Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Therfor Y seie, Whether God hath put awei his puple? God forbede. For Y am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the lynage of Beniamyn. [2]God hath not put awei his puple, which he bifor knew. Whether ye witen not, what the scripture seith in Elie? Hou he preieth God ayens Israel, [3]Lord, thei han slayn thi prophetis, thei han vndurdoluun thin auteris, and Y am lefte aloone, and thei seken my lijf. [4]But what seith Goddis answere to hym? Y haue left to me seuene thousyndes of men, that han not bowid her knees bifore Baal. [5]So therfor also in this tyme, the relifs ben maad saaf, bi the chesyng of the grace of God. [6]And if it be bi the grace of God, it is not now of werkis; ellis grace is not now grace. [7]What thanne? Israel hath not getun this that he souyte, but eleccioun hath getun; and the othere ben blyndid. [8]As it is writun, God yaf to hem a spirit of compunccioun, iyen that thei se not, and eeris, that thei here not, in to this dai. [9]And Dauith seith, Be the boord of hem maad in to a gryn bifor hem, and in to catchyng, and in to sclaundre, and in to yeldyng to hem. [10]Be the iyen of hem maad derk, that thei se not; and bowe thou doun algatis the bak of hem. [11]Therfor Y seie, Whether thei offendiden so, that thei schulden falle doun? God forbede. But bi the gilt of hem helthe is maad to hethene men, that thei sue hem. [12]That if the gilt of hem ben richessis of the world, and the makyng lesse of hem ben richessis of hethene men, hou myche more the plente of hem? [13]But Y seie to you, hethene men, for as longe as Y am apostle of hethene men, Y schal onoure my mynysterie, [14]if in ony maner Y stire my fleisch for to folowe, and that Y make summe of hem saaf. [15]For if the loss of hem is the recouncelyng of the world, what is the takyng vp, but lijf of deede men? [16]For if a litil part of that that is tastid be hooli, the hool gobet is hooli; and if the roote is hooli, also the braunchis. [17]What if ony of the braunchis ben brokun, whanne thou were a wielde olyue tre, art graffid among hem, and art maad felowe of the roote, and of the fatnesse of the olyue tre, [18]nyle thou haue glorie ayens the braunchis. For if thou gloriest, thou berist not the roote, but the roote thee. [19]Therfor thou seist, The braunchis ben brokun, that Y be graffid in. [20]Wel, for vnbileue the braunchis ben brokun; but thou stondist bi feith. Nyle thou sauere hiye thing, [21]but drede thou, for if God sparide not the kyndli braunchis, lest perauenture he spare not thee. [22]Therfor se the goodnesse, and the fersnesse of God; yhe, the feersnesse in to hem that felden doun, but the goodnesse of God in to thee, if thou dwellist in goodnesse, ellis also thou schalt be kit doun. [23]Yhe, and thei schulen be set yn, if thei dwellen not in vnbileue. For God is myyti, to sette hem in eftsoone. [24]For if thou art kit doun of the kyndeli wielde olyue tre, and ayens kynd art set in to a good olyue tre, hou myche more thei that ben bi kynde, schulen be set in her olyue tree? [25]But, britheren, Y wole not that ye vnknowen this mysterie, that ye be not wise to you silf; for blyndenesse hath feld a parti in Israel, til that the plente of hethene men entride, [26]and so al Israel schulde be maad saaf. As it is writun, He schal come of Syon, that schal delyuere, and turne awei the wickidnesse of Jacob. [27]And this testament to hem of me, whanne Y schal do awei her synnes. [28]Aftir the gospel thei ben enemyes for you, but thei ben moost dereworthe bi the eleccioun for the fadris. [29]And the yiftis and the cleping of God ben with outen forthenkyng. [30]And as sum tyme also ye bileueden not to God, but now ye han gete mercy for the vnbileue of hem; [31]so and these now bileueden not in to youre merci, that also thei geten merci. [32]For God closide alle thingis togidere in vnbileue, that he haue mercy on alle. [33]O! the heiynesse of the ritchessis of the wisdom and of the kunnyng of God; hou incomprehensible ben hise domes, and hise weies ben vnserchable. [34]For whi who knew the wit of the Lord, or who was his counselour? or who formere yaf to hym, [35]and it schal be quyt to hym? [36]For of hym, and bi hym, and in hym ben alle thingis. To hym be glorie in to worldis. Amen.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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