Bible (Wycliffe)/1 Tymothe

Chapter 1
Poul, apostle `of Jhesu Crist, bi the comaundement of God oure sauyour, and of Jhesu Crist oure hope,

to Tymothe, bilouyd sone in the feith, grace and merci and pees, of God the fadir, and of Jhesu Crist, oure Lord.

As Y preyede thee, that thou schuldist dwelle at Effesi, whanne Y wente into Macedonye, that thou schuldist denounce to summe men, that thei schulden not teche othere weie,

nether yyue tent to fablis and genologies that ben vncerteyn, whiche yyuen questiouns, more than edificacioun of God, that is in the feith.

For the ende of comaundement is charite of clene herte, and good conscience, and of feith not feyned.

Fro whiche thingis sum men han errid, and ben turned in to veyn speche;

and willith to be techeris of the lawe, and vndurstonden not what thingis thei speken, nether of what thingis thei affermen.

And we witen that the lawe is good, if ony man vse it lawefulli;

and witinge this thing, that the lawe is not set to a iust man, but to vniust men and not suget, to wickid men and to synneris, to cursid men and defoulid, to sleeris of fadir, and sleeris of modir, to `men sleeris and lechouris,

to hem that don letcherie with men, lesingmongeris and forsworun, and if ony othere thing is contrarie to the hoolsum teching,

that is aftir the euangelie of the glorie of blessid God, which is bitakun to me.

Y do thankingis to hym, that coumfortide me in Crist Jhesu oure Lord, for he gesside me feithful, and putte me in mynystrie,

that first was a blasfeme, and a pursuere, and ful of wrongis. But Y haue getun the merci of God, for Y vnknowinge dide in vnbileue.

But the grace of oure Lord ouer aboundide, with feith and loue that is in Crist Jhesu.

A trewe word and worthi al resseyuyng, for Crist Jhesu cam in to this world to make synful men saaf, of whiche Y am the firste.

But therfor Y haue getun merci, that Crist Jhesu schulde schewe in me first al pacience, to the enfourmyng of hem that schulen bileue to hym in to euerlastinge lijf.

And to the king of worldis, vndeedli and vnvysible God aloone, be onour and glorie in to worldis of worldis. Amen.

I bitake this comaundement to thee, thou sone Timothe, after the prophecies that han be hertofore in thee, that thou traueile in hem a good trauel,

hauynge feith and good conscience, which summen casten awei, and perischiden aboute the feith.

Of whiche is Ymeneus and Alisaundre, which Y bitook to Sathanas, that thei lerne `to not blasfeme.

Chapter 2
Therfor Y biseche first of alle thingis, that bisechingis, preieris, axyngis, doyngis of thankyngis, ben maad for alle men,

for kingis and alle that ben set in hiynesse, that we leden a quyet and a pesible lijf, in al pite and chastite.

For this thing is good and acceptid bifor God,

oure sauyour, that wole that alle men ben maad saaf, and that thei come to the knowyng of treuthe.

For o God and a mediatour is of God and of men, a man Crist Jhesus,

that yaf him silf redempcioun for alle men. Whos witnessing is confermyd in his tymes;

in which Y am set a prechour and an apostle. For Y seye treuthe, and Y lie not, that am a techere of hethene men in feith and in treuthe.

Therfor Y wole, that men preye in al place, liftinge vp clene hondis with outen wraththe and strijf.

Also wymmen in couenable abite, with schamefastnesse and sobrenesse araiynge hem silf, not in writhun heeris, ethir in gold, ethir peerlis, ethir preciouse cloth; but that that bicometh wymmen,

biheetinge pite bi good werkis.

A womman lerne in silence, with al subieccioun.

But Y suffre not a womman to teche, nether to haue lordschip on the hosebonde, but to be in silence.

For Adam was first formed, aftirward Eue;

and Adam was not disseyued, but the womman was disseyued, in breking of the lawe.

But sche schal be sauyd bi generacioun of children, if sche dwellith perfitli in feith, and loue, and hoolynesse, with sobrenesse.

