21 "And now this commandment is for you, O priests . 2 "If you do not listen , and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name ," says the Lord of hosts , "then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings ; and indeed , I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart . 3 "Behold , I am going to rebuke your offspring , and I will spread refuse on your faces , the refuse of your feasts ; and you will be taken away with it. 4 "Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi ," says the Lord of hosts . 5 "My covenant with him was one of life and peace , and I gave them to him as an object of reverence ; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name . 6 " True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips ; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness , and he turned many back from iniquity . 7 "For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge , and men should seek instruction from his mouth ; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts . 8 "But as for you, you have turned aside from the way ; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction ; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi ," says the Lord of hosts . 9 "So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people , just e as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality e in the instruction .
10 "Do we not all have one father ? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers ? 11 "Judah has dealt treacherously , and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem ; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves and has married the daughter of a foreign god . 12 "As for the man who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers , or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts . 13 "This is another thing you do : you cover the altar of the Lord with tears , with weeping and with groaning , because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand . 14 "Yet you say , 'For what reason e ?' Because e the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth , against whom you have dealt treacherously , though she is your companion and your wife by covenant . 15 "But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit . And what did that one do while he was seeking a godly offspring ? Take heed then to your spirit , and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth . 16 "For I hate divorce ," says the Lord , the God of Israel , "and him who covers his garment with wrong ," says the Lord of hosts . "So take heed to your spirit , that you do not deal treacherously ."
17 You have wearied the Lord with your words . Yet you say , "How have we wearied Him?" In that you say , " Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord , and He delights in them," or , " Where is the God of justice ?"
