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

CAP. VII.

[verse 1] Forsothe of whiche thingis ȝe han writun to me, it is good to a man for [Om. GMPQSTX.] to `touche not [not touche W.] a womman. [verse 2] Sothli [But V.] for for|nycacioun ech man haue his owne wyf, and ech womman haue hir [hir owen O.] hosebonde. [verse 3] The hosebonde ȝelde dette to the wyf, also sothli and [Om. V.] the wyf to the hosebonde. [verse 4] The womman hath not power of hir body, but the hosebonde; also forsoth the [and the MOQTV.] hose|bonde hath not power of his body, but the womman [wiif O.] . [verse 5] Nyle ȝe [Om. V.] defraude to gidere [togider, withdrawynge ȝoure dette Q.] , no but perauenture of consent to [of Q.] a tyme, that [that the more bisyly Q.] ȝe ȝyue tent to preier; and eft turne ȝe [Om. V.] aȝen in to the same thing, lest Sathanas tempte ȝou for ȝoure inconty|nence

[contynence W.] . [verse 6] Forsoth I seye this thing vp [vpon O. bi V.] indulgence, `or forȝyuenesse [or counseyle O. Om. X.] , not vp [vp on O. bi V.] co|maundement. [verse 7] Sothli I wole alle [that alle V.] men for [Om. G pr. m. MPQSVX.] to [Om. V.] be as mi silf [mysilf chast Q.] . But ech man hath his propre [propirte V.] ȝifte of God; sothli another thus [thus to lyue chast Q.] , but another thus [thus to lyue in matrimonye Q.] . [verse 8] Forsoth [Sothely O. Forsothe, I seye SVX.] to not [hem that ben not V. the not X pr. m.] wed|did and widewis, it is good to hem, if thei dwellen so as and I. [verse 9] For [That V.] if thei con|teynen not hem silf, `or ben not chast [Om. OX.] , `weddid be thei [be thei weddid GMPTV.] ; forsoth [for V.] it is bettere for [Om. SX.] to be weddid, than for [Om. NSX.] to be brent. [verse 10] Forsoth to hem that ben ioyned [wedded O.] in ma|trymonye, I [Om. N.] comaunde, not I [Om. GQT.] , but the Lord, the [that the V.] wyf for [Om. SVX.] `to not departe [departe not V.] fro the [verse 11] hosebonde; for [that GMQTV.] if sche `schal departe [departith V.] , for [Om. SX. that V.] to [sche V.] dwell vnweddid, or for [Om. SVX.] to [Om. VX.] be reconsilid, `or acordid [Om. GMOPQTX.] , to hir hosebonde; and the hosebonde forsake not the wyf. [verse 12] Forwhi to othere I seye, not the Lord. If ony brothir haue [hath V.] an vnfeithful, `or he|then [Om. GMPQTWX.] , wyf, and sche consentith [consente SVX.] for to dwelle with hym<sup>f</sup>, leue he, `or forsake [Om. OX. or forsake he PQ.] , hir not. [verse 13] And if the [eny NV.] womman hath [haue X.] an hosebonde vnfeithful, and this consentith for [Om. OSX.] to dwelle with hir, leeue she not the hosebonde. [verse 14] Forsoth [Forwhi V.] the vnfeithful hose|bonde is halowid by the feithful wom|man, and the vnfeithful womman is ha|lowid by the feithful hosebonde. Ellis ȝoure children weren vnclene, now forsoth thei ben hooly. [verse 15] That if the vnfeithful departithⁿ, departe he [he or sche G sec. m.] . Forsoth [Forwhi V.] the [Om. G.] brothir or sistir is not suget to seruage [do seruage S.] in suche; forsoth God clepith [clepide GMPQTVXY. cleped O.] vs in pees. [verse 16] Sothli wherof wost thou, womman, if thou schalt [shul X.] make the man saaf; or wherof wost thou, man, if thou schalt [shul X.] make the wom|man saaf? [verse 17] No but as the Lord hath de|partid to ech, as [and as V.] God hath clepid ech

