Malachi 2
Wycliffe Bible
2 And now, A! ye priests, this commandment is to you. (And now, O! ye priests, this command, or this decree, is for you.)
2 If ye will (not) hear, and if ye will not put on the heart, that ye give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send neediness into you, and I shall curse your blessings; and I shall curse them, for ye have not put on the heart. (If ye will not listen to me, and if ye will not put it in your hearts, that ye should give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send need, or want, into you, and I shall curse your blessings; yea, I shall curse them, for ye have not put it in your hearts.)
3 Lo! I shall cast forth to you the arm, and I shall scatter on your face the drit of your solemnities, and it shall take you with it. (Lo! I shall cut off your arms, that is, I shall punish your children, and I shall rub the dirt, or the dung, from the animals that you offer at your solemn feasts, all over your faces, and then you shall be taken away with it.)
4 And ye shall know, that I sent to you this commandment, that my covenant were with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, or that I have issued this decree, so that my covenant with the Levites shall not be broken, saith the Lord of hosts./And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, or that I have issued this decree, that my covenant with the Levites is finished, or is over, saith the Lord of hosts.)
5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave to him a dread, and he dreaded me, and he dreaded of the face of my name. (My covenant for life and peace was with them; and I gave them the fear of me, and they did fear me, and they were afraid before my name/and I gave them reverence, or respect, for me, and they did revere, or respect, me, and they did have reverence, or awe, before my name.)
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and wickedness was not found in his lips; in peace and in equity he walked with me, and he turned away many men from wickedness. (The Law of Truth was in their mouths, and wickedness was not found on their lips; they walked with me in peace and in uprightness, and they turned many people away from wickedness.)
7 For the lips of a priest keep knowing, and they shall again-seek the law of his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts. (For a priest’s lips should guard my gift of knowledge, and my people should seek the Law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.)
8 But ye went away from the way, and caused to stumble full many in the law; ye made void the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (But then ye went away from the way, and have caused a great many to stumble in the Law; ye priests have made void my covenant with the Levites, saith the Lord of hosts.)
9 For the which thing and I gave you worthy to be contemptible, either worthy to be despised, and bowed to all peoples, as ye kept not my ways, and took a face [of a person] in the law. (For which thing I made you worthy to be contemptible, or worthy to be despised, and bowed low before all the people of Israel, for ye have not kept my ways, and ye took a face of a person in the law, that is, ye have shown partiality.)
10 Whether not one father is of all you? whether not one God made of nought you? Why therefore each of you despiseth his brother, and defouleth the covenant of your fathers? (Is there not one Father of us all? did not one God make all of us out of nothing? And so why do each of you despise his brother, or his kinsman, and why defileth your forefathers’ covenant?)
11 Judah trespassed, and abomination is done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for Judah defouled the hallowing of the Lord, which he loved, and he had the daughter of an alien god. (The people of Judah trespassed, and abomination was done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for the people of Judah defiled the holiness of the Lord/for the people of Judah defiled the Temple of the Lord, and they married the daughters of a foreign, or of a strange, god.)
12 The Lord destroy the man that shall do this thing, the master and disciple, from the tabernacle[s] of Jacob, and him that offereth a gift to the Lord of hosts. (May the Lord destroy any man who shall do this thing, a master or a disciple, yea, let him be thrown out of, or banished from, the tents of Jacob, even though he may offer a gift to the Lord of hosts.)
13 And again ye did this thing; ye covered with tears the altar of the Lord, with weeping, and wailing; so that I behold no more to (the) sacrifice, neither receive any thing (as) pleasant of your hand. (And ye also did this thing; ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and wailing; and so I shall no more look upon your sacrifice, nor receive anything as pleasing, or acceptable, from your hands.)
14 And ye said, For what cause? For the Lord witnessed betwixt thee and the wife of thy puberty, that is, (of the) time of (thy) marriage, whom thou despisedest, and this is thy fellow, and the wife of thy covenant of peace. (And ye said, For what reason? Because the Lord hath witnessed what is between thee and the wife of thy youth, she whom thou hast despised, even though she is thy partner, or thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant of peace, or to whom thou hast pledged thy troth, or hast promised to be faithful.)
15 Whether one (he) made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh (the) one (God), no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth; (Did not God make two one, both flesh and spirit? and what seeketh he, but a godly seed? And so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;)
16 when thou hatest her, leave thou her (not), saith the Lord God of Israel. Forsooth wickedness shall cover the cloth of him, saith the Lord of hosts; keep ye your spirit, and do not ye despise. (even if thou hatest her, leave thou her not, saith the Lord God of Israel. Yea, let his cloak cover his wickedness, saith the Lord of hosts; so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not ye despise her.)
