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

II. PETER.

[verse 1] Symon [C ^m 1^m in margin in an early hand, S.] Peter, Iesu Cristes seruaunt & apostel, to þilke þat haueþ euene feiþ wiþ ous, [in] [P. & S.] þe [om. P.] riȝtfulnesse of oure God,

[verse 2] & oure Sauyour Iesu Crist: Grace & pes be fulfillyd to ȝou in þe knowynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist. [verse 3] How alle þinges beþ y-graunted to us, to lif & to pyte, of þe vertue of his god|hede, þoroȝ þe knowynge of hym þat haþ y-cleped ous þoroȝ [verse 4] his owene blisse & his vertue; by whom he haþ y-graunted ous grete byhestes & precyouse; þat we ben y-maad by hym felawes of þe kynde of þe godhede, fleynge þe corrupcyoun þat is in þe worlde. [verse 5] And ȝe wiþ al ȝoure bysynesse mynystreþ [verse 6] in ȝoure feiþ vertu, in vertu connynge [comynge P. nota in the margin, S.] , in connynge [comynge P. nota in the margin, S.] absty|nence, [verse 7] in abstynence pacyence, in pacyence pyte, in pyte loue of bryþerhed [broþerhede P.] , in [& P.] loue of bryþerhede charyte. [verse 8] And ȝef þese þinges ben in ȝow, þei ne schuleþ noȝt make ȝow veyn ne wiþ-outen fruyt [P folio 20] in þe knowynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist. [verse 9] And he þat haþ noȝt þese þinges, he is blynd, and gropynge wiþ his hond, & forȝeteþ þe purgacyoun of his olde synnes. [verse 10] And þerfore, breþeren, be ȝe aboute to [S folio 17b] maken ȝoure clepynge & ȝoure chesynge certeyn by ȝoure goode werkes: & doynge [verse 11] þese þynges ȝe schulleþ do no synne: & so þer schal be i-mynystred [the i inserted later above the line, S.] to ȝow plentyuouslyche an entre in-to þe euer|lastynge kyngdom of oure Lord & oure Sauyour Iesu Crist. [verse 12] Wharfore ich wole by-gynne to warne ȝow of þese þinges, þat knoweþ & beþ y-confermed in þis present trewþe. [verse 13] For y deme þat it is ryȝtful, as longe as ich am in þis tabernakel, to [verse 14] arere ȝow up in warnynge; For ich am certeyn þat þe doynge awey of my tabernakel is nyȝ, as oure Lord Iesu Crist haþ y-sygnyfyed to me. [verse 15] And ich wole ȝeue my dylygence to haue ȝow fele syþes after my deþ þat ȝe maken mynde of þese þinges. [verse 16] For we ne haueþ noȝt y-folewed vnwyse fables & y-mad ȝow knowen þe vertue of oure Lord, bote we weren y-mad by-holderes of his gretnesse. [verse 17] For he vnderfong of God þe Fader worschyp & blisse, of a voys þat slod a-doun to hym from þe grete blisse [e in the margin, S.] of þe Fadur & seyde, Þis is my leue sone, in whom ich am y-plesed [wel y plesed P.] ; y-here [y om. P.] ȝe hym. [verse 18] And þis voys we herden come from heuene, when we weren wiþ hym in þe holy hul [P folio 20b] . [verse 19] & we han a more syker word of

prophecye, to whom ȝef ȝe takeþ kepe to, ȝe doþ wel, as to a lyȝt þat brenneþ in a dark place, forte [til P.] þe [om. P.] day bygynne to schyne, & þe day-sterre aryse up in ȝoure hertes. [verse 20] And furst vnderstonde ȝe, þat eueriche prophecye of scripture ne is [verse 21] noȝt y-mad in his owene interpretacyoun: For prophecye ne is noȝt y-brouȝt of a mannes [S folio 18] owene wylle: bote holy men han y-spoke as þe Holy Spiryt of God hath enspyred hem.

[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.

