I Will Send My Messenger
( Matthew 11:7–19; Luke 7:24–35)

1Beholde, I wyll sende my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the lord whom ye seeke, shal speedyly come to his temple, and the messenger of the couenaunt whom ye desire, beholde he commeth, saith the Lorde of hoastes. 2But who may abyde the day of his comming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is lyke a purging fire, and lyke fullers sope. 3And he shall sit downe to trye and fine the siluer, and he shal purge the children of Leui, and purifie them as golde and siluer: and they shal bring vnto the lorde offeringes in righteousnesse. 4Then shall the offeringes of Iuda and Hierusalem be acceptable vnto the Lorde, as in olde tyme, and as in the yeres afore.

5And I wyl come neare to you in iudgement, and I wyll be a swyft witnesse against the soothsayers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that wrongfully keepe backe the hirelynges wages, and vexe the widowe and the fatherlesse, and oppresse the straunger, and feare not me, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

Robbing God

6For I am the Lorde, I chaunge not: and you sonnes of Iacob are not consumed.

7From the dayes of your fathers ye are gone away from myne ordinaunces, and haue not kept them: turne you to me, and I wyll turne to you, saith the Lorde of hoastes. And ye saide, Wherein shall we returne?

8Wyll a man spoyle his Gods? yet ye haue spoyled me: and ye say, Wherein haue we spoyled thee? In tythes and offeringes? 9Ye are cursed with a curse, & me haue ye spoyled, euen this whole nation. 10Bryng euery tythe into the store house, that there may be meate in myne house, and prooue me withal, saith the Lorde of hoastes: if I wyl not open the windowes of heauen vnto you, and poure you out a blessing without measure. 11And I wyl reprooue the deuourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruite of the grounde, neither shall your vine be barren in the fielde, saith the Lorde of hoastes. 12And al nations shal call you blessed: because you shalbe a pleasaunt lande, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

The Book of Remembrance

13Your wordes haue ben stout against me saith the lorde: and you saide, Wherein haue we spoken against thee? 14Ye haue saide: it is but vayne to serue God, and what profite is it that we haue kept his commaundement, & that we haue walked humbly before the face of the Lorde of hoastes? 15And nowe we call the proude happie: yea the workers of wickednesse are set vp, and also they that tempt God, yea they are deliuered.

16Then they that feared God, saide euery one to his neighbour: and the Lorde considered and hearde, and there was written a booke of remebraunce before him for them that feared the Lorde, and for them that thinke vpon his name. 17And they shalbe to me, saith the Lorde of hoastes, in that day wherein I shall do iudgement, a stocke: and I wyl spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne which serueth him. 18Then shall ye returne, and discerne betweene the iust and the wicked, betweene him that serueth God, and him that serueth him not.