Malachi 2
Legacy Standard Bible
I Will Curse Your Blessings
2 “And now this commandment is for you, O priests. 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 “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. 6 [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. 7 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. 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 Yahweh of hosts. 9 “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.
Judah Profaned Yahweh’s Sanctuary
10 “Do we not all have (U)one father? (V)Has not one God created us? Why do we deal (W)treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the (X)covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt (Y)treacherously, and an abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has (Z)profaned the sanctuary of Yahweh [p]which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 As for the man who does this, may (AA)Yahweh cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers or who (AB)presents [q]an offering to Yahweh of hosts.
13 “And this is a second thing you do: you cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping, and with groaning because He (AC)no longer regards the [r]offering or receives it as acceptable from your hand. 14 But you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because Yahweh has been a witness between you and the (AD)wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt (AE)treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 [s]But not one has (AF)done so, even one who has a remnant of the Spirit. And [t]what did that one do while he was seeking a (AG)godly seed? Be careful then to keep your spirit, and let no one deal (AH)treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 For [u]I hate [v](AI)divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and [w]him who covers his garment with [x](AJ)wrong,” says Yahweh of hosts. “Be careful then to keep your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have (AK)wearied Yahweh with your words. But you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “(AL)Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of Yahweh, and He (AM)delights in them,” or, “(AN)Where is the God of (AO)justice?”
Footnotes
- Malachi 2:2 Or glory
- Malachi 2:3 Or vomit
- Malachi 2:3 Or vomit
- Malachi 2:3 Lit to
- Malachi 2:4 Or to be My covenant with
- Malachi 2:4 Lit be
- Malachi 2:5 Or reverenced
- Malachi 2:5 Lit terror
- Malachi 2:6 Or Law
- Malachi 2:7 Lit they
- Malachi 2:7 Or law
- Malachi 2:8 Or in the law
- Malachi 2:8 Or violated
- Malachi 2:9 Lit to
- Malachi 2:9 Or law
- Malachi 2:11 Or in that He has loved and married
- Malachi 2:12 Or a grain offering
- Malachi 2:13 Or grain offering
- Malachi 2:15 Or Did He not make one, although He had the remnant
- Malachi 2:15 Or why one? He sought a godly offspring.
- Malachi 2:16 Lit He hates
- Malachi 2:16 Lit sending away
- Malachi 2:16 Lit he covers
- Malachi 2:16 Or violence
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
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