Chapter 3
A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk.

Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere;

not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous,

and haue sones suget with al chastite;

for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel.

For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.

Also it bihoueth dekenes to be chast, not double tungid, not youun myche to wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng;

that han the mysterie of feith in clene conscience.

But be thei preued first, and mynystre so, hauynge no cryme.

Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.

Dekenes be hosebondis of o wijf; whiche gouerne wel her sones and her housis.

For thei that mynystren wel, schulen gete a good degre to hem silf, and myche triste in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu.

Sone Timothe, Y write to thee these thingis, hopinge that Y schal come soon to thee;

but if Y tarie, that thou wite, hou it bihoueth thee to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of lyuynge God, a pilere and sadnesse of treuthe.

And opynli it is a greet sacrament of pitee, that thing that was schewid in fleisch, it is iustified in spirit, it apperid to aungels, it is prechid to hethene men, it is bileuyd in the world, it is takun vp in glorie.

Chapter 4
But the spirit seith opynli, that in the laste tymes summen schulen departe fro the feith, yyuynge tent to spiritis of errour, and to techingis of deuelis; that speken leesing in ipocrisie,

and haue her conscience corrupt,

forbedinge to be weddid, to absteyne fro metis, whiche God made to take with doyng of thankingis, to feithful men, and hem that han knowe the treuthe.

For ech creature of God is good, and no thing is to be cast awei, which is takun with doyng of thankyngis;

for it is halewid bi the word of God, and bi preyer.

Thou puttynge forth these thingis to britheren, schalt be a good mynystre of Crist Jhesu; nurschid with wordis of feith and of good doctryne, which thou hast gete.

But eschewe thou vncouenable fablis, and elde wymmenus fablis; haunte thi silf to pitee.

For bodili exercitation is profitable to litle thing; but pitee is profitable to alle thingis, that hath a biheest of lijf that now is, and that is to come.

A trewe word, and worthi al acceptacioun.

And in this thing we trauelen, and ben cursid, for we hopen in lyuyng God, that is sauyour of alle men, moost of feithful men.

Comaunde thou this thing, and teche.

No man dispise thi yongthe, but be thou ensaumple of feithful men in word, in lyuyng, in charite, in feith, in chastite.

Tyl Y come, take tent to redyng, to exortacioun and teching.

Nyle thou litil charge the grace which is in thee, that is youun to thee bi profecie, with putting on of the hondis of preesthod.

Thenke thou these thingis, in these be thou, that thi profiting be schewid to alle men.

Take tent to thi silf and to doctryn; be bisi in hem. For thou doynge these thingis, schalt `make bothe thi silf saaf, and hem that heren thee.

Chapter 5
Blame thou not an eldere man, but biseche as a fadir, yonge men as britheren; elde wymmen as modris,

yonge wymmen as sistris, in al chastite.

Honoure thou widewis, that ben very widewis.

But if ony widewe hath children of sones, lerne sche first to gouerne her hous, and quyte to fadir and modir; for this thing is acceptid bifor God.

And sche that is a widewe verili, and desolate, hope in to God, and be bisy in bisechingis and preieris niyt and dai.

For sche that is lyuynge in delicis, is deed.

And comaunde thou this thing, that thei be withouten repreef.

For if ony man hath not cure of his owne, and most of hise household men, he hath denyed the feith, and is worse than an vnfeithful man.

A widewe be chosun not lesse than sixti yeer, that was wijf of oon hosebonde,

and hath witnessing in good werkis, if sche nurschede children, if sche resseyuede pore men to herbore, if sche hath waischun the feet of hooli men, if sche mynystride to men that suffriden tribulacioun, if sche folewide al good werk.

But eschewe thou yongere widewis; for whanne thei han do letcherie, thei wolen be weddid in Crist,

hauynge dampnacioun, for thei han maad voide the firste feith.

Also thei idil lernen to go aboute housis, not oneli ydel, but ful of wordis and curiouse, spekynge thingis that bihoueth not.

