Malachi 2

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

Og nu udgaar følgende Paabud til eder, I Præster:

2 If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, saith the Lord of hosts: I will send poverty upon you, and will curse your blessings, yea I will curse them, because you have not laid it to heart.

Hvis I ikke adlyder og lægger eder paa Sinde at holde mit Navn i Ære, siger Hærskarers HERRE, saa sender jeg Forbandelse over eder og vender eders Velsignelse til Forbandelse, ja til Forbandelse, fordi I ikke lægger eder det paa Sinde.

3 Behold, I will cast the shoulder to you, and I will scatter upon your face the dung of your solemnities, and it shall take you away with it.

Se, jeg afhugger Armen paa eder og kaster Skarn i Ansigtet paa eder, Skarnet fra eders Højtider, og eders Ofre oven i Købet;

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

og I skal kende, at jeg har sendt eder dette Paabud, fordi jeg har en Pagt med Levi, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

5 My covenant was with him of life and peace: and I gave him fear: and he feared me, and he was afraid before my name.

Min Pagt med ham var, at jeg skulde give ham Liv og Fred, og han skulde frygte mig og bæve for mit Navn;

6 The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace, and in equity, and turned many away from iniquity.

Sandheds Lære var i hans Mund, Svig fandtes ikke paa hans Læber; i Fred og Sanddruhed vandrede han med mig, og mange holdt han fra Brøde.

7 For the lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law at his mouth: because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts.

Thi Præstens Læber vogter paa Kundskab, og Vejledning søger man af hans Mund; thi han er Hærskarers HERRES Sendebud.

8 But you have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble at the law: you have made void the covenant of Levi, saith the Lord of hosts.

Men I veg bort fra Vejen; mange har I bragt til Fald ved eders Vejledning, Levis Pagt har I ødelagt, siger Hærskarers HERRE.

9 Therefore have I also made you contemptible, and base before all people, as you have not kept my ways, and have accepted persons in the law.

Derfor har jeg ogsaa gjort eder ringeagtede og oversete af alt Folket, fordi I ikke tager Vare paa mine Veje eller bryder eder om Loven.

10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why then doth every one of us despise his brother, violating the covenant of our fathers?

Har vi ikke alle en og samme Fader, er det ikke en og samme Gud, som har skabt os? Hvorfor er vi da troløse mod hverandre, saa vi vanhelliger vore Fædres Pagt?

11 Juda hath transgressed, and abomination hath been committed in Israel, and in Jerusalem: for Juda hath profaned the holiness of the Lord, which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange God.

Juda er troløst, og Vederstyggelighed øves i Israel og Jerusalem; thi Juda vanhelliger den Helligdom, HERREN elsker, og tager en fremmed Guds Datter til Ægte.

12 The Lord will cut off the man that hath done this, both the master, and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering to the Lord of hosts.

HERREN unddrage den Mand, som gør sligt, en til at vaage og svare i Jakobs Telte og en til at frembære Offergave for Hærskarers HERRE!

13 And this again have you done, you have covered the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and bellowing, so that I have no more a regard to sacrifice, neither do I accept any atonement at your hands.

Og for det andet gør I dette: I hyller HERRENS Alter i Taarer, Graad og Klage, saa han ikke mere vender sig til Offergaven eller med Glæde modtager Gaver af eders Haand.

14 And you have said: For what cause? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee, and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast despised: yet she was thy partner, and the wife of thy covenant.

Og I spørger: »Hvorfor?« Fordi HERREN var Vidne mellem dig og din Ungdomshustru, mod hvem du har været troløs, skønt hun hører til dit Folk og deler din Tro.

15 Did not one make her, and she is the residue of his spirit? And what doth one seek, but the seed of God? Keep then your spirit, and despise not the wife of thy youth.

Saaledes gør ingen, saa længe der er Aand i ham. Hvorledes har det sig med ham? Han ønsker Afkom for Gud. Saa tag Vare paa eders Aand, og ingen være troløs imod sin Ungdomshustru!

16 When thou shalt hate her put her away, saith the Lord the God of Israel: but iniquity shall cover his garment, saith the Lord of hosts, keep your spirit, and despise not.

Thi jeg hader Skilsmisse, siger HERREN, Israels Gud, og at man hyller sin Klædning i Uret, siger Hærskarers HERRE. Saa tag eder i Vare for eders Aands Skyld og vær ikke troløse!

17 You have wearied the Lord with your words, and you said: Wherein have we wearied him? In that you say: Every one that doth evil, is good in the sight of the Lord, and such please him: or surely where is the God of judgment?

I trætter HERREN med eders Ord. Og I spørger: »Hvorved trætter vi?« Ved at sige: »Enhver som gør ondt, er god i HERRENS Øjne; i dem har han Behag; hvor er ellers Dommens Gud?«