2 Corinthians · Chapter 11

[ edit] I wolde ȝe ſchulden ſuſteyne a litil þing of myn vnwyſdom, but and ſupporte me, or bere vp me. Soþly I loue ȝou by þe loue of God; ſoþli I haue bihiȝt, or bicome borwe, for to ȝyue ȝou a chaſt virgyne to a man, Criſt. Forſoþ I drede, leſt as þe ſerpent diſceyuede Eue wiþ his ſutil wordis, ſo ȝoure wittis ben corupt, and falle doun fro þe ſympleneſſe þat is in Criſt. Forwhi if he þat comeþ, prechiþ anoþir Criſt, whom we prechen not, or if ȝe taken anoþir ſpirit, whom ȝe reſſeyueden not, or anoþir goſpel, þe which ȝe reſceyueden not, riȝtly ȝe ſchulden ſuffre. Soþli I wene for to haue don no þing laſſe fro þe greete apoſtlis.

Forwhi þouȝ I be vnlerned in ſermoun, or word, but not in ſcience, or kunnyng. Forſoþ in alle þingis I am ſchewid, or maad knowe, to ȝou. Or wheþir I haue do ſynne, mekynge, or makinge lowȝ, my ſilf, þat ȝe ben enhaunſid, for freely I euangeliſide to ȝou þe euangelie of God? I ſpoilide, or made nakide, or took ȝiftis, of oþir chirchis, takynge ſoude to ȝoure ſeruyſe. And whenne I was anentis ȝou, and nedide, I was chargeous to no man; forwhi briþeren þat camen fro Macedonye, ſupplieden, or fulfilden, þat þat failide to me. And in alle þingis I haue kept, and ſchal kepe me wiþoute charge to ȝou.

Þe treuþe of Criſt is in me; for þis glorie ſchal not be brokun in me, in þe regiouns, or kuntrees, of Achaye. Whi? for I loue not ȝou? God woot. For þat þat I do, and I ſchal do, þat I kitte awey þe occaſioun of hem, þat wolen occaſioun, or plente, or power, þat in þe þing, in which þei glorien, þei be founde ſuche as and we. Forwhi ſuche falſe apoſtlis ben trecherous, or gylous, work men, transfiguringe hem into apoſtlis. And not wondir; ſoþli he Saþanas transfyguriþ him into an aungel of lyȝt. Þerfor it is not greet, if his myniſtris ben transfigurid as þe myniſtris of riȝtwyſneſſe, whos ende ſchal be aftir hir workis.

Eft I ſeye, leſt ony man deme me vnwyſe; ellis take ȝe me vnwyſe, þat and I haue glorie a litil what. Þat þat I ſpeke, I ſpeke not vp God, but as into vnwyſdom, in þis ſubſtaunce of glorie. Forwhi many men glorien vp þe fleiſch, and I ſchal glorie. Forſoþ ȝe ſuffren gladly vnwyſe men, whanne ȝe ſilf ben wyſe. Soþli ȝe ſuſteynen, if ony man dryue ȝou into ſeruage, if ony man deuouriþ, if ony man takiþ, if ony man is enhaunſid bi pride, if ony man ſmytiþ ȝou into face. Vp vnnobley, I ſeye, as we weren ſyke in þis partye. In what þing ony man dar, in vnwyſdom I ſeie, and I dar.

Þei ben Ebrewis, and I; þei ben Yſraelitis, and I; þei ben þe ſeed of Abraham, and I; þei ben þe myniſtris of Criſt, and I. As laſſe wys I ſeye, I more; in ful manye trauels, in priſouns more plenteuouſly, in woundis aboue manere, or ouer meſure, in deeþis ofte tymes.

I reſceyuede of þe Jewis fyue ſyþis fourty ſtrokis oon leſſe; þries I was betun wiþ ȝerdis, onys I was ſtoonyd, þryes Y maad periſching in ſchip, nyȝt and day I was in depneſſe of þe ſee; in weies ofte, in perelis of flodis, in perels of þeues, in perelis of kyn, in perels of heþen men, in perels in cite, in perels in deſert, in perels in ſee, in perels in falſe briþeren, in traueil and myſeſte, in many wakyngis, in hungir and þirſt, in many faſtingis, in cold and in nakidneſſe. Wiþoute þo þingis þat ben wiþouteforþ; myn eche dayes wakynge, or ſtudyinge, þe biſyneſſe of alle chirchis. Who is ſyk, and I am not ſyk? who is ſclaundrid, and I am not brend?

If it bihoueþ for to glorie, I ſchal glorie in þo þingis þat ben of myn infirmyte, or freelte. God and þe fadir of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, þat is bleſſid into þe worldis, woot, þat I gabbe not, or lyie not. Þe prouoſt, or kepere, of Damaſke, of þe king of þe folk Areþe, kepte þe cite of Damaſcenys for to take me; and by a wyndow in a leep I was latun down by þe wal, and ſo I ſcapide his hondis.