man, and [Om. OV.] so go, he and as I teche in alle chirchis. [verse 18] Sum man circumsidid is clepid, brynge he not to prepucie. Sum man is clepid in prepucie, be he not cir|cumsidid. [verse 19] Circumcisioun is noȝt [nouȝt, that is, doth nouȝt to heelthe V.] , and prepucie is nouȝt, but the kepinge of [of the AGMNOPQSTVW.] comaundementis of God. [verse 20] Ech man in what clepyng he is clepid, in that dwelle he. [verse 21] Thou seruaunt [a seruaunt MPQ.] ert clepid, be it not to [Om. Q.] charge to thee; but if thou maist [myȝt W.] be fre, more vse thou [thou fredam Q.] . [verse 22] He that `in the Lord is clepid seruaunt [is seruaunt and is clepid in the Lord V.] , is fre man of the Lord. Also and he that [that is a V.] fre man is [and is V.] clepid, is the seruaunt of Crist. [verse 23] With prys ȝe ben bouȝt; nyle ȝe be maad seruauntis of men [men, that ȝe putte mannes seruyce byfore Godis seruyce Q.] . [verse 24] `Ech man therfor [Therfor ech man V.] in what clepinge he is clepid [clepid a brother V.] , `in that dwelle he [dwelle he in this V.] anentis God. [verse 25] Forsoth of virgyns I haue not [no NV.] precept [comaundement V.] of God; sothli [but V.] I ȝyue counceil, as hau|ynge mercy of the Lord, that I be trewe. [verse 26] Therfor I gesse, `or deme [Om. OVX.] , this [that this V.] thing for [Om. SVX.] `to be [is V.] good for present nede; for it is good to [for OT.] a man for [Om. SX.] to [Om. V.] be so. [verse 27] Thou art boundyn to [till O.] a wyf, nyle thou seke vnbyndyng; thou ert vnboundyn fro a wyf, nyle thou seke a wyf. [verse 28] Forsoth if thou hast taken a wyf, thou hast not synned; and if [Om. K.] a mayden be [is V.] weddid, she synned not; ne|thelees suche schulen haue tribulacioun of fleisch. [verse 29] Forsoth I spare ȝou. `And so [Ther|fore V.] , britheren, I seye this thing, The tyme is schort. The `tothir thing [residue V.] is, that and [Om. N.] thei [verse 30] that han wyues, be as not hauynge; and thei that wepen, as not wepynge; and thei that ioyen, as not ioyinge; and thei that [verse 31] byen, as not hauynge; and thei that vsen this world, as [as not vsinge W.] `thei that [Om. W. thei XY.] vsen [vsen it GMPQT. Om. W.] not [Om. W.] . For|soth [Forwhi V.] the figure [figure, or feirenesse, or prosperite Q.] of this world passith. [verse 32] Forsothe I wole ȝou [that ȝe V.] for [Om. SVX.] to [Om. V.] be withoute bisynesse. Sothli he that is withoute wyf

is bysy what thingis ben of the Lord, how he schal plese to [Om. V.] God. [verse 33] Forsoth [But V.] he that is with a wyf, is bisy what thingis ben of the world, how he schal plese the [his W.] wyf, and he is departid [departid, sumdel to God and sumdel to the world Q.] . [verse 34] And a womman vnweddid and mayden [a maiden N.] thenkith [thenken N.] what thingis ben of the Lord, that sche be hooly in body and spirit. Forsoth she that is weddid, thenkith what thingis ben of the world, how sche schal plese the [hir GMPQT.] hose|bonde. [verse 35] Sotheli I seye thes thingis to ȝoure profyt, not that I caste to [Om. X.] ȝou a snare, but to `that that [that at O.] is honest, and [and that V.] ȝyueth faculte, `or esynesse [Om. OX.] , with oute letting for [Om. SX.] to biseche to [Om. V sec. m.] the Lord. [verse 36] Sothli if ony [ony keper of virgyns Q. eny man V.] deme [gessith V.] him silf for [Om. SX.] to be seyn foul on his virgyne, that she is `wel old [ful woxen V.] , and so it bihoueth [bihoue X.] `for to [that it GMPQT. to S.] be don [don that sche take an hosbonde Q.] , do she [hir keper Q.] that [what MPQT. that that V.] she [he S.] wole; sche [he GMPQST.] synneth not, if sche [he GMS.] be weddid. [verse 37] Forwhi he that ordeynede stable [stabilly V.] , `or stedefast [ether stedefast O. Om. VX.] , in his herte, not hauynge nede, but hauynge power of his wille, and hath demyd in his herte `this thing [thees thenges O.] , for [Om. SX.] to kepe his virgyn [virginite O.] , doth well. [verse 38] Therfor he that ioyneth his virgyn in matrimonye, doth wel; and he that ioyn|eth not, doith bettere. [verse 39] The womman is boundyn to the lawe, how moche tyme hir hosebonde lyueth; that if hir hose|bonde `schal slepe [is ded V.] , `that is, die [Om. OVX.] , sche is delyuered fro the lawe, be she weddid to whom she wole, oonly in the Lord. [verse 40] For|soth [But V.] sche schal be more blessid, if sche `schal thus dwelle [shal dwelle thus MP. dwellith thus V.] , aftir my counceil; for|soth I wene, that and [Om. G pr. m. OV.] I haue the Spirit of God [God ȝeuynge this counseil Q.] .