Galatians · Chapter 3

[ edit] A! ȝe witlees men of Galaþie, who diſceyuede ȝou for to not bileue to þe treuþe? bifore whos yȝen Jheſu Criſt is dampnyd, or excilid, and in ȝou crucifyed. Þis þing oonli wole I lerne of ȝou, han ȝe take þe ſpirit of þe workis of þe lawe, wherof þe heeringe of bileue? So ȝe ben foolis, þat whanne ȝe bigunne by ſpirit, now ȝe ben endid by fleiſch. Ȝe han ſuffrid ſo many þingis wiþoute cauſe, neþelees if wiþ oute cauſe. Þerfore he þat ȝyueþ to ȝou þe ſpirit, and worchiþ vertues in ȝou, wheþir of þe worchis of lawe, or of heeringe of feiþ? As it is writun, Abraham bileuyde to God, and it is rettid to him to riȝtwyſneſſe.

Þerfore knowe ȝe, þat þei þat ben of þe feiþ, þei ben ſones of Abraham. Forſoþe þe ſcripture purueyinge, for God iuſtifieþ of feiþ heþen men, toold bifore to Abraham, For in þee alle folkis, or heþene men, ſchulen be bleſſid. Þerfore þei þat ben of þe feiþ, ſchulen be bleſſid wiþ feiþful Abraham. Forſoþ who euere ben of þe workis of lawe, ben vndir curs; for it is writun, Curſid ech man, þat ſchal not dwelle in alle þingis þat ben writun in þe booke of lawe, þat he do hem. Forſoþ for no man is iuſtified in þe lawe anentis God, it is knowen, for a riȝtful man lyueþ of feiþ. Forſoþ þe lawe is not of bileue, but he þat ſchal do þo þingis, ſchal lyuen in hem.

Criſt deliuerede vs fro þe curs of þe lawe, maad for vs curs, þat is, ſacrifice for curs; for it is writun, Curſid is ech þat hangiþ in þe tree; þat bleſſinge of Abraham in heþen men ſchulde be maad in Criſt Jheſu, þat we take þe biheeſte of ſpirit by feiþ. Briþeren, I ſeye vp man, neþelees no man diſpiſiþ þe teſtament of a man, or ordeyneþ aboue. Biheeſtis ben ſeid to Abraham and to his ſeed; he ſeiþ not, In ſeedis, as in manye, but as in oon, And in þi ſeed, þat is, Criſt. Forſoþ I ſeie þis, a teſtament confermyd of God, þe which aftir foure hundrid ȝeeris and þritti is maad lawe, makiþ not voyde for to avoyde þe biheeſte. Forwhy if of lawe þe heritage, now not of biheeſte.

Forſoþ God ȝaf to Abraham bi aȝenbiheeſte. What þerfore lawe? For treſpaſſynge it is putt, til þe ſeed cam, to whom God bihiȝte þingis ordeyned by aungelis, in þe hond of a medyatour. Forſoþ a mediatour is not of o þing. Forſoþ God is oon. Þerfore þe lawe anentis, or contrarie to, þe heeſtis of God? Fer be it. Soþli if þer were a lawe ȝouun, þe which myȝte quykene, vereily riȝtwyſneſſe were of lawe. But þe ſcripture encloſyde alle þingis vndir ſynne, þat biheeſte ſchulde be ȝouun of þe feiþ of Jheſu Criſt to men bileuynge. Forſoþe bifore þat þe feiþ cam, we weren kept vndir þe lawe, ſchette to gidere in to þat faiþ þat was to be ſchewid.

And ſo þe lawe was oure litil maiſtir in Criſt, þat we be iuſtified of þe feiþ. But where þe feiþ cam, now we ben not vndir þe litil maiſtir. Forſoþ alle ȝe ben þe ſones of God by feiþ in Criſt Jheſu. Forſoþe who euere ȝe ben baptyſid in Criſt, ȝe han cloþid Criſt. Þer is not Jew, neiþer Greek; þer is not ſeruaunt, neþir fre man; þer is not male, neþer female; ſoþeli alle ȝe ben oon in Criſt Jheſu. Forſoþ if ȝe ben of Criſt, þerfore ȝe ben ſeed of Abraham, vp biheeſte eyris.