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13 This is another thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with your tears. You ·cry [weep] and moan, because he does not ·accept [look with favor on] your offerings and is not pleased with what you bring. 14 You ask, “Why?” It is because the Lord ·sees how you treated [L is the witness between you and] the wife ·you married when you were young [L of your youth]. You ·broke your promise [have been unfaithful] to her, even though she was your partner and ·you had an agreement with her [your wife by solemn covenant]. 15 ·God made [L Did not God make…?] husbands and wives to become one body and one spirit for his purpose—so they would have ·children who are true to God [godly offspring].

So ·be careful [L guard yourself in your spirit], and do not ·break your promise [be unfaithful] to the wife ·you married when you were young [L of your youth].

16 The Lord God of Israel says, “·I hate divorce. And I hate the person who [or The one who hates and divorces] ·does cruel things as easily as he puts on clothes [L covers his clothes in violence],” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; T of hosts].

So be ·careful [on your guard]. And do not ·break your trust [be unfaithful].

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13 And this is [a]another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and sighing, because He (A)no longer gives attention to the [b]offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 Yet you say, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the (B)wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt (C)treacherously, though she is your marriage companion and your wife by covenant. 15 [c]But not one has (D)done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And [d]why the one? He was seeking a (E)godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals (F)treacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For [e]I hate [f](G)divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and [g]him who covers his garment with (H)violence,” says the Lord of armies. “So be careful about your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:13 Lit a second
  2. Malachi 2:13 Or grain offering
  3. Malachi 2:15 Or Did He not make one, although He had the remnant
  4. Malachi 2:15 Or what did the one do while he was seeking
  5. Malachi 2:16 Lit He hates
  6. Malachi 2:16 Lit sending away
  7. Malachi 2:16 Lit he covers