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| [1]If it bihoueth to haue glorie, it spedith not; but Y schal come to the visiouns and to the reuelaciouns of the Lord. |
[1]I might boast, but it is not expedient; for I come to visions and revelations of the Lord. |
| [2]I woot a man in Crist that bifore fouretene yeer; whether in bodi, whether out of the bodi, Y woot not, God woot; that siche a man was rauyschid `til to the thridde heuene. |
[2]I knewⓘ a man in the Meshiha fourteen years ago,ⓘ—whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not, Aloha himself knoweth,—who, this one himself, was rapt unto the third [region] of heaven.ⓘ |
| [3]And Y woot sich a man; whether in bodi, or out of bodi, Y noot, God woot; |
[3]And I know this man himself,—but whether in the body, or out of the body, I know not, Aloha himself knoweth, |
| [4]that he was rauyschid in to paradis, and herde preuy wordis, whiche it is not leueful to a man to speke. |
[4]—and he was rapt into paradise, and heard words which are not uttered, those which it is not lawful for a man to utter. |
| [5]For such maner thingis Y schal glorie; but for me no thing, no but in myn infirmytees. |
[5]Of this I boast; but of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. |
| [6]For if Y schal wilne to glorie, Y schal not be vnwijs, for Y schal seie treuthe; but Y spare, lest ony man gesse me ouer that thing that he seeth in me, or herith ony thing of me. |
[6]Yet if I willed to boast, I should not be a fool, for I say the truth; but I spare, lest any one think of me beyond that which he seeth me [to be], and what he heareth of me. |
| [7]And lest the greetnesse of reuelaciouns enhaunse me in pride, the pricke of my fleisch, an aungel of Sathanas, is youun to me, that he buffate me. |
[7]And that I might not be exalted by the abundance of revelations, there was delivered to me a stimulus of my flesh, an angel of Satana to buffet me, that I might not be exalted. |
| [8]For whiche thing thries Y preiede the Lord, that it schulde go awei fro me. |
[8]Concerning this three times I entreated of my Lord that it might be removed from me. |
| [9]And he seide to me, My grace suffisith to thee; for vertu is parfitli maad in infirmyte. Therfor gladli Y schal glorie in myn infirmytees, that the vertu of Crist dwelle in me. |
[9]And he said to me, My grace sufficeth thee; for my power in weakness is perfected. Gladly therefore will I boast in my infirmities, that the power of the Meshiha may overshadow me. |
| [10]For which thing Y am plesid in myn infirmytees, in dispisyngis, in nedis, in persecuciouns, in anguyschis, for Crist; for whanne Y am sijk, thanne Y am miyti. |
[10]For this cause I am willing in infirmities, in reviling, in affliction, in persecutions, in distresses, for the sake of the Meshiha; for when I am weak, then am I strong. |
| [11]Y am maad vnwitti, ye constreyneden me. For Y ouyte to be comendid of you; for Y dide no thing lesse than thei that ben apostlis `aboue maner. |
[11]Behold, I have been deficient in mind in my boasting, because you have constrained me; for you were debtors to bear witness concerning me; because in nothing am I less than those apostles who are the most eminent, nevertheless I am not any thing. |
| [12]Thouy Y am nouyt, netheles the signes of myn apostilhed ben maad on you, in al pacience, and signes, and grete wondris, and vertues. |
[12]The signs of the apostles I have wrought among you in all patience, and with mighty acts and miracles and with powers. |
| [13]And what is it, that ye hadden lesse than othere chirchis, but that Y my silf greuyde you not? Foryyue ye to me this wrong. |
[13]For in what have you been less than the other churches, except in this, that I have not burdened you? Forgive me this offence. |
| [14]Lo! this thridde tyme Y am redi to come to you, and Y schal not be greuous to you; for Y seke not tho thingis that ben youre, but you. For nether sones owen to tresoure to fadir and modir, but the fadir and modir to the sones. |
[14]Behold, this is three times that I prepare to come to you, and not to burden you; for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up treasures for the parents, but the parents for their children. |
| [15]For Y schal yyue moost wilfuli, and Y my silf schal be youun aboue for youre soulis; thouy Y more loue you, and be lesse louyd. |
[15]But I gladly the expenses will spend, and also myself will I give for the sake of your souls: though, while the more I love you, you the less love me. |
| [16]But be it; Y greuyde not you, but whanne Y was sutil, Y took you with gile. |
[16]And, perhaps, [though] I did not burden you, yet [it may be said], as a crafty man with deceit I have robbed you. |
| [17]Whether Y disseyuede you bi ony of hem, which Y sente to you? |
[17]By any other whom I have sent to you have I made prey of you? |
| [18]Y preiede Tite, and Y sente with hym a brother. Whether Tite begilide you? whether we yeden not in the same spirit? whether not in the same steppis? |
[18]Of Titos I requested, and sent with him the brethren.ⓘ In any thing has Titos made prey of you? Have we not walked in one spirit, and in the same steps? |
| [19]Sum tyme ye wenen, that we schulen excuse vs anentis you. Bifor God in Crist we speken; and, moost dere britheren, alle thingis for youre edifiyng. |
[19]DO you again consider that we apologize to you? Before Aloha in the Meshiha do we speak; and all, my beloved, for the sake of your up-building. |
| [20]But Y drede, lest whanne Y come, Y schal fynde you not suche as Y wole, and Y schal be foundun of you suche as ye wolen not; lest perauenture stryuyngis, enuyes, sturdynessis, dissenciouns and detraccions, preuy spechis of discord, bolnyngis bi pride, debatis ben among you; |
[20]For I fear lest, when I come to you, I should not find you as I wish, but should find you what you would not wish: lest there be contention and envy, and wrath and angry talk, and accusations and murmurings, and pompousness and agitation: |
| [21]and lest eftsoone whanne Y come, God make me low anentis you, and Y biweile many of hem, that bifor synneden, and diden not penaunce on the vnclennesse, and fornicacioun, and vnchastite, that thei han don. |
[21]And lest, when I come to you, my God may humiliate me, and I may have to lament over many who have sinned, and have not repented of the uncleanness and of the fornication and of the lasciviousness which they have committed. |