King James Version

Malachi 2:14

Yet 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.

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Hebrew

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וַאֲמַרְתֶּ֖םvaamartemand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, a completed action in a sequenceH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…מָ֑הmahhowמָהparticle, interrogative — “how”H4100properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senseshow (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.עַ֡לalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…כִּיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…יְהוָה֩yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).הֵעִ֨ידheidprotestעוּדverb, hiphil, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “protest”, a completed actionH5749to duplicate or repeat; by implication, to protest, testify (as by reiteration); intensively, to encompass, restore (as a sort of reduplication)admonish, charge, earnestly, lift up, protest, call (take) to record, relieve, rob, solemnly, stand upright, testify, give warning, (bear, call to, give, take to) witness.בֵּינְךָ֜beynkhabetweenבֵּיןpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.וּבֵ֣יןuveynand betweenבֵּיןconjunction, preposition — “and between”H996between (repeated before each noun, often with other particles); also as a conjunction, either...oramong, asunder, at, between (-twixt...and), [phrase] from (the widest), [idiom] in, out of, whether (it be...or), within.אֵ֣שֶׁתesheteachאִשָּׁהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.נְעוּרֶ֗יךָneureykhayouthנָעוּרnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “youth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5271(only in plural collectively or emphatic form) youth, the state (juvenility) or the persons (young people)childhood, youth.אֲשֶׁ֤רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…אַתָּה֙atahtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.בָּגַ֣דְתָּהbagadtahdeal deceitfullyבָּגַדverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “deal deceitfully”, a completed actionH898to cover (with a garment); figuratively, to act covertly; by implication, to pillagedeal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully), offend, transgress(-or), (depart), treacherous (dealer, -ly, man), unfaithful(-ly, man), [idiom] very.בָּ֔הּbahinבָּ֔הּpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “in”inוְהִ֥יאvehiand as for herהוּאconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.חֲבֶרְתְּךָ֖chavertekhacompanionחֲבֶרֶתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “companion”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2278a consortcompanion.וְאֵ֥שֶׁתveeshetand eachאִשָּׁהconjunction, noun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “and each”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH802a woman(adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English.בְּרִיתֶֽךָberitekhaconfederacyבְּרִיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “confederacy”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1285a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Young’s Literal Translation

And ye have said, 'Wherefore?' Because Jehovah hath testified between thee And the wife of thy youth, That thou hast dealt treacherously against her, And she thy companion, and thy covenant-wife.

World English Bible

Yet you say, ‘Why?’ Because Yahweh has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and the wife of your covenant.

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

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.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Yet ye said, Wherefore? Because the Lord has borne witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast forsaken, and yet she was thy partner, and the wife of thy covenant.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἴπατε, ἕνεκεν τίνος; ὅτι Κύριος διεμαρτύρατο ἀναμέσον σου, καὶ ἀναμέσον γυναικὸς νεότητός σου, ἣν ἐγκατέλιπες, καὶ αὕτη κοινωνός σου, καὶ γυνὴ διαθήκης σου.