Malach I'm

and now, oh priests, this command is for you.

If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to my name, says

the Lord of Hosts, then I will send the curse upon you. And I will curse your blessings. Indeed I have already cursed them because you do not lay it to heart.

Behold I will rebuke your offspring and spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your offerings,

and I will put you out of my presence.

So shall you know that I have sent this command to you that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts.

My covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them to him that he might fear.

And he feared me, he stood in awe of my name.

True instruction was in his mouth and no wrong was found on his lips.

He walked with me in peace and uprightness and he turned many from iniquity.

For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge and men should seek instruction from his mouth,

for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way.

You have caused many to stumble by your instruction.

You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the Lord of hosts.

And so I make you despised and abased before all the people in as much as you have not kept my ways, but have shown partiality in your

instruction. Last week, we focused on the curse of careless worship from chapter 1

verses 6 through 14 and we saw Malachai driving the word of God against the priests in

verse 6 of that chapter. If I am a master where is my fear says the Lord of

host to you old priests who despise my name?

But the sense you get, as you read the rest of Chapter 1 is that it's not just the priests who are coming in for the indictment.

For example, when you read verse 14 of Chapter 1, it says,

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