1   Jhesus forsothe, seynge cumpanyes, wente vp in to an hill; and when he hadde sete, his disciplis camen ni&yogh;e to hym. 2   And he, openynge his mouthe, tau&yogh;te to hem, 3   sayinge, Blessid be the pore in spirit, for the kingdam in heuenes is heren. 4   Blessid be mylde men, for thei shuln welde the eerthe. 5   Blessid be thei that mournen, for thei shuln be comfortid. 6   Blessid be thei that hungren and thristen ri&yogh;twisnesse, for thei shuln ben fulfillid. 7   Blessid be `mercyful men, for thei shuln gete mercye. 8   Blessid be thei that ben of clene herte, for thei shuln see God. 9   Blessid be `pesible men, for thei shuln be clepid the sonys of God. 10   Blessid be thei that suffren persecucioun for ri&yogh;twisnesse, for the kyngdam of heuenes is herun. 11   &YOGH;ee `shulen be blessid, when men shulen curse &yogh;ou, and shulen pursue &yogh;ou, and shulen say al yuel a&yogh;eins &yogh;ou lee&yogh;ing, for me. 12   Ioye &yogh;ee `with yn forth, and `glade &yogh;ee `with out forth, for &yogh;oure meede is plenteuouse in heuenes; forsothe so thei han pursued and prophetis that weren before &yogh;ou. 13   &YOGH;ee ben salt of the erthe; that &yogh;if the salt shal vanyshe awey, wherynne shal it be saltid? To no thing it is worth ouer, no bot that it be sent out, and defoulid of men. 14   &YOGH;e ben li&yogh;t of the world; a citee putt on an hill may nat be hid; 15   nether men tendyn a lanterne, and putten it vndir a busshel, but on a candilstike, that it &yogh;eue li&yogh;t to alle that ben in the hous. 16   So shyyne &yogh;oure li&yogh;t before men,

that thei see &yogh;oure good werkis, and glorifie &yogh;oure fadir that is in heuens. 17   Nyle &yogh;e gesse, `or deme, that Y came to `vndo, or distruye, the lawe, or the prophetis; I came not to vndo `the lawe, but to fulfille. 18   Forsothe I say to &yogh;ou trewthe, til heuen and erthe passe, oon i, `that is leste lettre, or titil, shal nat passe fro the lawe, til alle thingis be don. 19   Therfore he that `vndoth, or breketh, oon of these leste maundementis, and techith thus men, shal be clepid the leste in the rewme of heuenes; forsothe this that doth, and techith, shal be clepid grete in the kyngdame of heuenes. 20   Forsothe Y say to &yogh;ou, no but &yogh;if &yogh;oure ri&yogh;twisnesse shal be more plenteuouse than of scribis and Pharisees, &yogh;ee shulen not entre in to kyngdam of heuenes. 21   &YOGH;ee han herde that it is said to olde men, Thou shal nat slea; forsothe he that sleeth, shal be gylty of dome. 22   But I say to &yogh;ou, that euereche that is wrothe to his brother, shal be gylty of dome; forsothe he that `shal say to his brother, Racha, that is, a word of scorn, shal be gylty of counseile; sothly he that `shal say, Fool, `that is, a word of dispisynge, shal be gylti of the fijr of helle. 23   Therfore &yogh;if thou offrist thi &yogh;ift at the auter, and there `shalt bythenke, that thi brother hath sum what a&yogh;eins thee, 24   leeue there thi &yogh;ift before the auter, and go first for to be recounseilid, or acordid, to thi brother, and thanne thou cummynge shalt offre thi &yogh;ifte. 25   Be thou consentynge to thin aduersarie soon, the whijle thou art in the way with hym, lest perauenture thin aduersarie take thee to the domesman,

