A fourteenth century English Biblical version, edited by Anna C. Paues ...

[verse 3] Y-blessed be God, þe Fader [fa in margin with caret to mark insertion, S.] of oure Lord Iesu Crist, þat of his grete mercy haþ bygeten ȝow aȝeyn in-to on hope by þe [verse 4] arysynge from deþ to lyfe of Iesus Crist, & in-to an herytage incorruptybel, vndefouled, þat may noȝt welewe, þat is y-kept [verse 5] in hefne in ȝow, þat beþ y-kept in þe vertu of God by feiþ [verse 6] in-to hele þat is redy to ben y-schewed in þe laste tyme; in þe whyche tyme ȝe schuleþ ioyen. And now ȝef it behoueþ [verse 7] to sorewe to-gedere a luytel in dyuerse temptacyones, þat þe preuynge of ȝowre feiþ be more precyous þan gold þat is y-prefed in þe fuyr, & be y-founde [y- om. P.] in-to preysynge & ioye & [verse 8] worschupe in þe reuelacyoun of Iesus Crist: whom ȝe lofeþ, þat ȝe ne hafeþ noȝt y-seye: in whom ȝe bylefeþ, þat ȝe seþ noȝt; but whan ȝe seþ hym, ȝe schuleþ ioyen in a gladnesse þat [verse 9] may noȝt ben y-told, y-gloryfyed, & berynge þe ende of ȝoure feiþ, þe hele of ȝoure soules. [verse 10] Of þe whuche hele prophetes han y-souȝt & y-serched, þat han y-prophecyed of þe grace [verse 11] þat is to comen in ȝow: þat telleþ as þe spiryt of Crist haþ y-sygnyfyed to hem þis tyme, furst tellynge þe suffrynges of Crist, & siþþe his [P folio 15] blisses þat comeþ aftur. [verse 12] To whuche prophetes it wes [e in wes is blurred, S. was P.] y-told, þat þei ne schulde noȝt to hem|selfe,

bote to ȝow, mynystre þilke þinges þat beþ now y-told to ȝow by hem [e partly erased, S.] þat haueþ y-preched ȝow in þe Holy Gost þat [folio 13b] is [om. P.] y-send from hefne; in whom þe aungeles of hefne desyreþ to byholde. [verse 13] & þerfore cutteþ up þe lendes of ȝoure þouȝt, & beþ sober in alle þinges, & parfyt, & hope ȝe in þat grace þat is y-prefed to ȝow in þe reuelacyown of Iesu Crist; [verse 14] as chyldren of obedyence, noȝt ylyche þe desyres of ȝoure [verse 15] vnkunnyngnesse herbyfore [noȝt ylyche... herbyfore in margin, 1st corrector, S. omitted in P.] , bote y-lyche hym þat haþ ycleped ȝow þat is holy, þat ȝe ben holy in eueriche conuersacyoun; [verse 16] for it is y-wryten, Ȝe schuleþ ben holy, for ych am holy. [verse 17] And ȝef [om. P.] ȝe clepeþ hym [Followed by for (crossed out), S.] ȝoure Fader, þat [þ^t on erasure, S.] demeþ wiþ-outen vndurfongynge of mennes persones [es on erasure, S.] , aftur euerych mannes worchynge, haue ȝe þe conuersacyoun in þe tyme of ȝoure [verse 18] wonynge in þis worlde in drede: knowynge þat ȝe beþ noȝt for-bouȝt [u added above the line, nota in the margin, S.] wiþ corruptybel þinges, as gold oþer syluer, out of ȝoure ueyn [ueyn written in margin by 1st corrector, S. om. P.] conuersacyoun of ȝoure fadres tradycyones [on on erasure, S.] ; [verse 19] but þoroȝ þe precyous blod of Crist, þat was as a lomb vnde|fouled, [verse 20] wiþ-outen wem, þat was y-knowe by-fore þe ordeynynge [verse 21] of þe worlde, & y-schewed in þese laste tymes for ȝow: þat þoroȝ hym beþ trewe in [P folio 15b] God þat areryd hym vp from deþ to lyfe, & haþ y-ȝeuen [y twice repeated. P.] hym an euerlastynge blisse, þat ȝoure [verse 22] byleue & ȝoure hope were in God, makynge ȝoure soules chaste in buxomnesse of charyte & in loue of bryþerhede; & [verse 23] loue ȝe sadlyche to-gydere of a sympel herte: y-bore aȝeyn noȝt of a seed þat is corruptybel, bote in-corruptybel, þorowȝ þe word of þe lyuynge God & dwellynge wiþ-outen [an e is repeated in the margin, S.] ende. [verse 24] For eferich flesch is gras, & [in P.] his blisse is þe flour of gras. [verse 25] Þe gras waxed [wexeþ P.] drye, & his flour fel adoun: bote Goddes word dwelleþ euermore. And þis [S folio 14] [c ^m 2^m in margin in early hand, S.] is þat word þat is y|prechyd to ȝow [nota written above ȝow, S.] .