Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Wherfor thou art vnexcusable, ech man that demest, for in what thing thou demest anothir man, thou condempnest thi silf; for thou doist the same thingis whiche thou demest. [2]And we witen, that the doom of God is aftir treuthe ayens hem, that don siche thingis. [3]But gessist thou, man, that demest hem that doen siche thingis, and thou doist tho thingis, that thou schalt ascape the doom of God? [4]Whether `dispisist thou the richessis of his goodnesse, and the pacience, and the long abidyng? Knowist thou not, that the benygnyte of God ledith thee to forthenkyng? [5]But aftir thin hardnesse and vnrepentaunt herte, thou tresorist to thee wraththe in the dai of wraththe and of schewyng of the riytful doom of God, [6]that schal yelde to ech man aftir his werkis; [7]sotheli to hem that ben bi pacience of good werk, glorie, and onour, and vncorrupcioun, to hem that seken euerlastynge lijf; [8]but to hem that ben of strijf, and that assenten not to treuthe, but bileuen to wickidnesse, wraththe and indignacioun, tribulacioun and angwisch, [9]in to ech soule of man that worchith yuel, to the Jew first, and to the Greke; [10]but glorie, and honour, and pees, to ech man that worchith good thing, to the Jew first, and to the Greke. [11]For accepcioun of persones is not anentis God. [12]For who euere han synned without the lawe, schulen perische withouten the lawe; and who euere han synned in the lawe, thei schulen be demyd bi the lawe. [13]For the hereris of lawe ben not iust anentis God, but the doeris of the lawe schulen be maad iust. [14]For whanne hethene men that han not lawe, don kyndli tho thingis that ben of the lawe, thei not hauynge suche manere lawe, ben lawe to hem silf, [15]that schewen the werk of the lawe writun in her hertis. For the conscience of hem yeldith to hem a witnessyng bytwixe hem silf of thouytis that ben accusynge or defendynge, [16]in the dai whanne God schal deme the priuy thingis of men aftir my gospel, bi Jhesu Crist. [17]But if thou art named a Jew, and restist in the lawe, and hast glorie in God, [18]and hast knowe his wille, and thou lerud bi lawe preuest the more profitable thingis, [19]and tristist thi silf to be a ledere of blynde men, the liyt of hem that ben in derknessis, [20]a techere of vnwise men, a maistir of yonge children, that hast the foorme of kunnyng and of treuthe in the lawe; [21]what thanne techist thou another, and techist not thi silf? Thou that prechist that me schal not stele, stelist? [22]Thou that techist that me schal `do no letcherie, doist letcherie? Thou that wlatist maumetis, doist sacrilegie? [23]Thou that hast glorie in the lawe, vnworschipist God bi brekyng of the lawe? [24]For the name of God is blasfemed bi you among hethene men, as is writun. [25]For circumcisioun profitith, if thou kepe the lawe; but if thou be a trespassour ayens the lawe, thi circumsicioun is maad prepucie. [26]Therfor if prepucie kepe the riytwisnessis of the lawe, whethir his prepucie schal not be arettid in to circumcisioun? [27]And the prepucie of kynde that fulfillith the lawe, schal deme thee, that bi lettre and circumcisioun art trespassour ayens the lawe. [28]For he that is in opene is not a Jew, nether it is circumsicioun that is openli in the fleisch; [29]but he that is a Jew in hid, and the circumcisioun of herte, in spirit, not bi the lettre, whos preisyng is not of men, but of God.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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