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 offspring, and I will bspread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your cfeasts; and you will be taken away with it.
4
"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My acovenant may continue 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 reverence; so he brevered Me and stood in awe of My name.
6
"aTrue 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 men should bseek instruction 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 by the instruction; you have bcorrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts.
9
"So aI also have made you despised and babased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing cpartiality in the instruction.
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 which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12
"As for the man who does this, may the aLord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who bpresents an offering to the Lord of hosts.
13
"This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He ano longer regards the offering 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
"But not one has adone so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a bgodly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal ctreacherously against the wife of your youth.
16
"For I hate adivorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with
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 offspring, and I will bspread refuse on your faces, the refuse of your cfeasts; and you will be taken away with it.
4
"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My acovenant may continue 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 reverence; so he brevered Me and stood in awe of My name.
6
"aTrue 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 men should bseek instruction 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 by the instruction; you have bcorrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts.
9
"So aI also have made you despised and babased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing cpartiality in the instruction.
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 which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
12
"As for the man who does this, may the aLord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who bpresents an offering to the Lord of hosts.
13
"This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He ano longer regards the offering 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
"But not one has adone so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while he was seeking a bgodly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal ctreacherously against the wife of your youth.
16
"For I hate adivorce," says the Lord, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with