Here bigynneþ Malachie.
Capitulum I. edit
The charge of word of þe Lord to Yrael, in þe hond of Malachie, prophete. Y louyde ȝou, ſaiþ þe Lord, and ȝee ſaiden, In what þing louydiſt þou vs? Wher Eſau was not þe broþer of Jacob, ſaiþ þe Lord, and Y louyde Jacob, forſoþe Y hadde Eſau in hate? And Y haue putte Seir his hillis in to wildreneſſe, and his eritage in to dragouns of deſert. Þat ȝif Ydume ſhal ſay, We be diſtruyed, but we turnynge aȝein ſhuln beelde, whiche þingus ben diſtruyed; þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Þeſe ſhuln beelde, and Y ſhal diſtruye; and þei ſhuln be cleepid termes of wickedneſſe, and a peple to whom þe Lord is wroþ, til vnto wiþouten eende. And ȝour eeȝen ſhuln ſee, and ȝee ſhuln ſaye, Magnyfied be þe Lord on þe terme of Yrael. Þe ſone honoureþ þe fadir, and þe ſeruaunt ſhal drede his lord; þerfore ȝif Y am fadir, wher is myn honour? and ȝif Y am lord, wher is my dreed? ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. O! preſtis, to ȝou þat diſpiſen my name; and ȝe ſaiden, Wher yn haue we diſpiſid þi name? Ȝe offren on myn auter defoulid, or vnclene, breed, and ȝe ſayn, Wherynne han we defoulide þee? In þat þing þat ȝe ſayn, Þe bord of þe Lord is diſpiſid. Ȝif ȝe offren a blynd þing for to be offrid, wher it is not yuel? And ȝif ȝe offren a crokid and ſeek, wher it is not yuel? Offre it to þi duyk, ȝif it ſhal pleſe to hym, or ȝif he ſhal reſceyue þi face, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. And nowe biſeeche þe cheere of þe Lord, þat he haue mercy on ȝou; forſoþe of ȝour hond þis þing is don, ȝif eny manere he reſceyue ȝour faces, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Who is in ȝou þat cloſiþ doris, and brenneþ myn auter of his own wille, or freeli? Wille is not to me in ȝou, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtus; and Y ſhal not reſceyue a ȝift of ȝour hond. Forſoþe fro ryſyng of þe ſunne vn to goyng doun, my name is grete in heyþen men; and in eche place a cleene offryng is halewid, and offrid to my name; for my name is grete in heiþen men, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. And ȝe han defoulid it in þat þat ȝe ſayn, Þe bord of þe Lord is defoulid, and þat þat is putt on is contemptible, or worþi for to be diſpiſid, wiþ þe fijr þat deuouriþ it. And ȝe ſaiden, Loo! of traueil; and ȝe han blowe it awey, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. And ȝe brouȝten yn of raueins a krokid þing, and ſeeke, and brouȝten yn a ȝift; wher Y ſhal reſceyue it of ȝour hond? ſaiþ þe Lord. Curſid þe gylful, þat haþ in his floc a male beeſt, and he makynge a vowe offriþ a feble to þe Lord; for I a grete kyng, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtus, and my name orrible in folkis.
