1 “And now, to you is this charge, O priests, 2 If you do not listen, and if you do not lay it to heart, || To give glory to My Name,” said YHWH of Hosts, || “I have sent the curse against you, || And I have cursed your blessings, || Indeed, I have also cursed it, || Because you are not laying it to heart. 3 Behold, I am pushing away the seed before you, || And have scattered dung before your faces, || Dung of your festivals, || And it has taken you away with it. 4 And you have known that I have sent this charge to you, || For My covenant being with Levi,” said YHWH of Hosts. 5 “My covenant has been of life and of peace with him, || And I make them a fear to him, and he fears Me, || And because of My Name he has been frightened. 6 The law of truth has been in his mouth, || And perverseness has not been found in his lips, || In peace and in uprightness he walked with Me, || And he brought back many from iniquity. 7 For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, || And they seek law from his mouth, || For he is a messenger of YHWH of Hosts. 8 And you, you have turned from the way, || You have caused many to stumble in the Law, || You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” said YHWH of Hosts. 9 “And I also, I have made you despised and low before all the people, || Because you are not keeping My ways, || And are accepting by superficial things in the Law.” 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not our God created us? Why do we deal treacherously, || Each against his brother, || To defile the covenant of our fathers? 11 Judah has dealt treacherously, || And abomination has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem, || For Judah has defiled the holy thing of YHWH that He has loved, || And has married the daughter of a strange god. 12 YHWH cuts off the man who does it, || Tempter and tempted—from the tents of Jacob, || Even he who is bringing a present near to YHWH of Hosts. 13 And you do this a second time, || Covering the altar of YHWH with tears, || With weeping and groaning, || Because there is no more turning to the present, || Or receiving of a pleasing thing from your hand. 14 And you have said, “Why?” Because YHWH has testified between you || And the wife of your youth, || That you have dealt treacherously against her, || And she is your companion, and your covenant-wife. 15 And He did not make one only, || And a remnant of the spirit is for him. And what is the one alone! He is seeking a godly seed. And you have been watchful over your spirit, || And with the wife of your youth, || None deal treacherously. 16 “For He hates sending away,” said YHWH, God of Israel, || “And he who has covered violence with his clothing,” said YHWH of Hosts, || “And you have been watchful over your spirit, || And you do not deal treacherously.” 17 You have wearied YHWH with your words, || And you have said, “In what have we wearied Him?” In your saying, “Every evildoer is good in the eyes of YHWH, || And He is delighting in them,” || Or, “Where is the God of judgment?”