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

CAP. II.

[verse 1] But also false prophetis weren in the puple, as in ȝou schulen be maistris [maistir EQacghoαβ.] lieris, that schulen bringe in sectis of perdicioun; and thei denyen [schul denye I.] thilke Lord that bouȝte hem, and bringen [bryng yn I. ether aboue leeden K marg.] on hem silf hasti perdicioun. [verse 2] And many schulen sue her letcheries, bi whiche [whom I.] the weie of [verse 3] treuthe schal be blasfemyd; and thei schulen make marchaundie [marchaundise EKaghkoαβ.] of ȝou in coueytise bi feyned wordis. To whiche [whom I.] doom now a while ago ceessith not [now a while, etc.; that is, maad redy fro the bigynnyng of the world. Lire here. ve.] , and the perdicioun of hem nappith not. [verse 4] For if God sparide not aungels synnynge, but bitook hem to be turmentid, and to be drawun doun with boondis of helle in to [verse 5] helle, to be kept in to dom [the doom k pr. m.] [in to dom; that is, aftir the dom; here it is vndir|stonde that in lijk maner God schal not spare eretikis. Lire here. ve.] ; and sparide not the firste world, but kept Noe, the eiȝthe man, the biforgoere [fore goere I.] of riȝtwis|nesse, and brouȝte in the greet flood to [verse 6] the world of vnfeithful men; and he droof in to poudre the citees of men of Sodom and of men of Gommor, and dampnede bi turnyng vpsedoun, and putte hem the ensaumple of hem that [verse 7] weren to doynge yuele; and delyuerid the iust Loth, oppressid of the wrong, and of the letcherouse conuersacioun of [verse 8] cursid men; for in siȝt and hering he was iust, and dwellide amongst hem that fro dai in to dai turmentiden with wickid werkis a iust soule. [verse 9] For the Lord kan delyuere piteuouse men fro temptacioun, and kepe wickid men `in to [in k pr. m.] the dai of

[verse 10] dom to be turmentid; but more hem [more God reserueth hem; that is, eretikis to be turment|id. Exposi|touris seien comunly, that eretikis schulen be punschid greuousliere than feendis and othere syn|ful men, of whiche seint Petir settide saumplis bifore, and this seem|ith ful reson|able, that princes of eresie, and defoulid with othere fleschly synnes, schulen be punschid more than comun feendis, and euen with prin|cipal fendis, for whi eresie is the chief spice of vnfeithful|nesse, and in ech ordre of fendis schulen be summe dampned men aftir decrees of synnes. V. dispisin lord|schiping; that is, Crist, Lord of lordis. sectis; of eresie. aun|gelis; that is, yuele aungels. beren not; that is, vnnethis suffren. abo|mynable doom; that is, peyne, which is seid abomynable, for feendis demen it abo|mynable as vniust; but it is iust, in as myche as it is ordeyned of God. in her corrupcioun; that is, corrup with the hijre of vnriȝtful|nesse; that is, peyne ȝoue due to her malice. Lire here. ve.] that walken aftir the fleisch, in coueyt|inge of vnclennesse, and dispisen lord|schiping, and ben boold, plesynge hem silf, and dreden not to bringe in sectis, blas|femynge [of blasfeminge b.] ; [verse 11] where aungels, whanne thei ben more [maad more I.] in strengthe and vertu, beren not `that was [that that was E. Om. QX sec. m. a.] the execrable [ether cursid K marg. X sec. m. marg.] doom aȝens hem. [verse 12] But these ben as vnresonable beestis, kyndli in to takyng, and in to deth, blasfemynge in these thingis that thei knowen not, and schulen perische in [verse 13] her corrupcioun, and resseyue the hire of vnriȝtwisnesse. And thei gessen delicis of defouling [of defouling; that is, of leccherie. and of wem; that is, of glotonie. to be lykinges of day; that is, leeueful and onest. Ve. in desijris of flesch of leccherie; that is, of fleschly leccherie. V. scapin a litel; that is, withdrawen hemself sumdel from the teching of holy chirche. for suche men ben soone disseyued of eretikis. Ve. whiche eretikis lyuen in errour; that is, ben hardid therynne. V. liberte; in seyinge that thei moun leeuefully vse lustis of flesch. Lire here. ve.] and of wemme, to be likyngis of dai [the dai b.] , flowynge in her feestis with de|licis, [verse 14] doynge letcherie with ȝou, and han iȝen ful of auowtrie, and vnceessynge trespas, disseyuynge vnstidfast soulis, and han the herte excercisid [hauntid IR.] to coueitise; [verse 15] the sones of [in O.] cursyng, that forsaken the riȝt weie, and erriden, suynge the weie of Balaam of Bosor, which [the whiche k.] louyde the hire of wickidnesse. [verse 16] But he hadde repreuyng of his woodnesse; a doumb beest vndur ȝok, that spak [spak to him k.] with vois of man, that forbede the vnwisdom of the profete. [verse 17] These ben wellis with out watir, and mystis dryuun with `whirlinge wyndys [whirle wyndis I.] , to whiche [whom I.] the thicke mijst of derknessis is reseruyd [resseyued CI pr. m. ach.] . [verse 18] And thei speken in pryde of vanyte, and disseyuen in [in the k.] desiris of fleisch of letcherie hem, that scapen [ascapen b.] a litil. [verse 19] Whiche lyuen in errour, and biheten fredom to hem, whanne thei ben ser|uauntis of corrupcioun. For of whom ony man is ouercomun, of hym also he is

seruaunt. [verse 20] For if men forsaken the vn|clennessis [vnclennes O.] of the world, bi the knowyng of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, and eftsone ben wlappid in these, and ben ouercomun, the lattere thingis ben maad to hem worse than the formere. [verse 21] For it was betere to hem to not knowe the weie of riȝtwisnesse [riȝtwisnessis a. truwe riȝtwijsnes k pr. m.] , than to turne aȝen aftir the knowyng, fro that hooli maundement that was bitakun to hem. [verse 22] For thilke very prouerb bifelde to hem, The hound turnede aȝen to his castyng [vomyte, or castynge I. spuwing C.] , and a sowe is waischun in walwyng [ether slow of cley K marg.] in [of R.] fenne.