Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Hennus forward, my britheren, haue ye ioye in the Lord. To write to you the same thingis, to me it is not slow, and to you it is necessarie. [2]Se ye houndis, se ye yuele werk men, se ye dyuysioun. [3]For we ben circumcisioun, which bi spirit seruen to God, and glorien in Crist Jhesu, and han not trist in the fleisch, [4]thouy Y haue trust, yhe, in the fleisch. If ony othere man is seyn to triste in the fleisch, [5]Y more, that was circumcidid in the eiytthe dai, of the kyn of Israel, of the lynage of Beniamyn, an Ebrew of Ebrewis, bi the lawe a Farisee, [6]bi loue pursuynge the chirche of God, bi riytwisnesse that is in the lawe lyuynge with out playnt. [7]But whiche thingis weren to me wynnyngis, Y haue demed these apeyryngis for Crist. [8]Netheles Y gesse alle thingis to be peirement for the cleer science of Jhesu Crist my Lord. For whom Y made alle thingis peyrement, and Y deme as drit, [9]that Y wynne Crist, and that Y be foundun in hym, not hauynge my riytwisnesse that is of the lawe, but that that is of the feith of Crist Jhesu, that is of God the riytwisnesse in feith, [10]to knowe hym, and the vertu of his risyng ayen, and the felouschipe of his passioun, and be maad lijk to his deeth, [11]if on ony maner Y come to the resurreccioun that is fro deth. [12]Not that now Y haue takun, or now am parfit; but Y sue, if in ony maner Y comprehende, in which thing also Y am comprehendid of Crist Jhesu. [13]Bretheren, Y deme me not that Y haue comprehendid; but o thing, Y foryete tho thingis that ben bihyndis, and stretche forth my silf to tho thingis that ben bifore, [14]and pursue to the ordeyned mede of the hiy clepyng of God in Crist Jhesu. [15]Therfor who euere we ben perfit, feele we this thing. And if ye vndurstonden in othere manere ony thing, this thing God schal schewe to you. [16]Netheles to what thing we han comun, that we vndurstonden the same thing, and that we perfitli dwelle in the same reule. [17]Britheren, be ye my foleweris, and weyte ye hem that walken so, as ye han oure fourme. [18]For many walken, whiche Y haue seid ofte to you, but now Y wepinge seie, the enemyes of Cristis cros, [19]who ende is deth, whos god is the wombe, and the glorie in confusioun of hem, that saueren ertheli thingis. [20]But oure lyuyng is in heuenes; fro whennus also we abiden the sauyour oure Lord Jhesu Crist, [21]which schal reforme the bodi of oure mekenesse, that is maad lijk to the bodi of his clerenesse, bi the worching bi which he mai `also make alle thingis suget to hym.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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