Malachi 2
The Lord Rebukes the Priests
“And now, aO priests, bthis command is for you. 2 aIf you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send bthe curse upon you and I will curse cyour blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, aI will rebuke your offspring, and bspread dung on your faces, the cdung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4 So shall you know that I have sent athis command to you, that bmy covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and apeace, and I gave them to him. bIt was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 aTrue instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he bturned many from iniquity. 7 For athe lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. aYou have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted bthe covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so aI make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but bshow partiality in your instruction.”
Judah Profaned the Covenant
10 Have we not all aone Father? Has not bone God created us? Why then are we cfaithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has been afaithless, and abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For bJudah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. 12 May the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob any descendant of the man who does this, who abrings an offering to the Lord of hosts!
13 And this second thing you do. aYou 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 aBut you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord bwas witness between you and the wife of your youth, cto whom dyou have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15 aDid he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? bGodly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be cfaithless to the wife of your youth. 16 “For athe man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and bdo not be faithless.”
The Messenger of the Lord
17 aYou have wearied the Lord with your words. bBut you say, “How have we wearied him?” cBy saying, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.” Or by asking, d“Where is the God of justice?”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.