☰ MALACHI 2
Priests to Be Disciplined
2
1 “And now this commandment is for you, O priests. 2  If you do Anot listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the Lord of hosts, “then I will send the Bcurse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have Ccursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. 3  Behold, I am going to Arebuke your 1offspring, and I will Bspread 2refuse on your faces, the 2refuse of your Cfeasts; and you will be taken away 3with it. 4 Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, 1that My Acovenant may 2continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. 5 “My covenant with him was one of life and Apeace, and I gave them to him as an object of 1reverence; so he 2Brevered Me and stood in awe of My name. 6  1ATrue instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked Bwith Me in peace and uprightness, and he Cturned many back from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest should preserve Aknowledge, and 1men should Bseek 2instruction from his mouth; for he is the Cmessenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to Astumble 1by the instruction; you have 2Bcorrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts. 9 “So AI also have made you despised and Babased 1before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing Cpartiality in the 2instruction.
Sin in the Family
10 “Do we not all have Aone father? BHas not one God created us? Why do we deal Ctreacherously each against his brother so as to profane the Dcovenant of our fathers? 11  Judah has dealt Atreacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has Bprofaned the sanctuary of the Lord 1which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12  As for the man who does this, may the A Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who Bpresents 1an offering to the Lord of hosts.
13 “This is 1another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He Ano longer regards the 2offering 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 Awife of your youth, against whom you have dealt Btreacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15  1But not one has Adone so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And 2what did that one do while he was seeking a Bgodly 3offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal Ctreacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 For 1I hate 2Adivorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and 3him who covers his garment with 4Bwrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
17 You have Awearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “BEveryone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He Cdelights in them,” or, “DWhere is the God of Ejustice?”
A 2:2 Lev 26:14, 15; Deut 28:15 B 2:2 Deut 28:16-20 C 2:2 Mal 3:9 A 2:3 Lev 26:16; Deut 28:38 1 2:3 Lit seed B 2:3 Nah 3:6 2 2:3 Or vomit 2 2:3 Or vomit C 2:3 Ex 29:14 3 2:3 Lit to 1 2:4 Or to be My covenant with A 2:4 Num 3:11-13, 45; 18:21; Neh 13:29; Mal 3:1 2 2:4 Lit be A 2:5 Num 25:12 1 2:5 Or fear 2 2:5 Or feared B 2:5 Num 25:7, 8, 13 1 2:6 Or Law of truth A 2:6 Ps 119:142, 151, 160 B 2:6 Deut 33:8, 9; Ps 37:37 C 2:6 Jer 23:22 A 2:7 Lev 10:11; Neh 8:7 1 2:7 Lit they B 2:7 Num 27:21; Deut 17:8-11; Jer 18:18; Ezek 7:26 2 2:7 Or law C 2:7 Hag 1:13 A 2:8 Jer 18:15 1 2:8 Or in the law 2 2:8 Or violated B 2:8 Num 25:12, 13; Neh 13:29; Ezek 44:10 A 2:9 Nah 3:6 B 2:9 Ezek 7:26 1 2:9 Lit to C 2:9 Deut 1:17; Mic 3:11 2 2:9 Or law A 2:10 Is 63:16; 64:8; Jer 31:9; 1 Cor 8:6; Eph 4:6 B 2:10 Acts 17:24f C 2:10 Jer 9:4, 5 D 2:10 Ex 19:4-6; 24:3, 7, 8 A 2:11 Jer 3:7-9 B 2:11 Ezra 9:1, 2 1 2:11 Or in that He has loved and married A 2:12 Ezek 24:21; Hos 9:12 B 2:12 Mal 1:10, 13 1 2:12 Or a grain offering 1 2:13 Lit second A 2:13 Jer 11:14; 14:12 2 2:13 Or grain offering A 2:14 Is 54:6 B 2:14 Jer 9:2; Mal 3:5 1 2:15 Or Did He not make one, although He had the remnant A 2:15 Gen 2:24; Matt 19:4, 5 2 2:15 Or why one? He sought a godly offspring B 2:15 Ruth 4:12; 1 Sam 2:20 3 2:15 Lit seed C 2:15 Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10 1 2:16 Lit He hates 2 2:16 Lit sending away A 2:16 Deut 24:1; Matt 5:31; 19:6-8 3 2:16 Lit he covers 4 2:16 Or violence B 2:16 Ps 73:6; Is 59:6 A 2:17 Is 43:22, 24 B 2:17 Is 5:20; Zeph 1:12 C 2:17 Job 9:24 D 2:17 2 Pet 3:4 E 2:17 Is 5:19; Jer 17:15
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