Hos 4:6-9, Mal 2:1-9 | ESV | STEP | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ; because you have rejected knowledge , I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God , I also will forget your children .

Hosea 4:6-9

6 My people are destroyed ^afor lack of knowledge;
^bbecause you have rejected knowledge,
I reject you ^cfrom being a priest to me.
And since you have forgotten the law of your God,
^dI also will forget your children.
7 ^eThe more they increased,
the more they sinned against me;
^fI will change their glory into shame.
8 ^gThey feed on the sin ^{▼▼Or sin offering} of my people;
they are greedy for their iniquity.
9 ⁱAnd it shall be like people, like priest;
I will punish them for their ways
and repay them for their deeds.

Malachi 2:1-9

The Lord Rebukes the Priests

1 “And now, ^jO priests, ^kthis command is for you. 2 ^lIf you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send ^mthe curse upon you and I will curse ⁿyour blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3 Behold, ^oI will rebuke your offspring, ^{▼▼Hebrew seed} and ^qspread dung on your faces, the ^rdung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. ^{▼▼Or to it} 4 So shall you know that I have sent ^tthis command to you, that ^umy covenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and ^vpeace, and I gave them to him. ^wIt was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 ^xTrue instruction ^{▼▼Or law; also verses 7, 8, 9} was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he ^zturned many from iniquity. 7 For ^aathe lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people ^{▼▼Hebrew they} should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have turned aside from the way. ^acYou have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted ^adthe covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts, 9 and so ^aeI make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but ^afshow partiality in your instruction.”