17 Ye made the Lord for to travail in your words, and ye said, Wherein made we him for to travail? In that that ye say, Each that doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such men please him; either certainly, Where is God of doom? (Ye have travailed, or tired, the Lord with your words, and ye have said, How have we travailed, or tired, him? Because ye say, Everyone who doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such people please him; and certainly when ye say, Where is the God of judgement?)
Malachi 2
New King James Version
Corrupt Priests
2 “And now, O (A)priests, this commandment is for you.
2 (B)If you will not hear,
And if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,”
Says the Lord of hosts,
“I will send a curse upon you,
And I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them (C)already,
Because you do not take it to heart.
3 “Behold, I will rebuke your descendants
And spread (D)refuse on your faces,
The refuse of your solemn feasts;
And one will (E)take you away [a]with it.
4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
5 “My(F) covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him (G)that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
6 (H)The[b] law of truth was in his mouth,
And [c]injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And (I)turned many away from iniquity.
7 “For(J) the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
(K)For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But you have departed from the way;
You (L)have caused many to stumble at the law.
(M)You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
9 “Therefore (N)I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown (O)partiality in the law.”
Treachery of Infidelity
10 (P)Have we not all one Father?
(Q)Has not one God created us?
Why do we deal treacherously with one another
By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
11 Judah has dealt treacherously,
And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem,
For Judah has (R)profaned
The Lord’s holy institution which He loves:
He has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob
The man who does this, being [d]awake and aware,
Yet (S)who brings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this is the second thing you do:
You cover the altar of the Lord with tears,
With weeping and crying;
So He does not regard the offering anymore,
Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands.
14 Yet you say, “For what reason?”
Because the Lord has been witness
Between you and (T)the wife of your youth,
With whom you have dealt treacherously;
(U)Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant.
15 But (V)did He not make them one,
Having a remnant of the Spirit?
And why one?
He seeks (W)godly offspring.
Therefore take heed to your spirit,
And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
16 “For (X)the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
17 (Y)You have wearied the Lord with your words;
Yet you say,
“In what way have we wearied Him?”
In that you say,
(Z)“Everyone who does evil
Is good in the sight of the Lord,
And He delights in them,”
Or, “Where is the God of justice?”
Footnotes
- Malachi 2:3 Lit. to it
- Malachi 2:6 Or True instruction
- Malachi 2:6 Or unrighteousness
- Malachi 2:12 Talmud, Vg. teacher and student
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
ﻣﻼﺥ 2
Arabic Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
2 «وَالْآنَ أيُّهَا الكَهَنَةُ، إلَيكُمْ هَذَا الأمْرَ: 2 إنْ لَمْ تُطِيعُونِي وَلَمْ تَضَعُوا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ أنْ تُمَجِّدُوا اسْمِي، يَقُولُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ، فَإنِّي سَأُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَعْنَةً. سَأُحَوِّلُ البَرَكَاتِ الَّتِي تَقُولُونَهَا إلَى لَعْنَاتٍ، بَلْ لَعَنْتُكُمْ لِأنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَضَعُوا هَذَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ.»
3 «سَأُعَاقِبُ نَسْلَكُمْ. وَسَأُلقِي فَضَلَاتِ ذَبَائِحِكُمْ عَلَى وُجُوهِكُمْ، وَسَتُطرَحُونَ بَعِيدًا مِنْ حَضْرَتِي. 4 وَسَتَعْرِفُونَ أنِّي أرسَلْتُ لَكُمْ هَذِهِ الوَصيَّةَ إذْ قَطَعْتُ عَهْدِي مَعَ لَاوِي، يَقُولُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ. 5 كَانَ عَهْدِي مَعَهُ عَهْدَ حَيَاةٍ وَسَلَامٍ، وَقَدْ أعْطَيْتُهُ حَيَاةً وَسَلَامًا. فَقَدْ أكرَمَنِي وَخَافَ اسْمِي العَظِيمَ. 6 تَمَسَّكَ بِالأمَانَةِ لِلشَّرِيعَةِ، وَلَمْ يَتَهَاوَنْ مَعَ الشَّرِّ. عَاشَ حَيَاةً مُسَالِمَةً وَكَامِلَةً وَمُسْتَقِيمَةً أمَامِي، وَقَدْ رَدَّ كَثِيرِينَ عَنْ عَمَلِ الشَّرِّ. 7 فَالنَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ إلَى الكَاهِنِ حِينَ يُرِيدُونَ المَعْرِفَةِ، وَيَذْهَبُونَ إلَيْهِ لِيُعَلِّمَهُمْ شَرَائِعَ اللهِ، لِأنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ القَدِيرِ.
