Luke · Chapter 11

[ edit] And it was don, whanne he was preiynge in ſum place, as he ceeſſide, oon of his diſciplis ſeide to him, Lord, teche vs to preye, as and John tauȝte his diſciplis. And he ſeide to hem, Whanne ȝe preyen, ſeye ȝe, Fadir, halewid be þi name. Þi kyngdom come to. Ȝyue to vs to day oure eche dayes breed. And forȝyue to vs oure ſynnes, as and we forȝyuen to ech owynge to vs. And leed not vs in to temptacioun. And he ſeiþ to hem, Who of ȝou ſchal haue a frend, and ſchal go to him at mydnyȝt, and ſchal ſeie to him, Frend, leene to me þre loouys; for my frend comeþ to me of þe weye, and I haue not what I ſchal ſette bifore him.

And he wiþynne forþ anſweringe ſeye, Nyle þou be noyful to me; þe dore is now ſchit, and my children beþ wiþ me in þe cowche; I may noȝt ryſe, and ȝyue to þee. And if he ſchal contynue knockynge, I ſeye to ȝou, þouȝ he ſchal not ȝyue to hym, for he is a frend, neþeles for his vnreſtefulneſſe he ſchal riſe, and ȝyue to hym, how manye he haþ nedeful. And I ſeie to ȝou, axe ȝe, and it ſchal be ȝouun to ȝou; ſeke ȝe, and ȝe ſchulen fynde; knocke ȝe, and it ſchal be openyd to ȝou. Forſoþ ech man þat axiþ, takiþ; and he þat ſekiþ, fyndiþ; and to a man knockynge, it ſchal be openyd.

Þerfore who of ȝou axiþ þe fadir breed, wher he ſchal ȝyue to him a ſtoon? eþer if he axiþ fyſch, wher he ſchal ȝyue to him a ſerpent for þe fyſch? eþir if he ſchal axe an ey, wheþir he ſchal dreſſe to him a ſcorpioun? Þerfore if ȝe, whanne ȝe ben yuele, kunne ȝyue to ȝoure children goode þingis ȝouun, hou moche more ȝoure fadir of heuene ſchal ȝyue a good ſpirit to men axynge him. And Jheſu was caſtinge out a fend, and he was doumbe. And whanne he hadde caſt out þe fend, þe doumb man ſpak; and þe cumpanyes wondriden. Forſoþ ſumme of hem ſeiden, In Belſebub, prince of deuelis, he caſtiþ out deuelis. And oþere temptinge axiden of him a tokene fro heuene.

Forſoþ he, as he ſyȝ þe þouȝtis of hem, ſeide to hem, Euery rewme departide aȝens it ſilf, ſchal be deſolat, and an hous ſchal falle on an hous. Forſoþ and if Saþanas is departid aȝens him ſilf, how ſchal his rewme ſtonde? For ȝe ſeyn, þat I caſte out fendis in Belſebub. Forſoþ if I in Belſebub caſte out fendis, in whom ȝoure ſones caſten out? Þerfore þei ſchulen be ȝoure domeſmen. Forſoþ if I caſte out fendis in þe fyngir, eþer ſpirit, of God, ſoþli þe rewme of God is comen in to ȝou. Whanne a ſtrong armed man kepiþ his hows, alle þingis þat he weldiþ ben in pees.

Soþli if a ſtrongere comynge aboue ouercome him, he ſchal take a wey alle his armeris, in whiche he triſtide, and ſchal dele abrood his ſpuylis. He þat is not wiþ me, is aȝens me; and he þat gedriþ not to gidere wiþ me, ſcateriþ a brood. Whanne an vnclene ſpirit haþ gon out of a man, he wandriþ by drye placis, ſekinge reſte; and he fyndynge not, ſeiþ, I ſchal turne aȝen in to myn hous, wher of I cam out. And whanne he ſchal come, he fyndiþ it clenſid wiþ beeſmes, and ourned. Þanne he goþ, and takiþ wiþ him ſeuene oþere ſpiritis werſe þan him ſilf, and þei gon yn, dwellen þere. And þe laſte þingis of þat man ben maad worſe þan þe formere.

