Malachi 2:13-16
International Standard Version
God’s Fourth Complaint: Against His Priests—Marital Abuses
13 “This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the Lord with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand. 14 Yet you ask, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you were unfaithful to her, your partner, the wife of your covenant. 15 Did he not make them[a] one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don’t be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 “Indeed, the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances,”[b] says the Lord of the Heavenly Armies. “So guard yourselves carefully,[c] and don’t be unfaithful.”
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- Malachi 2:15 The Heb. lacks them
- Malachi 2:16 Lit. by his garments
- Malachi 2:16 Lit. yourselves in your spirit
Malachi 2:13-16
Lexham English Bible
13 And this you do as well:[a] you cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because he[b] no longer regards the offering[c] or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you ask, “For what reason?”[d] Because Yahweh stands as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have been unfaithful, even though she is your marriage partner and your wife by covenant.[e] 15 Did not one God make them?[f] But a remnant of the spirit is his.[g] And what does the one God desire? An offspring of God.[h] You must be attentive to[i] your spirit, and you must not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate divorce,”[j] says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and he who covers his clothing with violence,” says Yahweh of hosts. “You must be attentive to[k] your spirit and you must not be unfaithful.”
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- Malachi 2:13 Literally “a second time”
- Malachi 2:13 Yahweh
- Malachi 2:13 Literally “there is no longer turning to the offering”
- Malachi 2:14 Literally “Because of what?”
- Malachi 2:14 Literally “the wife of your covenant”
- Malachi 2:15 Literally “Not one did he make”
- Malachi 2:15 The meaning of this sentence is difficult; literally “And a remnant of the spirit to him”
- Malachi 2:15 Or “a godly offspring”
- Malachi 2:15 Literally “You must keep watch on”
- Malachi 2:16 Hebrew “sending away”
- Malachi 2:16 Literally “You must keep watch on”
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