Study Desk

"'A son ^(C1)honors his father, and a servant his master. Then if I am a ^(C2)father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My ^(F1)respect?' says the LORD of armies to you, the ^(C3)priests who despise My name! But you say, 'How have we despised Your name?'

"You are presenting ^(C1)defiled ^(F1)(C2)food upon My altar. But you say, 'How have we defiled You?' In that you say, 'The ^(C3)table of the LORD is to be despised.'

"And when you present a ^(C1)blind animal for sacrifice, is it not evil? Or when you present a lame or sick animal, is it not evil? So offer it to your ^(C2)governor! Would he be pleased with you, or would he receive you kindly?" says the LORD of armies.

"But now, do indeed ^(C1)plead for God's favor, so that He will be gracious to us. ^(F1)With such an offering on your part, will He ^(C2)receive any of you kindly?" says the LORD of armies.

"If only there were one among you who would ^(C1)shut the ^(F1)gates, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar for nothing! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of armies, "^(C2)nor will I accept an offering from your hand.

"For from the ^(C1)rising of the sun even to its setting, ^(C2)My name shall be ^(C3)great among the nations, and in every place ^(C4)frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be ^(C5)great among the nations," says the LORD of armies.

"But you are ^(C1)profaning it by your saying, 'The table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised.'

"You also say, 'See, ^(F1)how ^(C1)tiresome it is!' And you view it as trivial," says the LORD of armies, "and you bring what was taken by ^(C2)robbery and what is ^(C3)lame or sick; so you bring the offering! Should I ^(C4)accept it from your hand?" says the LORD.

"But cursed be the ^(C1)swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a ^(C2)blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great ^(C3)King," says the LORD of armies, "and My name is ^(F1)(C4)feared among the ^(F2)nations."

"And now, this commandment is for you, the priests.

"If you do ^(C1)not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name," says the LORD of armies, "then I will send the ^(C2)curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have ^(C3)cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

"Behold, I am going to ^(C1)rebuke your ^(F1)descendants, and I will ^(C2)spread ^(F2)dung on your faces, the ^(F2)dung of your ^(C3)feasts; and you will be taken away ^(F3)with it.

"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, ^(F1)so that My ^(C1)covenant may ^(F2)continue with Levi," says the LORD of armies.

"My covenant with him was one of life and ^(C1)peace, and I gave them to him as an object of ^(F1)reverence; so he ^(F2)(C2)revered Me and was in awe of My name.

"^(F1)(C1)True instruction was in his mouth and injustice was not found on his lips; he walked ^(C2)with Me in peace and justice, and he ^(C3)turned many back from wrongdoing.

"For the lips of a priest should maintain ^(C1)knowledge, and people should ^(C2)seek ^(F1)instruction from his mouth; for he is the ^(C3)messenger of the LORD of armies.

"But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to ^(C1)stumble ^(F1)by the instruction; you have ^(C2)ruined the covenant of Levi," says the LORD of armies.

"So ^(C1)I also have made you despised and of ^(C2)low reputation ^(F1)in the view of all the people, since you are not keeping My ways but are showing ^(C3)partiality in the ^(F2)instruction."