Malachi 2

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

Og nu, denne Bestemmelse gælder 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.

Dersom I ikke høre det, og dersom I ikke lægge det paa Hjerte at give mit Navn Ære, siger den Herre Zebaoth, da vil jeg sende Forbandelsen paa eder og forbande eders Velsignelser; ja, jeg har allerede forbandet dem, fordi I ikke ville lægge det paa Hjerte.

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 truer Sæden for eder og spreder Møg over eders Ansigter, Møget af eders Festofre, og man skal bringe eder hen til dette.

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 skulle fornemme, at jeg har sendt denne Bestemmelse imod eder, for at den skal vorde min Pagt med Levi, siger den Herre Zebaoth.

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 var med ham, Livet og Freden, og jeg gav ham dem til Frygt, og han frygtede mig, og for mit Navn var han forfærdet.

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 Lov var i hans Mund, og der blev ikke fundet Uret paa hans Læber; i Fred og i Oprigtighed vandrede han med mig og omvendte mange fra Misgerning.

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 en Præsts Læber skulle bevare Kundskab, og Loven skal man søge af hans Mund; thi han er den Herre Zebaoths 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 ere afvegne fra Vejen, I have bragt mange til at støde an imod Loven; I have fordærvet Levis Pagt, siger den Herre Zebaoth.

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 gør ogsaa jeg eder foragtelige og ringe for alt Folket, eftersom I ikke agte paa mine Veje, men anse Personer ved Anvendelse af 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?

Have vi ikke alle sammen een Fader? har ikke een Gud skabt os? hvorfor handle vi troløst, den ene imod den anden, for at vanhellige 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 har handlet troløst, og der er sket Vederstyggelighed i Israel og i Jerusalem; thi Juda har vanhelliget Herrens Helligdom, som han elsker, og taget til Ægte en fremmed Guds Datter.

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.

For den Mand, som gør dette, udrydde Herren den, som er vaagen, og den, som svarer, af Jakobs Telte, og den, som fremfører Offergaver til den Herre Zebaoth!

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.

For det andet gøre I ogsaa dette: I bedække Herrens Alter med Taarer, med Graad og Suk, saa at han ikke mere vender sit Ansigt til Offergaven eller modtager noget som velbehageligt 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 sige: Hvorfor? Fordi Herren har været Vidne imellem dig og din Ungdoms Hustru, som du har handlet troløst imod, da hun dog var din Ægtefælle og din Pagts Hustru.

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.

Og een, som havde en Rest af Aand, har ikke handlet saaledes. Men hvad gjorde den ene? Han søgte den af Gud forjættede Sæd. Saa skulle I vogte eder for eders Aands Skyld, og ingen handle troløst imod sin Ungdoms Hustru!

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 den Herre Israels Gud, og man bedækker derved sit Klædebon med Vold, siger den Herre Zebaoth; saa skulle I vogte eder for eders Aands Skyld og ikke handle troløst.

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 have trættet Herren med eders Ord; og dog sige I: Hvormed have vi trættet ham? Idet I sige: Hver, som gør ondt, er god for Herrens Øjne, og til dem har han Lyst, eller: Hvor er Dommens Gud?