A Warning to the Priests

1  וְעַתָּ֗ה (And now), אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם (to you⁺ is) הַמִּצְוָ֥ה (the commandment) הַזֹּ֖את (this) הַכֹּהֲנִֽים׃ (O priests):

2  אִם־ (If) לֹ֣א (not) תִשְׁמְע֡וּ (you⁺ listen), וְאִם־ (and if) לֹא֩ (not) תָשִׂ֨ימוּ (you⁺ set it) עַל־ (upon) לֵ֜ב (the heart), לָתֵ֧ת (to give) כָּב֣וֹד (glory) לִשְׁמִ֗י (to My name), אָמַר֙ (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֔וֹת (Hosts), וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֤י (Then I will send) בָכֶם֙ (upon you⁺) אֶת־ (-) הַמְּאֵרָ֔ה (the curse) וְאָרוֹתִ֖י (and I will curse) אֶת־ (-) בִּרְכֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם (your⁺ blessings); וְגַם֙ (indeed already), אָרוֹתִ֔יהָ (I have cursed them) כִּ֥י (because) אֵינְכֶ֖ם (there is none of you⁺) שָׂמִ֥ים (setting it) עַל־ (upon) לֵֽב׃ (the heart).

3  הִנְנִ֨י (Behold, I) גֹעֵ֤ר (am giving a rebuke) לָכֶם֙ (to your⁺) אֶת־ (-) הַזֶּ֔רַע (seed), וְזֵרִ֤יתִי (and I will spread) פֶ֙רֶשׁ֙ (dung) עַל־ (on) פְּנֵיכֶ֔ם (your⁺ faces), פֶּ֖רֶשׁ (the dung) חַגֵּיכֶ֑ם (from your⁺ feasts); וְנָשָׂ֥א (and it will carry off) אֶתְכֶ֖ם (you⁺) אֵלָֽיו׃ (with it).

4  וִֽידַעְתֶּ֕ם (And you⁺ will know) כִּ֚י (that) שִׁלַּ֣חְתִּי (I have sent) אֲלֵיכֶ֔ם (to you⁺) אֵ֖ת (-) הַמִּצְוָ֣ה (the commandment) הַזֹּ֑את (this) לִֽהְי֤וֹת (in order to continue) בְּרִיתִי֙ (My covenant) אֶת־ (with) לֵוִ֔י (Levi), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts). 5  בְּרִיתִ֣י׀ (My covenant) הָיְתָ֣ה (was) אִתּ֗וֹ (with him) הַֽחַיִּים֙ (life) וְהַ֨שָּׁל֔וֹם (and peace); וָאֶתְּנֵֽם־ (and I gave them) ל֥וֹ (to him) מוֹרָ֖א (fear) וַיִּֽירָאֵ֑נִי (and he feared Me) וּמִפְּנֵ֥י (and before) שְׁמִ֖י (My name) נִחַ֥ת (was in awe) הֽוּא׃ (he).

6  תּוֹרַ֤ת (The law) אֱמֶת֙ (of truth) הָיְתָ֣ה (was) בְּפִ֔יהוּ (in his mouth), וְעַוְלָ֖ה (and injustice) לֹא־ (not) נִמְצָ֣א (was found) בִשְׂפָתָ֑יו (on his lips); בְּשָׁל֤וֹם (in peace) וּבְמִישׁוֹר֙ (and in uprightness), הָלַ֣ךְ (He walked) אִתִּ֔י (with Me) וְרַבִּ֖ים (and many) הֵשִׁ֥יב (did he turn away) מֵעָוֺֽן׃ (from iniquity). 7  כִּֽי־ (For) שִׂפְתֵ֤י (the lips) כֹהֵן֙ (of a priest) יִשְׁמְרוּ־ (should guard) דַ֔עַת (knowledge), וְתוֹרָ֖ה (and instruction) יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ (they should seek) מִפִּ֑יהוּ (from his mouth); כִּ֛י (for) מַלְאַ֥ךְ (the messenger) יְהוָֽה־ (of YHWH of) צְבָא֖וֹת (Hosts) הֽוּא׃ (he is).

8  וְאַתֶּם֙ (And you⁺) סַרְתֶּ֣ם (have turned aside) מִן־ (from) הַדֶּ֔רֶךְ (the way); הִכְשַׁלְתֶּ֥ם (you⁺ have caused to stumble) רַבִּ֖ים (many) בַּתּוֹרָ֑ה (by your instruction); שִֽׁחַתֶּם֙ (you⁺ have corrupted) בְּרִ֣ית (the covenant) הַלֵּוִ֔י (of Levi), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֥ה (YHWH of) צְבָאֽוֹת׃ (Hosts). 9  וְגַם־ (And also) אֲנִ֞י (I) נָתַ֧תִּי (have made) אֶתְכֶ֛ם (you⁺) נִבְזִ֥ים (despised) וּשְׁפָלִ֖ים (and low) לְכָל־ (before all) הָעָ֑ם (the people), כְּפִ֗י (according to the measure) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (by which) אֵֽינְכֶם֙ (you⁺ not) שֹׁמְרִ֣ים (were keeping guard) אֶת־ (of) דְּרָכַ֔י (My ways), וְנֹשְׂאִ֥ים (and were lifting) פָּנִ֖ים (faces) בַּתּוֹרָֽה׃פ (regarding the instruction).

