Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]Therfor be ye foloweris of God, as moost dereworthe sones; [2]and walke ye in loue, as Crist louyde vs, and yaf hym silf for vs an offryng and a sacrifice to God, in to the odour of swetnesse. [3]And fornycacioun, and al vnclennesse, or aueryce, be not named among you, as it bicometh holi men; [4]ethir filthe, or foli speche, or harlatrye, that perteyneth not to profit, but more doyng of thankyngis. [5]For wite ye this, and vndurstonde, that ech letchour, or vnclene man, or coueytouse, that serueth to mawmetis, hath not eritage in the kingdom of Crist and of God. [6]No man disseyue you bi veyn wordis; for whi for these thingis the wraththe of God cam on the sones of vnbileue. [7]Therfor nyle ye be maad parteneris of hem. [8]For ye weren sum tyme derknessis, but now `ye ben liyt in the Lord. Walke ye as the sones of liyt. [9]For the fruyt of liyt is in al goodnesse, and riytwisnesse, and treuthe. [10]And preue ye what `thing is wel plesynge to God. [11]And nyle ye comyne to vnfruytouse werkis of derknessis; but more repreue ye. [12]For what thingis ben don of hem in priuy, it is foule, yhe, to speke. [13]And alle thingis that ben repreuyd of the liyt, ben opynli schewid; for al thing that is schewid, is liyt. [14]For which thing he seith, Rise thou that slepist, and rise vp fro deth, and Crist schal liytne thee. [15]Therfor, britheren, se ye, hou warli ye schulen go; [16]not as vnwise men, but as wise men, ayenbiynge tyme, for the daies ben yuele. [17]Therfor nyle ye be maad vnwise, but vndurstondynge which is the wille of God. [18]And nyle ye be drunkun of wyn, in which is letcherie, but be ye fillid with the Hooli Goost; and speke ye to you silf in salmes, [19]and ymnes, and spiritual songis, syngynge and seiynge salm in youre hertis to the Lord; [20]euermore doynge thankingis for alle thingis in the name of oure Lord Jhesu Crist to God and to the fadir. [21]Be ye suget togidere in the drede of Crist. [22]Wymmen, be thei suget to her hosebondis, [23]as to the Lord, for the man is heed of the wymman, as Crist is heed of the chirche; he is sauyour of his bodi. [24]But as the chirche is suget to Crist, so wymmen to her hosebondis in alle thingis. [25]Men, loue ye youre wyues, as Crist louyde the chirche, and yaf hym silf for it, to make it holi; [26]and clenside it with the waisching of watir, in the word of lijf, [27]to yyue the chirche gloriouse to hym silf, that it hadde no wem, ne ryueling, or ony siche thing, but that it be hooli and vndefoulid. [28]So and men `schulen loue her wyues, as her owne bodies. He that loueth his wijf, loueth hym silf; [29]for no man hatide euere his owne fleisch, but nurischith and fostrith it, as Crist doith the chirche. [30]And we ben membris of his bodi, of his fleisch, and of his boonys. [31]For this thing a man schal forsake his fadir and modir, and he schal drawe to his wijf; and thei schulen be tweyne in o fleisch. [32]This sacrament is greet; yhe, Y seie in Crist, and in the chirche. [33]Netheles ye alle, ech man loue his wijf as hym silf; and the wijf drede hir hosebonde.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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