|
[1]If it bihoueth to haue glorie, it spedith not; but Y schal come to the visiouns and to the reuelaciouns 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.
[3]And Y woot sich a man; whether in bodi, or out of bodi, Y noot, God woot;
[4]that he was rauyschid in to paradis, and herde preuy wordis, whiche it is not leueful to a man to speke.
[5]For such maner thingis Y schal glorie; but for me no thing, no but in myn infirmytees.
[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.
[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.
[8]For whiche thing thries Y preiede the Lord, that it schulde go awei fro 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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[16]But be it; Y greuyde not you, but whanne Y was sutil, Y took you with gile.
[17]Whether Y disseyuede you bi ony of hem, which Y sente to 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?
[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.
[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;
[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.
|