Therfor Y wole, that yongere widewis be weddid, and bringe forth children, and ben hosewyues, to yyue noon occasioun to the aduersarie, bi cause of cursid thing.

For now summe ben turned abak aftir Sathanas.

If ony feithful man hath widewis, mynystre he to hem, that the chirche be not greuyd, that it suffice to hem that ben very widewis.

The prestis that ben wel gouernoures, be thei had worthi to double onour; moost thei that trauelen in word and teching.

For scripture seith, Thou schalt not bridil the mouth of the oxe threischinge, and, A werk man is worthi his hire.

Nyle thou resseyue accusyng ayens a preest, but vndur tweyne or thre witnessis.

But reproue thou men that synnen bifor alle men, that also othere haue drede.

Y preie bifor God, and Jhesu Crist, and hise chosun aungelis, that thou kepe these thingis with oute preiudice, and do no thing in bowynge `in to the othere side.

Put thou hondis to no man, nether anoon comyne thou with othere mennus synnes. Kepe thi silf chast.

Nyle thou yit drinke watir, but vse a litil wyn, for thi stomac, and `for thin ofte fallynge infirmytees.

Sum mennus synnes ben opyn, bifor goynge to dom; but of summen thei comen aftir.

And also goode dedis ben opyn, and tho that han hem in othere maner, moun not be hid.

Chapter 6
What euere seruauntis ben vndur yok, deme thei her lordis worthi al onour, lest the name of the Lord and the doctryn be blasfemyd.

And thei that han feithful lordis, dispise hem not, for thei ben britheren; but more serue thei, for thei ben feithful and louyd, whiche ben parceneris of benefice. Teche thou these thingis, and moneste thou these thingis.

If ony man techith othere wise, and acordith not to the hoolsum wordis of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and to that teching that is bi pitee,

he is proud, and kan no thing, but langwischith aboute questiouns and stryuyng of wordis, of the whiche ben brouyt forth enuyes, stryues, blasfemyes, yuele suspiciouns, fiytingis of men,

that ben corrupt in soule, and that ben pryued fro treuthe, that demen wynnyng to be pitee.

But a greet wynnyng is pitee, with sufficience.

For we brouyten in no thing in to this world, and no doute, that we moun not bere `awey ony thing.

But we hauynge foodis, and with what thingus we schulen be hilid, be we paied with these thingis.

For thei that wolen be maad riche, fallen in to temptacioun, and `in to snare of the deuel, and in to many vnprofitable desiris and noyous, whiche drenchen men in to deth and perdicioun.

For the rote of alle yuelis is coueytise, which summen coueitinge erriden fro the feith, and bisettiden hem with many sorewis.

But, thou, man of God, fle these thingis; but sue thou riytwisnesse, pite, feith, charite, pacience, myldenesse.

Stryue thou a good strijf of feith, catche euerlastinge lijf, in to which thou art clepid, and hast knoulechid a good knouleching bifor many witnessis.

I comaunde to thee bifor God, that quikeneth alle thingis, and bifor Crist Jhesu, that yeldide a witnessing vnder Pilat of Pounce, a good confessioun,

that thou kepe the comaundement with out wem, with out repreef, in to the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist;

whom the blessid and aloone miyti king of kyngis and Lord of lordis schal schewe in his tymes.

Which aloone hath vndeedlynesse, and dwellith in liyt, to which no man may come; whom no man say, nether may se; to whom glorie, and honour, and empire be with out ende.

Amen. Comaunde thou to the riche men of this world, that thei vndurstonde not hiyli, nether that thei hope in vncerteynte of richessis, but in the lyuynge God, that yyueth to vs alle thingis plenteuously to vse;

to do wel, to be maad riche in good werkis, liytli to yyue,

to comyne, to tresoure to hem silf a good foundement in to tyme to comynge, that thei catche euerlastinge lijf.

Thou Tymothe, kepe the thing bitakun to thee, eschewynge cursid noueltees of voicis, and opynyouns of fals name of kunnyng;

which summen bihetinge, aboute the feith fellen doun. The grace of God be with thee. Amen.