Luke · Chapter 5

[ edit] Soþeli it was don, whanne cumpanyes of peple felden in to Jheſu, or camen faſte, þat þei ſchulden heere þe word of God, and he ſtood biſydis þe ſtondinge watir of Genaſereþ, and ſyȝ twey bootis ſtondinge biſydis þe ſtonding watir; ſoþli þe fiſcheris hadden gon doun, and waiſchide nettis. Soþli he ſtiȝynge in to a boot, þat was Symoundis, preiede him to lede aȝen a litil fro þe lond; and he ſittinge tauȝte þe cumpanyes fro þe boot. Soþli as he ceeſſide to ſpeke, he ſeide to Symound, Lede þou in to hiȝ, and ſlake ȝe ȝoure nettis in to þe takinge. And Symount anſweringe ſeide to him, Comaundour, we trauelinge by al þe nyȝt token no þing, but in þi word I ſchal leye out þe nett.

And whanne þei hadden don þis þing, þei cloſiden to gidere a plenteuous multitude of fyſches; forſoþ her nett was broken. And þei bekenyden to felowis, þat weren in an oþir boot, þat þei ſchulden come, and helpe hem. And þei camen, and filliden boþe litle bootis, ſo þat þei weren al mooſt drenchid. Which þing whanne Symound Petre ſyȝ, he felde doun to þe knees of Jheſu, ſeyinge, Lord, go fro me, for I am a man ſynnere. Soþli greet wondir hadde bigon aboute him, and alle þat weren wiþ him, in þe takinge of fiſches whiche þei tooken. Soþli in lyk manere James and John, þe ſones of Zebede, whiche weren felowis of Symount Petre.

And Jheſu ſeiþ to Symound, Nyle þou drede; now fro þis tyme þou ſchalt be takynge men. And þe bootis led vp to þe lond, alle þingis left, þei ſueden him. And it was don, whanne he was in oon of þe citees, and lo! a man ful of leper; and ſeynge Jheſu, and fallinge doun in to his face, preiede him, ſeyinge, Lord, if þou wolt, þou maiſt make me clene. And Jheſu holdinge forþ þe hond, touchide him, ſeyinge, I wole, be þou maad clene. And anon þe lepre paſſide awey fro hym. And Jheſu comaundide to him, þat he ſchulde ſeie to no man; But go þou, ſchewe þou þee to a preſt, and offre þou for þi clenſinge, as Moyſes bad, in to witneſſinge to hem.

Soþli þe word walkide aboute þe more of him; and manye cumpanyes camen to gidre, þat þei ſchulden heere, and be heelid of her ſykneſſis. Forſoþe he wente in to deſert, and preiede. And it was don in oon of dayes, and he ſittinge tauȝte; and þere were Phariſees ſittinge, and doctours of þe lawe, þat camen of ech caſtel of Galilee, and of Judee, and of Jeruſalem; and þe vertu of þe Lord was for to heele ſyke men. And loo! men beringe in a bed a man þat was ſyk in palaſye, and þei ſouȝten for to bere in hym, and to putte bifore him.

And þei not fyndinge in what part þei ſchulde bere him yn, for þe cumpenye of peple, ſtiȝeden vp on þe rof, and by þe ſclattis þei ſenten him doun wiþ þe bed in to þe myddil, byfore Jheſu. Þe feiþ of whiche as Jheſu ſyȝ, he ſeide, Man, þi ſynnes ben forȝouun to þee. And ſcribis and Phariſees bigunnen for to þenke, ſeyinge, Who is þis, þat ſpekiþ blaſphemyes? who may forȝyue ſynnes, no but God aloone? Forſoþ as Jheſu knew þe þouȝtis of hem, he anſweringe ſeide to hem, What þenken ȝe yuele þingis in ȝoure hertis? What is liȝtere to ſeye, Synnes ben forȝouun to þee, eþir to ſeie, Ryſe vp, and walke?

Soþli þat ȝe wite, for mannis ſone haþ power in erþe to forȝyue ſynnes, he ſeiþ to þe ſyke man in palaſy, To þee I ſeie, ryſe vp, take þi bed, and go in to þin hous. And anon he riſinge vp bifore hem, took þe bed in which he lay, and wente in to his hous, magnyfyinge God. And greet wondir took alle men, and þei magnyfieden God; and þei weren fulfillid wiþ greet drede, ſeyinge, For we han ſeyn merueilouſe þingis to day. And aftir þes þingis Jheſu wente out, and ſyȝ a pupplican, Leeuy by name, ſittinge at þe tolboþe. And he ſeiþ to him, Sue þou me; and alle þingis forſaken, he riſynge ſuede him.

And Leuy made to him a greet feeſte in his hous; and þere was a greet cumpanye of pupplicans, and of oþere þat weren wiþ hem, ſittinge at þe mete. And Fariſees and þe ſcribis of hem grucchiden, ſeyinge to his diſciplis, Whi eten ȝe and drynken wiþ pupplicans and ſynful men? And Jheſu anſweringe ſeiþ to hem, Þei þat ben hoole han no nede to a leche, but þei þat han yuele; ſoþli I cam not to clepe iuſt men, but ſynful men to penaunce. And þei ſeiden to him, Whi diſciplis of John faſten oft, and maken biſechingis, alſo and of Phariſees, but þi diſciplis eten and drynken. To whiche he ſeiþ, Wher ȝe mown make þe ſones of þe ſpouſe for to faſte, þe while þe ſpouſe is wiþ hem?

Soþli dayes ſchulen come, whanne þe ſpouſe ſchal be taken awey fro hem, þanne þei ſchulen faſte in þo dayes. Forſoþ he ſeide to hem alſo a likneſſe; For no man ſendiþ a medling of newe cloþ in to an old cloþ; ellis and he brekiþ þe newe, and þe medling of þe newe acordiþ not to þe oolde. And no man ſendiþ newe wyn in to olde wyn veſſelis; ellis þe newe wyn ſchal breke þe wyn veſſelis, and þe wyn ſchal be ſched out, and þe wyn veſſelis ſchulen periſche. But newe wyn is to be ſent in to newe wyn veſſelis, and boþe ben kept. And no man drynkinge old, wole anon newe; ſoþli he ſeiþ, Þe olde is þe betere.