Warning To The Priests
2 If you do not listen and take seriously the need to honor my name," says the Lord who rules over all, "I will send judgment on you and turn your blessings into curses -- indeed, I have already done so because you are not taking it to heart.
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 If you do (A)not 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 (B)curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have (C)cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.
2 If you don’t listen, and if you don’t take it to heart(B) to honor My name,” says Yahweh of Hosts, “I will send a curse among you, and I will curse your blessings.(C) In fact, I have already begun to curse them because you are not taking it to heart.
2 "If you don't listen, and if you don't choose to give honor to my name," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies, "then I'll curse both you and your blessings. I've even cursed them already, because none of you are taking it to heart.
3 I am about to discipline your children and will spread offal on your faces, the very offal produced at your festivals, and you will be carried away along with it.
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 Behold, I am going to (D)rebuke your (a)offspring, and I will (E)spread (b)refuse on your faces, the (c)refuse of your (F)feasts; and you will be taken away (d)with it.
3 “Look, I am going to rebuke your descendants,(D) and I will spread animal waste(a) over your faces, the waste from your festival sacrifices,(E) and you will be taken away with it.
3 Look! I'm rebuking your descendants because of you, and I'll spread waste on your faces, the waste of your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.
4 Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant may continue to be with Levi," says the Lord who rules over all.
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 Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, (e)that My (G)covenant may (f)continue with Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.
4 Then you will know that I sent you this decree so My covenant with Levi(F) may continue,” says the Lord of Hosts.
4 "You will know that I sent this commandment to you in order to continue my covenant with Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
5 "My covenant with him was designed to bring life and peace. I gave its statutes to him to fill him with awe, and he indeed revered me and stood in awe before me.
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 was one of life and (H)peace, and I gave them to him as an object of (g)reverence; so he (h)(I)revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
5 “My covenant with him was one of life and peace,(G) and I gave these to him; it called for reverence, and he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.(H)
5 "My covenant with him was for life and peace, and I gave the commandments to him so he would fear me. He did fear me as he stood in my presence.
6 He taught what was true; sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin.
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 (i)(J)True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked (K)with Me in peace and uprightness, and he (L)turned many back from iniquity.
6 True instruction was in his mouth, and nothing wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me(I) in peace and fairness and turned many from sin.(J)
6 True teachings were in his mouth, and falsehood was not found on his lips. He walked with me peacefully and righteously, and he turned many from sin.
7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from him because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all.
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 For the lips of a priest should preserve (M)knowledge, and (j)men should (N)seek (k)instruction from his mouth; for he is the (O)messenger of the Lord of hosts.
7 For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts.(K)
7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, because he's the messenger of the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law; you have corrupted the covenant with Levi," says the Lord who rules over all.
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 as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to (P)stumble (l)by the instruction; you have (m)(Q)corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of hosts.
8 “You, on the other hand, have turned from the way.(L) You have caused many to stumble(M) by your instruction. You have violated(b) the covenant of Levi,” says the Lord of Hosts.
8 "But you priests turned aside from the way, and by your teaching you caused many to stumble. You have violated the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
9 "Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to which you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your instruction."
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 “So (R)I also have made you despised and (S)abased (n)before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing (T)partiality in the (o)instruction.
9 “So I in turn have made you despised(N) and humiliated before all the people because you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in your instruction.”(O)
9 "So I also made you despised, humiliating you before all of the people, because you aren't following my ways and are showing partiality when you teach."
Yahweh Hates Faithlessness
10 Do we not all have one father? Did not one God create us? Why do we betray one another, in this way making light of the covenant of our ancestors?
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 (U)one father? (V)Has not one God created us? Why do we deal (W)treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the (X)covenant of our fathers?
10 Don’t all of us have one Father?(P) Didn’t one God create us?(Q) Why then do we act treacherously against one another,(R) profaning(S) the covenant of our fathers?(T)
10 Do we not have one father? Has not one God created us? Why does each of us act deceitfully, each man against his own brother, to profane the covenant of our ancestors?
