1And now, A! ye priests, this commandment is to you.

2If ye will 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.

3Lo! 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.

4And ye shall know, that I sent to you this commandment, that my covenant were with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

5My 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.

6The 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.

7For 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.

8But 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.

9For 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.

10Whether 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?

11Judah 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.

12The 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.

13And 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 sacrifice, neither receive anything pleasant of your hand.

14And ye said, For what cause? For the Lord witnessed betwixt thee and the wife of thy puberty, that is, time of marriage, whom thou despisedest, and this is thy fellow, and the wife of thy covenant of peace.

15Whether one made not, and the residue of spirit is his? and what seeketh one, no but the seed of God? Therefore keep ye your spirit, and do not thou despise the wife of thy youth;

16when thou hatest her, leave thou her, 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.

17Ye 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 the God of doom?