Capitulum II. edit
And now, O! preſtis, to ȝou þis maundement, ȝif ȝe woln heere. And ȝif ȝe woln not putte on þe herte, þat ȝe ȝeue glorie to my name, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, Y ſhal ſende in ȝou nedyneſſe, and Y ſhal curſe to ȝour bleſſyngis; and Y ſhal curſe hem, for ȝe han not putte on þe herte. Loo! Y ſhal caſte to ȝou arme, and Y ſhal ſcatere on ȝour cheere þe dritt of ȝoure ſolempnytees, and it ſhal take ȝou wiþ it. And ȝe ſhuln wite, for Y ſente to ȝou þis maundement, þat my couenaunt were wiþ Leuy, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. My couenaunt was wiþ hym of lijf and pees; and Y ȝaue to hym a dreed, and he dredde me, and he dredde of þe face of my name. Þe lawe of trewþe was in his mouþ, and wickidneſſe is not founden in his lippis; in pees and in equitee he walkide wiþ me, and many men he turnyde awey fro wickidneſſe. Forſoþe lippis of þe preſt kepen ſcience, or kunnyng, and þei ſhuln ſeeke aȝein þe lawe of þe mouþ of hem, for he is an aungel of þe Lord of ooſtis. Forſoþe ȝe wenten awey fro þe weye, and ſclaundren ful many men in þe lawe; ȝe maden voide þe couenaunt of Leuy, þeſe þingus ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. For whiche þing and Y ȝaue ȝou worþi to be diſpiſid, and meeke, or lowe, to alle peplis, as ȝe kepten not my wayes, and token folc in þe lawe. Wher not oo fadir of alle ȝou? wher oo God made ȝou not of nouȝt? Whi þerfore ech of ȝou diſpiſiþ his broþer, defoulynge þe couenaunt of ȝour faders? Judas treſpaſide, and abomynacioun is maad in Yrael, and in Jeruſalem; for Judas defoulide þe halewing of þe Lord, whiche he louyde, and aliens hadden þe douȝter of þe Lord. Þe Lord ſhal diſtruye þe man þat dide þis þinge, þe mayſtir and diſciple, of tabernaclis of Jacob, and þe offryng a ȝift to þe Lord of ooſtis. And eftſoone ȝe diden þis þing; ȝe hilliden wiþ teris þe auter of þe Lord, wiþ weepyng and mournyng, ſo þat Y biholde namore to ſacrifice, neþer reſceyue eny þing pleſaunt of ȝour hond. And ȝe ſaiden, For what cauſe? For þe Lord witneſſide bitwixe þee and þe wijf of þi pubertee, þat is, tyme of mariage, whiche þou diſpiſidiſt, and þis þi parcener, and wijf of þi couenaunt. Wher oon dide not, and þe reſidue of his ſpirit is? and what ſeekiþ oon, no bot þe ſeed of God? Þerfore kepe ȝe ȝoure ſpirit, and nyl þou diſpiſe þe wijf of þi ȝongþe; whanne þou ſhalt haue hir in hate, leue þou hir, ſaiþ þe Lord God of Yrael. Forſoþe wickidneſſe keuere þe cloſyng of hir, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis; kepe ȝe ȝoure ſpirit, and nyl ȝe diſpiſe. Ȝe maden þe Lord for to traueile in ȝour wordis, and ȝe ſaiden, Wheryn made we hym for to traueile? In þat þat ȝe ſayen, Eche man þat doþ yuel, is good in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord, and ſiche pleſen to hym; or certis wher is God of dom?
Capitulum III. 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.
Capitulum IIII. edit
Loo! forſoþe þe day ſhal cumme, brennynge as a chymney; and alle proude men, and alle doynge vnpite ſhuln be ſtobil; and þe day cummynge ſhal enflawme hem, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis, whiche ſhal not leue to hem rote and buriownyng. And to ȝou dredynge my name þe ſunne of riȝtwiſneſſe ſhal ſpringe, and helþe in pennys of hym; ȝe ſhuln go out, and ȝe ſhuln lippe, as a calf of þe droue. And ȝe ſhuln to-trede vnpytouſe men, whanne þei ſhuln be aſhe vndir þe ſoole of ȝoure feet, in þe day in whiche Y do, ſaiþ þe Lord of ooſtis. Biþenke ȝe of þe lawe of my ſeruaunt Moyſes, whiche Y comaundide to hym in Oreb, to alle Yrael comaundementis and domys. Loo! Y ſhal ſende to ȝou Hely, þe prophete, bifore þat þe grete day and orrible of þe Lord cumme. And he ſhal conuerte þe herte of faders to ſonys, and þe herte of ſonys to her faders, leſt per auenture Y cumme, and ſmyte þe erþe wiþ curſe.
Here endiþ þe book of Malachie, and bigynneþ þe firſte book of Machabeorum.