Matthew · Chapter 19

[ edit] And it is don, whenne Jheſus hadde eendide þeſe wordis, he paſſide fro Galilee, and came in to þe eendis of Judee ouer Jordan. And manye cumpanyes of men ſueden hym, and he helide hem þere. And Phariſees camen niȝ to hym, temptynge hym, and ſeyinge, Wher it be leeful for a man for to leeue, or forſake, his wijf, of what euer cauſe? Þe whiche anſwerynge ſeiþ to hem, Han nat ȝee rad, for he þat made men at þe bygynnynge, male and female he made hem? And he ſeide, For þis þing a man ſhal leeue fadir and modir, and he ſhal cleue, or drawe, to his wif; and þei ſhulen be two in oo fleſh. And ſo þei ben nat now two, bot oo fleſh.

Þerfore a man departe nat þat þing þat God enioynyde, or knytte to gidre. Þei ſeyen to hym, What þanne comaundide Moyſes, to ȝeue a litil boke of forſakynge, and to leeue off? And he ſeiþ to hem, For Moyſes, at þe hardneſſe of ȝoure herte, ſuffride ȝou forſake ȝoure wyues; forſoþe at þe begynnyng it was nat ſo. Trewly I ſeie to ȝou, þat who euer leeueþ his wif, no but for fornicacioun, and weddiþ an oþer, doþ a vowtrie; and he þat weddiþ þe forſaken wife, doþ a vowtrie. His diſciplis ſeien to hym, Ȝif þe cauſe of a man wiþ a wijf is ſo, it ſpeediþ nat to wedde. Þe whiche ſeiþ to hem, Nat alle men taken þis word; but to which it is ȝouen.

Soþely þere ben geldyngis, þe whiche ben þus born of þe modris wombe; and þere ben geldyngis, þat ben maad of men, and þere ben geldyngis, þat han geldid hem ſelf, for þe kyngdam of heuenes. He þat may take, take he. Þanne litil children weren offrid vp to hym, þat he ſhulde putte hondis to hem, and preie. Soþely his diſciplis blameden hem. But Jheſus ſeiþ to hem, Suffre ȝe litil childre cume to me, and nyl ȝe forbede hem for to come to me; for of ſiche is þe kyngdam of heuenes. And whenne he hadde putte to hem hondis, he wente þennus. And loo! oon, cummynge to, ſeiþ to hym, Good maiſter, what of good þing ſhal I do, þat I haue euerlaſtynge lyf?

Þe which ſeiþ to hym, What axiſt þou me of good þing? Þere is oo good God. For ȝif þou wolt entre in to lif, kepe þe comaundementis. He ſeiþ to hym, Whiche? Trewly Jheſus ſeide, Þou ſhalt nat do man ſleaynge, þou ſhalt nat do avowtrie, þou ſhalt nat do þefte, þou ſhalt nat ſeye fals witneſſinge; worſhipe þi fadir and þi modir, and þou ſhalt looue þi neiȝbore as þi ſelf. Þe ȝung man ſeiþ to hym, I haue kepte alle þeſe þingis fro my ȝouþe, what ȝit failiþ to me? Jheſus ſeiþ to hym, Ȝif þou wolt be perfit, go, and ſelle alle þingus þat þou haſt, and ȝeue to pore men, and þou ſhalt haue treſour in heuene; and cum, ſue þou me.

Forſoþe whenne þe ȝung man hadde herde þeſe wordis, he wente awey ſorwful, for he was hauynge many poſſeſſiouns. Forſoþe Jheſus ſeide to his diſciplis, I ſeie to ȝou trewþe, for a riche man of hard ſhal entre in to þe kyngdam of heuenes. And eftſone I ſeie to ȝou, it is liȝter, or eyſier, a camel for to paſſe þorwȝ a nedelis eiȝe, þan a riche man to entre into þe kyngdam of heuenes. Treuly þeſe wordis herd, þe diſciplis wondriden gretely, ſeyinge, Who þerfore may be ſaaf? Forſoþe Jheſus beholdynge ſeide to hem, Anentis men þis þing is impoſſible; but anentis God alle þingis ben poſſible.

Þanne Petre anſwerynge ſeide to hym, Loo! we han forſaken alle þingis, and we han ſued þee; what þerfore ſhal be to us? Jheſus forſoþe ſeide to hem, Trewly Y ſeye to ȝou, þat ȝe þat han forſaken alle þingis, and ſued me, in regeneracioun, or gendrynge aȝein, whenne mannes ſone ſhall ſitte in þe ſete of his mageſte, and ȝe ſhulen ſitt on twelue ſetis, or ſeegis, demynge þe twelue kynredis of Yrael. And euery man þat ſhal forſake hous, or breþeren, or ſiſtren, or fadir, or modir, or wif, or ſonys, or feeldis, for my name, he ſhal take an hundrid fold, and ſhal welde euere laſtynge lyf. Forſoþe many ſhulen be, þe firſte þe laſte, and þe laſte þe firſte.