The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The .ij. Chapter.

Threatninges against the priestes, being seducers of the people.

[unspec A] 1 ANd now O ye priestes this cōmaundement is for you.

2 If ye wyl not heare it nor regard it, to geue the glory to my name, saith the Lorde of hoastes, I wyll sende a curse vpon you, and wyll curse your blessinges, yea I haue cursed them alredie, because ye do not consider it in your heart.

3 Beholde, I wyll (a) 1.1 corrupt your seede, and cast (b) 1.2 doung on your faces, [euen] the doung of your solempne feastes, & you shalbe like vnto it.

4 And you shall know that I haue sent this cōmaundement vnto you, that my couenaunt which I haue made with Leui might stand, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

5 My couenaunt was with him, of lyfe and peace, and I gaue them him [for] the feare wherwith he feared me and was afrayde before my name.

6 The lawe of trueth was in his mouth, and there was no iniquitie found in his lippes, he (c) 1.3 walked with me (d) 1.4 in peace and (e) 1.5 in equitie, and he turned many from their iniquitie.

7 (f) 1.6For the priestes lippes shall kepe knowledge, and they shall seeke the lawe at his mouth: because he is the messenger of the Lorde of hoastes.

8 But ye haue gone out of the way, ye haue caused many to fall by the lawe: ye [unspec B] haue corrupted the couenaunt of Leui, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

9 Therefore haue I also made you des∣pised and vyle before all the people, be∣cause you kept not my wayes, but haue ben parciall in the lawe.

10 Haue we not all one father? hath not God made vs al? why then is euery one deceaued of his brother, to violate the couenaunt of our fathers?

11 Iuda hath offended, & abhomination is committed in Israel and in Hierusa∣lem? for Iuda hath defiled the holynesse of the Lorde which he loued, and hath maried the daughter of a straunge God.

12 The Lorde wyll destroy the man that doth this, both the rayser vp and the aunswerer out of the tabernacle of Ia∣cob, and him that offereth an offering vnto the Lorde of hoastes.

13 g 1.7And this againe haue ye done, in co∣uering the aulter of the Lorde with teares, with weeping and mourning,

and therfore there is no more respect to the offring, neither acceptable receauing of it at your handes.

14 Yet ye say, wherin? Because the Lord hath ben witnesse betweene thee and thy wyfe of thy youth, against whom thou hast transgressed, yet is she thyne owne companion, and the wyfe of thy couenaunt.

15 And did not he make one? yet had he aboundaunce of spiritie: And wherfore one? Because he sought a godly seede: therefore kepe your selues in your spi∣rite, and let none transgresse against the wyfe of his youth.

16 If thou hatest her, put her away, saith the lorde God of Israel: yet he couereth the iniurie vnder his garment, saith the Lorde of hoastes, and be ye kept in your spirite, and transgresse not.

17 Ye haue weeryed the Lord with your wordes, and you haue sayde, Wherein haue we weeried him? Whylest you say, Euery one that doth euil, is good in the sight of the Lorde, and he is pleased in them: or where is the God of iudge∣ment?

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  God is the aucthor of scarsitie, lest they should impute it to a∣ny other cause
• (b) 1.2

  I wyll bring you to confusion and shame.
• (c) 1.3

  To walke with God, is to walke ac∣cording to his wyll
• (d) 1.4

  Towards God, and to∣wards men.
• (e) 1.5

  All peace is not cōmen∣ded, but that which is in equitie: the consent of the wicked is to be auoyded because it is not in trueth.
• (f) 1.6

  They 〈◊〉〈◊〉 there••ore must be learned in y^e lawe, other∣wyse the peo¦ple seeke an aunswere 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his mouth in vayne.
• g 1.7

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