Malachi, 2

1. And now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you.

1. This warning is also for you, priests. If you do not listen to it

2. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay [it] to heart.

2. or concern yourself to glorify my Name, says Yahweh of hosts, I will send the curse on you and curse even your blessings.

3. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; and [one] shall take you away with it.

3. I will curse you for none of you takes his ministry seriously. Right now, I am going to break your arm, throw dung in your face, the very dung of your animals, and sweep you away with them.

4. And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

4. And you will realize that it was I who threatened to put an end to my covenant with Levi, your ancestor, says Yahweh.

5. My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him [for] the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

5. My covenant with him spoke of life and peace, and I gave him these; it also spoke of respect and he respected me and reverenced my Name.

6. The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.

6. His mouth taught the true doctrine and nothing evil came from his lips; he walked in accord with me, being peaceful and upright, and brought back many people from their wickedness.

7. For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

7. The lips of the priest speak of knowledge, and the Law must be found in his mouth, since he is the messenger of Yahweh of hosts.

8. But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

8. But you, says Yahweh of hosts, have strayed from my way, and moreover caused many to stumble because of your teaching. You have broken my covenant with Levi.

9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

9. Therefore I let all the people despise you and consider you unworthy, because you do not follow my ways and you show partiality in your judgments.

10. Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

10. Do we not all have the same father? Has the same God not created all of us? Why, then, does each of us betray his brother, defiling the Covenant of our ancestors?

11. Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

11. Judah has been unfaithful, a grave sin has been committed in Israel and Jerusalem: the people of Judah have defiled the sacred inheritance of Yahweh by loving and marrying the daughters of a foreign god.

12. The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

12. Let whoever does this be cut off from the homeland of Jacob and let there be no one to defend him in the tribunal or present an offering for him to Yahweh.

13. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth [it] with good will at your hand.

13. You also commit another offense. As Yahweh refuses to look at your offerings and does not take them into account, you come weeping and wailing and cover the altar with tears.

14. Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet [is] she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

14. And then you ask: "Why?" It is because Yahweh has seen how you dealt with your first wife, the wife of your youth. You betrayed her although she was your companion with whom you made a covenant.

15. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

15. Has God not made a single being and given him breath? And what does he seek but a family given by God? Do not betray, then, the wife of your youth.

16. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for [one] covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

16. I hate divorce, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, and those who are actually covering their violence. Be very careful, and do not betray.

17. Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where [is] the God of judgment?

17. You annoy Yahweh with your discourses and you dare say: "How did we annoy him?" You annoy him whenever you say that Yahweh looks favorably on those who do evil, and lets everything go well with them, or when you ask: "Where is the God who does justice?"