the Holy Place of the Lord, which he loves, and married a daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord exclude from the community[i] of Jacob any man who does this, whoever he may be,[j] even though he brings offerings to the Lord of the Heavenly Armies.

God’s Fourth Complaint: Against His Priests—Marital Abuses

13 “This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the Lord with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand. 14 Yet you ask, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you were unfaithful to her, your partner, the wife of your covenant. 15 Did he not make them[k] one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don’t be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.

16 “Indeed, the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances,”[l] says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “So guard yourselves carefully,[m] and don’t be unfaithful.”

God’s Fifth Complaint: Against His People—Complaining about God.

17 “You have wearied the Lord with your words. You ask, ‘How have we wearied you?’ By your saying, ‘All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord and he’s pleased with them,’ or ‘Where is the God of justice?’”

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:2 Lit. don’t set your hearts
  2. Malachi 2:2 Lit. I’ll send on you the curse and I’ll curse your blessings
  3. Malachi 2:2 Lit. it
  4. Malachi 2:3 I.e. the parts of the sacrificial animal that were discarded after the offering had been presented.
  5. Malachi 2:5 Lit. them
  6. Malachi 2:5 Lit. in the presence of my name
  7. Malachi 2:8 The Heb. lacks priests
  8. Malachi 2:10 The reference is either to Abraham as ancestor of Israel or to God as heavenly Father.
  9. Malachi 2:12 Lit. tents
  10. Malachi 2:12 Lit. he who awakens and he who answers
  11. Malachi 2:15 The Heb. lacks them
  12. Malachi 2:16 Lit. by his garments
  13. Malachi 2:16 Lit. yourselves in your spirit

Additional Warning to the Priests

“And now, you priests, this warning is for you.(A) 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.

“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) And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi(H) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. “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. 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)

“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) 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. “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)

Breaking Covenant Through Divorce

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.

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

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)

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:3 Or will blight your grain
  2. Malachi 2:10 Or father
  3. Malachi 2:12 Or 12 May the Lord remove from the tents of Jacob anyone who gives testimony in behalf of the man who does this
  4. Malachi 2:15 The meaning of the Hebrew for the first part of this verse is uncertain.
  5. Malachi 2:16 Or “I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,”

Corrupt Priests

“And now, O (A)priests, this commandment is for you.
(B)If 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 (C)already,
Because you do not take it to heart.

“Behold, I will rebuke your descendants
And spread (D)refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts;
And one will (E)take you away [a]with it.
Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“My(F) covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him (G)that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
(H)The[b] law of truth was in his mouth,
And [c]injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And (I)turned many away from iniquity.

“For(J) the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
(K)For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
But you have departed from the way;
You (L)have caused many to stumble at the law.
(M)You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore (N)I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown (O)partiality in the law.”

Treachery of Infidelity

10 (P)Have we not all one Father?
(Q)Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
11 Judah has dealt treacherously,
And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem,
For Judah has (R)profaned
The Lord’s holy institution which He loves:
He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob
The man who does this, being [d]awake and aware,
Yet (S)who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

13 And 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.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and (T)the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
(U)Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
15 But (V)did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks (W)godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

16 “For (X)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.”

17 (Y)You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?
In that you say,
(Z)“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:3 Lit. to it
  2. Malachi 2:6 Or True instruction
  3. Malachi 2:6 Or unrighteousness
  4. Malachi 2:12 Talmud, Vg. teacher and student