Malachi 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

And now, priests, this order is for you.

If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart and give weight to my name, says Yahweh who commands armies, then I will send the curse against you, and I will turn the good you speak over people into a curse. I have turned it already, because none of you takes it to heart.

Watch: I am cutting off your children, and I will fling dung in your faces, the dung of your festival animals, and you will be carried out with it.

Then you will know I sent you this order, so that my agreement with Levi could stand, says Yahweh who commands armies.

My agreement with him was life and peace, and I gave him both. It asked for awe, and he stood in awe of me. He went weak at the sound of my name.

True teaching was in his mouth, and nothing crooked was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and in doing right, and he turned crowds of people back from going wrong.

A priest's lips are supposed to guard what is known, and people should come to his mouth for teaching, because he is the messenger of Yahweh who commands armies.

But you have walked off the road. Your teaching has tripped up crowds of people. You have wrecked the agreement with Levi, says Yahweh who commands armies.

So I have made you cheap and low in front of everyone, because you have not kept to my ways and you play favorites when you give a ruling.

Don't we all have one father? Didn't one God make us? Then why do we break faith with each other, and wreck the agreement our ancestors made?

Judah has broken faith. Something disgusting has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. Judah has polluted the sanctuary Yahweh loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.

May Yahweh cut off from the tents of Jacob every man who does this, the one who keeps watch and the one who answers, even if he is bringing an offering to Yahweh who commands armies.

And here is a second thing you do. You flood Yahweh's altar with tears, crying and groaning over it, because he will not look at the offering any more or take it from your hands with any pleasure.

And you ask, "Why?" Because Yahweh was the witness standing between you and the wife of your youth, and you broke faith with her, though she was your partner, your wife by agreement.

Didn't the one God make you one, body and breath together? And what is that one after? Children who belong to God. So watch yourselves, and don't break faith with the wife of your youth.

I hate the tearing up of a marriage, says Yahweh, the God of Israel, and I hate the man who covers his clothes with violence, says Yahweh who commands armies. So watch yourselves, and don't break faith.

You have worn Yahweh out with your talk. And you ask, "How have we worn him out?" By saying that anyone who does harm looks good to Yahweh and that he is pleased with them, or by asking where the God of justice has gone.