The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

CAP. VIII.

[verse 1] But [And E.] , britheren, we [I b.] maken knowun to ȝou the grace of God, that is ȝouun [verse 2] in the chirchis of Macedonye, that in myche asaiyng of tribulacioun, the plente of the ioye of hem was, and the hiȝeste pouert of hem was plenteuouse `in to [in k.] the richessis of the symplenesse of hem. [verse 3] For Y bere witnessyng to hem, aftir miȝt and aboue miȝt thei weren wilful, [verse 4] with myche monestyng bisechynge vs the grace and the comynyng of myn|ystring, that is maad to hooli men. [verse 5] And not as we hopiden, but thei ȝauen hem silf first to the Lord, aftirward to vs bi the wille of God. [verse 6] So that we preyeden Tite, that as he bigan, so also he performe in ȝou this grace. [verse 7] But as ȝe abounden in alle thingis, in feith, and [in b.] word, and kunnyng, and al bisy|nesse, more ouer and in ȝoure charite in to vs, that and [also CEIKMQUXabceghkoαβ. also and R.] in this grace ȝe abounden. [verse 8] Y seie not as comaundinge, but bi the bisynesse of othere men ap|preuynge also the good wit of ȝoure charite. [verse 9] And ȝe witen the grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, for he was maad nedi for ȝou, whanne he was riche, that ȝe schulden be maad riche bi his nedy|nesse. [verse 10] And Y [Om. Qg pr. m.] ȝyue counsel in this thing; for this is profitable to ȝou, that not oneli han [hath R.] bigunne to do, but also ȝe bigunnen to haue wille fro the for|mere ȝere. [verse 11] But now parfourme ȝe in deed, that as the discrecioun of wille is redi, so be it also of parformyng of that that ȝe han. [verse 12] For if the wille be redi, it is acceptid aftir that that [Om. Q.] it hath,

not aftir that that it hath not. [verse 13] And not that it be remyssioun to othere men, and to ȝou tribulacioun; but of euenesse [verse 14] in the present tyme ȝoure aboundance fulfille the myseese of hem, that also the aboundaunce of hem be a [Om. R pr. m. k pr. m.] fulfillynge of ȝoure myseise, that euenesse be maad; [verse 15] as it is writun, He that gaderide myche, was not encresid, and he that gaderide litil, hadde not lesse. [verse 16] And Y do thank|yngis to God, that ȝaf the same bisy|nesse [verse 17] for ȝou in the herte of Tite, for he resseyuede exortacioun [exortacioun, or monesting EKQRceghk sec. m. oαβ. exortacioun, either mo|nesting MUXa. exortacioun, or stiring I.] ; but whanne he was bisier, bi his wille he wente forth to ȝou. [verse 18] And we senten with hym a brother, whose preisyng is in the gospel bi alle chirchis. [verse 19] And not oneli [oonli preisid R sec. m.] , but also he is ordeyned of chirchis the felowe of oure pilgrimage in to this grace, that is mynystrid of vs to the glorie of the Lord, and to oure ordeyned [verse 20] wille; eschewynge this thing, that no man blame vs in this plente, that is mynystrid of vs to the glorye of the Lord. [verse 21] For we purueyen good thingis, not onely bifor God, but also bifor alle men. [verse 22] For we senten with hem also oure brothir, whom we han preued in many thingis ofte, that he was bisi, but nowe myche bisier, for myche trist in [verse 23] ȝou, ethir for Tite, that is my felowe and helpere in ȝou, ethir for [Om. CEI pr. m. KMQRUXabceghkoβ.] oure bri|theren, apostlis of the chirches of the glorie of Crist. [verse 24] Therfor schewe ȝe in [Om. kβ.] to hem in the face of chirchis, that schewynge that is of ȝoure [oure K sec. m. X.] charite and of oure glorie for ȝou.