The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ Of the messaūger of the Lorde Iohn Baptyst••. Of the ••aye of the Lorde, and of Eliah.

CAPI. III.

BEholde / ‡ 1.1 I wyl sende my messaunger, which shal prepare the way before me: [unspec A] and the Lorde * 1.2 whom ye wolde haue / shall soone come to his temple / yee, euen the mes∣saunger of the couenaunte whome ye long for. Beholde / he commeth / sayeth the Lor∣de of hostes. But who maye abyde the daye of hys commynge? Who shall be able to endure / when he appeareth? For he is lyke a goldsmythes fyre / and lyke wasshers so∣pe. He shall syt hym downe to trye and to clense the syluer / he shall pourge the chyl∣dren of Leui, and puryfy them lyke as golde and syluer: that they maye brynge meat∣offerynges vnto the Lorde in ryghteous∣nesse. Then shall the offeryng of Iuda and Ierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lorde / [unspec B] lyke as from the begynnynge and in the yeares, afore tyme. I wyll come and puny∣she you, and I my selfe wyl be a swyfte wit∣nes agaynst y^• witches, agaynst the aduou∣terers, against false swearers: yee, & agaiste those / that wrongously kepe backe the hyre∣lynges dewtye: whiche vexe the wyddowes and the fatherlesse / and oppresse the straū∣ger and feare not me / sayeth the Lorde of Hostes. For I am the Lorde that chaunge not, & ye (O chyldrē of Iacob) wyl not leaue of * 1.3 ye are gone awaye fro myne ordynaun∣ces / and sens the tyme of your forefathers haue ye not kept them.

* 1.4 Turne you now vnto me / and I wyll turne me vnto you / saieth y^• Lorde of Hostes ye saye. Wherin shall we turne? Shulde a [unspec C] man vse falshede and disceate with God as ye vse falshede and disceate with me? yet ye saye wherin vse we disceat w^t the? In * 1.5 Ty∣thes and heaue offringes. ‡ 1.6 Therfore are ye cursed with penury, because ye dissēble with me all the sorte of you.

* 1.7 Brynge euery Tithe into my barne, that there maye be meat in myne house: & proue me withall (sayeth the Lorde of hoostes) yf I wyll not open the wyndowes of heauen vnto you / & poure you out a blessynge with plenteousnesse. Yee, I shall reproue the con∣sumer for your sakes, so that he shal not eat vp the frute of your grounde / neither shall the vy••••rde be baren in the folde, saieth the Lorde of hostes: In so much that all people shall saye / that ye be blessed / for ye shall be a pleasaūt lande / saieth the Lorde of hoostes. Ye speake harde wordes against me / sayth the Lorde. And yet ye saye: what haue we spoken agaynst the? ye haue sayde.

It is but loste laboure / to serue God [unspec D] * 1.8 What profyt haue we for kepynge his cō∣maūdementes, & for walkyng hūbly before y^• Lorde of hoostes? * 1.9 Therfore may we say, that the proud are happy / & that they which deale with vngodlynes, are set vp: for they tempte God, & yet escape. But they that feare god, saye thus one to another: y^• Lorde consydereth and heareth it. Yee, it is before him a memory all boke / wryten for suche as feare the Lorde, & remembre his name. And in the day that I wyl make (saieth the Lord of hostes) they shalbe mine owne possession: and I wyll fauoure them / lyke as a man fa¦uoureth hys owne sonne / that doth him ser uy••e. Turne you therfore / and consydre what difference is betwyxte the ryghteous & vngodly: betwixte him that serueth God, and hym that serueth hym not.

Notes

• ‡ 1.1

  Math. xi. b 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••▪ ••, Luke▪ vii. c 〈…〉〈…〉. ii••••. •• ••. ••.
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉. 64. ••
• * 1.3

  De••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ •• 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.4

  ••••••ha••i. ••. ••
• * 1.5

  Leuit. 27. d
• ‡ 1.6

  ••gg••. ••••••. ••▪
• * 1.7

  Pro. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. b.
• * 1.8

  Io•• xxi. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 P••••••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ••.
• * 1.9

  ••••••. xxi. ••. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. xii. ••.