Open English Translation MAL Chapter 2

2 Now you priests, this command is for all of you: 2 Army-commander Yahweh says, “If you all won’t listen and won’t decide in your minds to honour to my reputation, then I’ll send a curse on you all—in fact I’ll curse your blessings. Indeed, I’ve already cursed them, because you all are not internalising my instructions. 3 Listen, I’m about to rebuke your descendants, and I’ll spread the offal from your festivals on your faces, and you all will be taken away with it. 4 That’s so you’ll all know that it’s me who sent this command to you: so that my agreement with the Levites can continue,” says army-commander Yahweh.[ref]

5 “My agreement with your ancestor Levi was to give life and peace, and I gave them to them. It was an agreement based on respect, and they respected me and honoured my name.[ref] 6 They taught the people what was right and true—they didn’t tell lies. They worked for me peacefully and loyally, and they encouraged many people to stop disobeying. 7 Yes, priests should pass on knowledge and people should look to them for good teaching, because they are army-commander Yahweh’s messengers.

8 But you all have turned away from that path and have caused many people to stumble because of what you’ve taught—you all have corrupted the agreement with Levi,” says army-commander Yahweh. 9 “So that’s why I’ve caused you all to be despised by all the people and humiliated—because you all haven’t followed me, but rather you’ve been biased in matters of the law.”

10 Don’t we all have one father? Didn’t the one God create us all? So why do we cheat each other, thus disrespecting the agreement with our ancestors? 11 Our nation of Yehudah (Judah) has been unfaithful to Yahweh and done detestable things in Israel and in Yerushalem. Our men have defiled the temple that Yahweh loves by marrying foreign women who worship pagan gods. 12 May Yahweh, the one who is awake and the one who answers, banish the men who do this from Israel, even if they are bringing an offering to army-commander Yahweh.

13 Secondly, you cover Yahweh’s altar with tears from all your weeping and groaning because he still ignores your offerings and won’t accept what you all bring to him. 14 So you ask, “Why not?” Well, it’s because Yahweh can testify that you’ve been unfaithful to the wife that you married when you were young, even though she was your companion, and despite your vows. 15 Didn’t Yahweh make you and your wife one and give you some of his spirit because he wanted godly children to come from your marriage? So guard yourselves in your spirit, and don’t be unfaithful to the woman you married when you were young.

16 “Indeed, I hate divorce,” says Yahweh, the God of Israel, “and so-called ‘good people’ who’re actually cruel,” says army-commander Yahweh. “So listen to your consciences and don’t be unfaithful.”

17 You’ve all wearied Yahweh with your words, and yet you ask, “How have we wearied him?” By saying, “Yahweh is pleased even with those who do evil, and he’s happy with all of them,” or “Where is the God of justice?”