Bible (Early Wycliffe)/Þe ſecounde epiſtle of Petre

Capitulum I.
Simount Petre, ſeruaunt and apoſtle of Jheſu Criſt, to hem þat han take wiþ vs þe euene miche feiþ, in þe riȝtwiſneſſe of oure God and ſauyour Jheſu Criſt, grace to ȝou and pees be fulfillid, in þe knowinge of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt. Hou alle þinges of his godliche vertu, þat ben to lijf and pitee, ben ȝouun to vs, bi þe knowing of him, þat clepide vs for his owne glory and vertu. Bi whom he ȝaf to vs mooſt and preciouſe biheeſtes; þat bi þes þingis ȝe ſhulden be maad felawes of Goddis kynde, fleynge þe corupcioun of þat coueytiſe, þat is in þe world. Forſoþe ȝe vndir beringe, or ȝeuynge, al cure, myniſtre in ȝoure feiþ vertu, ſoþeli in vertu ſcience, or kunnynge; in ſcience ſoþeli abſtinence, in abſtinence forſoþe pacience, in pacience ſoþeli pitee; in pitee, ſoþeli loue of briþerhede, forſoþe in loue of briþerhede charite. Forſoþe if þes ben wiþ ȝou, and ouercomen, or ben not plenteuous, þei ſhulen not ordeyne ȝou voyde, ne wiþ outen fruyt, in þe knowinge of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt. Forſoþe to whom þes ben not redy, he is blynd, and bi hond temptynge, or aſſayinge, receyuynge forȝetnes of þe purgynge of his olde treſpaſſis. Wherfore, briþeren, more biſye ȝe, þat bi goode werkis ȝe make ȝoure clepynge and cheſynge certeyn; ſoþeli ȝe doynge þes þinges ſhulen not ſynne ony tyme. Forſoþe þus þe entringe in to euerelaſtinge kyngdom of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt and ſauyour, ſhal be myniſtrid to ȝou plenteuouſly. For which þing I ſhal bigynne for to moneſte ȝou euermore of þes þingis; and ſoþeli I wole ȝe wityng and confermid in preſent treuþe. Forſoþe Y deme iuſt, hou longe I am in þis tabernacle, for to reyſe ȝou in moneſtinge; I certeyn for þe putting off of my tabernacle is ſwift, vp þat oure Lord Jheſu Criſt haþ ſignyfied to me. Forſoþe I ſhal ȝiue werk, or biſyneſſe, and ofte for to haue ȝou aftir my deeþ, þat ȝe do þe mynde of hem. Soþeli we not ſuynge vnwijſe taales, han maad knowun to ȝou þe vertu and preſcience, or bifore knowing, of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt; but maad biholders of his greetneſſe. Soþeli he takinge of God þe fadir honour and glory, ſich maner voys ſliden doun to him fro þe greet glory, Þis is my loued ſone, in whom I haue pleſid to me; here ȝe him. And we herden þis voys brouȝt to fro heuene, whan we weren wiþ him in þe holy hyl. And we han a ſadder word of þe prophet, to which ȝe ȝeuynge tent don wel, as to a lantern ȝeuynge liȝt in a derk, or myſty, place, til þe day bigynne for to ȝiue liȝt, and þe day ſterre ſpringe in ȝoure hertis. Firſt vndirſtondinge þis þing, þat ech prophecie of ſcripture is not maad bi propre, or owne, interpretacioun. Forſoþe prophecie is not brouȝt to bi mannus wille, but þe holy men of God inſpirid wiþ þe Holy Gooſt ſpaken.

