2 Corinthians · Chapter 2

[ edit] Forſoþ I ordeynede þis ilke þing at me, þat I ſchulde not come eftſoone in to ſorwe to ȝou. Soþli if I make ȝou ſori, or heuy, and who is he þat gladdiþ me, no but he þat is ſorowful of me? And þis ſame þing I wroot to ȝou, þat whanne I ſchal come, I haue not ſorwe vp ſorwe, of hem of þe whiche it bihofte me for to ioye. Triſtynge in ȝou alle, for my ioye is of ȝou alle. For whi of moche tribulacioun and angwiſche of herte I wroot to ȝou by manye teeris, þat ȝe be not ſori, but þat ȝe wite what charite I haue more plenteuouſly in ȝou. Forſoþ if ony man haþ maad me ſorwful, he haþ not maad me ſorwful but in party, þat I charge, or diſeeſe, not ȝou alle.

Þis blamynge þat is maad of many, ſufficiþ to him, þat is ſuch maner man; ſo þat aȝenward ȝe ȝyue more and comforte, leſt perauenture he þat is ſuch maner man, be ſopun vp, or diſpeire, by more greet heuyneſſe. For which þing I biſeche ȝou, þat ȝe conferme charite in to him. Forſoþ þerfore and I wroot, þat I knowe ȝoure aſayinge, wher in alle þingis ȝe ben obedyent. Forſoþ to whom ȝe han ony þing ȝouen, and I haue forȝeuen. Forwhi and I þat I ȝaf, if I ony þing ȝaf, haue ȝouun for ȝou in þe perſoone of Criſt, þat we be not diſſeyued of Saþanas; ſoþli we vnknowen not his þouȝtis.

Forſoþ whanne I hadde comen to Trowade for þe goſpel of Criſt, and a dore was openyd to me in þe Lord, I hadde not reſte to my ſpirit, for þat I fond not my broþir Tite, but I ſeyinge to hem far wel, paſſide into Macedonye. Þerfor þankingis to God, þat euermore makiþ vs to haue victorie in Criſt Jheſu, and ſchewiþ by vs þe odour of his knowynge in ech place; for we ben þe good odour, or ſauour, of Criſt to God, in þes þat ben maad ſaaf, and in þes þat periſchen. To oþere ſoþli odour of deeþ in to deeþ, to oþere forſoþ odour of lyf into lyf. And to þes þingis who ſo able? Soþli we ben not as ful manye, auoutrynge þe word of God, but of clenneſſe, but as of God, bifore God in Criſt we ſpeken.