and the domesman take thee to the mynystre, and thou be sente in to prisoun. 26   Trewely I say to thee, Thou shalt not go thennes, til thou &yogh;elde the last ferthing. 27   &YOGH;e han herd for it was said to olde men, Thou shalt nat do lecherye. 28   Forsothe Y say to &yogh;ou, for why euery man that seeth a womman for to coueite hire, now he hath do lecherie by hire in his herte. 29   That &yogh;if thi ri&yogh;t ei&yogh;e sclaundre thee, pulle it out, and cast it fro thee; for it speedith to thee, that oon of thi membris perishe, than al thi body go in to helle. 30   And &yogh;if thi ri&yogh;t hond sclaundre thee, kitt it awey, and cast it fro thee; for it spedith to thee, that oon of thi membris perishe, than that al thi body go in to helle. 31   Forsothe it is said, Who euere shal leeue his wyf, &yogh;eue he to hir a libel, that is, a litil boke of forsakyng. 32   Sothely Y say to &yogh;ou, that euery man that `shal leeue his wyf, outaken cause of fornicacioun, he makith hire do lecherie, and he that weddith the forsaken wijf, doth auoutrie. 33   Efte soonys &yogh;ee han herd, that it was said to olde men, Thou shalt not forswere, sothely to the Lord thou shalt &yogh;eeld thin oethis. 34   Forsothe Y say to &yogh;ou, to nat swere on al manere; neither by heuene, for it is the trone of God; 35   nether by the erthe, for it is the stole of his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the citee of a greet kyng; 36   neither thou shalt swere by thin heued, for thou maist not make oon `heer whyt, or blak; 37   but `be &yogh;oure word &YOGH;ea, &yogh;ea; Nay, nay; forsothe that that is more `than this, is of yuel. 38   &YOGH;ee han herde that it is said, Ei&yogh;e for ei&yogh;e, toth for toth. 39   But Y say to &yogh;ou, to nat a&yogh;ein stonde yuel; but &yogh;if any `shal smyte thee in the ri&yogh;t cheeke, &yogh;eue to hym and the tother;

40   and to hym that wole stryue with thee in dome, and take awey thi coote, leeue thou `to hym and thin ouer clothe; 41   and who euere constrayneth thee a thousand pacis, go thou with hym other tweyne. 42   Forsothe &yogh;if to hym that axith of thee, and turne thou nat awey fro hym that wol borwe of thee. 43   &YOGH;ee han herd that it is said, Thou shalt loue thin nei&yogh;bore, and hate thin enmy. 44   But Y say to &yogh;ou, loue &yogh;ee &yogh;oure enmyes, do &yogh;ee wel to hem that haten &yogh;ou, and preye &yogh;ee for men pursuynge, and falsly chalengynge &yogh;ou; 45   that &yogh;ee be the sonys of &yogh;oure fadir that is in heuenes, that makith his sune to `springe vp vpon good and yuel men, and rayneth vpon iuste men and vniuste men. 46   For &yogh;if &yogh;e louen hem that louen &yogh;ou, what meed shul &yogh;ee haue? whether and puplicans don nat this thing? 47   And &yogh;if &yogh;ee greten, `or saluten, &yogh;oure bretheren oonly, what `more ouer shul &yogh;ee don? whether and paynymmys don nat this thing? 48   Therfore be &yogh;ee parfit, as and &yogh;oure heuenly fadir is parfit. 1   `Take &yogh;ee hede, lest &yogh;e don &yogh;our ri&yogh;twisnesse before men, that &yogh;ee be seen of hem, ellis &yogh;e shule nat han meed at &yogh;oure fadir that is in heuenes. 2   Therfore when thou dost almesse, nyle thou synge byfore thee `in a trumpe, as ypocritis don in synagogis and streetis, that thei ben `maad worshipful of men; forsothe Y saye to &yogh;ou, thei han resceyued her meede. 3   But `thee doynge almesse, knowe nat the left hond what thi ri&yogh;t hond doth, 4   that thi almes be in hidlis, and thi fadir that seeth in hidlis, shal &yogh;elde to thee.

Previous section

Next section