Page:King Alfred's West-Saxon Version of Gregory's Pastoral Care (2).djvu/351

342 ðurh Essaias ðone witgan forcwæð swelce ælmessan, & ðus spræc: Ic eom Dryhten: ic lufige ryhte domas, & ic hatige þa lac þe bioð on woh gereafodu. And eft he cwæð: Arleasra offrung bið awierged, forðæm hio bioð brohte of unryhtum gestreonum & of mandædum. & oft bið genumen on ðearfendum monnum ðæt ðæt hie ðonne wenað ðæt hie Gode sellen. Ac Dryhten gecyðde ðurh Salomon ðone snotran hu micel his irsung æfter ðære dæde bið, ða he cwæð: Se þe me brengð lac of earmes monnes æhtum on woh gereafodum, ðonne bið ðæt swelce hwa wille blotan ðæm fæder to ðance & to lacum his agen bearn, & hit ðonne cwelle beforan his eagam. Hwæt bið ðonne unaberendlicre to gesionne ðonne ðæs bearnes cwalu beforan ðæs fæder eagum? Be tæm we magon ongietan mid hu micle irre Dryhten gegðyldegað ða ælmessan þe him mon of reaflace bringð, nu he hie tealde gelice ðæs bearnes cwale beforan ðæs fæder eagum. Ac ða reaferas geðenceað swiðe oft hu micel hie sellað, & swiðe seldun he willað gemunan hu micel hie nimað, swelce hie ða medsceattas rimen þe hie Gode sellen, & ða scylda willen forgietan þe hie wið hiene geworhton. Ac hie scoldon gehieran ðone cwide þe awriten is in Ageas bocum ðæs witgan; he cwæð: Se þe medsceattas gadrað, he legeð hie on ðyrelne pohhan. On ðyrelne pohban se legeð ðæt he to medeceatte sellan ðencð, se þe wat hwær he hiene legeð, & nat hwær he hiene forlist. Swæ bið ðæm þe witan willað hwæt hie sellað, & nyllað wiotan mid hwelcum wo hie hit gestriendon oððe forworhton; forðæm hie doð swelce hio hit on ðyrelne pohhan setten,

the root. Therefore the Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, rejected such alms, and thus spoke : "I am the Lord : I love righteous judg- ments, and I hate those offerings which are wrongfully seized." And again, he said: “The offering of the wicked is accursed, because it is brought from unrighteous gain and evil deeds.” And often that which they think they give to God is taken from the poor. But the Lord proclaimed, through the wise Solomon, how great his indignation is at such a deed, saying: “If any man brings me an offering, wrongfully snatched from the possessions of a poor man, it is as if one were to wish to sacrifice to the father bis own child as a gratification and offering, and kill it before his eyes." What sight is more intolerable than the death of a child before its father's eyes 9 By which we can understand with