11 Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned the holy things that the Lord loves and has turned to a foreign god!
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 dealt (Y)treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has (Z)profaned the sanctuary of the Lord (p)which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
11 Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable(U) thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned(V) the Lord’s sanctuary,(c)(W) which He loves,(X) and has married the daughter of a foreign god.(d)(Y)
11 Judah has become unfaithful, and a detestable thing was committed in Israel and Jerusalem. Indeed, Judah profaned the Holy Place of the LORD, which he loves, and married a daughter of a foreign god.
12 May the Lord cut off from the community of Jacob every last person who does this, as well as the person who presents improper offerings to the Lord who rules over all!
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 As for the man who does this, may the (AA)Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who (AB)presents (q)an offering to the Lord of hosts.
12 To the man who does this, may the Lord cut off(Z) any descendants(e)(f)(AA) from the tents of Jacob, even if they present an offering to the Lord of Hosts.
12 May the LORD exclude from the community of Jacob any man who does this, whoever he may be, even though he brings offerings to the LORD of the Heavenly Armies.
13 You also do this: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears as you weep and groan, because he no longer pays any attention to the offering nor accepts it favorably from you.
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 “This is (r)another thing you do: you cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He (AC)no longer regards the (s)offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.
13 And this is another thing you do: you cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning,(AB) because He no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.(AC)
13 "This is another thing you do: you flood the altar of the LORD with tears, weeping and wailing because he no longer pays attention to your offering nor takes pleasure in it from your hand.
14 Yet you ask, "Why?" The Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young, to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law.
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 Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the (AD)wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt (AE)treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
14 Yet you ask, “For what reason?” Because the Lord has been a witness(AD) between you and the wife of your youth.(AE) You have acted treacherously against her, though she was your marriage partner(AF) and your wife by covenant.(AG)
14 Yet you ask, "For what reason?' Because the LORD acts as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you were unfaithful to her, your partner, the wife of your covenant.
15 No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this. What did our ancestor do when seeking a child from God? Be attentive, then, to your own spirit, for one should not be disloyal to the wife he took in his youth.
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 (t)But not one has (AF)done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And (u)what did that one do while he was seeking a (AG)godly (v)offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal (AH)treacherously against the wife of your youth.
15 Didn’t the one God make us with a remnant of His life-breath? And what does the One seek?(g) A godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully,(h)(AH) and do not act treacherously against the wife of your youth.
15 Did he not make them one? And the vestige of the spirit remains in him. And why did he make them one? He was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don't be unfaithful to the wife of your youth.
16 "I hate divorce," says the Lord God of Israel, "and the one who is guilty of violence," says the Lord who rules over all. "Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful."
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 For (w)I hate (x)(AI)divorce,” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “and (y)him who covers his garment with (z)(AJ)wrong,” says the Lord of hosts. “So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.”
16 “If he hates(AI) and divorces his wife,(AJ)” says the Lord God of Israel, “he(i) covers his garment with injustice,”(AK) says the Lord of Hosts. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully,(j) and do not act treacherously.
16 "Indeed, the LORD God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances," says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. "So guard yourselves carefully, and don't be unfaithful."
Judgment At The Lord's Coming
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, "How have we wearied him?" Because you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in the Lord's opinion, and he delights in them," or "Where is the God of justice?"
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 have (AK)wearied the Lord with your words. Yet you say, “How have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “(AL)Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He (AM)delights in them,” or, “(AN)Where is the God of (AO)justice?”
17 You have wearied the Lord(AL) with your words.Yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?”When you say, “Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and He is pleased with them,”(AM) or “Where is the God of justice?”(AN)
17 "You have wearied the LORD with your words. You ask, "How have we wearied you?' By your saying, "All who do evil are good in the eyes of the LORD and he's pleased with them,' or "Where is the God of justice?'"