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I Will Curse Your Blessings

“And now this commandment is for you, O priests. If you do (A)not listen, and if you do not set it upon your heart to give [a]honor to My name,” says Yahweh 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 setting it upon your heart. Behold, I am going to (D)rebuke your seed, 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. Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, [e]that My (G)covenant may [f]continue with Levi,” says Yahweh of hosts. “My covenant with him was one of life and (H)peace, and I gave them to him as something to be [g]feared; so he (I)feared Me and stood in [h]awe of My name. [i](J)Instruction of truth 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. For the lips of a priest should keep (M)knowledge, and [j]men should (N)seek [k]instruction from his mouth; for he is the (O)messenger of Yahweh of hosts. 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 Yahweh of hosts. “So (R)I also have made you despised and (S)low [n]before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing (T)partiality in the [o]instruction.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:2 Or glory
  2. Malachi 2:3 Or vomit
  3. Malachi 2:3 Or vomit
  4. Malachi 2:3 Lit to
  5. Malachi 2:4 Or to be My covenant with
  6. Malachi 2:4 Lit be
  7. Malachi 2:5 Or reverenced
  8. Malachi 2:5 Lit terror
  9. Malachi 2:6 Or Law
  10. Malachi 2:7 Lit they
  11. Malachi 2:7 Or law
  12. Malachi 2:8 Or in the law
  13. Malachi 2:8 Or violated
  14. Malachi 2:9 Lit to
  15. Malachi 2:9 Or law

“And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your offerings, and I will put you out of my presence.[a] So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him, that he might fear; and he feared me, he stood in awe of my name. True instruction[b] was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and men should seek instruction[c] from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction;[d] you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept my ways but have shown partiality in your instruction.”[e]

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:3 Cn Compare Gk Syr: Heb and he shall bear you to it
  2. Malachi 2:6 Or law
  3. Malachi 2:7 Or law
  4. Malachi 2:8 Or law
  5. Malachi 2:9 Or law

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)

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:3 Or will blight your grain