Malachi 1

1 The birthun of the word of the Lord to Israel, in the hond of Malachie, the profete.

THE BURDEN of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi.

2 Y louyde you, seith the Lord, and ye seiden, In what thing louydist thou vs? Whether Esau was not the brother of Jacob, seith the Lord, and Y louyde Jacob,

I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say: 'Wherein hast Thou loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD; yet I loved Jacob;

3 forsothe Y hatide Esau? And Y haue put Seir the hillis of hym in to wildirnesse, and his eritage in to dragouns of desert.

But Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.

4 That if Idumee seith, We ben distried, but we schulen turne ayen, and bilde tho thingis that ben distried; the Lord of oostis seith these thingis, These schulen bilde, and Y schal distrie; and thei schulen be clepid termes of wickidnesse, and a puple to whom the Lord is wroth, til in to with outen ende.

Whereas Edom saith: 'We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places'; thus saith the LORD of hosts: They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall be called The border of wickedness, and The people whom the LORD execrateth for ever.

5 And youre iyen schulen se, and ye schulen seie, The Lord be magnefied on the terme of Israel.

And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say: 'The LORD is great beyond the border of Israel.'

6 The sone onourith the fader, and the seruaunt schal drede his lord; therfor if Y am fadir, wher is myn onour? and if Y am lord, where is my drede? seith the Lord of oostis. A! ye prestis, to you that dispisen my name; and ye seiden, Wherynne han we dispisid thi name?

A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master; if then I be a father, where is My honour? and if I be a master, where is My fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise My name. And ye say: 'Wherein have we despised Thy name?'

7 Ye offren on myn auter vncleene breed, and ye seien, Wherynne han we defoulid thee? In that thing that ye seien, The boord of the Lord is dispisid.

Ye offer polluted bread upon Mine altar. And ye say: 'Wherein have we polluted thee?' In that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.'

8 If ye offren a blynd beest to be sacrifisid, whether it is not yuel? And if ye offren a crokid and sike beeste, whether it is not yuel? Offre thou it to thi duyk, if it schal plese hym, ether if he schal resseyue thi face, seith the Lord of oostis.

And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it no evil! And when ye offer the lame and sick, is it no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.

9 And now biseche ye the cheer of the Lord, that he haue merci on you; for of youre hond this thing is doon, if in ony maner he resseiue youre faces, seith the Lord of oostis.

And now, I pray you, entreat the favour of God that He may be gracious unto us! — This hath been of your doing. — Will He accept any of your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

10 Who is `in you that closith doris, and brenneth myn auter `of his owne wille, ethir freli? Wille is not to me in you, seith the Lord of oostis; and Y schal not resseyue a yifte of youre hond.

Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on Mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11 For fro rysyng of the sunne til to goyng doun, my name is greet in hethene men; and in ech place a cleene offring is sacrifisid, and offrid to my name; for my name is greet in hethene men, seith the Lord of oostis.

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My name is great among the nations; and in every place offerings are presented unto My name, even pure oblations; for My name is great among the nations, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 And ye han defoulid it in that that ye seien, The boord of the Lord is defoulid, and that that is put aboue is `worthi to be dispisid, with fier that deuourith it.

But ye profane it, in that ye say: 'The table of the LORD is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even the food thereof, is contemptible.'

13 And ye seiden, Lo! of trauel; and ye han blowe it a wei, seith the Lord of oostis. And ye brouyten in of raueyns a crokid thlng and sijk, and brouyten in a yifte; whether Y schal resseyue it of youre hond? seith the Lord.

Ye say also: 'Behold, what a weariness is it!' and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering; should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD.

14 Cursid is the gileful, that hath in his floc a male beeste, and `he makynge a vow offrith a feble to the Lord; for Y am a greet kyng, seith the Lord of oostis, and my name is dredeful `in folkis.

But cursed be he that dealeth craftily, whereas he hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and My name is feared among the nations.