Judah’s Unfaithfulness

10  הֲל֨וֹא (Is there not) אָ֤ב (Father)? אֶחָד֙ (One) לְכֻלָּ֔נוּ (for all of us) הֲל֛וֹא (has not) אֵ֥ל (God) אֶֽחָ֖ד (one) בְּרָאָ֑נוּ (created us) מַדּ֗וּעַ (Why) נִבְגַּד֙ (do we act treacherously) אִ֣ישׁ (a man) בְּאָחִ֔יו (against his brother), לְחַלֵּ֖ל (to profane) בְּרִ֥ית (the covenant) אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃ (of our fathers)?

11  בָּגְדָ֣ה (Has acted treacherously), יְהוּדָ֔ה (Judah) וְתוֹעֵבָ֛ה (and an abomination) נֶעֶשְׂתָ֥ה (has been done) בְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (in Israel) וּבִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם (and in Jerusalem); כִּ֣י׀ (for) חִלֵּ֣ל (has profaned) יְהוּדָ֗ה (Judah) קֹ֤דֶשׁ (sanctuary) יְהוָה֙ (of YHWH) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which) אָהֵ֔ב (He loves), וּבָעַ֖ל (and he has married) בַּת־ (the daughter) אֵ֥ל (of a god) נֵכָֽר׃ (foreign). 12  יַכְרֵ֨ת (May cut off) יְהוָ֜ה (YHWH) לָאִ֨ישׁ (the man) אֲשֶׁ֤ר (who) יַעֲשֶׂ֙נָּה֙ (does this) עֵ֣ר (the one being awake) וְעֹנֶ֔ה (and the one answering), מֵאָהֳלֵ֖י (from the tents) יַֽעֲקֹ֑ב (of Jacob), וּמַגִּ֣ישׁ (and the one drawing near) מִנְחָ֔ה (with an offering) לַֽיהוָ֖ה (to YHWH) צְבָאֽוֹת׃פ (of Hosts).

13  וְזֹאת֙ (And this is) שֵׁנִ֣ית (the second thing), תַּֽעֲשׂ֔וּ (you⁺ do) כַּסּ֤וֹת (You cover) דִּמְעָה֙ (with tears), אֶת־ (-) מִזְבַּ֣ח (the altar) יְהוָ֔ה (of YHWH) בְּכִ֖י (with weeping), וַֽאֲנָקָ֑ה (and groaning), מֵאֵ֣ין (because there is not) ע֗וֹד (anymore), פְּנוֹת֙ (turning) אֶל־ (to) הַמִּנְחָ֔ה (the offering) וְלָקַ֥חַת (or receiving it) רָצ֖וֹן (with acceptance) מִיֶּדְכֶֽם׃ (from your⁺ hand).

14  וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם (And you⁺ say), עַל־ (For) מָ֑ה (what reason)

עַ֡ל (because) כִּי־ (that) יְהוָה֩ (YHWH) הֵעִ֨יד (is a witness) בֵּינְךָ֜ (between you) וּבֵ֣ין׀ (and between) אֵ֣שֶׁת (the wife) נְעוּרֶ֗יךָ (of your youth), אֲשֶׁ֤ר (she whom) אַתָּה֙ (you) בָּגַ֣דְתָּה (have dealt treacherously); בָּ֔הּ (with her) וְהִ֥יא (and she is) חֲבֶרְתְּךָ֖ (your companion), וְאֵ֥שֶׁת (and the wife) בְּרִיתֶֽךָ׃ (of your covenant).

15  וְלֹא־ (And not) אֶחָ֣ד (one one)? עָשָׂ֗ה (Did He make them) וּשְׁאָ֥ר (and a remnant) ר֙וּחַ֙ (of the Spirit). ל֔וֹ (Unto him) וּמָה֙ (and what) הָֽאֶחָ֔ד (is the one)? מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ (He was seeking) זֶ֣רַע (seed). אֱלֹהִ֑ים (Of God) וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ (Therefore keep guard) בְּר֣וּחֲכֶ֔ם (over your⁺ spirit), וּבְאֵ֥שֶׁת (and with the wife) נְעוּרֶ֖יךָ (of your youth) אַל־ (and do not) יִבְגֹּֽד׃ (deal treacherously).

16  כִּֽי־ (For) שָׂנֵ֣א (He hates) שַׁלַּ֗ח (sending away), אָמַ֤ר (says) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH), אֱלֹהֵ֣י (the God) יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל (of Israel), וְכִסָּ֤ה (And he who has covered) חָמָס֙ (violence) עַל־ (with) לְבוּשׁ֔וֹ (his garment), אָמַ֖ר (says) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH of) צְבָא֑וֹת (Hosts). וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם (And you⁺ must keep guard) בְּרוּחֲכֶ֖ם (over your⁺ spirit), וְלֹ֥א (and not) תִבְגֹּֽדוּ׃ס (act treacherously).

17  הוֹגַעְתֶּ֤ם (You⁺ have wearied) יְהוָה֙ (YHWH) בְּדִבְרֵיכֶ֔ם (with your⁺ words). וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם (And you⁺ say), בַּמָּ֣ה (In what way) הוֹגָ֑עְנוּ (have we wearied Him)

בֶּאֱמָרְכֶ֗ם (By your⁺ saying), כָּל־ (Everyone) עֹ֨שֵׂה (doing) רָ֜ע (evil) ט֣וֹב׀ (is good) בְּעֵינֵ֣י (in the eyes) יְהוָ֗ה (of YHWH), וּבָהֶם֙ (and in them) ה֣וּא (He) חָפֵ֔ץ (delights) א֥וֹ (or), אַיֵּ֖ה (Where is) אֱלֹהֵ֥י (the God) הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃ (of justice)?