Malachi · Chapter 3

[ edit] Loo! Y ſhal ſende myn aungel, and he ſhal make redy þe waye byfore my face; and anoon þe lordſhiper, whom ȝe ſeken, ſhal cum to his holy temple, and þe aungel of teſtament, whom ȝe woln. Loo! he cummeþ, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis; and who ſhal mowe þenke þe day of his cummyng? and who ſhal ſtonde for to ſee hym? Forſoþe he as fijr wellynge to gidre, and as þe erbe of fullers; and he ſhal ſitte wellinge to gidre and clenſynge ſyluer, and ſhal purge þe ſonys of Leuy; and ſhal purge hem as gold and as ſyluer, and þei ſhuln be offrynge to þe Lord ſacrifices in riȝtwiſneſſis. And ſacrifice of Juda and Jeruſalem ſhal pleſe to þe Lord, as days of þe world, and as olde ȝeeris.

And Y ſhal cum to ȝou in dom, and Y ſhal be a ſwyft witneſſe to myſdoars, to poyſonners, or enchaunters bi þe deuyls craft, and to auowters, and forſworne men, and þat falſly chalenge þe hijr of þe hirid man, and meeken widues, and faderleſſe childre, and moderleſſe, and oppreſſen þe pylgryme, neþer dredden me, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Forſoþe Y þe Lord, and Y am not chaungid; and ȝe ſonnys of Jacob ben not waaſtid. Forſoþe fro þe days of ȝour fadres ȝe wenten awey fro my lawful þingus, and kepten not; turne ȝe aȝein to me, and Y ſhal aȝein turne to ȝou, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. And ȝe ſaiden, In what þing ſhuln we turne aȝein? Ȝif a man ſhal turmente God? for ȝe to gydre fitchen me.

And ȝe ſaiden, In what þing togidre fitchen we þee? In tyþes, and in premiſſis, or firſt fruytis, and in myſeyſe, or nedyneſſe, ȝe ben curſid; and al ȝe folk diſceyuen me, and to gidre fitchen. Brenge ȝe yn eche tiþe in to my berne, þat mete be in my hous, and proue ȝe me on þis þing, ſaiþ þe Lord, ȝif Y ſhal not opne to ȝou þe gutters of heuen, and ſhal ſheede out to ȝou bleſſyng, vnto aboundaunce.

And Y ſhal blame for ȝou þe deuourynge, and he ſhal not corrumpe, or diſtruye, þe fruyte of ȝour londe; neþer bareyn vyneȝerd ſhal be in þe feeld, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, and alle folkis ſhuln ſayn ȝou bleſſid; ſoþely ȝe ſhuln be a deſyrable lond, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Ȝoure wordis wexiden ſtronge on me, ſaiþ þe Lord; and ȝe ſaiden, What han we ſpoken aȝeins þee? And ȝee ſaiden, He is veyn, þat ſerueþ God; and what wynnynge for we kepten his heeſtis, and for we wenten ſorewful bifore þe Lord of ooſtis? Þerfore now we ſayn proud men bleſſid; ſoþeli þei ben beeldid doynge vnpite, and þei temptiden God, and ben maad ſaaf.

Þanne men dredinge God ſpaken, eche wiþ his neiȝboure; and þe Lord perceuyde, and herde, and a boke of mynde is writen bifore hym to men dreedinge God, and þinkynge his name. And þei ſhuln be to me, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, in þe day in whiche Y ſhal make, into a ſpecial treſoure; and Y ſhal ſpare hem, as a man ſpariþ his ſone ſeruynge to hym. And ȝe ſhuln be conuertid, and ȝe ſhuln ſee, what is bitwixe þe iuſt man and þe vnpitouſe, bitwixe þe ſeruynge to þe Lord and not ſeruynge to hym.