Warnings for the priests
1 This warning is also for you, priests. If you do not listen to it
2 or concern yourself to glorify my Name, says Yahweh of hosts, I will send the curse on you and curse even your blessings.
3 I will curse you for none of you takes his ministry seriously. Right now, I am going to break your arm, throw dung in your face, the very dung of your animals, and sweep you away with them.
4 And you will realize that it was I who threatened to put an end to my covenant with Levi, your ancestor, says Yahweh.
5 My covenant with him spoke of life and peace, and I gave him these; it also spoke of re spect and he respected me and reverenced my Name.
6 His mouth taught the true doctrine and nothing evil came from his lips; he walked in ac cord with me, being peaceful and upright, and brought back many people from their wicked ness.
7 The lips of the priest speak of knowl edge, and the Law must be found in his mouth, since he is the messenger of Yahweh of hosts.
8 But you, says Yahweh of hosts, have strayed from my way, and moreover caused many to stumble because of your teaching. You have broken my covenant with Levi.
9 Therefore I let all the people despise you and consider you unworthy, because you do not follow my ways and you show partiality in your judgments.
10 Do we not all have the same father? Has the same God not created all of us? Why, then, does each of us betray his brother, defiling the Covenant of our an cestors?
11 Judah has been unfaithful, a grave sin has been committed in Is rael and Jerusalem: the people of Judah have de filed the sacred inheritance of Yahweh by loving and marry ing the daughters of a foreign god.
12 Let whoever does this be cut off from the homeland of Jacob and let there be no one to defend him in the tribunal or present an offering for him to Yahweh.
Respect for marriage
13 You also commit another of fense. As Yahweh refuses to look at your offerings and does not take them into account, you come weeping and wailing and cover the altar with tears.
14 And then you ask: “Why?” It is because Yahweh has seen how you dealt with your first wife, the wife of your youth. You betrayed her al though she was your companion with whom you made a covenant.
15 Has God not made a single being and given him breath? And what does he seek but a family given by God? Do not betray, then, the wife of your youth.
16 I hate divorce, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, and those who are actually covering their violence. Be very careful, and do not betray.
17 You annoy Yahweh with your discourses and you dare say: “How did we annoy him?” You annoy him whenever you say that Yahweh looks favorably on those who do evil, and lets everything go well with them, or when you ask: “Where is the God who does justice?”