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

[verse 1] Bute breþeren, we preyeþ ȝou by þe comynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist, & of oure congregacion in-to [S folio 61b] þe same þing, [verse 2] þat ȝe ben [ne ben P.] noȝt sone y-mefed from ȝoure wyt, ne þat ȝe ben noȝt afrayed, as þouȝ þe day of oure Lord were y-come, nouþer by epystel, as þoȝ heo were y-send from [P folio 71] ous, ne by spiryt, ne [verse 3] by word; ne no man bygyle ȝou in no manere: for bote ȝif þat þer come dissencyoun furst, & he be y-schewed, þat is [verse 4] man of sunne & child of perdycyoun, þat is aduersary & y-hofen up a-bofen alle þinge þat is y-cleped God oþer heryed, so þat he sytte in þe temple [tempele repeated in the margin, 1st corr. S.] of God, schewynge hym|selfe as þouȝ he were a God. [verse 5] Ne holde ȝe noȝt, þat þese þynges y sayde to ȝou, whyles þat ich was wiþ ȝou? [verse 6] & þat wiþholdeþ now ȝe knoweþ, þat he be y-schewed in his tyme. [verse 7] For he wercheþ now þe mystery of wykkednesse: onlyche þat he þat holdeþ now, holde he, forto he [he altered from be, S. be P.] be y-don out of þe myddel. [verse 8] And þanne þilke wykked schal ben y-schewed, whom oure Lord Iesus schal slen wiþ þe spiryt of his mouþ, & schal distroyen hym þoroȝ þe schynynge & þe brytnesse of [verse 9] his comynge; hym, whos comynge is þoroȝ þe worchynge of [verse 10] Sathanas in eferich vertu & sygnes & false wondres, & in eferych bygylynge of wykkednesse to þilke þat [þ ^t inserted above the line in a later hand, S.] peryscheþ;

for þei ne haueþ noȝt resceyued þe charite of treuþe þat þei weren y-maad saf. & þerfore God schal sende to hem a [verse 11] worchynge of errour, þat þei bylefen to lesynge; & þat alle þei ben y-demed þat bylefeþ noȝt to þe trewþe, bote as|senteden to wykkednesse. [verse 12] Bote we oweþ efermore [P folio 71b] to þanke God for ȝow, þat [S folio 62] beþ y-lofed of God, þat God haþ y-chosen ous þe furste fruyt in-to hele in þe [om. P.] holynesse of [verse 13] Spiryt & feiþ of trewþe, in þe whuche God haþ y-cleped ȝou by oure [ȝoure P.] euangelye, in getynge of þe blisse of God & of oure Lord Iesu Crist. [verse 14] & þerfore, breþeren, stonde ȝe, & holdeþ þe tradicyones þat ȝe han y-lerned, wheþer it be by word, oþer by oure epistel. [verse 15] And oure Lord Iesu Crist, & God oure Fader þat lofed ous & haþ y-ȝefen ous an eferlastynge com|fort [verse 16] & a good hope in grace, conferme ȝoure hertes in eferich good werk & good word.