1 Peter · Chapter 2

[ edit] Therfore puttinge awey al malice, and al gyle, and ſymulaciouns, or feynynges, and enuyes, and al detraccioun; as now gendrid ȝonge children, reſonable, wiþ out gyle, coueyte ȝe mylk, þat in it ȝe wexe in to helþe; if neþeles ȝe taaſtiden, for þe Lord is ſwete. To whom ȝe goynge nyȝe, a quyk ſtoon, reproued ſoþeli of men, forſoþe choſen of God, and honourid, and ȝoure ſilf as quike ſtoones be aboue bildid ſpiritual houſis, holy preſþod, for to offre ſpiritual hooſtes, or offringes, acceptable to God bi Jheſu Criſt. For which þing þe ſcripture holdiþ, Lo! I ſhal putte in Syon þe hiȝeſt ſtoon, corner ſtoon, choſen, precious; and he þat ſhal belieue in to him, ſhal not be confoundid.

Þerfore honour to ȝou bileuynge; forſoþe to men not bileuynge, þe ſtoon whom þei bildynge reproueden, þis is maad in to þe heed of þe corner; and þe ſtoon of offencioun, or hirtynge, and ſtoon of ſclaundre, to hem þat offenden bi word, neþer bileuen, in which and þei ben put. Forſoþe ȝe ben a kynde choſun, kyngly preſþod, holy folk, puple of purchaſinge, þat ȝe telle þe vertues of him, þat clepide ȝou fro derkneſſes in to his wondirful liȝt. Þe whiche ſum tyme not þe puple of God, now ſoþeli þe puple of God; þe which not hauyng merſy, now forſoþe hauyng merſy.

Mooſt dere, Y beſeche ȝou, as comelinges, or geſtes, and pilgrimes, for to abſtene ȝou fro fleſchly deſijris, þat fiȝten aȝens þe ſoule; hauynge ȝoure conuerſacioun, or lijf, good among heþen men, þat in þat þing þat þei bacbiten, or yuele treeten, of ȝou, as of myſdoers, þei biholdinge ȝou of good werkis, and glorifie God in þe dai of viſitacioun. Be ȝe ſuget to ech creature of man, for God; oþer to þe kyng, as precellent, or more worþi in ſtaat, oþer to dukis, as ſent of him to þe veniaunce of myſdedis, or myſdoeris, forſoþe to þe preyſinge of goode dedis, or goode men. For ſo is þe wille of God, þat ȝe doynge wel, make þe vnkunnyngneſſe of vnprudent men for to be doumb.

As fre men, and not as hauynge fredom þe couering of malice, but as þe ſeruauntes of God. Honoure ȝe alle men, loue ȝe briþerhed, drede ȝe God, make ȝe þe kyng honourable. Seruauntes, be ȝe ſuget in al drede to lordis, not onely to goode and mylde, but alſo to tirauntes. Forſoþe þis is grace, if for conſcience of God ony man ſuffriþ ſorewes, or heuyneſſes, ſuffringe vniuſtly. Soþeli what grace is it, if ȝe ſynnynge and buffatid ſuffren? But if ȝe wel doynge ſuffren, þis is grace anentis God. Forſoþe in þis þing ȝe ben clepid. For Criſt ſuffride for vs, leuynge to ȝou enſaumple, þat ȝe folewe þe ſteppes of him. Þe which dide not ſynne, neþer gyle is founde in his mouþ.

Which whan he was curſid, curſide not; whan he ſuffride, he manaſide not; ſoþeli he bitoke him to a man demynge him vniuſtly. Which he him ſilf ſuffride, or bar, oure ſynnes in his body on þe tree, þat we deede to ſynnes, lyue to riȝtwiſneſſe, bi whois wounde ȝe ben heelid. Forſoþe ȝe weren as ſheep erringe, but ȝe ben conuertid now to þe ſhepherde, and biſchop of ȝoure ſoulis.