2 Corinthians · Chapter 4

[ edit] Therfore we hauynge þis adminiſtracioun, or office, vp which we han getun mercy, faylen not, but don a wey þe priuey þingis of ſchame, not walkynge in ſutil gyle, neþer auoutrynge þe word of God, but in ſchewinge of treuþe comendinge vs ſilf to ech conſcience of men bifore God. For if alſo oure goſpel is keuerid, or hid, in þeſe þat periſchen it is keuerid; in whiche þe god of þis world haþ blyndid þe ſoules of men out of þe bileue, or vnfeiþful men, þat þe liȝtnynge of þe goſpel of þe glorie of Criſt, þat is þe ymage of God inuyſible, ſchyne not. Soþli we prechen not vs ſilf, but Jheſu Criſt oure Lord; forſoþe vs ȝoure ſeruauntis by Jheſu.

For God, þat ſeide þe lyȝt for to ſchyne of derkneſſis, he haþ ynliȝtid in oure hertis, to þe illumynynge of þe ſcience of þe cleerneſſe of God, into þe face of Jheſu Criſt. Forſoþe we han þis treſour in brotil veſſelis, þat þe hiȝneſſe be of Goddis vertu, and not of vs. In alle þingis we ſuffren tribulacioun, but we ben not maad ſtreit; we ben maad pore, but we ben not diſtroyed; we ſuffren perſecucioun, but we ben not forſaken; we ben maad lowe, but we ben not confoundid; we ben caſt down, but we periſchen not; euermore beringe aboute þe mortifyinge of Jheſu Criſt in oure body, þat and þe lyf of Jheſu be ſchewid in oure bodies.

Soþli euermore we þat lyuen, ben takun in to deeþ for Jheſu, þat and þe lyf of Jheſu be ſchewid in oure deedly fleiſch. Þerfore deeþ worchiþ in vs, lyf ſoþli in ȝou. Forſoþ hauynge þe ſame ſpirit of feiþ, as it is writun, I haue bileued, for which þing I ſpak; and we bileuen, for which þing and we ſpeken; witynge for he þat reiſide Jheſu, ſchal reiſe and vs wiþ Jheſu, and ſchal ordeyne vs wiþ ȝou. Soþli alle þingis for ȝou, þat grace beynge plenteuous by manye in doynge of þankingis be plenteuous into glorie of God. For which þing we faylen not, but þouȝ þe ilke þat is wiþouteforþ, oure man be coruptid; neþelees þat man þat is wiþinne forþ, is renewid, or maad newe aȝen, fro day into day.

Forſoþ þat þat is in preſent, or now, a litil moment laſtynge, and liȝt, or eſy, þing of oure tribulacioun, worchiþ ouer manere, or meſure, into hiȝneſſe þe euerelaſting weiȝte of glorie in vs, vs not biholdynge þo þingis þat ben ſeyn, but þo þat ben not ſeyn. Soþli þo þingis þat ben ſeyn, ben temperal, or durynge by ſhort tyme; forſoþe þo þingis þat ben not ſeyn, ben euerlaſtinge, or wiþouten ende.