Luke · Chapter 8

[ edit] And it was don aftirward, and Jheſu made iorney by citees and caſtelis, prechinge and euangelyſinge þe rewme of God, and twelue wiþ him; and ſumme wymmen þat weren heelid of wickide ſpiritis and ſykneſſis, Marie, þat is clepid Mawdeleyn, of whom ſeuene deuelis wenten out, and Jone, þe wyf of Chuſe, procuratour of Eroude, and Suſanne, and manye oþere, whiche mynyſtriden to him of her riches. Forſoþ whanne ful moche cumpanye cam to gidere, and fro citees haſtiden to him, he ſeide by a likneſſe, He þat ſowiþ, ȝede out for to ſowe his ſeed. And þe while he ſowiþ, ſum felde by ſydis þe weye, and was defoulid, and briddis of þe eyr eeten it.

And anoþer felde doun on a ſtoon, and it ſprungen vp dryede, for it hadde not moiſture. And anoþir felde doun among þornes, and þe þornes ſprungen vp to gidere ſtrangliden it. And anoþer felde doun in to good erþe, and it ſprungun vp made an hundrid foold fruit. He ſeyinge þes þingis criede, He þat haþ eeris of heeringe, heere he. Soþli his diſciplis axiden him, what þis parable was. To whiche he ſeyde, To ȝou it is ȝouun to knowe þe myſterie of þe kyngdom of God; forſoþe to oþere men in parablis, þat þei ſeynge ſe not, and þei heeringe vndirſtonde not. Soþli þis is þe parable.

Þe ſeed is Goddis word; ſoþli þei þat ben biſydis þe weye, ben þes þat heeren; aftirward þe fend comeþ, and takiþ awey þe word fro her herte, leſt þei bileuynge be maad ſaaf. Forwhi þei þat felden doun on a ſtoon, ben þeſe men whiche whenne þei han herd, receyuen þe word wiþ ioye. And þes han not roote; for at a tyme þei bileuen, and in tyme of temptacioun þei gon awey. Forſoþe þes þat felden doun in þornes, ben þes þat herden, and of byſineſſis, and richeſſis, and luſtis of lyf þei goynge ben ſtranglid, and bryngen not aȝein fruyt. Forſoþ þis þat felde doun in to good erþe, ben þes men whiche, in good herte and beſt, heeringe þe word holdun, and bryngen forþ fruyt in pacience.

Forſoþ no man liȝtinge a lanterne hiliþ it wiþ a veſſel, eþir puttiþ vndir a bed, but on a candilſticke, þat men entringe ſe liȝt. Forſoþ no þing is priuey, which ſchal not be openyd, neiþer hid, which ſchal not be knowun, and come into apert. Þerfore ſe ȝe, hou ȝe heeren; forſoþe it ſchal be ȝouun to him þat haþ, and who euere haþ not, alſo þis he geſſiþ him ſilf to haue, ſchal be takun awey fro him. Forſoþ his modir and briþeren camen to him; and þei myȝten not go fully to him for þe cumpany of peple. And it is told to him, Þi modir and þi briþeren ſtonden wiþ oute forþ, willinge to ſe þee.

Which anſweringe ſeide to hem, My moder and my briþeren ben þes, whiche heeren þe word of God, and don. Forſoþ it was don in oon of dayes, and he ſtiȝede in to a boot and his diſciplis. And he ſeiþ to hem, Paſſe we ouer þe ſtondinge watir. And þei ſtiȝeden vp. Soþli, hem rowynge, he ſlepte. And a tempeſt of wynd cam doun in to þe watir, and þei weren driuen hidur and þidur wiþ wawis, and weren in perel. Forſoþe þei comynge nyȝ reyſiden him, ſeyinge, Comaundour, we periſchen. And he riſynge blamyde þe wynd, and þe tempeſt of watir; and it ceeſſide, and peſyblete was maad. Forſoþ he ſeyde to hem, Where is ȝoure feiþ?

Whiche dredinge wondriden, ſeyinge to gidere, Who, geſſiſt þou, is þis? for he comaundiþ to wyndis and to þe ſee, and þei obeyen to him. And þei rowiden to þe cuntree of Geraſenus, which is aȝens Galilee. And whanne he wente out to þe lond, ſum man ran to him, which hadde a deuyl now longe tymes, and was not cloþid wiþ cloþ, neiþer dwellide in hous, but in ſepulcris. Þis as he ſyȝ Jheſu, felde doun bifore him, and criynge wiþ greet voys ſeide, What to me and to þee, Jheſu, þe ſone of God þe hiȝeſte? I beſeche þee, þat þou turmente not me. Soþli he comaundide to þe vnclene ſpirit, þat he ſchulde go out fro þe man.

