“Now, O priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If you do ^anot listen, and if you do not take it to heart to honor My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the ^bcurse upon you and I will curse your blessings on the people. Indeed, I have ^ccursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. 3 Behold, I am going to ^arebuke your seed, and I will ^bspread the refuse on your faces, the refuse from the ^cfestival offerings; and you will be taken away with it in disgrace. 4 Then you will know without any doubt that I have sent this new commandment to you (priests) , that My ^acovenant may continue with Levi the priestly tribe,” says the LORD of hosts. 5 “My covenant with Levi was one of life and ^apeace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he and the priests ^bfeared Me and stood in reverent awe of My name. 6 ^aTrue instruction was in Levi’s mouth and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked ^bwith Me in peace and uprightness, and he ^cturned many from wickedness. 7 For the lips of the priest should guard and preserve ^aknowledge of My law, and the people should ^bseek instruction from his mouth; for he is the ^cmessenger of the LORD of hosts. 8 But as for you priests, you have turned from the way and you have caused many to ^astumble by your instruction in the law. You have ^bviolated the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of hosts. 9 “So ^aI have ^balso made you despised and ^cabased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing ^dpartiality to people in your administration of the law.”

10 Do we not all have ^aone Father? ^bHas not one God created us? Why do we deal ^ctreacherously with one another, profaning the ^dcovenant of our fathers with God? 11 Judah has been ^atreacherous (disloyal) , and a repulsive act has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has ^bprofaned the sanctuary of the LORD which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god. Ezra 9:2; Jer 2:3 12 As for the man who does this, may the ^aLORD cut off from the tents of Jacob to the last man those who do this evil thing, awake and aware, even the one who ^bbrings an offering to the LORD of hosts.

13 This is another thing you do: you cover the altar of the LORD with tears, with your own weeping and sighing, because the LORD ^ano longer regards your offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14 But you say, “Why does He reject it?” Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the ^awife of your youth, against whom you have dealt ^btreacherously. Yet she is your marriage companion and the wife of your covenant made by your vows. 15 But not one has ^adone so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And what did that one do while seeking a ^bgodly offspring? Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal ^ctreacherously against the wife of your youth. 16 “For I hate ^1adivorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “and him who covers his garment with ^bwrong and violence,” says the LORD of hosts. “Therefore keep watch on your spirit, so that you do not deal treacherously with your wife.”

17 You have ^awearied the LORD with your words. But you say, “In what way have we wearied Him?” In that you say, “^bEveryone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He ^cdelights in them,” or by asking, “^dWhere is the God of ^ejustice?”