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

[verse 1] Iamys [Douce 250 folio 58] þe seruaunt of God & of oure Lord Iesu Criste, to þe twelue kynredis þat beþ spred a-brode, gretynge wel. [verse 2] My deere breþeren, wite ȝee & hopeþ alle ioye whanne þat ȝe been in many temptacyonus, [verse 3] wite ȝee wel þat prouynge of ȝoure feiþ worcheþ pacyence. [verse 4] Pacience soþeliche haþ a parfyte worke, þat ȝee be parfit & hole, faylynge in no þinge. [verse 5] & whuche of ȝow so haþ nede of wysdom, aske of God þat ȝeueþ plentyuously to alle, & withstonde him nouȝte, & it schal be ȝoue to him. [verse 6] Aske he soþely in feiþ, nouȝte faylynge: for soþely he þat is faylynge (þat is, faylynge in þe feiþ) [Underlined in red ink.] he is lyke to þe flowynge of þe see þe whuche is meuyd wiþ þe wynde & bore a-boute. [verse 7] & þerfore trowe he noȝt þat is suche a man eny þinge to take of God. [verse 8] A man of double wille is vnstable in alle weyes. [verse 9] Soþely make he ioye þat is a meke broþer in his hye state, [verse 10] a riche man soþely make ioye in his mekenesse. For as þe floure of þe heyȝe schal he passe. [verse 11] Soþely þe sunne wiþ his hete dryeþ the heyȝe; [& hi]s [MS. defaced here.] floure fallith, & þe fayrnesse of his semblante peryschiþ: so schal þe riche man in his weyes wexe drye.

[verse 12] Blessid is þat man þat suffreþ temptacyon: for whanne he is prouyd, he schal take þe coroune of lyf þat God haþ byhote to hem þat louen him. [verse 13] No man whan he is temptud seiþ, I am tempted of God: soþely God is an vntemptar of wickede men, soþely he tempteþ no man. [verse 14] But echone for-soþe is temptyd [folio 58b] , of his desyris wiþ-drawen, & oute of him|self ledde. [verse 15] & so whan wille haþ conseyuyd, it bryngeþ forþ synne: soþely synne whan it is endyd engendereþ deeþ. [verse 16] & þerfore, my lefe breþeren, ne wele ȝee noȝt erre. [verse 17] Alle þe beste þing þat is ȝeue & alle parfite ȝefte it is from a-boue, comynge down from þe Fadir of lyȝte, wiþ whom is no chaungynge, ne no derknesse of synne. [verse 18] Soþely wiþ his good fre wille he gate us þurgh þe word of soþfastnesse, þat we be some bygynnynge of his creature. [verse 19] Wyte ȝee, my deere loued breþeren, be euery man smert for-to here & late for-to speke & late vn-to yre: [verse 20] soþely þe wraþþe of man wurcheþ noȝt þe riȝtwisnesse of God. [verse 21] & þerfore kastynge a-wey alle vnclennesse & abundaunce of malice, [in] [MS. &.] myldenesse takeþ to drynke þe word, þat may saue ȝoure soulis.

[verse 22] Beþ also doeres of þe word & wyrcheres, but not only þe hereres, disceyuynge ȝoure-selfe. [verse 23] For who-so is herere of Godes worde, & not doere, he may be lykkened to a man þat byldeþ þe semblaunt of his birþe in a myroure: [verse 24] he byhelde him soþly, & ȝede a-wey, & a-noon he haþ forȝete what he was. [verse 25] For-soþe he þat lokeþ in þe lawe of parfite frenesse, and dwelliþ þer-inne, he is not maked a forȝetful hyrer, but a doere of þe worke: here in his deede he schal be blessid. [verse 26] Soþely who-so wenyþ him-self þat he be religyous, noȝt wiþ-holdynge his tunge but disseyuynge his herte, veyne is his religyoun. [verse 27] Clene religioun & vnfiled as [folio 59] to God & þe Fadur is þis, to vysite fadurles children, & wydows in here tribulacyoun, & from al þis worlde to kepe hem clene, vnfouled. [Capitulum ii follows.]