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

[verse 1] Wherefore doþ a-wey alle malice & alle treccherye & alle feynynges & enuyes & alle bakbytynges, [verse 2] as children þat be now bore, koueytynge resonable mylke, [folio 63b] wiþ-outen trecherye, þat ȝee helfully wexe þer-wiþ: [verse 3] but not forþi ȝee haf tasted how swete oure Lord is.

[verse 4] Drawe ȝow to him þat is þe leuynge stone, reproued of men, but chosen soþely of God, & honoured; [verse 5] & ȝe as quyke stones beþ maked in worke, in gostly houses, holy presthode, to offure gostly offrynges þat beþ acceptable to God þorow Iesu Criste. [verse 6] Wherfore is conteynyd in holy writt [ysay in margin.] , Lo, I schal putte in Syon a stone hyȝest cornarde, precyous and chosen, & eche þat troweþ in him schal not be confounded: [verse 7] þerfore to ȝou þat troweþ, honour: to hem þat troweþ not he is made a stone þat was reproued, & kaste a-wey of hem þat housed, heere he is maked a heued stone in þe corner, (þat is, þat makeþ boþe one in charite) [underlined.] [verse 8] & he is a stomblynge stone, & to sporne aȝeyn, & a stone of sclawndre to hem þat stumblen þer|aȝeyn þorow worde, & troweþ not; in whom þei beþ putte (þat is, in whom is here dome or þeire sauacyoun putte) [underlined.] . [verse 9] Ȝe soþeliche beþ a chosen kynrede, ryal presthode, a holy folke, peple i-chose (þat is, gete þorw passyoun & bore þorw bapteme) [underlined.] ; þat ȝe schulde schewe þe vertu of him þat cleped ȝow fro derknesse in-to his merueilouse lyȝt; [verse 10] þe whuche some tyme were not his folke, now soþely ȝe beþ Godes folke; þe whuche some tyme folwyd not [folio 64] aftur mercy, now soþely ȝe folwe þer-aftur.

[verse 11] My deere frendes, I beseche ȝow as comelynge[s] & pilgrymes, þat ȝe

absteyne ȝow fro fleschely desyres, þe whuche stryuen aȝeyn þe sowle; [verse 12] hauynge ȝoure conuersacyoun good a-mong þe gentylis; (þat is, a-mong þe puple þat is not trewely turned, to teche hem boþe in lyuynge & also in ȝoure soule) [underlined.] þat whanne þei speke yuel of ȝow by-hynde ȝow and sey ȝe beþ yuel-doeris, þat þei may byholde ȝoure good deedis, & so þat þei may wor|schupe God in þe day of vysitynge. [verse 13] Beþ sogettis to alle mannes creature (þat is, to eche man or womman þat is Godes creature) [underlined.] , for God (þat is, for Godes loue in þinges þat beþ lefful wiþ þe wille of God) [underlined.] : oþur to a kynge, as he þat is ouer þe; [verse 14] oþur to dukes, as to hem þat beþ fro hem sentte to vengeaunce of yuel doeris, & soþely preysynge to good doaris. [verse 15] For so is þe wille of God, þat ȝe make hem þat doþ wel to wexe dombe (þat is, to holde hem stille wiþ-outen preysynge of here good deede, or, on þis wyse) [underlined.] þat ȝe þat do wel make dou[m]e [cf. 2 Pet ii 16; MS. doune.] þe vnkonyngenesse of vnwyse men (þat is to mene, þat ȝe þorw ȝoure good lyf & ȝoure good speche & sufferynge ȝyfe suche ensample to þe vnwise recheles, þat þei may take ensample, & so of here [folio 64b] yuel wordes & deedus waxe dombe) [underlined.] ; [verse 16] as ȝe þat beþ fre, & not as þei þat haue filþe of chorlhede (þat is, bondage to synne) [underlined.] , & hauynge frenesse of malice, but as þe seruawntes of God. [verse 17] Beþ sogettis to alle creatures of mankynde, for loue of God; worschupeþ ȝoure kynges [verse 18] & her mynystris in alle drede to ȝoure lordes, not only to þe goode & debonere, but also vn-to trwawntes. [verse 19] Soþly þis is grace, for who suffereþ for con|syence of God (þat is, for þat he wul not do aȝeyn consience, leuynge þe wille of God) [underlined.] heuynesse or wo sufferiþ in vnriȝtwysnesse, [verse 20] þe whuche is grace, if þat ȝe synne & þerfore be smeten in þe necke, ȝe suffre it (& þat riȝtwysly) [underlined.] . But if þat ȝe do wel & þanne paciently suffre (heuynesse & wronges) [underlined.] , þis is grace a-nentis God (þat is, þat grace ȝe haue of God) [underlined.] . [verse 21] & soþely here-to ȝe ben clepid: for Crist sufferid for ȝow, leeuynge ensample þat ȝe folowe his trace: [verse 22] þat neuere dide synne, ne neuere was trecherie in his mouþe founde: [verse 23] þe whuche whan he was mysseyde, he mysseyde not a-ȝeyn; whan þat he schulde suffre, he curside not [underlined.] aȝeyn [underlined.] ; he soþly tooke him-self to þe iuge þat demyd him vnriȝtwisly; [verse 24] þe whuche bar oure synnys in his body (peyne, wowndes & wo, þat he for oure synne suffrede) [underlined.] up-on þe rode-tre: þat we to synnys schulde be de [folio 65] de, & soþly lyue riȝtwisly: þorow whos peyne ȝee beþ helud. [verse 25] Soþly ȝe were as scheep strayȝenge a-boute (departynge from þe flocke) [underlined.] , but now ȝe beþ turned to þe hurde & þe bischop of ȝoure sowlis.