Luke · Chapter 12

[ edit] Soþeli manye cumpanyes ſtondinge aboute, ſo þat þei troden ech oþir, he bigan to ſeie to his diſciplis, Be ȝe war of þe ſourdowȝ of Phariſees, which is ypocriſye. Forſoþ no þing is hilid, which ſchal not be ſchewid; neþer hid, þat ſchal not be wiſt. Forwhi þo þingis þat ȝe han ſeyd in derkneſſis, ſchulen be ſeid in liȝt; and þis þat ȝe han ſpoken in eere in þe cowchis, ſchal be prechid in rooues. Forſoþe I ſeie to ȝou, my frendis, be ȝe not a feerd of hem þat ſlen þe body, and aftir þes þingis han no more what þei ſchulen don. Soþli I ſchal ſchewe to ȝou, whom ȝe ſchulen drede; drede ȝe him, which aftir þat he haþ ſlayn, haþ power to ſende in to helle. So I ſeie to ȝou, drede ȝe hym.

Wher fiue ſparrowis ben not ſeeld for tweyne halpens; and oon of hem is not in forȝeting bifore God? But and alle þe heeris of ȝoure heed ben noumbrid. Þerfore nyle ȝe drede; ȝe ben of more priys þan many ſparowis. Treuli I ſeie to ȝou, ech man which euer ſchal knowleche me byfore men, and mannis ſone ſchal knowleche him bifore þe aungelis of God. Forſoþ he þat ſchal denye me bifor men, ſchal be denyed bifore þe aungelis of God. And ech man þat ſeiþ a word aȝens þe ſone of man, it ſchal be forȝouun to him; ſoþli it ſchal not be forȝouun to him, þat blasfemeþ aȝens þe Hooly Goſt.

Forſoþ whanne þei ſchulen leede ȝou in to ſynagogis, and to mageſtatis, and to poteſtatis, nyle ȝe be biſy, how eþer what ȝe ſchulen anſwere, eþer what ȝe ſchulen ſeye. Forſoþ þe Hooly Goſt ſchal teche ȝou in þat our, what it bihoueþ ȝou to ſeye. Forſoþ ſum man of þe cumpany ſeiþ to him, Maiſtir, ſeie to my broþer, þat he departe wiþ me þe eritage. And he ſeyde to him, A! man, who ordeynede me domeſman, eþer departer, on ȝou? And he ſeyde to hem, Se ȝe, and be ȝe war of al auarice; for þe lyf of a man is not in þe haboundanſe of þo þingis whiche he weldiþ. Soþli he ſeide to hem a likneſſe, ſeiynge, Þe feeld of ſum riche man brouȝte forþ plenteuous fruytis.

And he þouȝte wiþ ynne him ſilf, ſeyinge, What ſchal I do, for I haue not whidir I ſchal gedere my fruytis? And he ſeiþ, I ſchal do þis þing; I ſchal diſtrye my bernis, and I ſchal make grettere, and þidir I ſchal gedere alle þingis þat growen to me, and alle my goodis. And I ſchal ſeye to my ſoule, Soule, þou haſt many goodis kept in to ful manye ȝeeris; reſte þou, ete, drynke, and ete þou plenteuouſly. Soþli God ſeide to him, Fool, in þis nyȝt þei ſchulen axe of þee þi ſoule. Forſoþe whos ſchulen þo þingis be, whiche þou haſt maad redy? So is he þat treſouriþ to him ſilf, and is not ryche in God.

And he ſeide to his diſciplis, Þerfore I ſeie to ȝou, nyle ȝe be biſy to ȝoure lyf, what ȝe ſchulen ete, neþir to ȝoure body, wiþ what ȝe ſchulen be cloþid. Þe lyf is more þan mete, and þe body more þan cloþing. Biholde ȝe crowis, for þei ſowen not, neþer repen, to whiche is no celer, neþer beerne, and God fediþ hem. How myche more ȝe ben of more prys þan þei. Forſoþe who of ȝou byþenkynge may adde o cubite to his ſtature? Þerfore if ȝe mown not þis þat is þe leeſte, what ben ȝe biſy of oþere þingis? Biholde ȝe lilies of þe feeld, how þei wexen; þei trauelen not, neiþer ſpynnen. Soþly I ſeye to ȝou, for neþer Salomon in al his glorie was cloþid as oon of þeſe.

