Romans · Chapter 1

[ edit] Poul, ſeruaunt of Jheſu Criſt, clepid apoſtle, departid into þe euangelie of God; þe which he bihiȝt bifore by his prophetis in hooly ſcripturis of his ſone, þe which is maad to him of þe ſeed of Dauiþ aftir þe fleiſch, þe which is predeſtynat, or bifore ordeyned bi grace, þe ſone of God in vertu, aftir þe ſpirit of halewyng of þe aȝeyn ryſynge of deed men, of Jheſu Criſt oure Lord, by whom we han reſſeyued grace and apoſtilhed, or ſtat of apoſtle, to obeiſche to þe feiþ in alle folkis for his name, in which and ȝe ben clepid of Jheſu Criſt, to alle þat ben at Rome, þe louede of God, clepid hooly, grace to ȝou, and pees of God oure fadir, and of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt.

Firſte ſoþely I do þankyngis to my God, by Jheſu Criſt, for alle ȝou, for ȝour feiþ is ſchewid in al þe world. Forſoþ God is a witneſſe to me, to whom I ſerue in my ſpirit, in þe goſpel of his ſone, for wiþ outen ceeſſinge I make mynde of ȝou euermore in my preieris, if by ony maner aftirward ſumtyme I haue eſy, or ſpedy, weie in þe wille of God of comynge to ȝou. Forſoþe I deſyre for to ſe ȝou, þat I ȝyue to ȝou ſum þing of ſpiritual grace, to ȝou to be confermyd, þat is to ſeie, to be comfortid to gidere in ȝou, by þat feiþ þat is to gidere ȝoure and myn, or of ech to oþir.

Soþly, briþeren, I nyle ȝou for to vnknowe, þat ofte I purpoſide for to come to ȝou, and I am forbodyn til ȝit, þat I haue ſum fruyt in ȝou, as and in oþere folkis. To Grekis and barbaryns, or heþene men, to wyſe men and vnwyſe men, I am dettour, ſo þat þat is in me is redy for to euangelyſe and to ȝou þat ben at Rome. Forſoþ I ſchame not þe goſpel, for it is þe vertu of God in to helþe to ech man bileuynge, to þe Jew firſt, and to þe Greek. Soþely þe riȝtwyſneſſe of God is ſhewid in it, of feiþ in to feiþ, as it is writun, Forſoþe a iuſt man lyueþ of feiþ.

Forſoþe þe wraþþe of God is ſchewid fro heuene vpon al vnpite and vnriȝtwiſneſſe of þo men, þat wiþholden, or holden a bac, þe treuþe of God in vnriȝtwyſneſſe. For þat þat is knowyn of God, is ſchewid, or maad opyn, to hem, forſoþe God ſchewide to hem. For þe inuyſible þingis of hym, of þe creature of þe world, by þo þingis þat ben maad, vndirſtondyn, ben biholdun, and þe euerlaſting vertu of him and þe godhede, ſo þat þei ben vnexcuſable. For whanne þei hadden knowe God, þei glorifieden not as God, or diden þankyngis; but þei vanyſcheden in her þouȝtis, and þe vnwyſe herte of hem is derkid, or maad derk. Soþli þei ſeyinge hem ſelue for to be wyſe men, ben maad foolis.

And þei chaungiden þe glorie of God vncorruptible, þat may not deie, ne be peirid, in to þe lykneſſe of an ymage of coruptible man, and of briddis, and of foure footide beeſtis, and of ſerpentis. For which þing God bytook hem in to þe deſyris of her herte, inz to vnclenneſſe, þat þei ponyſche wiþ wrongis, or diſpitis, her bodies in hem ſilf. Þe whiche men chaungiden þe treuþe of God in to leeſyng, and herieden and ſerueden to a creature raþere þan to þe creatour, þat is, maker of nouȝt, þat is bleſſid in to worldis, or wiþ outen ende. Amen, or ſo be it. Þerfore God bitook hem in to paſſiouns of yuel fame, or ſchenſchip.

Forwhi þe wymmen of hem chaungiden þe kyndely vſſ in to þat vſſ þat is aȝens kynde. Alſo forſoþ and þe mawlis, or men, þe kyndeli vſſ of womman forſakyn, brennyden in her deſyris to gidere, mawlis in to mawlis worchinge filþhede, and receyuynge in hem ſilf þe mede, or hyre, þat byhofte of her errour.

And as þei proueden not for to haue God in knowinge, God bitook hem in to a reprouable witt, þat þei do þo þingis þat acoorden not, or byſemen not; hem fulfillid wiþ al wickidneſſe, malice, fornycacioun, couetyſe, weywardneſſe, ful of enuye, manſleynge, ſtryf, gyle, yuel will, priuey bacbyteris, or ſoweris of diſcord, detractouris, or opyn bacbyteris, hateful to God, wrongly diſpyſeris of oþere men, proude, hyȝe ouermeſure, fynderis of yuele þingis, not obeiſchinge to fadir and modir, vnwyſe, vncouenable in berynge wiþ oute forþ, wiþ outen affeccioun, or loue, wiþouten bond of pees, wiþouten mercy.

Þe whiche whanne þei hadden knowen þe riȝtwiſneſſe of God, vndirſtoden not, for þei þat don ſuche þingis ben worþi þe deeþ, not oonly þei þat don þo þingis, but alſo þei þat conſenten to men doynge.