1 And now, ye priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If ye do not hear, and if ye do not lay [it] to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith Jehovah of hosts, I will even send the curse among you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have already cursed them, because ye do not lay [it] to heart. 3 Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your feasts; and they shall take you away with it. 4 And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear; and he feared me, and trembled before my name. 6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and at his mouth they seek the law; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts. 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 Jehovah of hosts. 9 And I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because ye have not kept my ways, but have respect of persons in [administering] the law. 10 Have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal unfaithfully every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah hath dealt unfaithfully, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the sanctuary of Jehovah which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god. 12 Jehovah will cut off from the tents of Jacob the man that doeth this, him that calleth and him that answereth; and him that offereth an oblation unto Jehovah of hosts. 13 And further ye do this: ye cover the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that he regardeth not the oblation any more, nor receiveth [it] with satisfaction at your hand. 14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not one make [them]? and the remnant of the Spirit was his. And wherefore the one? He sought a seed of God. Take heed then to your spirit, and let none deal unfaithfully against the wife of his youth, 16 (for I hate putting away, saith Jehovah the God of Israel;) and he covereth with violence his garment, saith Jehovah of hosts: take heed then to your spirit, that ye deal not unfaithfully. 17 Ye have wearied Jehovah with your words, and ye say, Wherein have we wearied [him]? In that ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of Jehovah, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
Malachi 2 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (17)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hosea 5:1; Jeremiah 13:13; Malachi 1:6; Lamentations 4:13
- 2 Luke 17:18; Revelation 14:7; Psalm 81:11–12; Psalm 69:22; 1 Peter 4:11
- 3 Nahum 3:6; Malachi 2:9; Joel 1:17; 1 Kings 14:10; Exodus 29:14
- 4 Numbers 3:12; Ezekiel 38:23; Ezekiel 44:9–16; Luke 10:11; Matthew 3:12
- 5 Numbers 25:12–13; Ezekiel 37:26; Ezekiel 34:25; Numbers 16:9–10; Exodus 32:26–29
- 6 Daniel 12:3; 2 Timothy 2:15–16; Revelation 14:5; Jeremiah 23:22; James 5:19–20
- 7 2 Timothy 2:24–25; Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 21:5; 2 Corinthians 5:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:8
- 8 Nehemiah 13:29; Jeremiah 18:15; Jeremiah 17:5; Ezekiel 44:10; Isaiah 30:11
- 9 Deuteronomy 1:17; 1 Samuel 2:30; Luke 11:42; Galatians 2:6; Matthew 19:17–18
- 10 Psalm 100:3; Malachi 2:11; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; Isaiah 63:16
- 11 2 Corinthians 6:14–18; Ezra 9:1–2; 1 Kings 11:1–8; Deuteronomy 7:3–6; Nehemiah 13:23–29
- 12 Malachi 2:10; Ezra 10:18–19; 1 Samuel 15:22–23; Leviticus 20:3; Numbers 15:30–31
- 13 Isaiah 1:11–15; Jeremiah 14:12; Psalm 78:34–37; 2 Samuel 13:19–20; Deuteronomy 15:9
- 14 Malachi 2:15; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Isaiah 54:6; Genesis 31:50; Malachi 3:5
- 15 Matthew 19:4–6; Mark 10:6–8; Malachi 2:14; Genesis 2:20–24; Genesis 1:27
- 16 Matthew 19:3–9; Matthew 5:31–32; Mark 10:2–12; Luke 16:18; Proverbs 28:13
- 17 Isaiah 43:24; 2 Peter 3:3–4; Zephaniah 1:12; Isaiah 30:18; Ecclesiastes 8:11
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
For the Priest's lips shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at His mouth: for He is the Angel of the Lord Almighty." Nor is it to be wondered at that Christ Jesus is called the Angel of the Almighty God.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Touching whom also the prophet saith, "Ye covered my altar with tears." Christ is not willing to be fed by covetousness, He accepts not this food.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
For he had previously cited some similar expressions of those who said, "Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and such are pleasing to Him." It was, I say, by understanding the law of Moses carnally that they had come to murmur thus against God.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)