CHAPTER 2
1 And now, A! ye priests, this commandment is to you. (And now, O ye priests! this command, (or this decree), is for you.)
2 If ye will (not) hear, and if ye will not put on the heart, that ye give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send neediness into you, and I shall curse your blessings; and I shall curse them, for ye have not put on the heart. (If ye will not listen to me, and if ye will not put it in your hearts, that ye should give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts, I shall send need, or want, into you, and I shall curse your blessings; yea, I shall curse them, for ye have not put it in your hearts.)
3 Lo! I shall cast forth to you the arm, and I shall scatter on your face the drit of your solemnities, and it shall take you with it. (Behold! I shall cut off your arms, (that is, I shall punish your children), and I shall rub the dirt, (or the dung), from (the animals that you offer at) your solemn feasts, all over your faces, and then you shall be taken away with it.)
4 And ye shall know, that I sent to you this commandment, that my covenant were with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, (or that I have issued this decree), so that my covenant with the Levites shall not be broken, saith the Lord of hosts./And ye shall know, that I have given you this command, (or that I have issued this decree), that my covenant with the Levites is not finished, (or it is not over), saith the Lord of hosts.)
5 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave to him a dread, and he dreaded me, and he dreaded of the face of my name. (My covenant for life and peace was with them; and I gave them the fear of me, and they did fear me, and they were afraid before my name, or and I gave them reverence, or respect, for me, and they did revere, or respect, me, and they did have reverence, or awe, before my name.)
6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and wickedness was not found in his lips; in peace and in equity he walked with me, and he turned away many men from wickedness. (The Law of Truth was in their mouths, and wickedness was not found on their lips; they walked with me in peace and in uprightness, and they turned many people away from wickedness.)
7 For the lips of a priest keep knowing, and they shall again-seek the law of his mouth, for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts. (For a priest’s lips (should) guard (my gift of) knowledge, and (my) people should seek the Law from his mouth, because he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.)
8 But ye went away from the way, and caused to stumble full many in the law; ye made void the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts. (But then ye went away from the way, and have caused a great many people to stumble in the Law; ye priests have made void my covenant with the Levites, saith the Lord of hosts.)
9 For the which thing and I gave you worthy to be contemptible, either worthy to be despised, and bowed to all peoples, as ye kept not my ways, and took a face [of a person] in the law. (For which thing I made you worthy to be held contemptible, or worthy to be despised, and bowed low before all the people of Israel, for ye have not kept my ways, and took a face of a person in the law, that is, ye have shown partiality.)
10 Whether not one father is of all you? whether not one God made of nought you? Why therefore each of you despiseth his brother, and defouleth the covenant of your fathers? (Is there not one Father of us all? did not the one God make all of us out of nothing? And so why do each of you despise his brother,or his kinsman, and defile your forefathers’ covenant?)
11 Judah trespassed, and abomination is done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for Judah defouled the hallowing of the Lord, which he loved, and he had the daughter of an alien god. (The people of Judah trespassed, and abomination was done in Israel, and in Jerusalem; for the people of Judah defiled the holiness of the Lord or for the people of Judah defiled the Temple of the Lord, and they married the daughters of a foreign, or of a strange, god.)
12 The Lord destroy the man that shall do this thing, the master and disciple, from the tabernacle[s] of Jacob, and him that offereth a gift to the Lord of hosts. (May the Lord destroy any man who shall do this thing, a master or a disciple, yea, let him be thrown out of, or banished from, the tents of Jacob, even though he may offer a gift to the Lord of hosts.)
13 And again ye did this thing; ye covered with tears the altar of the Lord, with weeping, and wailing; so that I behold no more to (the) sacrifice, neither receive anything (as) pleasant of your hand. (And ye also did this thing; ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and wailing; and so I shall no more look upon your sacrifice, nor receive anything as pleasing, or acceptable, from your hands.)
14 And ye said, For what cause? For the Lord witnessed betwixt thee and the wife of thy puberty, that is, (of the) time of (thy) marriage, whom thou despisedest, and this is thy fellow, and the wife of thy covenant of peace. (And ye said, For what reason? Because the Lord hath witnessed what is between thee and the wife of thy youth, she whom thou hast despised, even though she is thy partner, or thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant of peace, or to whom thou hast pledged thy troth, or hast promised to be faithful.)
15 Whether one (he) made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh (the) one (God), no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth; (Did not God make two one, both flesh and spirit? and what seeketh he, but a godly seed? And so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;)
16 when thou hatest her, leave thou her(not), saith the Lord God of Israel. Forsooth wickedness shall cover the cloth of him, saith the Lord of hosts; keep ye your spirit, and do not ye despise. (even if thou hatest her, leave thou her not, saith the Lord God of Israel. Yea, let his cloak cover his wickedness, saith the Lord of hosts; so keep ye watch over your spirit, and do not ye despise her.)
17 Ye made the Lord for to travail in your words, and ye said, Wherein made we him for to travail? In that that ye say, Each that doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such men please him; either certainly, Where is God of doom? (Ye have travailed, or tired, the Lord with your words, and ye have said, How have we travailed, or tired, him? Because ye say, Everyone who doeth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such people please him; and certainly when ye say, Where is the God of judgement?)