Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]So a man gesse vs, as mynystris of Crist, and dispenderis of the mynysteries of God. [2]Now it is souyt here among the dispenderis, that a man be foundun trewe. [3]And to me it is for the leest thing, that Y be demyd of you, or of mannus dai; but nether Y deme my silf. [4]For Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf, but not in this thing Y am iustified; for he that demeth me, is the Lord. [5]Therfor nyle ye deme bifore the tyme, til that the Lord come, which schal liytne the hyd thingis of derknessis, and schal schewe the counseils of hertis; and thanne preisyng schal be to ech man of God. [6]And, britheren, Y haue transfigurid these thingis in to me and in to Apollo, for you; that in vs ye lerne, lest ouer that it is writun, oon ayens another be blowun with pride for another. [7]Who demeth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? And if thou hast resseyued, what gloriest thou, as thou haddist not resseyued? [8]Nowe ye ben fyllid, now ye ben maad riche; ye regnen with outen vs; and Y wolde that ye regnen, that also we regnen with you. [9]And Y gesse, that God schewide vs the laste apostlis, as thilke that ben sent to the deth; for we ben maad a spectacle to the world, and to aungels, and to men. [10]We foolis for Crist, but ye prudent in Crist; we sike, but ye stronge; ye noble, but we vnnoble. [11]Til in to this our we hungren, and thirsten, and ben nakid, and ben smytun with buffatis, [12]and we ben vnstable, and we trauelen worchynge with oure hondis; we ben cursid, and we blessen; we suffren persecucioun, and we abiden longe; we ben blasfemyd, and we bisechen; [13]as clensyngis of this world we ben maad the `out castyng of alle thingis `til yit. [14]Y write not these thingis, that Y confounde you, but Y warne as my moste dereworthe sones. [15]For whi if ye han ten thousynde of vndur maistris in Crist, but not many fadris; for in Crist Jhesu Y haue gendrid you bi the gospel. [16]Therfor, britheren, Y preye you, be ye foleweris of me, as Y of Crist. [17]Therfor Y sente to you Tymothe, which is my most dereworthe sone, and feithful in the Lord, which schal teche you my weies, that ben in Crist Jhesu; as Y teche euery where in ech chirche. [18]As thouy Y schulde not come to you, so summe ben blowun with pride; [19]but Y schal come to you soone, if God wole; and Y schal knowe not the word of hem that ben blowun with pride, but the vertu. [20]For the rewme of God is not in word, but in vertu. [21]What wole ye? Schal Y come to you in a yerde, or in charite, and in spirit of myldenesse?
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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