8 «ولَكِنَّكُمْ حِدْتُمْ عَنْ طَرِيقِ اللهِ، وَنَفَّرْتُمْ كَثِيرِينَ مِنَ الشَّرِيعَةِ. أفسَدْتُمُ العَهْدَ الَّذِي قَطَعْتُهُ مَعَ لَاوِي، يَقُولُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ. 9 أنَا جَعَلْتُكُمْ مُحتَقَرِينَ وَمَذلُولِينَ أمَامَ جَمِيعِ النَّاسِ، لِأنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَحْفَظُوا وَصَايَايَ، بَلْ مَيَّزْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِي تَطبِيقِ شَرِيعَتِي.»
أحكَامٌ لِلكَهَنَة
10 ألَيْسَ لَنَا أبٌ وَاحِدٌ؟ ألَمْ يَخْلِقْنَا إلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ؟ فَلِمَاذَا يَغْدُرُ الوَاحِدُ بِأخِيهِ، فَيُنَجِّسُ عَهْدَ آبَائِنَا. 11 ارتَكَبَ شَعْبُ يَهُوذَا أعْمَالَ غَدْرٍ وَخِيَانَةٍ كَثِيرَةً نَحْوَ إسْرَائِيلَ وَمَدِينَةِ القُدْسِ. فَشَعْبُ يَهُوذَا نَجَّسَ مَكَانَ اللهِ المُقَدَّسِ الَّذِي أحَبَّهُ، وَارتَبَطَ بِآلِهَةٍ غَرِيبَةٍ. 12 لَيْتَ اللهَ يُبِيدُ مِنْ قَبَائِلِ يَعْقُوبَ كُلَّ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ هَذَا أيًّا كَانَ، حَتَّى لَوْ جَاءَ يُقَدِّمُ ذَبِيحَةً إلَى اللهِ القَدِيرِ. 13 وَأنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ هَذَا ثَانِيَةً، إذْ تُغَطُّونَ مَذْبَحَ اللهِ بِالدُّمُوعِ نَائِحِينَ وَمُوَلْوِلِينَ، لِأنَّهُ لَمْ يَعُدْ يَقْبَلُهَا كَتَقْدِمَةٍ مُرضِيَةٍ مِنْ أيدِيكُمْ.
14 وَتَقُولُونَ: «مَا سَبَبُ هَذَا؟» لِأنَّ اللهَ رَأى مَا حَدَثَ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ المَرْأةِ الَّتِي تَزَوَّجْتَهَا فِي شَبَابِكَ، الَّتِي خُنْتَهَا مَعَ أنَّهَا كَانَتْ رَفِيقًا أمِينًا لَكَ، وَقَدْ دَخَلْتَ فِي عَهْدٍ مَعَهَا. 15 لَا أحَدَ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ وَلَهُ بَقِيَّةُ عَقلٍ! لِمَاذَا يَحْفَظُ العَاقِلُ عَهْدَهُ؟ لِأنَّهُ يَطْلُبُ نَسْلًا صَالِحًا مِنَ اللهِ. لِذَا يَنْبَغِي أنْ تَكُونَ حَذِرًا وَلَا تَغْدُرْ بِالمَرْأةِ الَّتِي تَزَوَّجْتَهَا فِي شَبَابِكَ.
16 «أنَا أبغَضُ الطَّلَاقَ،» يَقُولُ اللهُ، إلَهُ إسْرَائِيلَ. «وَأبغَضُ الزَّوجَ الَّذِي يَسْتُرُ نَفْسَهُ بِالعُنْفِ تُجَاهَ زَوْجَتِهِ،» يَقُولُ اللهُ القَدِيرُ. «فَاحذَرُوا وَلَا يَغْدُرْ أحَدُكُمَا بِالآخَرِ.»
وَقْتٌ خَاصٌ لِلدَّينُونَة
17 أتعَبْتُمُ اللهَ بِكَلَامِكُمْ. وَلَكِنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ: «كَيْفَ أتعَبْنَاهُ؟» أتعَبْتُمُوهُ بِقَولِكُمْ: «كُلُّ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ الشَّرَّ هُوَ صَالِحٌ فِي عَينَيِّ اللهِ، وَهُوَ رَاضٍ عَنْهُمْ.» أوْ بِقَولِكُمْ: «هَلْ سَبَقَ أنْ رَأيْتَ اللهَ يُعَاقِبُ أحَدًا؟»
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 2009, 2016 by Bible League International