13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning,(A) because He no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.(B)

14 Yet you ask, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness(C) between you and the wife of your youth.(D) You have acted treacherously against her, though she was your marriage partner(E) and your wife by covenant.(F) 15 Didn’t the one God make us with a remnant of His life-breath? And what does the One seek?[a] A godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully,[b](G) and do not act treacherously against the wife of your youth.

16 “If he hates(H) and divorces his wife,(I)” says the Lord God of Israel, “he[c] covers his garment with injustice,”(J) says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully,[d] and do not act treacherously.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:15 Or Did the One not make them? So their flesh and spirit belong to Him, or No one who does this even has a remnant of the Spirit in him; Hb obscure
  2. Malachi 2:15 Lit So guard yourselves in your spirit
  3. Malachi 2:16 Or The Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce and the one who
  4. Malachi 2:16 Lit Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit

13 This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with [your own] weeping and sighing, because the Lord no longer regards your offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why [does He reject it]?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously. Yet she is your marriage companion and the wife of your covenant [made by your vows]. 15 But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while seeking a godly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate [a]divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with wrong and violence,” says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore keep watch on your spirit, so that you do not deal treacherously [with your wife].”

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:16 I.e. unwarranted divorce. Conditions for divorce are outlined. See Deut 24:1-4; Ezra 10:10-19; Matt 5:31, 32; 19:3-12; 1 Cor 7:10-16.