13 This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning,(A) because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.(B)

14 And you ask, “Why?” Because even though the Lord has been a witness(C) between you and the wife of your youth,(D) you have acted treacherously against her. She was your marriage partner(E) and your wife by covenant.(F) 15 Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking?[a] Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully,[b](G) so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his[c] youth.

16 “If he hates(H) and divorces his wife,”(I) says the Lord God of Israel, “he[d] covers his garment with injustice,”(J) says the Lord of Armies. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully,[e] and do not act treacherously.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:15 Hb obscure
  2. 2:15 Lit So guard yourselves in your spirit
  3. 2:15 Lit your
  4. 2:16 Or The Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce and the one who
  5. 2:16 Lit Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit

13 And this second thing you do. (A)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 (B)But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord (C)was witness between you and the wife of your youth, (D)to whom (E)you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 (F)Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?[a] And what was the one God[b] seeking?[c] (G)Godly offspring. So guard yourselves[d] in your spirit, and let none of you be (H)faithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For (I)the man who does not love his wife but divorces her,[e] says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers[f] his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and (J)do not be faithless.”

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Footnotes

  1. Malachi 2:15 Hebrew in it
  2. Malachi 2:15 Hebrew the one
  3. Malachi 2:15 Or And not one has done this who has a portion of the Spirit. And what was that one seeking?
  4. Malachi 2:15 Or So take care; also verse 16
  5. Malachi 2:16 Hebrew who hates and divorces
  6. 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