confirmacyoun of þe ende of eferich ple is an oþ. [verse 17] In þe whuche þing God, þat wolde schewen to eyres þe immebelnesse of his [verse 18] conseyl, putte by-twene a gret oþ: þat þorow tweyne im|mebel þinges, in þe whuche it [S folio 67] is im-possybel for God to lye, we han þe strengest solas; we þat goþ to-gedere to [verse 19] holde þis forseyd hope, þe whuche we han as a syker & a stabel anker of oure soule, & goynge in-to þe inwardnesse [in om. P.] [verse 20] of þe huydynge; wher Iesus, oure byfore-goere, entred in for ous, y-mad an eferlastynge byschop aftur Melchysedekes ordre.
[verse 1] For þes Melchysedek [melchysedek repeated in the margin, 1st corr. S.] , kyng of Salem, and a prest of þe heyeste God, þat mette wiþ Abraham whenne he [P folio 77b] come [verse 2] aȝeyn from þe sleynge of kynges, & blessed hym, to whom Abraham departed þe tenþinges of al his good; & he was furst y-cleped Kyng of ryȝtfulnesse, & afturward Kyng of [verse 3] Salem, þat is, Kyng of pees; wiþ-outen fadur, wiþ-outen moder, wiþ-outen kynrede, nouþer hade [he] bygynnynge of his dayes ne ende of his lyf, bote y-lykned to Goddes Sone, he duelleþ stille an eferlastynge prest. [verse 4] Bote byholdeþ how gret þes is, to [& to S.P.] whom Abraham ȝef tenþinges þat was on of þe moste worþy patryarkes. [verse 5] For þilke þat weren of þe children of Leui þat vnderfongen presthod haden a comaundement to take tenþinges of þe pepel, after þe lawe of hure owne breþeren, þouȝ þat þei passeden out of Abrahames lendes. [verse 6] Bote he whos generacyoun ne is noȝt y-nombred a-mong hem tok tenþinges of Abraham, & blessed hym þat hade þe re|promyssyones. [verse 7] Bote wiþ-outen any aȝeyn-seyenge [S folio 67b] þat þing þat is lasse is yblessed of þat þing þat is beter. [verse 8] & here men þat dyeþ takeþ tenþinges; bote þere it is y-wytnessed þat he lyfeþ. [verse 9] And ȝef it mowe be seyd so, by Abraham Leui, þat [verse 10] vnderfong ten-þinges, was y-tenþed; for he was ȝet in his fader lendes, whanne þat Melchysedek mette wiþ hym. [verse 11] And þer-fore ȝef þer hade [P folio 78] y-ben an ende by þe presthod of Leui—for vnder þat [þe P.] presthod þe pepel vnderfong þe lawe—what had it be nedful þat þer hade rysen up an-oþer prest aftur
