The first Chapter. The heuy burthen which the LOR¦DE sheweth agaynst Israel by Malachy.
I Haue loued you, sayeth ye LOR¦DE: ād yet ye saye: wherin hast thou loued vs? Was not Esau [ A] Iacobs brother, sayeth the LORDE? yet haue I loued Ia∣cob,* 1.1 and hated Esau: Yee I haue ma∣de his hilles waist, and his heretage a wyl∣dernesse for dragōs. And though Edom say∣de: well, we are destroyed, we wil go buylde vp agayne the places that be waisted: yet (sayeth ye LORDE of hoostes) what they buyl¦ded, that brake I downe: so that it was cal∣led a cursed londe,* 1.2 and a people, whom the LORDE hath euer bene angrie withall.
Youre eyes haue sene it, ād ye youre selues must confesse, that ye LORDE hath brought the londe of Israel to greate honoure. Shul¦de not a sonne honoure his father, and a ser∣uaūt his master? Yf I be now a father, whe¦re is myne honoure?* 1.3 yf I be the LORDE, whe¦re am I feared? sayeth the LORDE of hoos¦tes.
Now to you prestes, that despise my na∣me. [ B] And yf ye saye: wherin haue we despi∣sed thy name? In this, that ye offre vncle∣ne bred vpō myne aulter. And yf ye wil saye: wherin haue we offred eny vnclene thynge vnto the? In this that ye saye: the aulter of the LORDE is not to be regarded. Yf ye offre ye blynde, is not yt euell? And yf ye offre the lame and sick,* 1.4 is not that euell? Yee offre it vnto thy prynce, shal he be cōtent with the, or accepte thy personne, sayeth the LORDE of hoostes?
And now make youre prayer before God, that he maye haue mercy vpon vs: for soch thinges haue ye done. Shal he regarde you∣re personnes (thynke ye) sayeth the LORDE of hoostes? Yee what is he amonge you, that wil do so moch as to shut ye dores, or to kyn∣dle ye fyre vpō myne aulter for naught? I ha¦ue no pleasure in you, sayeth the LORDE off hoostes: and as for the meatofferinge, I wil not accepte it at youre honde.* 1.5 For from the rysinge vp of ye sonne vnto ye goinge downe [ C] of the same,* 1.6 my name is greate amonge the Gentiles: Yee in euery place shal there sacri∣fice be done, and a clene meatofferinge offred vp vnto my name: for my name is greate a∣monge the Heithē, sayeth the LORDE of hoos¦tes. But ye haue vnhalowed it, in that ye sa∣ye, the aulter of ye LORDE is not to be regar∣ded, and the thinge that is set thervpon, not worthy to be eaten.
Now saye ye: It is but laboure and tra∣uayle, and thus haue ye thought scorne at it, (sayeth the LORDE off hoostes) offerynge robbery, yee the lame and the sicke. Ye haue brought me in a meatofferynge, shulde I accepte it of youre honde, sayeth the LOR∣DE? Cursed be the dyssembler, which hath in his flocke one that is male, and when he ma¦keth a vowe, offereth a spotted one vnto the LORDE. For I am a greate kynge (sayeth the LORDE of hoostes) and my name is fearfull amonge the Heithen.