And now, this command is to you, O priests.

If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says יהוה Tzevaot, then I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I will curse them, because you are not taking it to heart.

Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and I will spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your festivals, and one will carry you away with it.

And you will know that I have sent this command to you, so that my covenant may be with Levi, says יהוה Tzevaot.

My covenant was with him, life and peace, and I gave them to him, reverence, and he feared me, and he was in awe of my name.

The teaching of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and they should seek teaching from his mouth, for he is a messenger of יהוה Tzevaot.

But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble in the teaching; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says יהוה Tzevaot.

So I have also made you despised and lowly before all the people, because you do not guard my ways and you show favoritism in the teaching.

Do we not all have one father? Has not one Elohim created us? Why then do we act treacherously, each against his brother, to profane the covenant of our fathers?

Yehudah has acted treacherously, and an abomination has been done in Yisra'el and in Yerushalayim, for Yehudah has profaned the holy place of יהוה, which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign elohim.

May יהוה cut off from the tents of Ya'aqov the one who does this, the one who is awake and the one who answers, and the one who brings an offering to יהוה Tzevaot.

And this you do a second time: you cover the altar of יהוה with tears, with weeping and groaning, so that he no longer looks upon the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand.

And you say, 'For what reason?' Because יהוה has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have acted treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant.

Did he not make them one, with the remainder of his spirit? And why one? He seeks offspring from Elohim. Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not act treacherously against the wife of your youth.

For I hate divorce, says יהוה Elohei Yisra'el, and he who covers his garment with violence, says יהוה Tzevaot. Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not act treacherously.

You have wearied יהוה with your words, and you say, 'In what way have we wearied him?' By saying, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the eyes of יהוה, and he delights in them,' or 'Where is the Elohim of justice?'