THE PROPHET
MALACHI
Malachi 2 ©
The Lord threatens to punish the priests, unless they amend their lives, v. 1, etc. Reproaching them that they were turned aside from the piety and sincerity of the forefathers, 5. He reproves the profaners and breakers of wedlock, 11. And the blasphemers, 17.
AND now, O ye priests, 1this commandment 2is for you.
If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay 3it 4to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a cursea upon you, and I will curse 5your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do 6not lay it to heart.
Behold, 7I will corrupt your seed, and 8spread dung upon your faces, even the dung 9of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you 10away with it.
And ye shall 11know that I have sent this commandment unto you, 12that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
My covenant was 13with him 14of life and peace; and I gave 15them to him 16for the fear wherewith he feared me, and 17was afraid before my name.
The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was 18not found in his lips: 19he walked with me 20in peace and equity, and 21did turn many away from iniquity.
For the priest’s 22lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is 23the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
But ye are departed out 24of the way; 25ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted 26the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.
Therefore have I also made you contemptible and 27base before all the people, 28according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been 29partial in the law.
30Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? 31why do we deal treacherously 32every man against his brother, by profaning 33the covenant of our fathers?
¶Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profanedb34the holiness of the LORD which 35he loved, 36and hath married the daughter of a strange god.
The LORD will 37cut off the man that doeth 38this, the master and the 39scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an 40offering unto the LORD of hosts.
And this have 41ye done again, 42covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that 43he regardeth not 44the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.
¶Yet ye say, 45Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been 46witness between thee and 47the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and 48the wife of thy covenant.
And did not 49he make 50one? Yet had 51he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore 52one? That 53he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed 54to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife 55of his youth.
For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth 56putting away: for 57one covereth 58violence 59with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal 60not treacherously.
¶Ye 61have wearied the LORD with your words. 62Yet ye say, Wherein 63have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil 64is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth 65in them; or, Where is 66the God of judgment?