Capitulum II.
Forſoþe þer weren and falſe prophetes of þe puple, as and in ȝou ſhulen be mayſtris liȝers, þat ſhulen bringe in ſectes of perdicioun; and þei denyen þe ilke Lord þat bouȝte hem, and aboue ledynge to hem ſilf haſty perdicioun, or dampnacioun. And many ſhulen ſue her leccheries, bi whiche þe weye of treuþe ſhal be blasfemyd; and þei ſhulen marchaundiſe of ȝou in coueitiſe bi feyned wordis. To whom now doom ſum tyme ceeſſiþ not, and þe perdicioun of hem nappiþ not. Forſoþe if God ſparide not to aungels, but bitoke hem to be turmentid, drawen wiþ boondis of helle in to helle, for to be kept in to doom; and ſparide not to þe firſt world, but kept Noe, þe eiȝtþe, bifore goer of riȝtwiſneſſe, bringynge in þe diluuye, or greet flood, to þe world of vnpiteouſe men; and he driuynge in to poudre þe citees of men of Sodom and of men of Gomor, dampnide bi turnynge vpſedoun, puttinge enſaumple of hem þat weren to doynge yuel, or vnpitouſly; and deliueride iuſt Loþ, oppreſſid fro þe wrong, of curſide men, and leccherous conuerſacioun; ſoþeli in ſiȝt and heringe he was iuſt, dwellinge anentis hem þat fro day in to day turmentiden wiþ wickide werkis a iuſt ſoule. Þe Lord knew for to delyuere pitouſe men of temptacioun, ſoþeli for to kepe wickide men in to þe day of dome for to be turmentid; forſoþe more hem þat walken aftir fleſch, in coueitinge of vnclenneſſe, and deſpijſen lordſheping, bolde, dreden not to bringe in ſectes pleſinge to hem, blasfemynge; wher aungels, whan þei ben more in ſtrengþe and vertu beren not aȝens hem þe execrable, or curſid, doom. Þes ſoþeli as vnreſounable beeſtes, kyndeli in capcioun, or takinge, and in to deeþ, blasfemynge in þes þingis þat þei knowen not, ſhulen periſche in her corupcioun, receyuynge þe hijre of vnriȝtwiſneſſe, geſſynge þe voluptees of þe day delijces of defoulinge and of wemme, wiþ delijcis flowinge, in her feeſtis doynge leccherie wiþ ȝou, hauynge iȝen ful of auowtrie, and vnceſynge treſpaſſe, deceyuynge vnſtedefaſt ſoules, hauynge þe herte excerciſid in coueitiſe, þe ſones of curſynge, forſakinge þe riȝt weie, erreden, ſuynge þe weie of Balaam of Boſor, þe which louede hijre of wickidneſſe. Soþeli he hadde correpcioun, or reprouyng, of his woodneſſe; a doumbe beeſt vndir ȝok, ſpekinge wiþ voys of man, forbede þe vnwiſdom of þe profet. Þes ben welles wiþ out watir, and cloudis, or mijſtis, driuun wiþ whirlinge wijndis, to whom þe þicke mijſt of derkneſſis is reſerued. Soþeli þei ſpekinge in pride of vanyte, deceyuen in deſijris of fleſch of leccherie hem, þat a litel ſcapen. Þe whiche lyuynge in errour, bihotinge liberte, or fredom, to hem, whan þei ben ſeruauntes of corupcioun. Soþeli of whom ony man is ouercome, of him and he is ſeruaunt. Forſoþe if men forſakinge þe defoulinges, or vnclenneſſes, of þe world, in þe knowinge of oure Lord and ſauyour Jheſu Criſt, eftſoone inwlappid in þes, ben ouercome, þe latter þingis ben maad to hem worſe þan þe former. Soþeli it was betere to hem for to not knowe þe weie of riȝtwiſneſſe, þan for to turne aȝen aftir þe knowinge, fro þat holy maundement þat was bitakun to hem. Soþeli þe ilke þing of verrey prouerbe bifel to hem, An hound turned aȝen to his woom, or caſtyng vp, and a ſowe waſchun in walewinge, or ſlowe, of cley, or fen.

Capitulum III.
Lo! I wrijte to ȝou þis ſecounde epiſtle, in which I ſtire ȝoure cleer ſoule in moneſtinge to gydere, þat ȝe be myndeful of þe wordis, þat I bifore ſeide of holy prophetis, and of þe maundementis of holy apoſtlis of þe Lord ſauyour; firſt witynge þis þing, þat in þe laſte dayes illuſours, or ſcorners, or deceyuours, ſhulen come in deceyt, goynge aftir her owne coueitinges, ſeiynge, Where is biheſte, or þe comyng, of him? forſoþe ſiþ fadirs ſlepten, ſo alle þinges laſten fro þe bigynnynge of creature. Soþeli it daariþ hem willinge þis þing, þat heuenes weren bifore, and þe erþe of watir and bi watir beynge, or ſtondinge, to gydere bi Goddis word; bi whiche þingis þat ilke world clenſid þanne periſchide. Forſoþe þe heuenes þat now ben, and þe erþe, bi þe ſame word, put aȝen, ben kept to fijr in to þe day of dome and perdicioun of vnpitouſe men. Forſoþe, ȝe mooſt dere, oo þing daare ȝe not, or be not vnknowun, for oo day anentis God as a þouſynd ȝeeres, and a þouſynd ȝeer as oo day. Þe Lord tarieþ not his biheeſt, as ſum men geſſen, but he doiþ paciently for ȝou, not willinge ony for to periſche, but alle for to turne aȝen to penaunce. Forſoþe þe day of þe Lord ſhal come as a þeef, in which heuenes wiþ greet bire, or feerſneſſe, ſhulen paſſe, ſoþeli elementes ſhulen be diſſolued bi heete, forſoþe þe erþe, and alle werkes þat ben in it, ſhulen be brent. Þerfore whan alle þes þinges ſhulen be to be diſſolued, what maner men bihoueþ ȝou for to be in holy lyuyngis and pitees, abidynge and hiȝinge in to þe comynge of þe day of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, bi whom heuenes brennynge ſhulen be diſſolued, and elementes bi brennynge, or heete, of fijr ſhulen fayle. Soþeli we abijden vp his biheeſtes newe heuenes and newe erþe, in whiche riȝtwiſneſſe dwelliþ. For which þing, ȝe mooſt dere, abijdinge þes þinges, biſye for to be founde to him in pees vnſpottid and vnfoulid. And deme ȝe þe longe abijdinge of oure Lord ȝoure helþe, as and oure mooſt dere broþer Poul wroot to ȝou, vp wiſdom ȝouun to him. As and in alle epiſtlis ſpekinge in hem of þes þingis; in whiche ben ſumme harde þinges in vndirſtondinge, þe whiche vnwijſe, or vntauȝt, and vnſtable men deprauen, as and oþere ſcriptures, to her owne perdicioun. Þerfore ȝe, briþeren, bifore witynge kepe ȝou ſilf, leſt ȝe ouerled, or deceyued, bi errour of vnwijſe men, falle awey fro ȝoure owne ſadneſſe. Forſoþe wexe ȝe in grace and knowinge of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt and oure Sauyour; to him glory and now in to þe day of euerelaſtingneſſe. Amen.

Heere endeþ þe ſecounde piſtle of Seynt Petre, and now bigynneþ þe firſt piſtle of Seynt Joon.