Malachi 2
English Standard Version
The Lord Rebukes the Priests
2 “And now, (A)O priests, (B)this command is for you. 2 (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. 3 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] 4 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. 5 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. 6 (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. 7 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. 8 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, 9 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
- Malachi 2:3 Hebrew seed
- Malachi 2:3 Or to it
- Malachi 2:6 Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9
- Malachi 2:7 Hebrew they
- Malachi 2:12 Hebrew any who wakes and answers
- Malachi 2:15 Hebrew in it
- Malachi 2:15 Hebrew the one
- Malachi 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking?
- Malachi 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16
- Malachi 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces
- 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
Malachi 2
Christian Standard Bible
Warning to the Priests
2 “Therefore, this decree(A) is for you priests: 2 If you don’t listen, and if you don’t take it to heart(B) to honor my name,” says the Lord of Armies, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings.(C) In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart.
3 “Look, I am going to rebuke your descendants,(D) and I will spread animal waste[a] over your faces, the waste from your festival sacrifices,(E) and you will be taken away with it. 4 Then you will know that I sent you this decree, so that my covenant with Levi(F) may continue,” says the Lord of Armies. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace,(G) and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered me and stood in awe of my name.(H) 6 True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me(I) in peace and integrity and turned many from iniquity.(J) 7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should desire instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Armies.(K)
8 “You, on the other hand, have turned from the way.(L) You have caused many to stumble(M) by your instruction. You have violated[b] the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of Armies. 9 “So I in turn have made you despised(N) and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping my ways but are showing partiality in your instruction.”(O)
Judah’s Marital Unfaithfulness
10 Don’t all of us have one Father?(P) Didn’t one God create us?(Q) Why then do we act treacherously against one another,(R) profaning(S) the covenant of our ancestors?(T) 11 Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable(U) act has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned(V) the Lord’s sanctuary,[c](W) which he loves,(X) and has married the daughter of a foreign god.[d](Y) 12 May the Lord cut off(Z) from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, whoever he may be,[e](AA) even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.
13 This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning,(AB) because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.(AC)
14 And you ask, “Why?” Because even though the Lord has been a witness(AD) between you and the wife of your youth,(AE) you have acted treacherously against her. She was your marriage partner(AF) and your wife by covenant.(AG) 15 Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking?[f] Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully,[g](AH) so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his[h] youth.
16 “If he hates(AI) and divorces his wife,”(AJ) says the Lord God of Israel, “he[i] covers his garment with injustice,”(AK) says the Lord of Armies. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully,[j] and do not act treacherously.
Judgment at the Lord’s Coming
17 You have wearied the Lord(AL) with your words.
Yet you ask, “How have we wearied him?”
When you say, “Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and he is delighted with them,(AM) or else where is the God of justice?” (AN)
Footnotes
- 2:3 Dung or entrails
- 2:8 Lit corrupted
- 2:11 Or profaned what is holy to the Lord
- 2:11 = a woman who worshiped a foreign god
- 2:12 Hb obscure
- 2:15 Hb obscure
- 2:15 Lit So guard yourselves in your spirit
- 2:15 Lit your
- 2:16 Or The Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce and the one who
- 2:16 Lit Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.