Forſoþe if God cloþiþ þus þe hey, which to day is in þe feeld, and to morwe is ſent in to a furneys; how moche more ȝou of litel feiþ? And nyle ȝe ſeke, what ȝe ſchulen ete, eþir what ȝe ſchulen drynke; and nyle ȝe be reyſid in to an hiȝ. Forſoþ folkis of þe world ſeken alle þes þingis; ſoþli ȝoure fadir woot, for ȝe neden þes þingis. Neþelees ſeke ȝe firſt þe kyngdom of God, and alle þes þingis ſchulen be caſt to ȝou. Nyle ȝe, litil floc, drede, for it pleſide to ȝoure fadir to ȝyue to ȝou a kyngdom. Sille ȝe þo þingis þat ȝe welden, and ȝyue ȝe almes. Make ȝe to ȝou ſachels þat wexen not olde, treſour not failinge in heuenes, whidur a þeef neyȝeþ not, neyþer mowȝte diſtryeþ.

Forſoþe where þi treſour is, þere alſo þin herte ſchal be. Be ȝoure leendes gird by fore, and lanternes brennynge in ȝoure hondis; and be ȝe lyk to men abydinge her lord, whanne he ſchal turne aȝen fro weddingis, þat whanne he ſchal come, and knocke, anoon þei opene to him. Bleſſid ben þo ſeruauntis, whiche whanne þe Lord ſchal come, he ſchal fynde wakynge. Treuli I ſeie to ȝou, þat he ſchal bifore girde him, and he ſchal make hem to ſitte at þe mete, and he paſſinge ſchal mynyſtre to hem. And if he ſchal come in þe ſecunde wakyng, and yf he ſchal come in þe þridde wakynge, and ſchal fynde ſo, þo ſeruauntis ben bleſſid.

Forſoþ wite ȝe þis þing, for if an hoſebonde man wiſte, in what our þe þeef wolde come, ſoþli he ſchulde wake, and not ſuffre his hous to be mynyd. And be ȝe redy, for in what our ȝe geſſen not, mannis ſone ſchal come. Forſoþe Petre ſeiþ to him, Lord, ſeiſt þou þis parable to vs, eþer to alle? Soþli þe Lord ſeide, Who, geſſiſt þou, is a feiþful diſpender, and prudent, whom þe lord ordeynede on his meyne, þat he ȝyue to hem in tyme a meſure of whete? Bleſſid is þat ſeruaunt, whom whanne þe lord ſchal come, he ſchal fynde doynge ſo. Verili I ſeie to ȝou, for on alle þingis which he weldiþ, he ſchal ordeyne him.

Þat if þilke ſeruaunt ſchal ſeye in his herte, My lord makiþ tariynge to come; and bigynne to ſmyte children, and handmaydens, and ete, and drynke, and be fillid ouer meſure, þe lord of þat ſeruaunt ſchal come, in þe day þat he hopiþ not, and our þat he wot not; and ſchal departe him, and ſchal putte his part wiþ vnfeiþful men. Forſoþe þilke ſeruaunt þat knew þe wille of his lord, and made not him redy, and dide not vp his wille, ſchal be betun wiþ many woundis. Soþli he þat knew not, and dide worþi þingis of woundis, ſchal be beten wiþ fewe. Forſoþ to ech man to whom moche is ȝouun, moche ſchal be axid of hym; and þei ſchulen axe more of him, to whom þei bitoken moche.

I cam to ſende fier in to erþe, and what wole I, no but þat it be kyndelid? Soþli I haue to be baptiſid wiþ baptym, and hou am I conſtreyned, til it be perfytli don? Geſſen ȝe, for I cam to ȝyue pees in to erþe? Nay, I ſeye to ȝou, but departynge. Forſoþ fro þis tyme þer ſchulen be fyue departid in oon hous; þre ſchulen be departid aȝens tweyne, and tweyne ſchulen be departid aȝens þre; þe fadir aȝens þe ſone, and þe ſone aȝens his fadir; þe modir aȝens þe douȝtir, and þe douȝtir aȝens þe modir; þe hoſebondis modir aȝens þe ſones wyf, and þe ſones wyf aȝens hir hoſebondis modir.

Forſoþ he ſeid and to þe cumpanyes, Whanne ȝe ſchulen ſe a cloude ryſinge fro þe ſunne goynge doun, anon ȝe ſeyn, Reyn comeþ; and ſo it is don. And whanne ȝe ſeen þe ſouþ blowynge, ȝe ſeyen, For heete ſchal be; and ſo it is don. Ypocritis, ȝe han knowe to proue þe face of heuene and of erþe, but hou prouen ȝe not þis tyme? Forſoþe whi and of ȝou ſilf deme ȝe not þis þing þat is iuſt? Forſoþe whanne þou goiſt wiþ þin aduerſarie to þe prince in þe weye, ȝyue þou biſyneſſe to be delyuered fro him; leſt perauenture he drawe þee to þe domeſman, and þe domeſman bitake þee to þe wrongful axere, and þe wrongful axere ſende þee in to priſoun.

I ſeie to þee, Þou ſchalt not go þennis, til þou ȝelde alſo þe laſt ferþing.