13 Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.(A) You weep and wail(B) because he no longer looks with favor(C) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.(D) 14 You ask,(E) “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness(F) between you and the wife of your youth.(G) You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.(H)

15 Has not the one God made you?(I) You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.[a](J) So be on your guard,(K) and do not be unfaithful(L) to the wife of your youth.

16 “The man who hates and divorces his wife,(M)” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,”[b](N) says the Lord Almighty.

So be on your guard,(O) and do not be unfaithful.

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:15 The meaning of the Hebrew for the first part of this verse is uncertain.
  2. Malachi 2:16 Or “I hate divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “because the man who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,”

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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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:13 Literally “a second time”
  2. Malachi 2:13 Yahweh
  3. Malachi 2:13 Literally “there is no longer turning to the offering”
  4. Malachi 2:14 Literally “Because of what?”
  5. Malachi 2:14 Literally “the wife of your covenant”
  6. Malachi 2:15 Literally “Not one did he make”
  7. Malachi 2:15 The meaning of this sentence is difficult; literally “And a remnant of the spirit to him”
  8. Malachi 2:15 Or “a godly offspring”
  9. Malachi 2:15 Literally “You must keep watch on”
  10. Malachi 2:16 Hebrew “sending away”
  11. Malachi 2:16 Literally “You must keep watch on”