Malachi 2:1-9

New American Standard Bible 1995

Priests to Be Disciplined

2 “And now this commandment is for you, O 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 hosts, “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]offspring, and I will ^(E)spread ^[b]refuse on your faces, the ^[c]refuse 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]that My ^(G)covenant may ^[f]continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. 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 stood in awe of My name. ^6 [i](J)True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked ^(K)with Me in peace and uprightness, and he ^(L)turned many back from iniquity. ⁷ For the lips of a priest should preserve ^(M)knowledge, and ^[j]men should ^(N)seek ^[k]instruction from his mouth; for he is the ^(O)messenger of the Lord of hosts. ⁸ But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to ^(P)stumble ^[l]by the instruction; you have ^[m](Q)corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. ⁹ “So ^(R)I also have made you despised and ^(S)abased ^[n]before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing ^(T)partiality in the ^[o]instruction.