祭司们啊,这诫命是传给你们的。 万军之耶和华说:“如果你们不听从我的话,也不从内心尊崇我的名,我必使咒诅临到你们,把你们的福气变成咒诅。事实上,因为你们不把我的诫命放在心上,我已经咒诅了你们。 我必斥责你们的子孙,把你们祭牲的粪便抹在你们脸上,又把你们和粪便一同丢掉, 你们便知道我这样告诫你们,是为了维持我与你们祖先利未所立的约。这是万军之耶和华说的。 我与他所立的是生命和平安之约,我将生命和平安赐给他,使他心存敬畏。他就尊崇我,敬畏我的名。 他口中教导真理,嘴里毫无诡诈。他与我同行,过着平安正直的生活,并引导许多人远离罪恶。 祭司的嘴唇应持守知识,人民应从他口中寻求训诲,因为他是万军之耶和华的使者。 然而,你们却偏离正道,你们的教导使许多人跌倒,破坏了我和利未所立的约。”这是万军之耶和华说的。 “因此,我必使你们在众人面前遭藐视、轻贱。因为你们不遵守我的道,在教导上偏心待人。”

10 难道我们不是出于同一位父亲,由同一位上帝所造吗?为何我们竟彼此欺骗,背弃上帝与我们祖先所立的约呢? 11 犹大人不忠贞,在以色列和耶路撒冷做了可憎的事,他们娶信奉外邦神明的女子为妻,亵渎了耶和华所爱的圣所。 12 愿耶和华从雅各的帐篷中铲除所有做这事并献供物给万军之耶和华的人!

13 另外,你们哀哭悲叹,眼泪甚至淹没了耶和华的祭坛,因为耶和华不再理会你们的供物,不再悦纳你们所献的。 14 你们还问为什么。因为耶和华在你和你的发妻中间作证,她是你的配偶,是你盟约的妻子,你却对她不忠。 15 上帝不是把你们结合为一体,叫你们肉体和心灵都归祂吗[a]?祂为何这样做?是为了得敬虔的后裔。所以,你们要小心谨慎,不可对自己的发妻不忠。 16 以色列的上帝耶和华说:“我憎恶休妻和以暴虐待妻子的人。所以你们要小心谨慎,不可有不忠的行为。”这是万军之耶和华说的。 17 你们说的话使耶和华厌烦,然而,你们还说:“我们在何事上令祂厌烦呢?”因为你们说:“耶和华将所有作恶者视为好人,并且喜悦他们”,还说:“公义的上帝在哪里?”

Footnotes

  1. 2:15 此句希伯来文语意不清。

祭司违命背约

祭司啊!现在这命令是给你们的。 万军之耶和华说:“你们若不听从,若不放在心上,不把荣耀归给我的名,我就使咒诅临到你们中间,我要咒诅你们应得的福分,并且已经咒诅了,因为你们没有把这命令放在心上。 我要斥责你们的子孙,也要把粪涂抹在你们的脸上,就是节期祭牲的粪;人要把你们抬到粪堆去。” 万军之耶和华说:“这样,你们就知道是我把这命令给你们,使我与利未所立的约得以存留。 我与他所立的是生命和平安的约,也把这些赐给了他。我要使他敬畏我,又畏惧我的名。 在他的口中有真理的教训,在他的嘴里也没有不义;他以平安和正直与我同行,使许多人回头离开罪孽。” 祭司的嘴当保存知识,人要从他的口中寻求教训,因为他是万军耶和华的使者。 万军之耶和华说:“你们却偏离了正路,使许多人在律法上跌倒;你们也破坏了我与利未所立的约。 因此,我也使你们在众人面前被藐视、受轻看,因为你们不遵守我的道,在律法上徇人的情面。”

犹大人不忠不贞

10 我们不是同有一位父吗?不是同一位 神创造我们吗?为甚么我们各人对自己的兄弟不忠,亵渎我们列祖的约呢? 11 犹大人行了诡诈,在以色列和耶路撒冷中作了可憎的事;因为犹大人亵渎耶和华所爱的圣所,娶了事奉外族神的女子为妻。 12 行这事的,无论是主动的,或是附从的(“无论是主动的,或是附从的”直译作“叫醒的、答应的”),连那献礼物给万军耶和华的,耶和华必把那人从雅各的帐棚中除掉。 13 你们又行了这事:使眼泪、哀哭和呻吟盖满了耶和华的坛,因为耶和华不再垂看礼物,也不喜悦从你们手中收纳。 14 你们还问:“为甚么呢?”因为耶和华在你和你年轻时所娶的妻子中间作证;她是你的伴侣,是你立约的妻子,你竟对她不忠! 15  神所作的不是一个吗?其余的气息都是属于他的。那一个寻求甚么呢?就是 神的子孙。(本节原文意思不确定)所以要谨守你们的灵性,不可对年轻时所娶的妻子不忠。 16 耶和华以色列的 神说:“我恨恶休妻和以强暴待妻子。”万军之耶和华说:“所以要谨守你们的灵性,不可行诡诈的事。”

17 你们用自己的言语使耶和华厌烦,你们还说:“我们怎样使他厌烦呢?”因为你们说:“作恶的,耶和华都看为善,并且喜悦他们。”或说:“公义的 神在哪里呢?”

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

“And now, (A)O priests, (B)this command is for you. (C)If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send (D)the curse upon you and I will curse (E)your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, (F)I will rebuke your offspring,[a] and (G)spread dung on your faces, the (H)dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it.[b] So shall you know that I have sent (I)this command to you, that (J)my covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and (K)peace, and I gave them to him. (L)It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. (M)True instruction[c] was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he (N)turned many from iniquity. For (O)the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people[d] should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. (P)You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted (Q)the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so (R)I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but (S)show partiality in your instruction.”

Judah Profaned the Covenant

10 Have we not all (T)one Father? Has not (U)one God created us? Why then are we (V)faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been (W)faithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For (X)Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant[e] of the man who does this, who (Y)brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!

13 And this second thing you do. (Z)You cover the Lord's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 (AA)But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord (AB)was witness between you and the wife of your youth, (AC)to whom (AD)you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 (AE)Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?[f] And what was the one God[g] seeking?[h] (AF)Godly offspring. So guard yourselves[i] in your spirit, and let none of you be (AG)faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For (AH)the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,[j] says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers[k] his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and (AI)do not be faithless.”

The Messenger of the Lord

17 (AJ)You have wearied the Lord with your words. (AK)But you say, “How have we wearied him?” (AL)By saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, (AM)“Where is the God of justice?”

Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:3 Hebrew seed
  2. Malachi 2:3 Or to it
  3. Malachi 2:6 Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9
  4. Malachi 2:7 Hebrew they
  5. Malachi 2:12 Hebrew any who wakes and answers
  6. Malachi 2:15 Hebrew in it
  7. Malachi 2:15 Hebrew the one
  8. Malachi 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking?
  9. Malachi 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16
  10. Malachi 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces
  11. Malachi 2:16 Probable meaning (compare Septuagint and Deuteronomy 24:1–4); or “The Lord, the God of Israel, says that he hates divorce, and him who covers