Matthew · Chapter 14

[ edit] In þat tyme Eroude tetrarcha, þat is, prince of þe fourþe part, herde þe fame of Jheſu; and ſeide to his children, Þis is Jon Baptiſt, he haþ riſen fro dead, and þerfore vertues worchen in hym. Forſoþe Eroude helde Joon, and bounde hym, and putte him in to priſoun for Erodias, þe wif of his broþer. For Joon ſaide to hym, It is nat leful to þee for to haue hir. And he willynge to ſlea hym, drede þe peple; for þei hadden hym as a prophete. Forſoþe in þe day of Eroudis birþe, þe douȝter of Erodias leepte in þe mydil, and pleſide to Eroude. Wherfore wiþ an ooþ he byhiȝte for to ȝeue to hir, what euer þinge ſhe hadde axid of hym.

And ſhe bifore moneſtid, or warnyd, of hir modir, ſeiþ, Ȝeue þou to me hidir þe hed of Joon Baptiſt in a diſche. And þe kyng was ſorowful, but for þe ooþ, and for hem þat ſeeten to gidre at þe mete, he comaundide to be ȝouen. And he ſente, and bihedide Joon in þe priſoun. And his heed is brouȝt to in a diſche, and it is ȝouen to þe whenche, and ſhe bare it to hir modir. And his diſciplis cummynge to token his body, and biryeden it; and þei cummynge tolden to Jheſu. Þe whiche þing when Jheſus hadde herd, he went fro þennus in to a boot, in to deſert place beſidis. And whenne þe cumpanyes of peple hadden herd, þei folowiden hym and on þe feet fro citees.

And Jheſus, goynge out, ſaw a greet multitude of peple, and hadde rewþe of hem, and heelide þe ſike men of hem. Soþely þe euenynge maad, his diſciplis camen niȝ to him, ſeiynge, Þe place is deſert, and þe hour haþ now paſſid; leeue þou þe cumpanyes of peple, þat þei, goynge in to caſtels, bigge meetis to hem. Forſoþe Jheſus ſeide to hem, Þei han nat neede to go; ȝeue ȝe to hem for to ete. Þei anſweriden, We han nat here, no but fiue looues and two fiſhis. Þe whiche ſeiþ to hem, Brynge ȝee hem hidir to me.

And when he hadde comaundid þe cumpanye for to ſitte to mete on hay, fyue looues and two fiſhis taken, he byholdynge in to heuen, bleſſide, and brak, and ȝaue to his diſciplis; ſoþely þe diſciplis ȝauen to þe cumpanyes. And alle eeten, and weren fulfillid. And þei token þe relifis of broken gobetis, twelue cofyns ful. Forſoþe þe noumbre of men etynge was fyue þouſand of men, out taken wemmen and litel children. And anon Jheſus compellide, or comaundide, þe diſciplis for to go vp in to a boot, and go bifore hym ouer þe ſee, til þat he lefte þe cumpanyes. And þe cumpanyes left, he ſteiȝide vp in to an hill aloone for to preye. Soþely þe euenyng maad, he was þere aloone.

Soþely þe boot in þe mydil ſee was þrowen wiþ wawis, forſoþe þe wynd was contrarie. But in þe fourþe wakyng of þe niȝt, he came to hem walkynge aboue þe ſee. And þei, ſeeynge hym walkynge aboue þe ſee, weren diſtourblid, ſeyinge, For it is a fantum; and for drede þei cryeden. And anoon Jheſus ſpac to hem, ſayinge, Haue ȝe truſt, I am; nyl ȝe dreede. Soþely Petre anſwerynge ſeide, Lord, ȝif þou art, comaunde me to cume to þee vpon þe watris. And he ſeiþ, Cume þou. And Petre goynge doun fro þe bote, walkide on þe wateris for to cume to Jheſu. Trewly he, ſeeynge a ſtrong wynde, was aferde; and whan he bygan for to be drenchid, he cryede, ſeyinge, Lord, make me ſaaf.

And anoon Jheſus, holdynge forþ þe hond, cauȝte hym, and ſeiþ to hym, Þou of litil feiþ, whi haſt þou doutid? And whenne he hadde ſtied vp in to þe boot, þe wynde ceſſide. Soþely þei, þat weren in þe boot, camen, and worſhipiden hym, ſeyinge, Veryly, þou art Goddis ſone. And whenne he had paſſide ouer þe ſee, þei camen in to þe lond of Geneſar. And whenne men of þat place hadden knowen hym, þei ſenten into al þat cuntree; and þei offriden to hym al hauynge yuel. And þei preyiden hym, þat þei ſhulden touche eþer þe hem of þe cloþing of hym; and who euer touchiden ben maad ſaaf.