Chapter 2

And now, O ye priests, this commandment [is] for you.

If ye will not hear,⁴ and if ye will not lay⁴ [it] to heart, to give² glory unto my name, saith¹ the LORD of hosts, I will even send¹⁴ a curse upon you, and I will curse¹ your blessings: yea, I have cursed¹ them already, because ye do not lay⁶ [it] to heart.

Behold, I will corrupt⁶ your seed, and spread¹⁴ dung upon your faces, [even] the dung of your solemn feasts; and [one] shall take¹ you away with it.

And ye shall know¹ that I have sent¹⁴ this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith¹ the LORD of hosts.

My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave⁴ them to him [for] the fear wherewith he feared⁴ me, and was afraid⁸ before my name.

The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found⁸ in his lips: he walked¹ with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away⁵² from iniquity.

For the priest's lips should keep⁴ knowledge, and they should seek¹⁷ the law at his mouth: for he [is] the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

But ye are departed¹ out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble⁵² at the law; ye have corrupted¹⁴ the covenant of Levi, saith¹ the LORD of hosts.

Therefore have I also made¹ you contemptible¹² and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept⁶ my ways, but have been⁶ partial in the law.

Have we not all one father? hath not one God created¹ us? why do we deal treacherously⁴ every man against his brother, by profaning¹⁵ the covenant of our fathers?

Judah hath dealt treacherously,¹ and an abomination is committed⁸ in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned¹⁴ the holiness of the LORD which he loved,¹ and hath married¹ the daughter of a strange god.

The LORD will cut off⁵⁵ the man that doeth⁴ this, the master⁶ and the scholar,⁶ out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth⁵⁶ an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

And this have ye done⁴ again, covering¹⁵ the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth² not the offering any more, or receiveth² [it] with good will at your hand.

Yet ye say,¹ Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness⁵² between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously:¹ yet [is] she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

And did not he make¹ one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek¹⁸ a godly seed. Therefore take heed⁸ to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously⁴ against the wife of his youth.

For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith¹ that he hateth¹ putting away:¹⁵ for [one] covereth¹⁴ violence with his garment, saith¹ the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed⁸ to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.⁴

Ye have wearied⁵² the LORD with your words. Yet ye say,¹ Wherein have we wearied⁵² [him]? When ye say,² Every one that doeth⁶ evil [is] good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth¹ in them; or, Where [is] the God of judgment?