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

CAP. III.

[verse 1] Lo [Loo, ȝe most dereworthe britheren V.] ! I wrijte to ȝou [ȝou, moost dere N.] this [the A.] secounde epi|stle [pistle PQ.] , in which I stire ȝoure cleer [clene T.] soule in [and AQX. bi V.] [verse 2] monestinge to gydere, that ȝe be myndeful of the [tho ASVX.] wordis, that I bifore seide of holy [the hooly V.] prophetis, and of the maundementis of [verse 3] holy apostlis of [and of O.] the Lord sauyour [and Sauyour V.] ; first witynge [wite ȝee V.] this thing, that in the laste dayes illusours [deceyuours O. scorneris V.] , `or scorners, or deceyuours [Om. O. or scorners Q. either disseyuouris V. or disseyueris X.] , shulen come [bicome T.] in deceyt, goynge aftir hir [verse 4] owne coueitinges, seiynge, Where is biheste [the beheste X.] , or the [Om. Q.] comyng, of him? forsothe [for forsothe S. For V.] sith fadirs slepten [slepten, either dijeden V.] , so alle thinges lasten fro the bigynnynge of creature. [verse 5] Sotheli it daarith [is hid fro V.] hem willinge this thing, that heuenes weren bifore [first O.] , and the [Om. O.] erthe of watir and bi watir beynge, `or stondinge [Om. Q.] , [verse 6] to gydere bi Goddis word; bi whiche thingis `that ilke [that thilk G. thilke S. that X.] world clensid thanne perischide. [verse 7] Forsothe the [Om. S.] heuenes that now ben, and the erthe [erthe ben put aȝen V.] , bi the same word

`put aȝen [and V.] , ben kept to fijr [the fier N.] in to the day of dome and perdicioun [lesyng O.] of vnpitouse men. [verse 8] Forsothe, ȝe [my O.] moost dere, oo thing `daare ȝou not [be not hid to ȝou V.] , `or be not unknowun [Om. OVX.] , for [that V.] oo day anentis God as [is as V.] a [Om. N.] thousynd ȝeeres [ȝer X.] , and a thousynd ȝeer [ȝeeris ANOQV.] as [ben as V.] oo day. [verse 9] The Lord tarieth not his biheest [bihestis X.] , as `sum men [summen AGT. summe NQS.] gessen [wenen N.] , but he doith paciently for ȝou, `not willinge [and wole not V.] ony [that eny men V.] for [Om. SVX.] to [Om. V.] perische, but [but that V.] alle for [Om. SVX.] to [Om. V.] turne aȝen to penaunce. [verse 10] Forsothe the day of the [oure O.] Lord shal come as a theef, in which heuenes with greet bire, `or feers|nesse [Om. OQX. or feerdenesse T.] , shulen passe [bipasse T.] , sotheli elementes shulen be dissolued bi heete, forsothe [sothely O.] the erthe, and alle werkes that ben in it, shulen be brent. [verse 11] Therefore whan alle thes thinges shulen be `to be [Om. QVX.] dissolued [dis|solued, either departid V.] , what maner men bihoueth [it byhoueth ANOQSX. bihoueth it V.] ȝou for [Om. SX.] to be in holy [verse 12] lyuyngis and pitees, abidynge [bydynge O.] and hiȝinge in to the comynge of the day of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom [which V.] heuenes bren|nynge shulen be dissolued, and [Om. O.] elementes [elementis schulen faile V.] bi brennynge [heete O.] , `or heete [Om. OQX.] , of fijr [the fyer O.] `shulen fayle [Om. V.] . [verse 13] Sotheli we abijden up [bi V.] his biheestes [biheest N.] newe heuenes and newe erthe, in whiche riȝtwisnesse dwellith. [verse 14] For which thing, ȝe moost dere, abijdinge thes [Om. O.] thinges, bisye [bisieth ANX. be besy V.] for [Om. SX.] to be founde to him in pees vnspottid and vnfoulid [vndefoulid STV.] . [verse 15] And deme ȝe the longe abijdinge of oure Lord ȝoure helthe, as and [Om. O.] oure moost dere [dere|worthe Q.] brother [Om. OQ.] Poul wroot to ȝou, up [bi V.] wisdom ȝouun to him. [verse 16] As and in alle epistlis spekinge [he spekinge G.] `in hem [Om. O.] of thes thingis; in whiche ben summe harde thinges in vndirstondinge, the [Om. V.] whiche vnwijse [vntauȝt O.] , `or vntauȝt [Om. NOQVX.] , and vnstable men deprauen, as and [Om. O.] othere scriptures [scripture S.] , to her owne perdicioun [perdicioun, either dampnacioun V.] . [verse 17] Therfore ȝe [Om. S.] , britheren, bifore witynge kepe [kepith QSX.] ȝou [ȝoure GQT.] silf, lest ȝe ouerled, `or deceyued [Om. X.] , bi errour of

vnwijse men, falle [ȝee falle S.] awey fro ȝoure owne sadnesse. [verse 18] Forsothe [But V.] wexe ȝe in grace [the grace AGNOSTVXY.] and knowinge of oure Lord Jhesu Crist and oure Sauyour; to him [him be V.] glory and [bothe V.] now and in to [Om. S.] the day of euerelastingenesse. Amen.