Forſoþe he took him longe tymes, and he kept in ſtockis was bounden wiþ chaynes, and, þe boondis broken, he was led of fendis in deſert. Soþli Jheſu axide him, ſeyinge, What name is to þee? And he ſeyde, A legioun; for manye fendis hadde entrid in to him. And þei preiden him, þat he ſchulde not comaunde hem, þat þei ſchulden go in to þe depneſſe. Forſoþe a flok of manye hoggis was þere leſewynge in an hil, and þei preieden him, þat he ſchulde ſuffre hem to entre in to hem. And he ſuffride hem. Þerfore fendis wenten out fro þe man, and entride in to hoggis; and wiþ bire þe floc wente hedlinge in to þe lake of watir, and was ſtranglid.

Which þing, as þei þat leſewiden ſyȝen don, þei fledden, and tolden in to þe citee, and in townes. Soþli þei ȝeden out to ſe þat þing þat was don. And þei founden þe man ſittinge cloþid, fro whom þe fendis wenten out, and in hool mynde at his feet; and þei dredden. Soþli and þei þat ſyȝen tolden to hem, how he was maad hool of þe legioun. And al þe multitude of þe cuntree of Geraſenus preieden him, þat he ſchulde go fro hem, for þei weren holde wiþ greet drede. Soþli he ſtiȝynge in to a boot turned aȝein. And þe man of whom þe fendis wente out, preied him, þat he ſchulde be wiþ him. Soþli Jheſu lefte him, ſeyinge, Go aȝeyn in to þin hous, and telle hou grete þingis God haþ don to þee.

And he wente þorw al þe citee, prechinge, hou grete þingis Jheſu hadde don to him. Forſoþe it was don, whanne Jheſu hadde gon aȝeyn, þe cumpanye of peple receyuede him; forſoþe alle weren abidinge him. And loo! a man, to whom þe name was Jayrus, and he was a prince of a ſynagoge; and he fel doun to þe feet of Jheſu, preiynge him, þat he ſchulde entre in to his hous, for olypi douȝtir was to him almooſt of twelue ȝeer, and þis deiede. And it bifel, þe while he wente, he was þrongun of þe cumpeny.

And ſum womman was in flix of blood fro twelue ȝeer, which hadde ſpendid al hir catel in to lechis, neþer myȝte be curid of ony, cam nyȝ bihynde, and touchide þe hem of his clooþ, and a non þe flix of hir blood ſtood. And Jheſu ſeiþ, Who is it þat touchide me? Soþli alle men denyinge, Petre ſeide, and þei þat weren wiþ him, Comaundour, cumpanyes þringen, and turmentyn þee, and þou ſeiſt, Who touchide me? And Jheſus ſeide, Sum man touchide me, forwhi and I haue knowe vertu to haue gon out of me.

Soþly þe womman ſeynge, for it was not priuey, ſche tremblinge cam, and felde doun bifore his feet, and for what cauſe ſche hadde touchid him ſche ſchewide byfore al þe peple, and hou a non ſche was heelid. And he ſeide to hir, Douȝtir, þi feiþ haþ maad þee ſaaf; go þou in pees. Ȝit him ſpekinge, ſum man cam to þe prince of þe ſynagoge, ſeyinge to him, For þi douȝtir is deed, nyle þou trauaile þe mayſtir. Soþli þis word herd, Jheſu anſweride to þe fadir of þe damyſele, Nyle þou drede, but oonly bileue þou, and ſche ſhal be ſaaf. And whanne he had come to þe hous, he ſuffride not ony man for to entre wiþ him, no but Petre and John and James, and þe fadir and þe modir of þe damyſele.

Soþli alle wepten, and biwayleden hir. And he ſeide, Nyle ȝe wepe, ſoþli þe damyſele is not deed, but ſlepiþ. And þei ſcorniden him, witinge for ſche was deed. Forſoþe he holdinge hir hond criede, ſeyinge, Damyſel, ryſe vp. And hir ſpirit turnyde aȝeyn, and ſche roos anon. And he comaundide to ȝiue to hir for to ete. And hir fadir and modir wondriden gretly; to whiche he comaundide, þat þei ſchulden not ſeye to ony man þe þing þat was don.