Matthew · Chapter 12

[ edit] In þat tyme Jheſus wente by cornys on þe ſabot day; forſoþe his diſciplis, hungrynge, bigunnen to pluc eris of corn, and to ete. Soþely Phariſees ſeeynge, ſeiden to hym, Loo! þi diſciplis don þat þing þat is nat leeful to hem to do in ſaboþis. And he ſeide to hem, Wheþer ȝe han nat rad, what Dauiþ didde, when he hungride, and þei þat weren wiþ hym? hou he entride in to þe hous of God, and ete loouis of propoſicioun, or puttynge forþ, þe whiche loouis was nat leeful to hym to eet, neþer to hem þat weren wiþ hym, no but to preſtis only? Or wheþer ȝe han nat rad in þe lawe, for in ſaboþis preſtis in þe temple defoulen þe ſaboþis, and þei ben wiþ outen grete ſynne?

Soþely Y ſaye to ȝou, for þis is more þan þe temple. Forſoþe ȝif ȝe wiſten, what it is, I wole mercy, and nat ſacrifice, ȝe ſhulden neuer han condempnyd innocentis. Trewly mannys ſone is, ȝhe, lord of þe ſabot. And whenne he paſſide þennus, he came in to þe ſynagoge of hem. And loo! a man hauynge a drye hond. And þei axiden hym, ſayinge, Ȝif it is leeful to heele in þe ſabot? þat þei ſhulden acuſe hym. Soþely he ſeide to hem, Who ſhal be a man of ȝou, þat haþ oo ſheep, and ȝif it ſhal falle doun in to a dike in þe ſabotis, wheþer he ſhal nat holde, and lift it vp? Hou moche more is a man betre þan a ſheep? And ſo it is leeful to do good in þe ſabot.

Þanne he ſeide to þe man, Strecche forþ þin hond. And he ſtreiȝte forþ; and it is reſtorid to helþe as þe toþer. Forſoþe Phariſees goynge out, maden a counſel aȝeins hym, hou þei ſhulden leeſe hym. Soþely Jheſus witynge, wente awey þennes; and many ſueden hym, and he helide hem alle. And he comaundide to hem, þat þei ſhulden nat make hym opyn, or knowen; þat þat þing ſhulde be fulfilled, þat was ſaid by Yſay, þe prophete, ſeyinge, Loo! my choſen child, whom I haue choſen, my derlyng, in whom it haþ wel pleſid to my ſoule; I ſhal putte my ſpirit on hym, and he ſhal telle dome to heiþen men. He ſhal nat ſtryue, ne crye, neþer eny man ſhal here his voice in ſtretis.

He ſhal nat breke to gidre a ſchaken reed, and he ſhal nat quenche ſmokynge flax, til þat he caſt out dome to victorie; and heþen men ſhulen hope in his name. Þanne a blynd man and doumb, hauynge a deuel, was offrid vp to hym; and he helide hym, ſo þat he ſpac, and ſay. And alle þe cumpanyes wondreden, and ſaiden, Wher þis be þe ſone of Dauiþ? But þe Phariſees, herynge, ſeiden, He þis caſtiþ not out feendis, no but in Belzabub, prince of fendis. Soþely Jheſus, witynge her þouȝtis, ſeide to hem, Eche kyngdam departid aȝeins hym ſelf, ſhal be deſolat, or diſcounfortid, and eche citee, or hous, departid aȝeins it ſelf, ſhal nat ſtonde.

And ȝif Saþanas caſtiþ out Saþanas, he is departid aȝeins hym ſelf; þerfore hou ſhal his kyngdam ſtonde? And ȝif I in Belzabub caſt out deuelis, in whom, or whos miȝt, ȝoure ſonys caſten out? Þerfore þei ſhulen ben ȝoure domys men. Forſoþe ȝif I in þe Spirit of God caſte out fendis, þerfore þe kyngdam of God is cummen in to ȝou, or amonge ȝou. Eþer hou may eny man entre in to þe hous of a ſtronge man, and take awey his veſſelis, no but firſt he ſhal bynde þe ſtronge man, and þan he ſhal rauyſhe his hous? He þat is nat wiþ me, is aȝeinus me; and he þat gadriþ nat to gidre wiþ me, ſcatriþ abrood.

Þerfore Y ſeye to ȝou, al ſynne and blasfemye ſhal be forȝouen to men, but þe ſpirit of blasfemye ſhal nat be forȝouen. And who euere ſhal ſeie a word aȝeins mannys ſone, it ſhal be forȝouen to hym; forſoþe he þat ſhall ſeye a word aȝeins þe Holy Gooſt, it ſhal nat be forȝouen to hym, neþer in þis world, ne in þe toþer. Eþer make ȝe þe tree good, and his fruyt good; eþer make ȝe þe tree yuel, and his fruyt euyl; forſoþe a tree is knowen of þe fruyt. Ȝe generacioun of eddris, howe mowe ȝe ſpeke good þingis, when ȝe ben yuel? Soþely þe mouþ ſpekiþ of þe grete plente of þe herte. A good man brengiþ forþ good þingis of good treſoure, and an yuel man bryngiþ forþ yuel þingis of yuel treſour.

Forſoþe Y ſeie to ȝou, for whi of euery ydel word þat men ſpeken, þei ſhul ȝelde reſoun þerof in þe day of dome; for of þi wordis þou ſhalt be iuſtified, and of þi wordis þou ſhalt be dampnyd. Þanne ſume of þe ſcribes and Phariſees anſwereden to hym, ſeyinge, Maiſtre, we wolden ſe a tokne of þee. Þe whiche anſwerynge ſeiþ to hem, An iuel generacioun and auoutrere ſekiþ a tokne, and tokne ſhal nat be ȝouen to it, no but þe tokne of Jonas, þe prophete. For as Jonas was in þe womb of a whall þree days and þree niȝtis, ſo mannus ſone ſhal be in þe herte of þe erþe þree days and þree niȝtis.

Men of Nynyue ſhal ryſe in dome wiþ þis generacioun, and ſhulen condempne it; for þei diden penaunce in þe prechynge of Jonas, and loo! here is more þan Jonas. Þe queen of þe ſouþ ſhal ryſe in dome wiþ þis generation, and ſhal condempne it; for ſhe came fro þe eendis of þe erþe, for to here þe wiſdam of Salomon, and loo! heere is more þan Salomon. Forſoþe whan an vnclene ſpirit ſhal go out fro a man, he goþ by drye places, ſeekynge reſte, and he fyndyþ nat. Þanne he ſaiþ, I ſhal turne aȝein in to my hous, fro whennys Y came out. And he cummynge fyndiþ it voide, clenſid wiþ biſmes, and maad faire.

Þanne he goþ, and takiþ ſeuen oþer ſpiritis wiþ hym, worſe þan hym ſelf; and þei entrynge yn dwellen þere. And þe laſt þingis of þat man ben maad worſe þan þe former. So it ſhal be and to þis worſt generacioun. Ȝit hym ſpekynge to þe cumpanyes of peple, loo! his modir and his breþeren ſtoden wiþ outeforþ, ſeekyng for to ſpeke to hym. Soþely ſum man ſaide to hym, Loo! þi modir and þi breþren ſtonden wiþ outforþ, ſeekynge þee. And he, anſwerynge to þe man ſeiynge to hym, ſeiþ, Who is my modir? and who ben my breþren?

And he holdynge forþ his hond in to his diſciples, ſeide, Loo! my modir and my breþeren; treuly whoeuer doþ þe wil of my fadir þat is in heuenes, he is my broþer, ſuſter, and modir.