Malachi 2

The Sacrilege of the Priestly Message

1 “Now, you priests, this commandment is for you.2 If you do not listen and take seriouslyt the need to honor my name,” says the Lord who rules over all, “I will send judgmentt on you and turn your blessings into curses – indeed, I have already done so because you are not taking it to heart.3 I am about to discipline your childrens and will spread offalt on your faces,s the very offal produced at your festivals, and you will be carried away along with it.4 Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenants may continue to be with Levi,” says the Lord who rules over all.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.6 He taught what was true;t sinful words were not found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and integrity, and he turned many people away from sin.7 For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek instruction from himt because he is the messenger of the Lord who rules over all.8 You, however, have turned from the way. You have caused many to violate the law;t you have corrupted the covenant with Levi,”t says the Lord who rules over all.

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 yourt instruction.”

The Rebellion of the People

10 Do we not all have one father?s Did not one God create us? Why do we betray one another, in this way making light of the covenant of our ancestors?11 Judah has become disloyal, and unspeakable sins have been committed in Israel and Jerusalem.s For Judah has profanedt the holy things that the Lord loves and has turned to a foreign god!t

12 May the Lord cut off from the communityt of Jacob every last person who does this,st as well as the person who presents improper offerings to the Lord who rules over all!
13 You also do this: You cover the altar of the Lord with tearss as you weep and groan, because he no longer pays any attention to the offering nor accepts it favorably from you.14 Yet you ask, “Why?” The Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young,t to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law.s15 No one who has even a small portion of the Spirit in him does this.t What did our ancestort 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.s

16 “I hate divorce,”ss says the Lord God of Israel, “and the one who is guilty of violence,”t says the Lord who rules over all. “Pay attention to your conscience, and do not be unfaithful.”
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,t and he delights in them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”

MALACHI 2

True and False Priests

1 I, the [Lord] All-Powerful, have something else to say to you priests. 2 You had better take seriously the need to honor my name. Otherwise, when you give a blessing, I will turn it into a curse. In fact, I have already done this, because you haven't taken to heart your duties as priests.

3 I will punish your descendants and rub your faces in the manure from your animal sacrifices, and then be done with you.t
4  t I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi. 5 t I blessed him with a full life, as I had promised, and he kept his part of the agreement by honoring me and respecting my name.

6 He taught the truth and never told lies, and he led a lot of people to turn from sin, because he obeyed me and lived right.
7 You priests should be eager to spread knowledge, and everyone should come to you for instruction, because you speak for me, the [Lord] All-Powerful. 8 But you have turned your backs on me. Your teachings have led others to do sinful things, and you have broken the agreement I made with your ancestor Levi.

9 So I caused everyone to hate and despise you, because you disobeyed me and failed to treat all people alike.

A Broken Agreement

12 I pray that the [Lord] will no longer let those who are guilty belong to his people, even if they eagerly decide to offer the [Lord] a gift.t
13 And what else are you doing? You cry noisily and flood the [Lord]'s altar with your tears, because he isn't pleased with your offerings and refuses to accept them. 14 And why isn't God pleased? It's because he knows that each of you men has been unfaithful to the wife you married when you were young. You promised that she would be your partner, but now you have broken that promise. 15 Didn't God create you and your wife to become like one person?t And why did he do this? It was so you would have children, and then lead them to become God's people. Don't ever be unfaithful to your wife.

16 The [Lord] God All-Powerful of Israel hates anyone who is cruel enough to divorce his wife. So take care never to be unfaithful!

17 You have worn out the [Lord] with your words. And yet, you ask, “How did we do that?”
You did it by saying, “The [Lord] is pleased with evil and doesn't care about justice.”