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

¹A tak teraz k vám toto prikázanie, vy, kňazi!

²If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

²Ak nebudete poslúchať a keď si toho nevezmete k srdcu, aby ste dali slávu môjmu menu, hovorí Hospodin Zástupov, pošlem na vás zlorečenstvo a budem zlorečiť vašim požehnaniam, a už aj som zlorečil každému z nich, lebo si toho neberiete k srdcu.

³Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.

³Hľa, okríknem vám semeno a nakydám lajna na vašu tvár, lajná vašich sviatočných obetí, a odnesú vás k nemu.

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

⁴A zviete, že som poslal na vás toto prikázanie, aby to bola moja smluva s Lévim, hovorí Hospodin Zástupov.

⁵My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

⁵Moja smluva bola s ním, smluva života a pokoja, a dal som mu to na bázeň, a bál sa ma a triasol sa pred mojím menom.

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

⁶Zákon pravdy bol v jeho ústach, a neprávosť sa nenašla v jeho rtoch, chodil so mnou v pokoji a úprimnosti a odvrátil mnohých od neprávosti.

⁷For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.

⁷Lebo rty kňaza majú ostríhať známosť, a zákon naučení budú hľadať z jeho úst! Lebo je poslom Hospodina Zástupov.

⁸But ye are departed out of the way; ye have caused many to stumble at the law; ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

⁸Ale vy ste vybočili s cesty a spôsobili ste to, že mnohí klesli v zákone, a porušili ste smluvu Léviho, hovorí Hospodin Zástupov.

⁹Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but have been partial in the law.

⁹Preto som i ja vás vydal, aby ste boli opovrhnutí a nízki všetkému ľudu podľa toho, jako vy neostríhate mojich ciest a hľadíte na osobu v zákone Božom.

¹⁰Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

¹⁰Či azda nemáme všetci jedného a toho istého Otca? Či nás nestvoril jeden a ten istý silný Bôh? Prečo potom robíme neverne každý voči svojmu bratovi, aby sme poškvrňovali smluvu svojich otcov?

¹¹Judah hath dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah hath profaned the holiness of the LORD which he loved, and hath married the daughter of a strange god.

¹¹Zem Júdova robí neverne, a ohavnosť sa deje v Izraelovi i v Jeruzaleme; lebo Júda poškvrnil svätyňu Hospodinovu, ktorú miloval, a vzal si za ženu dcéru cudzieho boha.

¹²The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts.

¹²Hospodin nech vyplieni mužovi, ktorý robí takú vec, toho, kto bdeje, toho, kto, odpovedá, zo stánov Jakobových i toho, kto donáša obetný dar obilný Hospodinovi Zástupov.

¹³And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.

¹³A toto už po druhé robíte, že pokrývate oltár Hospodinov slzami, plačom a vzdychaním, takže nebude viac toho, aby pozrel na obetný dar obilný alebo aby vzal ľúbu obeť z vašej ruky.

¹⁴Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.

¹⁴A hovoríte: Pre jakú príčinu? Pre takú, že Hospodin je svedkom medzi tebou a medzi ženou tvojej mladosti, voči ktorej si sa ty dopustil nevery, kým je ona tvojou družkou a ženou tvojej smluvy.

¹⁵And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

¹⁵A či neučinil obidvoch jedno? A je aj ostatok ducha jeho. A čo ten jeden? Hľadal semeno Božie. - A tak sa budete chrániť vo svojom duchu, a proti žene svojej mladosti nech sa niktorý nedopustí nevery.

¹⁶For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

¹⁶Lebo nenávidím rozvodu, hovorí Hospodin, Bôh Izraelov, ako i toho, kto pokrýva ukrutnosťou svoje rúcho, hovorí Hospodin Zástupov. Preto sa chráňte vo svojom duchu a nerobte neverne!

¹⁷Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?

¹⁷Unavujete Hospodina svojimi slovami a hovoríte: Čím unavujeme? Tým, že hovoríte: Každý, i ten, kto robí zlé, je dobrý v očiach Hospodinových, a má v nich vo všetkých záľubu, alebo kdeže je vraj Bôh súdu?