1 Timothy · Chapter 6

[ edit] Who euere ſeruauntis ben vndir ȝok, deme þei her lordis worþi al honour, leſt þe name of þe Lord and doctryn be blasfemyd. Forſoþ þei þat han feiþful, or criſtene, lordis, diſpiſe not, for þei ben briþeren; but more ſerue þei, for þei ben feiþful and loued, þe whiche ben parceners of benefice, or good doyng. Þeſe þingis teche þou, and þeſe þingis moneſte þou.

If ony man techiþ oþirwyſe, and acordiþ not to þe hoole, or holſum, wordis of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt, and to þat teching þat is vp pite, is proud, no þing kunnynge, but langwiſchinge aboute queſtiouns and fiȝtingis of wordis, of þe whiche ben brouȝt forþ enuyes, ſtryues, blasfemyes, yuele ſuſpiciouns, fiȝtingis of men corupt in ſoule, or reſoun, and þat ben priued fro treuþe, demynge wynnynge for to be pite. Forſoþ a greet wynnyng is pite, wiþ ſufficience. Forſoþ we brouȝten no þing in to þis world, no dowte, for we mown not bere awei ony þing. Forſoþe hauynge foodis, and wiþ what þingis we ſchulen be cloþid, wiþ þeſe þingis be we payed.

Forwhi þei þat wolen be maad riche, fallen into temptacioun, and into ſnare of þe deuel, and manye vnprofitable deſyris and noyows, þe whiche drenchen men into þe deeþ and perdicioun. Soþly þe roote of alle yuels is couetyſe, þe which ſum men coueitynge, or deſyringe, erreden fro þe feiþ, and biſettiden hem wiþ many ſorwis. Forſoþ þou, man of God, fle þes þingis; ſoþli ſue þou riȝtwyſneſſe, pite, feiþ, charite, pacience, myldeneſſe. Stryue þou a good ſtrif of feiþ, catche euerlaſtyng lyf, into which þou art clepid, and haſt knowlechid a good knowleching bifore many witneſſes.

I comaunde to þee bifore God, þat quykeneþ alle þingis, and Criſt Jheſu, þat ȝelde a witneſſing vndir Pilat of Pounce, a good confeſſioun, þat þou kepe þe comaundement wiþouten wem, irreprehenſible, til into þe comyng of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt; whom þe bleſſid and aloone myȝty kyng of kingis, and Lord of lordis, ſchal ſchewe in his tymes. Þe which aloone haþ immortalite, and dwelliþ in liȝt, to which no man may come; whom noon of men ſyȝ, but neþer may ſe; to whom glorie, and honour, and empire into wiþouten ende. Amen.

Comaunde þou to riche men of þis world, for to not ſauere, or vndirſtonde, hiȝly, neþir for to hope in vncerteynte of richeſſis, but in quyk God, þat ȝyueþ to vs alle þingis plenteuouſly for to vſe; for to do wel, for to be maad riche in goode werkis, liȝtli for to ȝyue, for to comune, for to treſoure to hem ſilf a good foundement into tyme to comynge, þat þei catche euerlaſting lyif. Þou Tymoþe, kepe þe depooſt, or þing bitakun to þee, eſchewinge curſide noueltees of voyces, and opynyouns of fals name of kunnyng; þe which ſum men bihetynge, falliden doun aboute þe feiþ. Þe grace of God wiþ þee. Amen. Here endiþ þe firſte piſtle to Tymoþe, and bigynneþ þe prolog to þe ſecunde piſtle.