Forſoþ it was don, whanne he ſeide þes þingis, ſum womman of þe cumpany reyſinge hir vois, ſeide, Bleſſid be þe wombe þat bar þee, and bleſſid be þe teetis whiche þou haſt ſokun. And he ſeide, Raþere bleſſid ben þei, þat heeren Goddis word, and kepen it. Forſoþe þe cumpanye comynge to gidere, he bigan to ſeye, Þis generacioun is a weyward generacioun; it ſekiþ a tokene, and a tokene ſchal not be ȝouun to it, no but þe tokene of Joonas, þe prophete. For whi as Joonas was a tokene to men of Nynyue, ſo mannis ſone ſchal be to þis generacioun.

Þe queene of þe ſouþ ſchal ryſe in dom wiþ men of þis generacioun, and ſchal condempne hem; for ſche cam fro þe endis of þe erþe, to heere þe wyſdom of Salomon, and lo! here is more þan Salomon. Men of Nynyue ſchulen ryſe in dom wiþ þis generacioun, and ſchulen condempne it; for þei diden penaunce at þe prechinge of Joonas, and lo! here is more þan Joonas. No man liȝtneþ a lanterne, and puttiþ in hidlis, oþer vndir a boyſchel, but on a candel ſticke, þat þei þat gon yn, ſe liȝt. Þe lanterne of þi body is þin yȝe; if þin yȝe ſchal be ſymple, al þi body ſchal be liȝtful; forſoþ if it ſchal be weyward, alſo þi body ſchal be derkful. Þerfore ſe þou, leſt þe liȝt which is in þee, be derkneſſis.

Þerfore if al þi body ſchal be liȝtful, not hauynge ony part of derkneſſis, it ſchal be al liȝtful, and as a lanterne of briȝtneſſe it ſchal ȝyue liȝt to þee. And whanne he ſpak, ſum Phariſee praiede, þat he ſchulde ete at hym. And he gon yn, ſaat to þe mete. Soþli þe Phariſee bigan to ſeie, geſſynge wiþ ynne him ſilf, whi he was not waiſchun byfore þe mete. And þe Lord ſeiþ to him, Now ȝe Fariſees clenſen þat þing þat is wiþ outenforþ of þe kuppe and plater; but þat þing of ȝou þat is wiþ ynne, is ful of raueyn and wickidneſſe. Foolis, wher he þat made þat þing þat is wiþ oute forþ, made not alſo þat þing þat is wiþ ynne?

Neþeles þat þing þat is ouer, eþer ſuperflu, ȝyue ȝe almes, and lo! alle þingis ben clene to ȝou. But woo to ȝou, Phariſees, þat tyþen mynte, and ruwe, and al wort, eþer herbe, and paſſen dom and þe charite of God. Forſoþ it bihofte to do þes þingis, and not for to leeue hem. Woo to ȝou, Phariſees, þat louen þe firſte chaieris in ſynagogis, and ſalutaciouns in cheping. Woo to ȝou, þat ben as ſepulcris, whiche apperyn not, and men walkynge aboue witen not. Forſoþ oon of þe wyſe men of lawe anſweringe, ſeide to him, Maiſtir, þou ſeyinge þes þingis, doiſt diſpit alſo to vs.

He ſeide, And woo to ȝou, wyſe men of lawe, for ȝe chargen men wiþ birþins whiche þei moun not bere, and ȝe ȝou ſilf wiþ ȝoure o fynger touchen not þe heuyneſſis. Woo to ȝou, þat bilden birielis of prophetis; forſoþ ȝoure fadris ſlowen hem. Treuly ȝe witneſſen, þat ȝe conſenten to þe werkis of ȝoure fadris; for ſoþli þei ſlowen hem, but ȝe bilden her ſepulcris. Þerfore and þe wyſdom of God ſeide, I ſchal ſende to hem prophetis, and apoſtlis, and of hem þei ſchulen ſlee and purſue, þat þe blood of alle prophetis, þat was ſched out fro þe makyng of þe world, be ſouȝt of þis generacioun; fro þe blood of Abel til to þe blood of Zacharie, which periſchide bytwix þe auter and þe hous.

So I ſeie to ȝou, it ſchal be ſouȝt of þis generacioun. Woo to ȝou, wyſe men of lawe, for ȝe han take awey þe keye of kunnynge; ȝe ȝou ſilf entriden not, and ȝe han forboden hem þat entriden. Soþli whanne he ſpak þes þingis to hem, Phariſees and wyſe men of lawe bigunnen greuouſly to aȝenſtonden, and oppreſſe his mouþ of many þingis, aſpiynge him, and ſekinge to take ſum þing of his mouþ, þat þei ſchulden accuſe him.