Study Desk

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

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

Behold, I am going to ^(d)rebuke your ^[a]offspring, and I will ^(e)spread ^[b]refuse on your faces, the ^[c]refuse of your ^(f)feasts; and you will be taken away ^[d]with it.

Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, ^[e]that My ^(g)covenant may ^[f]continue with Levi," says the Lord of hosts.

"My covenant with him was one of life and ^(h)peace, and I gave them to him as an object of ^[g]reverence; so he ^[h](i)revered Me and stood in awe of My name.

^[i](j)True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked ^(k)with Me in peace and uprightness, and he ^(l)turned many back from iniquity.

For the lips of a priest should preserve ^(m)knowledge, and ^[j]men should ⁽ⁿ⁾seek ^[k]instruction from his mouth; for he is the ^(o)messenger of the Lord of hosts.

But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to ^(p)stumble ^[l]by the instruction; you have ^[m](q)corrupted the covenant of Levi," says the Lord of hosts.

"So ^(r)I also have made you despised and ^(s)abased ^[n]before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing ^(t)partiality in the ^[o]instruction.