Romans · Chapter 3

[ edit] Therfore what is more to a Jew, or what profyt of circumciſioun? Moche by alle maner; firſt ſoþli, for þe ſpekyngis of God ben bitakun to hem. What ſoþli if ſumme of hem bileueden not? Wher þe vnbileue of hem haþ auoydid þe feiþ of God? Fer be it. Forſoþ God is trewe, or ſoþfaſt, ſoþli ech man a lyere, or vnſtable; as is writun, Þat þou be iuſtifyed, or founden trewe, in þi wordis, and ouercome, whanne þou ert demed. Forſoþ if oure wickidneſſe, or vnequyte, comende þe riȝtwyſneſſe of God, what ſchulen we ſeie? Wher God is wickid, þat bryngeþ in wraþþe? Vp man I ſeie. Fer be it. Ellis how God ſchal deme þis world?

Forſoþ if þe treuþe of God haþ haboundid, or be plenteuous, in my leſynge, in to þe glorie of hym, what and ȝit am I demed as a ſynnere? And not as we ben blasfemyd, and as ſumme ſeyen vs for to ſeye, Do we yuele þingis, þat goode þingis come. Whos dampnacioun is iuſt. What þerfore? Paſſen we hem? Nay; ſoþli we han ſchewid by ſkile, Jewis and Greekis alle for to be vndir ſynne, as it is writun, For þer is not ony man iuſt; þer is not a man vndirſtondinge, neiþer ſekinge God. Alle bowedyn a wey, to gidere þei ben maad vnprofitable; þer is not þat doiþ good þing, þer is not til to oon.

A ſepulcre openynge is þe þrote of hem; wiþ her tungis þei diden gilyngly, or trecherouſly; þe venym of eddris, þat ben clepid aſpis, vndur her lippis. Þe mouþ of whom is ful of curſyng, or wariyng, and bitterneſſe; þe feet of hem ben ſwift for to ſchede out blood. Contricioun, or defoulyng togidere, and infelicite, or curſidneſſe, in þe weies of hem, and þei knewen not þe wey of pees; þe drede of God is not bifore her yȝen. Forſoþe we witen, for what euere þingis þe lawe ſpekiþ, it ſpekiþ to hem þat ben in þe lawe, þat ech mouþ be ſtoppid, and ech world be maad ſuget to God.

For of þe workis of lawe ech fleiſch, þat is, mankynde, ſchal not be iuſtifyed bifore him; forſoþe by þe lawe is knowinge of ſynne. Forſoþe now wiþouten þe lawe þe riȝtwyſneſſe of God is ſchewid, witneſſid of þe lawe and prophetis. Soþli þe riȝtwyſneſſe of God is by þe feiþ of Jheſu Criſt on alle þat bileuen in to hym; forſoþ þer is no diſtynccioun, or departynge. For alle men ſynneden, and han nede to þe glorie of God; þei iuſtified freely bi his grace, by þe redemcioun or þe aȝenbiyng, þat is purpoſid in Jheſu Criſt.

Whom God purpoſide an helpere by feiþ in his blood, to þe ſchewinge of his riȝtwyſneſſe, for remiſcioun of bifore goynge ſynnes, in þe ſuſtentacioun, or beringe vp, of God, to þe ſchewynge of his riȝtwyſneſſe in þis tyme, þat he be iuſt, and iuſtifyinge him þat is of þe feiþ of Jheſu Criſt. Where is þerfore þi gloriynge? It is excludid, or put out. By what lawe? Of dedis doynge? Nay, but by þe lawe of feiþ. Forſoþe we demen a man for to be iuſtifyed by feiþ, wiþouten workis of lawe. Wher of Jewis is God oonly? Wher he is not and of heþene? Ȝis, and of heþene. For ſoþely oon is God, þat iuſtifyeþ circumciſioun of feiþ, and prepucie, or heþen men, by feiþ. Þerfore diſtrye we þe lawe by þe feiþ?

Fer be it; but we ſtabliſchen þe lawe.