Matthew · Chapter 3

[ edit] In þilke days came Joon Baptiſt, prechynge in þe deſert of Jude, ſayinge, Do ȝe penaunce, for þe kyngdom of heuens ſhal neiȝ, or cume niȝe. Forſoþe þis is he, of whom it is ſaid by Yſaye, þe prophete, A voice of a cryinge in deſert, Make ȝe redy þe wayes of þe Lord; make ȝe riȝtful þe paþes of hym. Forſoþe þat ilk Joon hadde cloþ of þe heeris of cameylis, and a girdil of ſkyn aboute his leendis; ſoþely his mete weren locuſtis, and hony of þe wode. Þanne Jeruſalem wente out to hym, and al Jude, and al þe cuntre aboute Jordan; and þei weren criſtenyd of hym in Jordan, knowlechynge þere ſynnes.

Soþely he ſeeynge many of Phariſees and of Saduceſe commynge to his bapteme, ſaide to hem, Generaciouns of eddris, who ſhewide to ȝou for to flee fro wraþ to cumme? Þerfore do ȝee worþi fruytis of penaunce, and nyl ȝe ſay wiþ ynne ȝou, We han þe fadir Abraham; ſoþely Y ſaye to ȝou, for whi God is miȝti to reyſe vp of þeſe ſtonys þe ſonys of Abraham. For now þe axe is putt to þe rote of þe tree; ſoþely euery tree þat makiþ nat good fruyt, ſhal be kitt doun, and ſhal be ſent in to fijr. Forſoþe Y criſtene ȝou in water, in to penaunce; forſoþe he þat is to cumme after me is ſtrenger þan Y, whos ſhon Y am not worþi to bere; he ſhal baptiſe, or criſten, ȝow in þe Holy Gooſt and fijr.

Whos wynwing cloþ, or fan, in his hond, and he ſhal fully clenſe his corne floore, and ſhal gedre his corne in to his berne; but chaffis he ſhal brenne wiþ fyr unquenchable, or þat neuer ſhal be quenchid. Þanne Jheſus came fro Galilee in to Jordan to Joon, for to be criſtned of hym. Sooþly Joon forbeed hym, ſayinge, I owe for to be criſtned of þee, and þou commeſt to me? Forſoþe Jheſus anſweringe ſaide to hym, Suffre now, for ſo it becummeþ vs for to fulfille all riȝtwiſneſſe. Þan Joon leete hym, or left hym.

Forſoþe Jheſus criſtened ſteiȝ vp anoon fro þe water; and loo! heuens ben opened to hym, and he ſay þe Spirit of God cummynge doun as a culuer, and cummynge vpon hym; and loo! a voice fro heuenes, ſayinge, Þis is my byloued ſone, in þe whiche Y haue pleſid to me.