Romans · Chapter 8

[ edit] Therfore now no þing of dampnacioun is to hem þat ben in Criſt Jheſu, þe whiche wandren not aftir þe fleiſch. Forſoþ þe ſpirit of lyf in Criſt Jheſu haþ delyuered me fro þe lawe of ſynne, and deeþ. Forwhi þat þat was vnpoſſible to þe lawe, in what þing it was ſyk, or freel, by fleiſch, God ſendinge his ſone in to þe likneſſe of fleiſch of ſynne, of þe ſynne dampnede ſynne in fleiſch; þat þe iuſtifiynge of lawe were fulfillid in vs, þat not aftir þe fleiſch wandren, but aftir þe ſpirit. Forſoþ þei þat ben aftir þe fleiſch, ſaueren þo þingis þat ben of þe fleiſch; but þei þat ben after þe ſpirit, feelen þo þingis þat ben of þe ſpirit.

Forwhi þe prudence of fleiſch is deeþ; forſoþ þe prudence of ſpirit lyf and pees. For þe wyſdom of fleiſh is enemy to God; forſoþ it is not ſuget to þe lawe of God, ſoþly neþir it may. Forſoþ þei þat ben in fleiſch, mown not pleſe to God. Soþli ȝe ben not in fleiſch, but in ſpirit; neþelees if þe ſpirit of God dwelliþ in ȝow. Forſoþ if ony haþ not þe ſpirit of Criſt, þis is not his. Forſoþ if Criſt is in ȝou, ſoþli þe body is deed for ſynne, but þe ſpirit lyueþ for iuſtifiynge. For if þe ſpirit of him þat reiſide Jheſu Criſt fro deede ſpiritis dwelliþ in ȝou, he þat reiſide Jheſu Criſt fro deede ſpiritis, ſchal quykene and ȝoure deedli bodies, for þe ſpirit of him dwellinge in ȝou.

Þerfore, breþeren, we ben dettours, not to þe fleiſch, þat we lyue aftir þe fleiſch. Forſoþ if ȝe ſchulen lyue aftir þe fleiſch, ȝe ſchulen deie; forſoþ if ȝe bi ſpirit ſchulen ſle þe deedis of fleiſh, ȝe ſchulen lyue. Soþli who euere ben lad by þe ſpirit of God, þes ben þe ſones of God. Forſoþe ȝe han not taken eftſoone þe ſpirit of ſeruage in drede, but ȝe han taken þe ſpirit of adopcioun of ſones, þat is, to be ſones of God by grace, in which ſpirit we cryen, Abba, fadir.

Forſoþ þe ilke ſpirit ȝeldiþ witneſſyng to oure ſpirit, þat we ben þe ſones of God; forſoþ if ſones, and eyris, ſoþli eyris of God, trewli euene eyris of Criſt; if neþelees we to gidere ſuffren, þat and we be glorified to gidere. Trewli I deme, þat þe paſſions of þis tyme ben not euene worþi to þe glorie to comynge, þat ſchal be ſchewid in vs. Forwhi þe abydinge of creature, þat is, man, abidiþ þe ſchewinge of þe ſones of God. Soþli þe creature is ſuget to vanyte, not willinge, but for him þat ſugetide it, or made it ſuget, in hope; for and þe ilke creature ſchal be delyuered fro ſeruage of corupcioun in to liberte of þe glorie of þe ſones of God.

Soþli we witen, þat ech creature inſorwiþ, and childiþ, or worchiþ wiþ angwis, til ȝit. Forſoþ not oonly it, but and we vs ſilf, hauynge þe firſte fruytis of þe ſpirit, and we vs ſilf ſorwen wiþ ynne vs þe adopcioun of Goddis ſones, þat is, wiþ greet mornynge deſyren þe ſtaat of Goddis ſones bi grace, abidinge þe aȝen bygging of oure body. Soþli by hope we ben mad ſaaf. Forſoþ þe hope þat is ſeyn, is not hope; forwhy what hopiþ a man þat þing, þat he ſeeþ? Forſoþ if we hopen þat þing þat we ſeen not, we abiden by pacience.

Alſo and þe ſpirit helpiþ oure infirmyte, or vnſtedefaſtneſſe; forwhy what we ſchulen preie, as it bihoueþ, we witen not, but þe ilke ſpirit axiþ for vs wiþ ſorowyngis, þat mown not ben toold out. Forſoþe he þat ſekiþ þe hertis, wot what þe ſpirit deſyriþ, for aftir God, þat is, at Goddis wille, he axiþ for hooly men. Forſoþ we witen, for to men louynge God alle þingis worchen to gidere into good þing, to hem þat aftir purpos ben clepid ſeyntis. Forwhy and whom he wiſte bifore, and he ordeynede by grace for to be maad lychi of þe ymage of his ſone, þat he be þe firſte bigetun in many briþeren.

Soþely whom he bifore ordeynede to bliſſe, and hem he clepide; and whom he clepide, and hem he iuſtifiede; ſoþli whom he iuſtifiede, and hem he glorifiede. What þerfore ſchulen we ſeye to þes þingis? If God for vs, who aȝens vs? Þe which alſo ſparide not his owne ſone, but for vs alle bitook him, how alſo ȝaf he not to vs alle þingis wiþ him? Who ſchal accuſe aȝenus þe choſene ſones of God? God þat iuſtifieþ, who is it þat condempneþ? Jheſus Criſt þat is deed, ȝhe, þe which and roos aȝen, þe which is on þe riȝþalf of God, and þe which preieþ for vs. Who þerfore ſchal departe vs from þe charite of God? tribulacioun, or angwiſch, or hungur, or nakidneſſe, or perſecucioun, or perel, or ſwerd?

As it is writun, For we ben ſlayn al day for þee; we ben geſſid as ſhceep to ſlauȝtir. But in alle þes þingis we ouercomen, for him þat louede vs. Soþli I am certeyn, for neþer deeþ, neþer lyf, neþer angels, neþer pryncipatis, neþer virtutes, neþer poteſtatis, neþer preſent þingis, neþer þingis to comynge, neþer ſtrengþe, neþer hiȝþe, neþer depneſſe, neþer oþir creature ſchal may departe vs fro þe charite of God, þat is in Jheſu Criſt oure Lord.