1   The ^note burden of the woorde of the Lorde to Israel by the ministerie of Malachi.

2   I haue loued you, sayth the Lorde: yet yee say, ^note Wherein hast thou loued vs? Was not Esau Iaakobs brother, saith the Lord? yet I loued Iaakob,

3   And I ^note hated Esau, and made his mountaines wast, & his heritage a wildernes for dragons.

4   Though Edom say, wee are impouerished, but we will returne and build the desolate places, yet sayeth the Lorde of hostes, they shall builde, but I will destroy it, and they shall call them, The border of wickednes, and the people, with whome the Lord is angrie for euer.

5   And your eyes shall see it, and yee shall say, The Lorde will be magnified vpon the border of Israel.

6   A sonne honoureth his father, and a seruant his master. If then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my feare, sayth the Lorde of hostes vnto you, ^note O Priestes, that despise my Name? and yee say, ^note Wherein haue we despised thy Name?

A complaint of Israel.

7   Ye offer ^note vncleane bread vpon mine altar, and you say, Wherein haue we polluted thee? In that ye say the table of the Lord is not ^note to be regarded.

8   And if yee offer the blinde for sacrifice, it is ^note not euill: and if ye offer the lame and sicke, it is not euill: offer it nowe vnto thy prince: will he be content with thee, or accept thy person, saieth the Lord of hostes?

9   And nowe, I pray you, ^note pray before God, that he may haue mercie vpon vs: this hath beene by your meanes: will hee regard ^note your persons, sayth the Lord of hostes?

10   Who is there euen among you, ^note that would shut the doores? and kindle not fire on mine altar in vaine, I haue no pleasure in you, sayeth the Lorde of hostes, neither will I accept an offering at your hande.

11   For from the rising of the sunne vnto the going downe of the same, my Name is ^note great among the Gentiles, and in euery place incense shalbe offred vnto my Name, and a pure offering: for my Name is great among the heathen, sayeth the Lord of hostes.

12   But ye haue polluted it, in that ye say, The table of the Lord is ^note polluted & the fruit thereof, euen his meat is not to be regarded.

13   Ye said also, Beholde, it is a ^note wearines, and ye haue snuffed at it, sayth the Lord of hostes, and ye offred that which was torne, and the lame and the sicke: thus yee offred an offring: shoulde I accept this of your hand, sayth the Lord?

14   But cursed be the deceiuer, which hath in his flocke ^note a male, & voweth, and sacrificeth vnto þe; Lorde a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, sayth the Lord of hostes, and my Name is terrible among the heathen.

Previous section

Next section