Malachi 2

1And now, O priests, this commandment is to you. 2If you⌃ will not hearken, and if you⌃ will not layit to heart, to give glory to my name, says the Lord Almighty, then I will send forth the curseupon you, and I will bring a curse upon your blessing: yes, I will curse it, and I will scatter your blessing,and it shall not exist among you, because you⌃ lay not this to heart. 3Behold, I turn my back upon you, and I will scatter dung upon your faces, the dung ofyour feasts, and I will carry you away at the same time. 4And you⌃ shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might bewith the sons of Levi, says the Lord Almighty. 5My covenant of life and peace was with him, and I gaveit him that he might reverently fear me, and that he might be awe-struck at my name. 6The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked beforeme directinghis way in peace, and he turned many from unrighteousness. 7For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth:for he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. 8But you⌃ have turned aside from the way, and caused many to fail infollowing the law: you⌃ have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord Almighty. 9And I have made you despised and cast out among all the people, because you⌃ have notkept my ways, but have been partial in the law. 10Have you⌃ not all one father? Did not one God create you? why have you⌃ forsaken everyman his brother, to profane the covenant of your fathers? 11Juda has been forsaken, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem;for Juda has profaned the holy things of the Lord, which he delighted in, and has gone after other gods. 12The Lord will utterly destroy the man that does these things, until he be even cast downfrom out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and from among them that offer sacrifice to the Lord Almighty. 13And these things which I hated, you⌃ did: you⌃ covered with tears the altar of the Lord,and with weeping and groaning because of troubles:is it meetfor me to have respect to your sacrifice, or to receiveanything from your handsas welcome? 14Yet you⌃ said, Wherefore? Because the Lord has borne witness between you and the wifeof your youth, whom you has forsaken, andyet she was your partner, and the wife of your covenant. 15And did he not do well? andthere was the residue of his spirit. But you⌃ said, What does God seek but a seed? But takeyou⌃ heed to your spirit, and forsake not the wife of your youth. 16But if you should hateyour wife and put her away, says the Lord God of Israel, then ungodliness shall cover yourthoughts, says the Lord Almighty: therefore take you⌃ heed to your spirit, and forsakethem not, 17you⌃ that have provoked God with your words. But you⌃ said, Wherein have we provokedhim? In that you⌃ say, Every one that does evil is a pleasingobject in the sight of the Lord, and he takes pleasure in such; and where is the God of justice?

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