1“And now, this Mitzvah is for you, O you priests. 2If you will not hearken, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto My Name, says יהוה Tzeva’ot, then will I send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yes, I curse them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your hurt, and will spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your sacrifices; and you shall be taken away unto it. 4Know then that I have sent this Mitzvah unto you, that My Brit might be with Levi, says יהוה Tzeva’ot. 5My Brit was with him of life and shalom, and I gave them to him, and of fear, and he feared Me, and was afraid of My Name. 6The Torah of truth was in his mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in shalom and uprightness, and did turn many away from iniquity. 7For the Kohen’s lips should guard knowledge, and they should seek the Torah at his mouth; for he is the Malakh יהוה Tzeva’ot. end Toldot 8But you are turned aside out of the way; you have caused many to stumble in the Torah; you have corrupted the Brit of Levi, says יהוה Tzeva’ot. 9Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as you have not kept My ways, but have had respect of persons in the Torah.”
10“Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, profaning the Brit of our fathers? 11Yehudah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Yisra’el and in Yerushalayim; for Yehudah has profaned Kodesh יהוה which He loves, and has married the daughter of a strange god. 12May יהוה cut off, to the man, that does this, him that calls and him that answers out of the tents of Ya’akov, and him that offers an offering unto יהוה Tzeva’ot.”
13“And this further you do, you cover the Mizbe’akh יהוה with tears, with weeping, and with sighing, insomuch that He regards not the offering any more, neither receives it with good will at your hand. 14Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because יהוה has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion, and the wife of your covenant. 15And not one has done so who had exuberance of spirit! For what seeks the one? A seed given of Elohim. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. 16For I hate sending away, says יהוה Elohei Yisra’el, and him that covers his garment with violence, says יהוה Tzeva’ot; therefore, take heed to your spirit, that you deal not treacherously.”
17“You have wearied יהוה with your words. Yet you say, ‘Wherein have we wearied Him?’ In that you say, ‘Every one that does evil is good in the sight of יהוה , and He delights in them’; or, ‘where is the Elohim of justice?'”
אוְעַתָּה אֲלֵיכֶם הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת הַכֹּהֲנִים. באִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ וְאִם לֹא תָשִׂימוּ עַל לֵב לָתֵת כָּבוֹד לִשְׁמִי אָמַר יהוה צְבָאוֹת וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי בָכֶם אֶת הַמְּאֵרָה וְאָרוֹתִי אֶת בִּרְכוֹתֵיכֶם; וְגַם אָרוֹתִיהָ כִּי אֵינְכֶם שָׂמִים עַל לֵב. גהִנְנִי גֹעֵר לָכֶם אֶת הַזֶּרַע וְזֵרִיתִי פֶרֶשׁ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם פֶּרֶשׁ חַגֵּיכֶם; וְנָשָׂא אֶתְכֶם אֵלָיו. דוִידַעְתֶּם כִּי שִׁלַּחְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם אֵת הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת: לִהְיוֹת בְּרִיתִי אֶת לֵוִי אָמַר יהוה צְבָאוֹת. הבְּרִיתִי הָיְתָה אִתּוֹ הַחַיִּים וְהַשָּׁלוֹם וָאֶתְּנֵם לוֹ מוֹרָא וַיִּירָאֵנִי; וּמִפְּנֵי שְׁמִי נִחַת הוּא. ותּוֹרַת אֱמֶת הָיְתָה בְּפִיהוּ וְעַוְלָה לֹא נִמְצָא בִשְׂפָתָיו; בְּשָׁלוֹם וּבְמִישׁוֹר הָלַךְ אִתִּי וְרַבִּים הֵשִׁיב מֵעָוֹן. זכִּי שִׂפְתֵי כֹהֵן יִשְׁמְרוּ דַעַת וְתוֹרָה יְבַקְשׁוּ מִפִּיהוּ: כִּי מַלְאַךְ יהוה צְבָאוֹת הוּא. חוְאַתֶּם סַרְתֶּם מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ הִכְשַׁלְתֶּם רַבִּים בַּתּוֹרָה; שִׁחַתֶּם בְּרִית הַלֵּוִי אָמַר יהוה צְבָאוֹת. טוְגַם אֲנִי נָתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים לְכָל הָעָם: כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר אֵינְכֶם שֹׁמְרִים אֶת דְּרָכַי וְנֹשְׂאִים פָּנִים בַּתּוֹרָה.
יהֲלוֹא אָב אֶחָד לְכֻלָּנוּ הֲלוֹא אֵל אֶחָד בְּרָאָנוּ; מַדּוּעַ נִבְגַּד אִישׁ בְּאָחִיו לְחַלֵּל בְּרִית אֲבֹתֵינוּ. יאבָּגְדָה יְהוּדָה וְתוֹעֵבָה נֶעֶשְׂתָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִירוּשָׁלִָם: כִּי חִלֵּל יְהוּדָה קֹדֶשׁ יהוה אֲשֶׁר אָהֵב וּבָעַל בַּת אֵל נֵכָר. יביַכְרֵת יהוה לָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂנָּה עֵר וְעֹנֶה מֵאָהֳלֵי יַעֲקֹב; וּמַגִּישׁ מִנְחָה לַיהוה צְבָאוֹת.
יגוְזֹאת שֵׁנִית תַּעֲשׂוּ כַּסּוֹת דִּמְעָה אֶת מִזְבַּח יהוה בְּכִי וַאֲנָקָה; מֵאֵין עוֹד פְּנוֹת אֶל הַמִּנְחָה וְלָקַחַת רָצוֹן מִיֶּדְכֶם. ידוַאֲמַרְתֶּם עַל מָה: עַל כִּי יהוה הֵעִיד בֵּינְךָ וּבֵין אֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָּגַדְתָּה בָּהּ וְהִיא חֲבֶרְתְּךָ וְאֵשֶׁת בְּרִיתֶךָ. טווְלֹא אֶחָד עָשָׂה וּשְׁאָר רוּחַ לוֹ וּמָה הָאֶחָד מְבַקֵּשׁ זֶרַע אֱלֹהִים; וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם בְּרוּחֲכֶם וּבְאֵשֶׁת נְעוּרֶיךָ אַל יִבְגֹּד. טזכִּי שָׂנֵא שַׁלַּח אָמַר יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִסָּה חָמָס עַל לְבוּשׁוֹ אָמַר יהוה צְבָאוֹת; וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם בְּרוּחֲכֶם וְלֹא תִבְגֹּדוּ.
יזהוֹגַעְתֶּם יהוה בְּדִבְרֵיכֶם וַאֲמַרְתֶּם בַּמָּה הוֹגָעְנוּ: בֶּאֱמָרְכֶם כָּל עֹשֵׂה רָע טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי יהוה וּבָהֶם הוּא חָפֵץ אוֹ אַיֵּה אֱלֹהֵי הַמִּשְׁפָּט.
D'var יהוה , The Word of יהוה 