Matthew · Chapter 24

[ edit] And Jheſus, gon out of þe temple, wente; and his diſciplis camen niȝ to hym, þat þei ſhulden ſhewe to hym þe bildyngis of þe temple. Forſoþe he anſwerynge ſeiþ to hem, Seen ȝee alle þeſe þingis? Trewly I ſeie to ȝou, a ſtoon ſhal nat be lefte here on a ſtoon, þe whiche ſhal nat be diſtruyed. Soþely hym ſittynge on þe hil of Olyuete, diſciplis camen niȝ to him priuely, ſeiynge, Seie to vs, whanne þes þingis ſchulen be, and what tokene of þi comynge, and of ending of þe world. And Jheſus anſweringe ſeide to hem, Se ȝe, þat no man diſceyue ȝou. Many ſchulen come in my name, ſeyynge, I am Criſt; and þei ſchulen diſceyue manye.

Soþly ȝe ben to heere bateyls, and opynyouns of bateyls; ſe ȝe, þat ȝe ben not diſtroblid; forſoþ it bihoueþ þes þingis to be don, but not ȝit is þe ende. Folk ſchal ryſe to gidere aȝen folk, and rewme in to rewme, and peſtilencis, and hungris, and erþemouyngis ſchulen be by placis; forſoþe alle þes þingis ben bigynnyngis of ſorwis. Þenne þei ſchulen bitake ȝou in to tribulacioun, and þei ſchulen ſlee ȝou, and ȝe ſchulen be in hate to alle folkis for my name. And þanne manye ſchulen be ſclaundrid, and to gidere bitraye, or ech oþer, and in hate haue to gidere. And many falſe prophetis ſchulen ryſe, and diſceyue many.

And for wickidneſſe ſchal be plenteous, þe charite of manye ſchal wexe coold; forſoþe he þat ſchal dwelle ſtable vnto þe ende, he þis ſchal be ſaaf. And þis goſpel of kyngdom ſchal be prechid in al þe world, in to witneſſinge to alle folkis; and þanne þe ende ſchal come. Þerfore whenne ȝe ſchulen ſe þe abhomynacioun of diſcomfort, þat is ſeid of Danyel, þe prophete, ſtondynge in þe hooly place; he þat rediþ, vndirſtonde; þanne þei þat ben in Judee, fle to mounteyns; and he þat is in þe hous roof, come not down to take ony þing of his hous; and he þat is in þe feeld, turne not aȝen to take his coote. Forſoþ wo to wymmen wiþ childe and noryſchinge in þo dayes.

Soþly preie ȝe, þat ȝoure fleynge be not maad in wyntir, or ſaboþ. Forſoþe þanne ſchal be greet tribulacioun, what maner was not fro þe bigynnyng of þe world to now, neþir ſchal be maad. And no but þo dayes hadden be breggid, al fleiſch, þat is, mankynde, ſchulde not be maad ſaaf; but þo dayes ſchulen be maad ſchort, for þe choſun men. Þanne if ony man ſchal ſeie to ȝou, Lo! here is Criſt, or þere, nyle ȝe bileue. Forſoþe falſe Criſtis and falſe prophetis ſchulen ryſe, and þei ſchulen ȝyue grete tokenes and wondris; ſo þat alſo þe choſyne be ledd in to errour, if it may be don. Lo! I haue bifore ſeid to ȝou.

Þerfore if þei ſchulen ſeie to ȝou, Loo! he is in deſert, nyle ȝe go out; loo! in pryuey chambris, or placis, nyle ȝe bileue. Soþli as leyt goþ out fro þe eeſt, and apperiþ til in to þe weſt, ſo ſchal be and þe comynge of mannus ſone. Where euere þe body ſchal be, and þe eeglis ſchulen be gederid þidur. Forſoþe anoon aftir þe tribulacioun of þo dayes, þe ſunne ſchal be maad derk, and þe mone ſchal not ȝyue hir liȝt, and ſterris ſchulen falle down fro heuene, and þe vertues of heuenes ſchulen be mouyd.

And þanne þe tokene of mannus ſone ſchal appere in heuene, and þanne alle kynredis, or lynagis, of erþe ſchulen weyle; and þei ſchulen ſe mannus ſone comynge in þe clowdis of heuene, wiþ moche vertu and mageſte. And he ſchal ſende his angelis wiþ a trumpe, and greet voice; and þei ſchulen gedere his choſyne fro foure wyndis of heuene, fro þe hiȝeſte þingis of heuenes til teermes, or endes, of hem. Lerne ȝe þe parable of a fyge tree. Whenne his bouȝ, or braunche, is now tendre, and leeuys ſprungen, ȝee witen, þat ſomer is niȝ; ſo and ȝee whenne ȝee ſhulen ſe alle þeſe þingis, witiþ þat it is niȝ, and in þe ȝatis.

Trewly I ſeie to ȝow, for þis generacioun ſhal nat paſſe, til þat alle þingis be don; heuene and erþe ſhulen paſſe, but my wordis ſhulen nat paſſe. Forſoþe of þilk day and hour no man woot, neþer angelis of heuenes, no but þe fadir alone. Forſoþe as it was in þe dayes of Noye, ſo ſhal be and þe comyng of mannes ſone. For as in þe days bifore þe grete flood, þei weren etynge and drinkynge, weddynge and takynge to weddynge, til in to þat day, in þe whiche Noe entride in to þe ſhip; and þei knewen nat, til þat þe grete flood came, and toke alle men, ſo ſhal be þe cummyng of mannes ſone.

Þanne two ſhulen be in a feeld, oon ſhal be taken to, and an oþer left, or forſaken; two wymmen ſhulen be gryndynge in oo querne, oon ſhal be taken to, and þe oþer forſaken; two in oo bed, þe toon ſhal be taken to, and þe toþer forſaken. Þerfore wake ȝee, for ȝee witen nat in what houre ȝoure Lord is to cumme. Soþely þat þing wite ȝee, for ȝif þe houſbonde man wiſte in what houre þe þeef were to cumme, trewly he ſhulde wake, and ſuffre nat his hous to be vndirmynyd. And þerfore and ȝee be redy, for in what hour ȝee geſſen nat, mannes ſone is to cumme. Who geſſiſt þou is a trew ſeruaunt and prudent, or war, whom his lord ordeynyde on his meynee, þat he ȝeue to hem mete in tyme?

Bliſſid is þat ſeruaunt, whom his lord, whenne he ſhal cumme, ſhal fynde doynge ſo. Trewly I ſeie to ȝou, for vpon alle his goodis he ſhal ordeyne hym. Forſoþe ȝif þilk yuel ſeruaunt ſhal ſeie in his herte, My lord makiþ dwellynge, or taryinge, to cum, and bigynne to ſmyte his euen ſeruauntis, ſoþely ȝif he ete and drynke wiþ drunkenlewe men; þe lord of þilk ſeruaunt ſhal cume in þe day in whiche he hopiþ nat, and in hour þat he knowiþ nat, and ſhal departe hym, and put his part wiþ ypocritis; þere ſhal be weepynge, and betynge togidre of teeþ.