1 Corinthians · Chapter 11

[ edit] Be ȝe my foloweris, as and I of Criſt. Forſoþ, briþeren, I preiſe ȝou, þat bi alle þingis ȝe be myndeful of me; as and I bitook to ȝou my comaundementis, ȝe kepen. Forſoþe I wole ȝou for to wite, þat Criſt is þe heed of ech man; forſoþ þe heed of þe womman is þe man; forſoþ þe heed of Criſt, God. Ech man preyinge, or propheſyinge, þe heed hilid, defouliþ his heed. Forſoþ ech womman preiynge, or propheſyinge, þe heed not hilid, defouliþ hir heed; forſoþ it is oon, as ȝif ſche be maad ballid, pollid, or clippid. For if a womman be not veylid, or keuerid, be ſhe pollid; for if it is foul þing to a womman for to be pollid, or for to be maad ballid, veyle, or hyde, ſhe hir heed.

Soþly a man ſchal not veyle, or hyde, his heed, for he is þe ymage and glorie of God; forſoþe a womman is þe glorie of man. Soþli a man is not of þe womman, but þe womman of þe man. And forſoþe þe man is not maad for þe womman, but þe womman for þe man. Þerfore þe womman ſchal haue a veyle on hir heed, and for aungels. Neþeles neiþir þe man wiþouten womman, neiþer þe womman wiþouten man, in þe Lord. Forwhi as þe womman of man, ſo and man by woman; forſoþe alle þingis of God. Ȝe ȝou ſilf deme; bicomeþ, or biſemeþ, it a womman not veylid for to preye God?

Neiþer þe kynde it ſilf techiþ vs, forſoþ þat if a man noriſche long heer, it is yuel fame, or ſclaundre, to him; but if a womman noriſche long heer, it is glorie to hir, for heeris ben ȝouun to hir for veyle, or keueryng. Forſoþ if ony man is ſeyn for to be ful of ſtryf among ȝou, we han not ſuch cuſtom, neiþer þe chirche of God haþ ſich. Soþli þis þing I comaunde, not preiſynge, þat ȝe comen to gidere not in to betere þing, but into worſe. Firſt forſoþ ȝou comynge to gidere into chirche, I heere departyngis, or diſſenciouns, for to be, and of partye I bileue. Forwhi it bihoueþ hereſies for to be, þat þei þe which ben prouyd, be maad knowun in ȝou.

Þerfore ȝou comynge to gidere into oon, now it is not for to ete þe Lordis ſopere; forſoþ ech man bifore takiþ his ſopere for to ete, and ſoþely anoþir is hungrie, anoþer forſoþ is drunkyn. Wher ȝe han not houſis for to ete and drynke, or ȝe diſpiſen þe chirche of God, and confounden hem þat han not? What ſchal I ſeye to ȝou? I preiſe ȝou; in þis þing I preiſe not. Forſoþe I haue takun of þe Lord þat þing, þe which and I haue bytakun to ȝou. For þe Lord Jheſu, in what nyȝt he was bytrayed, took breed, and doynge graces, or þankyngis, he brak, and ſeide, Take ȝe, and ete ȝe; þis is my body, þe which ſchal be bitrayd for ȝou; do ȝe þis þing in to my mynde.

Alſo and he took þe cuppe, aftir he haþ ſoupid, ſeiynge, Þis cuppe is þe newe teſtament in my blood; do ȝe þis þing, how ofte euere ȝe ſchulen drynke, in to my mynde. Soþli how ofte euere ȝe ſchulen ete þis breed, and ſchulen drynke þe cuppe, ȝe ſchulen ſchewe þe deeþ of þe Lord, til he come. And ſo who euere ſchal ete þe breed, or drynke þe cuppe of þe Lord vnworþily, he ſchal be gilty of þe body and blood of þe Lord. Forſoþ proue a man him ſilf, and ſo ete he of þe ilke breed, and drynke of þe cuppe. Forſoþ he þat etiþ and drynkiþ vnworþily, etiþ and drynkiþ dom, or dampnacioun, to hym, not wyſely demynge þe body of þe Lord.

Þerfore among ȝou manye ſyke, and vnſtronge, or feble, and manye ſlepen, or deien, For if we demeden wyſely vs ſilf, forſoþ we ſchulden not be demed; ſoþli þe while we ben demed of þe Lord, we ben chaſtyſid, þat we ben not dampned wiþ þis world. And ſo, my briþeren, whanne ȝe comen to gidere for to ete, abyde ȝe to gidere. If ony man hungriþ, ete he at hom, þat ȝe come not to gidere in to dom. Soþli I ſchal diſpoſe oþere þingis, whanne I ſchal come.