Malachi 2:4

Easy-to-Read Version

Then you will learn why I am giving you this command. I am telling you these things so that my agreement with Levi will continue." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then you will know that I sent you this decree, so that my covenant with Levi may continue,” says the Lord of Armies.

King James Version (1611)
And yee shall know that I haue sent this commaundement vnto you, that my couenant might be with Leui, saith the Lord of hostes.

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

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

New American Standard Bible
"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, so that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of armies.

New Century Version
Then you will know that I am giving you this command so my agreement with Levi will continue," says the Lord All-Powerful.

Amplified Bible
"Then you will know [without any doubt] that I have sent this [new] commandment to you (priests), that My covenant may continue with Levi [the priestly tribe]," says the LORD of hosts.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And yee shall know, that I haue sent this commaundement vnto you, that my couenant, which I made with Leui, might stand, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says the LORD of hosts.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that My covenant may continue with Levi," says Yahweh of hosts.

Berean Standard Bible
Then you will know that I have sent you this commandment, that My covenant with Levi may continue," says the LORD of Hosts.

Contemporary English Version
I am telling you this, so I can continue to keep my agreement with your ancestor Levi.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then you will know that I sent you this command to affirm my covenant with Levi," says Adonai -Tzva'ot.

Darby Translation
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

George Lamsa Translation
And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with Levi, says the LORD of hosts.

Good News Translation
Then you will know that I have given you this command, so that my covenant with the priests, the descendants of Levi, will not be broken.

Lexham English Bible
"Then you will know that I have sent to you this command, that my covenant with Levi continues," says Yahweh of hosts.

Literal Translation
And you shall know that I have sent this command to you, to be My covenant with Levi, says Jehovah of Hosts.

American Standard Version
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that my covenant may be with Levi, saith Jehovah of hosts.

Bible in Basic English
And you will be certain that I have sent this order to you, so that it might be my agreement with Levi, says the Lord of armies.

Hebrew Names Version
You will know that I have sent this mitzvah to you, that my covenant may be with Levi," says the LORD of Hosts.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Know then that I have sent this commandment unto you, that My covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And you shall know that I haue sent this comaundement vnto you, that my couenaunt which I haue made with Leui might stand, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with the sons of Levi, saith the Lord Almighty.

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

World English Bible
You will know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi," says Yahweh of Hosts.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And ye schulen wite, that Y sente to you this maundement, that my couenaunt were with Leuy, seith the Lord of oostis.

Update Bible Version
And you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may be with Levi, says Yahweh of hosts.

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the LORD of hosts.

New English Translation
Then you will know that I sent this commandment to you so that my covenant may continue to be with Levi," says the Lord who rules over all.

New King James Version
Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue," Says the LORD of hosts.

New Living Translation
Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue," says the Lord of Heaven's Armies.

New Life Bible
Then you will know that I have sent this word to you, so that My agreement with Levi may be kept," says the Lord of All.

New Revised Standard
Know, then, that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may hold, says the Lord of hosts.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So shall ye know that I sent unto you this charge, - as being my covenant with Levi, saith Yahweh of hosts.

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

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

Young's Literal Translation
And ye have known that I have sent unto you this charge, For My covenant being with Levi, Said Jehovah of Hosts.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And ye shall knowe, that I haue sent this commaundement vnto you: that my couenaunt which I made with Leui, might stonde, sayeth ye LORDE of hoostes.

THE MESSAGE
"Maybe that will wake you up. Maybe then you'll realize that I'm indicting you in order to put new life into my covenant with the priests of Levi, the covenant of God -of-the-Angel-Armies. My covenant with Levi was to give life and peace. I kept my covenant with him, and he honored me. He stood in reverent awe before me. He taught the truth and did not lie. He walked with me in peace and uprightness. He kept many out of the ditch, kept them on the road.

Contextual Overview

¹ "Priests, this rule is for you. ² Listen to me! Pay attention to what I say. Show honor to my name. If you don't respect my name, bad things will happen to you. You will say blessings, but they will become curses. I will make bad things happen because you don't show respect for my name." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. ³ "Look, I will punish your descendants. During the festivals, you priests offer sacrifices to me. You take the dung and inside parts from the dead animals and throw them away. But I will smear the dung on your faces, and you will be thrown away with it! ⁴ Then you will learn why I am giving you this command. I am telling you these things so that my agreement with Levi will continue." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. ⁵ The Lord said, "I made that agreement with Levi. I promised to give him life and peace—and I gave him those things. Levi respected me and showed honor to my name. ⁶ He taught the true teachings and didn't teach lies. Levi was honest, and he loved peace. He followed me and saved many people from being punished for the evil things they did. ⁷ A priest should know God's teachings. People should be able to go to a priest and learn God's teachings. A priest should be the Lord 's messenger to the people. ⁸ "But you priests stopped following me! You used the teachings to make people do wrong. You ruined the agreement with Levi." This is what the Lord All-Powerful said. ⁹ "You don't live the way I told you. You have not accepted my teachings. So I will cause people to hate you and think you are worth nothing."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ye: 1 Kings 22:25, Isaiah 26:11, Jeremiah 28:9, Ezekiel 33:33, Ezekiel 38:23, Luke 10:11

that my: Isaiah 1:24-28, Isaiah 27:9, Ezekiel 20:38-41, Ezekiel 44:9-16, Matthew 3:12, John 15:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 32:28 - children Leviticus 21:1 - Speak Numbers 3:6 - General Numbers 25:12 - General 2 Kings 5:27 - leprosy Nehemiah 13:29 - the covenant Isaiah 43:27 - and thy Ezekiel 40:45 - the keepers Zechariah 12:13 - Levi Matthew 21:33 - husbandmen

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
God created the sky and the earth. At first,

Genesis 1:4
He saw the light, and he knew that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1
So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished.

Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.

Genesis 5:1
This is the history of Adam's family. When God created people, he made them like himself.

Genesis 10:1
This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah's sons. These men had children after the flood.

Genesis 11:10
This is the history of Shem's family. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born.

Genesis 25:12
This is the list of Ishmael's family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar's son. (Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maid.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you,.... :-:

that my covenant might be with Levi, saith the Lord of hosts; not that the ceremonial law might be confirmed and established, on which the Levitical priesthood was founded; for it was the will of God that that should be abolished, because of the weakness and unprofitableness of it; but that the covenant of grace made with Christ, the antitype of Levi, with whom the true Urim and Thummim are, Deuteronomy 33:8, who has a more excellent ministry and priesthood than his, might take place, be made manifest, and be exhibited under the Gospel dispensation; of which, and of the person with whom it is, an account is given in the following verses.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you: - this, which He had just uttered. They who believe not God when threatening, know that He is in earnest and not to be trifled with, through His punishing. “That My covenant might be with Levi.” God willed to punish those who at that time rebelled against Him, that He might spare those who should come after them. He chastened the fathers, who showed their contempt toward Him, that their sons, taking warning thereby, might not be cut off. He continues to say, what the covenant was, which He willed still to be, if they would repent.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Malachi 2:4. This commandment — That in the first verse; to drive such priests from his presence and his service.

That my covenant might be with Levi — I gave the priesthood and the service of my altar to that tribe.