MAL 2:14 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) 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.

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Καὶ εἴπατε, ἕνεκεν τίνος; ὅτι Κύριος διεμαρτύρατο ἀναμέσον σου, καὶ ἀναμέσον γυναικὸς νεότητός σου, ἣν ἐγκατέλιπες, καὶ αὕτη κοινωνός σου, καὶ γυνὴ διαθήκης σου.
(Kai eipate, heneken tinos; hoti Kurios diemarturato anameson sou, kai anameson gunaikos neotaʸtos sou, haʸn egkatelipes, kai hautaʸ koinōnos sou, kai gunaʸ diathaʸkaʸs sou. )

BrTr Yet ye said, Wherefore? Because the Lord has borne witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast forsaken, and yet she was thy partner, and the wife of thy covenant.

ULT But you say, “Why does he not?” Because Yahweh was a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have been faithless, even though she was your companion and your wife by covenant.

UST You cry out, saying “Why does Yahweh not like our offerings?” The answer is that Yahweh heard that each of you men solemnly promised to be faithful to your wives when you were young. But you men have not done what you promised; you have sent them away, the ones with whom you made that covenant, so you could marry foreign women.

BSB § Yet you ask, “Why?”
§ It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.

OEB Yet you ask, ‘Why?’ Because the Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young. You have been unfaithful to her, even though she is your companion, and your legal wife.

WEBBE Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because the LORD has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Yet you ask, “Why?” The Lord is testifying against you on behalf of the wife you married when you were young, to whom you have become unfaithful even though she is your companion and wife by law.

LSV 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.

FBV “Why not?” you ask. Because the Lord witnessed the vows you and your wife exchanged when you were young.[fn] You were unfaithful to her, your wife and partner joined to you by marriage contract.

2:14 Some believe that these priests not only divorced their wives but then married foreign women.

T4T You cry out, saying, “Why does Yahweh not like our offerings?” The answer is that Yahweh heard what each of you men solemnly promised to your wives when you were young. But you men have not done what you promised your wives; you sent them away, the ones to whom you made that agreement.

LEB But you ask, “For what reason?”[fn] Because Yahweh stands as a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have been unfaithful, even though she is your marriage partner and your wife by covenant.[fn]

2:14 Literally “Because of what?”

2:14 Literally “the wife of your covenant”

BBE But you say, For what reason? Because the Lord has been a witness between you and the wife of your early years, to whom you have been untrue, though she is your friend and the wife to whom you have given your word.

Moff No Moff MAL book available

JPS Yet ye say: 'Wherefore?' Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

ASV Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

DRA And you have said: For what cause? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee, and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast despised: yet she was thy partner, and the wife of thy covenant.

YLT And ye have said, 'Wherefore?' Because Jehovah hath testified between thee And the wife of thy youth, That thou hast dealt treacherously against her, And she thy companion, and thy covenant-wife.

Drby Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt unfaithfully: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

RV Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

Wbstr Yet ye say, Why? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

KJB-1769 ¶ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.
(¶ Yet ye/you_all say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath/has been witness between thee/you and the wife of thy/your youth, against whom thou/you hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy/your companion, and the wife of thy/your covenant. )

KJB-1611 ¶ Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath bene witnes betweene thee and the wife of thy youth, against whome thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy couenant.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps Yet ye say, wherin? Because the Lord hath ben witnesse betweene thee and thy wyfe of thy youth, against whom thou hast transgressed, yet is she thyne owne companion, and the wyfe of thy couenaunt.
(Yet ye/you_all say, wherin? Because the Lord hath/has been witness between thee/you and thy/your wife of thy/your youth, against whom thou/you hast transgressed, yet is she thine/your own companion, and the wife of thy/your covenant.)

Gnva Yet yee say, Wherein? Because the Lord hath beene witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth, against whome thou hast transgressed: yet is shee thy companion, and the wife of thy couenant.
(Yet ye/you_all say, Wherein? Because the Lord hath/has been witness between thee/you and the wife of thy/your youth, against whom thou/you hast transgressed: yet is she thy/your companion, and the wife of thy/your covenant. )

Cvdl And yet ye saye: wherfore? Euen because that where as the LORDE made a couenaut betwixte ye and the wife off thy youth, thou hast despysed her: Yet is she thyne owne copanyon and maried wife.
(And yet ye/you_all say: wherfore? Even because that where as the LORD made a covenant betwixte ye/you_all and the wife off thy/your youth, thou/you hast despised her: Yet is she thine/your own copanyon and married wife.)

Wycl And ye seiden, For what cause? For the Lord witnesside bitwixe thee and the wijf of thi `puberte, that is, tyme of mariage, which thou dispisidist, and this is thi felowe, and wijf of thi couenaunt.
(And ye/you_all said, For what cause? For the Lord witnesside between thee/you and the wife of thy/your `puberte, that is, time of marriage, which thou/you dispisidist, and this is thy/your fellow, and wife of thy/your covenant.)

Luth Und so sprechet ihr: Warum das? Darum, daß der HErr zwischen dir und dem Weibe deiner Jugend gezeuget hat, die du verachtest, so sie doch deine Gesellin und ein Weib deines Bundes ist.
(And so sprechet ihr: Warum das? Therefore, that the/of_the LORD between you/to_you and to_him Weibe deiner Yugend gezeuget has, the you verachtest, so they/she/them though/but your Gesellin and a woman yours Bundes is.)

ClVg Et dixistis: Quam ob causam? Quia Dominus testificatus est inter te et uxorem pubertatis tuæ, quam tu despexisti: et hæc particeps tua, et uxor fœderis tui.
(And dixistis: Quam ob causam? Because Master testificatus it_is between you(sg) and wife pubertatis tuæ, how you despexisti: and these_things particeps tua, and wife fœderis tui. )

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

יְהוָה֩ הֵעִ֨יד בֵּינְ⁠ךָ֜ וּ⁠בֵ֣ין אֵ֣שֶׁת נְעוּרֶ֗י⁠ךָ

YHWH witness between=you(ms) and=between wife_of youth,your

In this culture, when people made promises to one another, they often did this with witnesses watching. The role of those witnesses included holding the people to their promises. The Judean men had made covenant promises to their wives when they married them. Malachi assumes that those men will know that when he refers to Yahweh as a witness, he means that Yahweh is holding them to those promises. Yahweh is doing that by showing his disfavor through not accepting their offerings. You could indicate this explicitly in your translation if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: “Because Yahweh is enforcing the covenant promises you made to the wife of your youth”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular

בֵּינְ⁠ךָ֜ & נְעוּרֶ֗י⁠ךָ & אַתָּה֙ בָּגַ֣דְתָּה & חֲבֶרְתְּ⁠ךָ֖ & בְּרִיתֶֽ⁠ךָ

between=you(ms) & youth,your & you(ms) faithless & companion,your & covenant,your

Except for the first occurrence of the the word you, the words you, your, and yourself are singular in this verse because, even though Malachi is speaking to the Judeans as a group, he is addressing an individual situation. So use singular forms in your translation if your language marks that distinction.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

אֵ֣שֶׁת נְעוּרֶ֗י⁠ךָ

wife_of youth,your

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of youth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: “the wife you married when you were young”

Parallel MAL 2:14