, and purge them as gold
and silver; and they shall offer unto the Lord offerings in
righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be
pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in ancient
years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness against the sorcerers, and against perjurers, and against
those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the
fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear
not me," saith the Lord of hosts. "For I the Lord change not;
therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.

"From the days of your fathers ye have turned aside {409} from mine
ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return
unto you," saith the Lord of hosts. "But ye say 'How then shall we
return?' Will a man rob God? yet ye rob me. But ye say, 'Wherein have
we robbed thee?' In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with the
curse; for ye rob me, even this whole nation. Bring ye the whole tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in mine house, and prove
me now herewith," saith the Lord of hosts, "if I will not open you the
windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not
be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your
sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither
shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field," saith
the Lord of hosts.

"And all nations shall call you happy: for ye shall be a delightsome
land," saith the Lord of hosts.

"Your words have been stout against me," saith the Lord. "Yet ye say,
'Wherein have we spoken against thee?' Ye have said, 'It is vain to
serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his charge, and
that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of hosts? And now we
call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are built up;
yea, they tempt God, and are delivered.'"

Then they that feared the Lord spake one with another: and the Lord
hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before
him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in the day that I
make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son
that serveth him.

{410}

{411}

SELECTIONS FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

{412}

These selections from the Epistles are not in poetic form, but they
are given here because they are, in