Matthew · Chapter 5

[ edit] Jheſus forſoÞe, ſeynge cumpanyes, wente vp in to an hill; and when he hadde ſete, his diſciplis camen niȝe to hym. And he, openynge his mouÞe, tauȝte to hem, ſayinge, Bleſſid be þe pore in ſpirit, for þe kingdam in heuenes is heren. Bleſſid be mylde men, for þei ſhuln welde þe eerþe. Bleſſid be þei þat mournen, for þei ſhuln be comfortid. Bleſſid be þei þat hungren and þriſten riȝtwiſneſſe, for þei ſhuln ben fulfillid. Bleſſid be mercyful men, for þei ſhuln gete mercye. Bleſſid be þei þat ben of clene herte, for þei ſhuln ſee God. Bleſſid be peſible men, for þei ſhuln be clepid þe ſonys of God.

Bleſſid be þei þat ſuffren perſecucioun for riȝtwiſneſſe, for þe kyngdam of heuenes is herun. Ȝee ſhulen be bleſſid, when men ſhulen curſe ȝou, and ſhulen purſue ȝou, and ſhulen ſay al yuel aȝeins ȝou leeȝing, for me. Ioye ȝee wiþ yn forþ, and glade ȝee wiþ out forþ, for ȝoure meede is plenteuouſe in heuenes; forſoþe ſo þei han purſued and prophetis þat weren before ȝou. Ȝee ben ſalt of þe erþe; þat ȝif þe ſalt ſhal vanyſhe awey, wherynne ſhal it be ſaltid?

To no þing it is worþ ouer, no bot þat it be ſent out, and defoulid of men. Ȝe ben liȝt of þe world; a citee putt on an hill may nat be hid; neþer men tendyn a lanterne, and putten it vndir a buſſhel, but on a candilſtike, þat it ȝeue liȝt to alle þat ben in þe hous. So ſhyyne ȝoure liȝt before men, þat þei ſee ȝoure good werkis, and glorifie ȝoure fadir þat is in heuens. Nyle ȝe geſſe, or deme, þat Y came to vndo, or diſtruye, þe lawe, or þe prophetis; I came not to vndo þe lawe, but to fulfille. Forſoþe I ſay to ȝou trewþe, til heuen and erþe paſſe, oon i, þat is leſte lettre, or titil, ſhal nat paſſe fro þe lawe, til alle þingis be don.

Þerfore he þat vndoþ, or brekeþ, oon of þeſe leſte maundementis, and techiþ þus men, ſhal be clepid þe leſte in þe rewme of heuenes; forſoþe þis þat doþ, and techiþ, ſhal be clepid grete in þe kyngdame of heuenes. Forſoþe Y ſay to ȝou, no but ȝif ȝoure riȝtwiſneſſe ſhal be more plenteuouſe þan of ſcribis and Phariſees, ȝee ſhulen not entre in to kyngdam of heuenes. Ȝee han herde þat it is ſaid to olde men, Þou ſhal nat ſlea; forſoþe he þat ſleeþ, ſhal be gylty of dome.

But I ſay to ȝou, þat euereche þat is wroþe to his broþer, ſhal be gylty of dome; forſoþe he þat ſhal ſay to his broþer, Racha, þat is, a word of ſcorn, ſhal be gylty of counſeile; ſoþly he þat ſhal ſay, Fool, þat is, a word of diſpiſynge, ſhal be gylti of þe fijr of helle. Þerfore ȝif þou offriſt þi ȝift at þe auter, and þere ſhalt byþenke, þat þi broþer haþ ſum what aȝeins þee, leeue þere þi ȝift before þe auter, and go firſt for to be recounſeilid, or acordid, to þi broþer, and þanne þou cummynge ſhalt offre þi ȝifte.

Be þou conſentynge to þin aduerſarie ſoon, þe whijle þou art in þe way wiþ hym, leſt perauenture þin aduerſarie take þee to þe domeſman, and þe domeſman take þee to þe mynyſtre, and þou be ſente in to priſoun. Trewely I ſay to þee, Þou ſhalt not go þennes, til þou ȝelde þe laſt ferþing. Ȝe han herd for it was ſaid to olde men, Þou ſhalt nat do lecherye. Forſoþe Y ſay to ȝou, for why euery man þat ſeeþ a womman for to coueite hire, now he haþ do lecherie by hire in his herte. Þat ȝif þi riȝt eiȝe ſclaundre þee, pulle it out, and caſt it fro þee; for it ſpeediþ to þee, þat oon of þi membris periſhe, þan al þi body go in to helle.

And ȝif þi riȝt hond ſclaundre þee, kitt it awey, and caſt it fro þee; for it ſpediþ to þee, þat oon of þi membris periſhe, þan þat al þi body go in to helle. Forſoþe it is ſaid, Who euere ſhal leeue his wyf, ȝeue he to hir a libel, þat is, a litil boke of forſakyng. Soþely Y ſay to ȝou, þat euery man þat ſhal leeue his wyf, outaken cauſe of fornicacioun, he makiþ hire do lecherie, and he þat weddiþ þe forſaken wijf, doþ auoutrie. Efte ſoonys ȝee han herd, þat it was ſaid to olde men, Þou ſhalt not forſwere, ſoþely to þe Lord þou ſhalt ȝeeld þin oeþis.

Forſoþe Y ſay to ȝou, to nat ſwere on al manere; neiþer by heuene, for it is þe trone of God; neþer by þe erþe, for it is þe ſtole of his feet; neiþer by Jeruſalem, for it is þe citee of a greet kyng; neiþer þou ſhalt ſwere by þin heued, for þou maiſt not make oon heer whyt, or blak; but be ȝoure word Ȝea, ȝea; Nay, nay; forſoþe þat þat is more þan þis, is of yuel. Ȝee han herde þat it is ſaid, Eiȝe for eiȝe, toþ for toþ.

But Y ſay to ȝou, to nat aȝein ſtonde yuel; but ȝif any ſhal ſmyte þee in þe riȝt cheeke, ȝeue to hym and þe toþer; and to hym þat wole ſtryue wiþ þee in dome, and take awey þi coote, leeue þou to hym and þin ouer cloþe; and who euere conſtrayneþ þee a þouſand pacis, go þou wiþ hym oþer tweyne. Forſoþe ȝif to hym þat axiþ of þee, and turne þou nat awey fro hym þat wol borwe of þee. Ȝee han herd þat it is ſaid, Þou ſhalt loue þin neiȝbore, and hate þin enmy.

But Y ſay to ȝou, loue ȝee ȝoure enmyes, do ȝee wel to hem þat haten ȝou, and preye ȝee for men purſuynge, and falſly chalengynge ȝou; þat ȝee be þe ſonys of ȝoure fadir þat is in heuenes, þat makiþ his ſune to ſpringe vp vpon good and yuel men, and rayneþ vpon iuſte men and vniuſte men. For ȝif ȝe louen hem þat louen ȝou, what meed ſhul ȝee haue? wheþer and puplicans don nat þis þing? And ȝif ȝee greten, or ſaluten, ȝoure breþeren oonly, what more ouer ſhul ȝee don? wheþer and paynymmys don nat þis þing? Þerfore be ȝee parfit, as and ȝoure heuenly fadir is parfit.