[verse 1] And [C ^m 3^m in the margin in an early hand, S.] lo, my leueste frendes, y write to ȝow þis [þe P.] seconde [verse 2] epystel [P folio 22] to stere ȝow in-to warnynge to a cler þouȝt [u added above line in darker ink, S.] , þat ȝe

han mynde of þilke wordes þat ich haue y-sayd ȝow of holy prophetes & aposteles, of þe holy comaundementis of oure Lord & oure Safyour. [verse 3] And knowe ȝe [we P.] furst, þat þer schuleþ comen men in þe laste dayes in deceyt gylours, walkynge [verse 4] after hure owene couey[ti]se [coueyse S. coueytise P.] , & seyenge, Where is þe by|heste oþer þe [þo P.] comynge of hym? For, seþþe þat oure fadres habbeþ y-slept, alle þinges abydeþ stylle from þe bygynnynge of creatures. [verse 5] Bote to þilke þat han þis wyl it is y-hud from hem, For hefne was sumtyme, and erþe, of watyr & abydynge þoroȝ watyr by þe word of God. [verse 6] By whom þe world was þo y-clensed & perysched by watyr. [verse 7] Bote hefnes þat beþ now [erasure of two letters after the w, S.] , & þe erþe, þoroȝ þe same word beþ y-kept to fuyr in-to þe day of dome, & of perdycyoun of wycked men. [verse 8] Bote naþeles, my dere frendes [Opposite verse 8 an e and nota in the margin, S.] , þis on þing ne be noȝt y-hud from ȝow, þat on day is to-fore God as a þousande ȝeres [ȝer P.] , & a þousande ȝeer [& a þousande ȝeer om. P.] as on day. [verse 9] And God ne targeþ noȝt his byheste as summe men weneþ; bote doþ pacyentlyche for ȝow, & nul none men [S folio 19b] perysche, Bote þat alle men ben y-turnyd aȝeyn to penaunce. [verse 10] And þe day of oure Lord schal comen as a þef; in þe whuche day hefne schal passen in a gret hastynesse, & þe elementes schuleþ ben vnbounde þoroȝ hete [inserted in a later hand, P.] , & [P folio 22b] þe erþe & al þe werkes þat beþ þer-ynne [þer in margin, 1st corrector's hand, S.] schuleþ ben y-brand. [verse 11] And seþþe alle þese þinges schuleþ ben vndon, Whyche byhoueþ it þat we ben in [verse 12] holy conuersacyones & pytees, abydynge & hyȝenge in þe comynge of oure Lord, þorouȝ whom brennynge hefnes schuleþ ben vndon, & þe elementys schuleþ roten þoroȝ þe hete of þe [þat P.] fuyr? [verse 13] & we abydeþ newe hefnes & a newe erþe & his byhestes, in þe whuche riȝtfulnesse woneþ ynne. [verse 14] And þerfore, my dereste breþeren, be ȝe abydynge wiþ-outen wem and vndefouled, & schape ȝe ȝow to ben y-founden in pes. [verse 15] & deme þat þe longe a-bydynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist is [deprafeþ is written in the margin in the 1st corrector's hand, S.] hele, as oure dereste broþer Poule, aftyr þe wysdom þat was [verse 16] y-grauntyd hym, wrot to ȝou; as he haþ y-don in his oþer

pysteles; in whom he spekeþ many harde þinges to vnder|stonden, þe whuche vnstabel men & vntauȝt deprafeþ, as þei doþ oþer scriptures, to hure owne dampnacyoun. [verse 17] And þer|fore, my breþeren, seþþe ȝe knowe þese þinges byfore, kepeþ ȝow-selfe, þat ȝe ben noȝt y-lad in þe errour of vn-wyse men, & fallen awey þoroȝ ȝoure owene infirmyte. [verse 18] Bote waxe ȝe in þe knowynge & in þe grace of oure [ȝoure P.] Lord Iesu Crist oure Sauyour; to hym be blysse now & efermore her-aftur. De[o] [deu with u in darker ink on erasure, S.] gracias?