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

[verse 1] And [P folio 81b] þerfore, my sone, be þou y-comforted in þe grace þat [verse 2] is in Iesu Crist of þilke þinges þat þou hast y-herd of me by many wytnesses, & þese þinges bytake þou to feiþful men, þat [P folio 94] mowen also techen oþer men. [verse 3] & trauayle þou as a good knyȝt of Iesu Crist. [verse 4] þer ne is no [no man serfiþ god repeated in the margin, 1st corr. S.] man serfynge God þat implyeþ hym-selfe to wordlyche doynges, þat [but þat P.] he plese hym to whom he haþ y-prefed hym-selfe. [verse 5] For he þat fyȝteþ in batayle ne schal noȝt ben y-crowned, bote ȝif he fyȝte leffullyche. [verse 6] & it byhoueþ þat þe erþe-tylyer þat trauayleþ furst perceyfen [perteynen P.] of þe fruytes. [verse 7] Vnderstonde what y seye to þe; for God wole ȝefe þe vndurstondynge in alle [in alle twice, S.] þinges. [verse 8] &

haue muynde þat Iesu Crist a-ros up from deþ to lyfe, of þe [om. P.] [verse 9] seed of Dauyd, aftur myn euangely: in whom y trauayle, for whom ich am y-bounde; bote Goddes word ne is noȝt y-bounde. [verse 10] & þer-fore al þing y suffre for hem þat beþ y-chosen, þat þei ben y-safed þoroȝ þe hele [here P.] of oure Lord Iesu Crist wiþ an hefnelyche blis. [verse 11] A trew word: Ȝef we beþ dede [verse 12] to-gedere with Crist, we schule lyfen to-gedere wiþ hym: & ȝef we suffreþ, we schulleþ regne to-gedere: & ȝef we for|sakeþ [verse 13] hym, he wole forsaken ous: ȝef we ne bylefeþ noȝt, he duelleþ stille trewe, & he ne may noȝt forsaken hym-selfen [S folio 82] . [verse 14] Þese þinges warne þou, witnessynge to-fore God, & ne stryfe þou noȝt in wordes, for þat is profytabel to no þing, bote to turnen hem up þat hereþ. [verse 15] And be bysy to ȝefe þi-selfen y-prefed to God, & a werk-man wiþ-outen schenschyp, tretynge ryȝtlyche þe word of trewþe. [verse 16] And schenye [P folio 94b] þou boþe wykked speches & veyn speches: for þei profyteþ muche [verse 17] to wykkednesse, & þe [om. P.] speche of hem crepeþ pryfelyche as [verse 18] a cancre: of whom Phylet [philep P.] & Ymene beþ, þat beþ y-fallen a-wey from þe trowþe, seyenge þat þe resurreccyoun of dede men is now y-don; & þei turneþ up þe feiþ of summe men. [verse 19] Bote þe stabel foundement of God stondeþ stylle, hafynge þys marke, Oure Lord haþ y-knowe þilke þat beþ of his: &, Eferich man departeþ hym-selfe fro wykkednesse þat clepeþ þe name of oure Lord. [verse 20] & in a gret hous þer beþ noȝt onlyche vesseles [repeated in the margin, 1st corr. S.] of gold & of sylfer, bote also of treo [treo expunged with wodde in the margin, later hand, S.] & of erþe; and summe beþ to worschupe, & summe to defoul. [verse 21] Bote who þat makeþ hym-self clene from þese, he schal ben a vessel y-halewed in-to worschupe, and profytabel to God, and redy to eferich good werk. [verse 22] & fleo þou þe desyres of ȝouþe, bote folewe þou ryȝtfulnesse, feiþ, charyte, & pes, wiþ þilke þat clepeþ þe name of oure Lord wiþ a clene herte. [verse 23] And schonye þou questyones of foly & þat beþ wiþ-outen techynge [S folio 82b] , knowynge þat þei bryngeþ forþ stryfynges. [verse 24] And it byhoueþ Godes serfaunt to ben no stryfere, bote good & softe to alle [verse 25] men, habel to ben y-tauȝt, pacyent, & wiþ softnesse amend|ynge

hem þat aȝeynstondeþ þe trewþe; ȝef þat God wole [verse 26] ȝefen hem myȝt for-to knowe þe trewþe, þat þei ascapen from [P folio 95] þe defeles grunnes, of whom þei beþ y-holde prysoneres after his wylle.