Malachi 2:1-9

Expanded Bible

Rules for Priests

2 “Priests, this ·command [warning] is for you. ² Listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. Honor my name,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. “If you don’t, I will send a curse on you and on your blessings. I have already cursed them, because you don’t ·pay attention to what I say [take my warning to heart].

³ “I will ·punish [discipline; rebuke] your descendants. I will smear your faces with ·the animal insides [offal; entrails; or dung] left from your feasts, and you will be thrown away with it. ⁴ Then you will know that I am giving you this ·command [warning] so my ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with Levi will continue,” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ⁵ “My ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with ·the Levites [^Lhim; ^CLevi] was to bring life and peace so they would ·honor [fear] me. And they did ·honor [fear] me and ·fear me [^Lstood in awe of my name; Prov. 1:7]. ⁶ ·They taught the true teachings [True law/instruction/^LTorah was in his mouth] and ·spoke no lies [no iniquity was found on his lips]. With peace and ·honesty [integrity] they ·did what I said they should do [walked with me], and they kept many people from sinning.

⁷ “·A priest [^LThe lips of a priest] should ·teach what he knows [preserve/guard knowledge; Deut. 33:10], and people should ·learn the teachings [seek instruction] from ·him [^Lhis mouth], because he is the messenger of the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ⁸ But you priests have ·stopped obeying me [^Lturned from the way/path]. With your teachings you have caused many people to ·do wrong [stumble]. You have ·broken [corrupted] the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with ·the tribe of Levi [^LLevi]!” says the Lord ·All-Powerful [Almighty; of Heaven’s Armies; ^Tof hosts]. ⁹ “You have not been careful to ·do what I say [follow my ways/paths], but instead you ·take sides [show favoritism/partiality] in ·court [legal] cases. So I have caused you to be ·hated [despised] and ·disgraced [humiliated] in front of everybody.”