[verse 1] My dere breþeren, I wryte þis vnto ȝow to be ȝoure secunde pistil in þe whyche I stere ȝoure ful clere myndes þorowe biddynge & bysekynge, [verse 2] þat ȝe þenke vpon þe wordis þat Crist haþ spoken vnto ȝowe and of þe apostelus wordes, & also of þe prophetes, & of þe comawndementis of oure Lord & oure Sauyour. [verse 3] & wyte ȝe wel þat first þer schal come in þe laste dayes bygyleris to disceyue, þat schal rewel hem aftur þeir owne lustus & þer lykynges, [verse 4] & ^bschul seye (þat is, of Crist to helpe & to deme)*. [^b-b Underlined.] Where is his byheste, or where is his comynge? Seþen þat þe olde fadrus were deede, ȝut alle þinge lastuþ þus fro þe bygynnynge of eche creature. [verse 5] But þei haue no mynde how þat he made heuene & erþe, see & londe, & alle þorow his worde. [verse 6] Þorow þe whuche word he distroyede þanne þorow flowynge water al þe worlde, [folio 71b] saue a fewe þat were kept. [verse 7] Soþly þe heuenys þat now ben & erþe wiþ þe same worde—þat is, to heuene schal be fordon & erþe schal brenne—beþ maked a-ȝeyn, & kepte vnto þe fyre on þe day of dome, & vnto þe day of lesynge & peryschynge of þe wickede men. [verse 8] But o þinge, my dere breþeren, be knowen to ȝow & not hyde, þat o day wiþ God is as it were a þousande ȝeere, & a þousande ȝere but as it were o day. [verse 9] God taryeþ not in þinges þat he haþ byhette as some folke wene; but sufferyngelyche he abyduþ vs, willynge þat none perysche: but he wile þat alle be turned to penawnce in a-mendynge of here lyf. [verse 10] Soþfastly þe day of God sodeynly schal come as a þef vnwarned, in whos comynge hastyly heuenes schul passe (þat is, heuenly soules schul passe fro þe dredeful dome vnto þe blisse of heuene)*. [Underlined.], þe elementes soþly þorow hete schul be vndone, & þorow brennynge of fyre þei schul be wastud, þe erþe soþly & alle þinges þat schal be þere-inne, alle þei schul be brent. [verse 11] Þerfore syþen alle þes beþ to be vndone, how nedeful is it þanne to us to be holy in lyfynge & pyte, [folio 72] [verse 12] abydynge & makynge us redy aȝeyn þe dredful comynge of oure Lord Iesu Criste, þorow whom heuenes brennynge Page  221 schul be vndone, & þe elementis þorow brennynge of fyre schul fayle. [verse 13] Soþfastly newe heuenes & newe erþe we abyde & his byhestes, in þe whyche ryȝtwysnes dwelliþ. [verse 14] Wherfore abydynge þes þinges, my dere breþeren, bysy ȝow to be founden a-nentes him in pees vnsoyled & vnfouled, [verse 15] & trowiþ wel þat þe longe a-bydynge of oure Lord Iesu Crist is for oure hele, ryȝt as oure dere broþur Poule, aftur þe witte þat was ȝeuen him, wrote vnto ȝow; [verse 16] & as he in alle his pistelys spake of þes þinges, in þe whyche somme beþ harde to vndurstonde, þat þei þat be vnstable & vn-tauȝt deprauen, as þei don oþur wrytynges, vnto þeire oune dampnacyon. [verse 17] And þerfore, ȝe my breþeren, knowiþ it byfore, kepeþ ȝoure-self, þat þorow þe errour of hem þat beþ vnwyse ȝe be nouȝt deceyuyd, fallynge fro ȝoure firste strengþe. [verse 18] But beþ wexynge in grace & in þe knowynge of oure Saueoure Iesu Crist; to him be ioye & worschupe, worlde wiþ-outen ende. Amen.