1 And now, O priests, this command is to you.2 If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says Jehovah of Hosts, then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. And indeed, I have cursed it, because you are not laying it to heart.3 Behold, I will rebuke your seed, and I will spread dung on your faces, the dung of your solemn feasts; and one will take you away with it.4 And you shall know that I have sent this command to you, to be My covenant with Levi, says Jehovah of Hosts.5 My covenant with him was life and peace, and I gave them to him for fear; and he feared Me, and he was in awe before My name.6 The Law of Truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found on his lips. In peace and in uprightness he walked with Me, and he turned many away from iniquity.7 For the lips of the priest should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of Hosts.8 But you have turned aside out of the way; you have caused many to stumble at the Law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says Jehovah of Hosts.9 So I have also made you despised and low before all the people, just as you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in the Law.10 Is there not one father to us all? Has not one Mighty God created us? Why do we act deceitfully each man with his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?11 Judah has dealt treacherously, and has done an abomination in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.12 Jehovah will cut off from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, waking and answering, or offering a grain offering to Jehovah of Hosts.13 And this is a second thing you do: covering the altar of Jehovah with tears, with weeping and crying out; so that He does not regard the grain offering, nor receive it with delight from your hand.14 Yet you say, For what reason? Because Jehovah has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously; and she is your companion and your wife by covenant.15 And has He not made them one? Yet the remnant of the Spirit is in him. And why one? He was seeking a seed of God. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and do not deal treacherously with the wife of your youth.16 For Jehovah the God of Israel, says that He hates divorce, and to cover violence with ones garment, says Jehovah of Hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit and do not deal treacherously.17 You have wearied Jehovah with your words. Yet you say, In what way have we wearied Him? When you say, Every evildoer is good in the eyes of Jehovah, and He delights in them; or, Where is the God of justice?
1 And now, A! ye preestis, this maundement is to you.2 If ye wolen here, and if ye `wolen not putte on the herte, that ye yyue glorie to my name, seith the Lord of oostis, Y schal sende nedynesse in to you, and Y schal curse to youre blessyngis; and Y schal curse hem, for ye han not putte on the herte.3 Lo! Y schal caste to you the arm, and Y schal scatere on youre cheere the drit of youre solempnytees, and it schal take you with it.4 And ye schulen wite, that Y sente to you this maundement, that my couenaunt were with Leuy, seith the Lord of oostis.5 My couenaunt was with hym of lijf and pees; and Y yaf to hym a drede, and he dredde me, and he dredde of face of my name.6 The lawe of trewthe was in his mouth, and wickidnesse was not foundun in hise lippis; in pees and in equite he walkide with me, and he turnede awei many men fro wickidnesse.7 For the lippis of a prest kepen science, and thei schulen ayen seke the lawe of `the mouth of hym, for he is an aungel of the Lord of oostes.8 But ye wenten awei fro the weie, and sclaundren ful many men in the lawe; ye maden voide the couenaunt of Leuy, seith the Lord of oostis.9 For which thing and Y yaf you worthi to be dispisid, and bowen to alle puplis, as ye kepten not my weies, and token a face in the lawe.10 Whether not o fadir is of alle you? whether o God made not of nouyt you? Whi therfor ech of you dispisith his brother, and defoulith the couenaunt of youre fadris?11 Judas trespasside, and abhomynacioun is maad in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for Judas defoulide the halewyng of the Lord, which he louyde, and he hadde the douyter of an alien god.12 The Lord schal distrie the man that dide this thing, the maister and disciple, fro the tabernacle of Jacob, and him that offrith a yifte to the Lord of oostis.13 And eftsoone ye diden this thing; ye hiliden with teeris the auter of the Lord, with wepyng and mourenyng; so that Y biholde no more to sacrifice, nether resseyue ony thing plesaunt of youre hond.14 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.15 Whether oon made not, and residue of spirit is his? and what sekith oon, no but the seed of God? Therfore kepe ye youre spirit, and nyle thou dispise the wijf of thi yongthe;16 whanne thou hatist hir, leue thou hir, seith the Lord God of Israel. Forsothe wickidnesse schal kyuere the closyng of hym, seith the Lord of oostis; kepe ye youre spirit, and nyle ye dispise.17 Ye maden the Lord for to trauele in youre wordis, and ye seiden, Wherynne maden we hym for to trauele? In that that ye seien, Ech man that doith yuel, is good in the siyt of the Lord, and siche plesen to hym; ether certis where is the God of doom?