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

[verse 1] And [C ^m 2^m precedes in an early hand, S.] þer han ben her byfore false prophetys in þe pepel, as þer schulen ben her-after a-mong ȝow maystres of lesynges, þat schuleþ bryngen in sectes [sectes repeated in margin, 1st corrector's hand, S.] of perdycyoun, & forsakynge [forsaken P.] hure Lord þat haþ y-bouȝt hem, & bryngynge an hasty per|dicyoun to hem-selfen. [verse 2] & many schul swe her leccheryes, by whom þe weye of trewþe schal ben blasphemed. [verse 3] And þei schuleþ chaffaren of ȝow wiþ feyned [fined P.] wordis in here couetyse: bote hure dom ne cesseþ noȝt, ne hure perdicyoun ne slepeþ noȝt. [verse 4] For ȝef God ne sparyd not aungelis þat synneden, bote þrew hem doun in-to helle, & toke hem to ben y-turmentyd [verse 5] & y-kept to þe dom; And ȝef he ne spared not þe orygynal worlde [word P.] & kept Noe þe eyȝteþe man, þat was a bedel & a fore-goere of ryȝtfulnesse, & broȝte a gret flod in-to þe [verse 6] worlde of wycked men; & ȝef he ouer-turned þe cytees of Sodom & Gomor [P folio 21] , & turned hem in-to axen [aschen P.] , & dampned, & putte hem þe ensampel of hem þat schulden don wyck|edlyche; [verse 7] & delyuered Loth þat was a ryȝtful man and oppressed of þe iniurye of wycked men & of hure leccherous [verse 8] conuersacioun: for boþe in byholdynge and in herynge he was ryȝtful, wonynge among hem þat from day to day þoroȝ hure wycked werkes turmenteden a ryȝtful soule. [verse 9] & God can delyueren goode men out of temptacioun, & kepen wycked men in-to þe day of dom, to ben y-turmented in [verse 10] peynes; & raþere hem þat walkeþ aftur þe flesch in couetyse of vnclannesse [S folio 18b] , & despyseþ þe lordschupe; bo[l]dylyche ple|synge to hem-selfe ne dredeþ noȝt to bryngen in sectes [verse 11] blasphemynge God, wher þat aungeles, þat beþ grettere in

strengþe & in vertue, ne bereþ noȝt þe bittur dom þat is aȝeyn hem. [verse 12] And þese beþ as vnresonabel bestes, kyndelyche in-to takynge & in-to deþ, blasphemynge in þinges þat þei knoweþ noȝt, in hure corrupcyoun þei schulen peryschen, vnderfongynge þe mede of vnryȝtfulnesse. [verse 13] Þese weneþ þat lustes ben delyces [delytes P.] of day [in later hand on erasure, S.] , & beþ fulfylled wiþ þe delyces of wem of defoulynge, & doþ leccherye wiþ ȝow in hure [verse 14] leccheryes; and haueþ yen [þan P.] ful of avoutrye, & of gult þat may noȝt cessen; deceyfynge soules vnstabel [& vnstabel S, P.] ; habbeþ hure [verse 15] herte y-stered to coueytyse; children of cursynge; & leuynge þe [P folio 21b] ryȝte weye han y-erred & han [om. P.] y-swed [y, om. P.] þe weye of Baalam [verse 16] & Booȝor, þat loued þe mede of wyckednesse; bote he had a doumbe beste þat was vnder ȝok a mendement of his wodnesse, spekynge in mannys voys, þat forbed þe vnkun|nyngnesse of þe prophete. [verse 17] Þese beþ welles wiþouten water, & cloudes y-dryfen a-boute wiþ whirlynge wyndes, to whom þe dymschyp of derknesse is y-kept to. [verse 18] & spekynge in pruyde of vanyte bygyleþ in þe desyres of þe leccherye of hure flesch þilke þat fleþ a luytel weye from hem; & þei [verse 19] haueþ hure conuersacyoun in errour, byhotynge to hem fredom & beþ hem-selfen seruauntis of corrupcyoun. For of whom a man is ofercome, his serfaunt he is. [verse 20] For ȝef men flen þe defoulynge of þe world in þe knowynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist, & afterward medlen wiþ þe same þinges, & ben ofercomen of hem, hure [S folio 19] later doynges beþ worse þan þe raþer. [verse 21] For it were beter to hem noȝt for-to knowe þe weye of ryȝtfulnes, þan, after þe knowynge, turnen hem aȝeynward from þe holy commaundement þat is y-take to hem. [verse 22] And to hem falleþ þe seyenge of þe trewe [trewþe P.] prouerbe, Þe hound [u inserted above the line, S.] haþ y-turned hym aȝeyn forto caste, & þe sowe is y-wasche in þe gaseyn of fen.