Tessalonycensis ben men of Macedonya. Thes the word of treuthe takun, stooden perfytly in the feith, and thanne in pursuynge of her citeseyns; ferthermore also thei resseyueden not false apostlis, nethir the ilke thingis that weren seid of false apostlis. These the apostle preisith, writinge to hem fro Athenis, by Tyte and Onesym. Ende of prolog; bigynnyng the firste pistle. The first epistle to Tessalonycense. CAP. I.

1   Poul, apostle, and Siluan, and Tymothe, to the chirche of Tessalonycensis, in God, oure fadir, and the Lord Jhesu Crist, `grace to &yogh;ou, and pees. 2   We don thankingis to God euermore for alle &yogh;ou, makinge mynde of &yogh;ou in oure preieris

withoute ceessynge; we myndeful of `&yogh;oure werk of feith, and traueil, and charite, and susteynyng of the hope of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bifore `the Lord and oure fadir. 4   We witynge, &yogh;e moost loued britheren of `the Lord, &yogh;oure chesyng; 5   for oure gospel was not at &yogh;ou in word oonli, but in vertu, and in the Hooly Goost, and in moche plente; as &yogh;e witen, what maner men we weren in &yogh;ou for &yogh;ou; 6   and &yogh;e ben maad oure foloweris, and of the Lord, resceyuynge the word in moche tribulacioun, with ioye of the Hooly Goost; 7   so that &yogh;e ben maad fourme, `or ensaumple, to alle men bileuynge, in Macedonye and in Achaye. 8   Forsoth of &yogh;ou the word of the Lord is defamyd, `or moche told, not oonly in Macedonye and Achaye, but in ech place &yogh;oure feith that is to God, is parfyt; so that it is not nede for to speke `to &yogh;ou `ony thing. 9   Forsoth thei schewen of &yogh;ou, what maner entre we hadden to &yogh;ou, and hou &yogh;e ben conuertid to God fro symylacris, for to serue to quyk God and very; 10   and for to abide his sone fro heuenes, whom he reisyde fro deede men, Jhesu, that delyuerede vs fro wraththe to comynge. CAP. II.

1   Forwhi &yogh;e witen, britheren, oure entre to &yogh;ou, 2   for it was not veyn; but first we suffrid, and punyschid with wrongis, `or fals reprouyng, as &yogh;e witen in Philippis, hadden trust in oure Lord, for to speke `to &yogh;ou the gospel of God in moche bysynesse. 3   Sothli oure exortacioun, `or techinge, not of errour, nether of vnclennesse, nether in gile, 4   but as we ben proued of God, that the gospel schulde be takyn to vs, so we speken; not as plesynge to men, but to God that proueth oure hertis.

5   Forsoth nethir we weren ony tyme in word of glosyng, as &yogh;e witen, nether in occasioun of auarice; 6   God is witnesse; nethir sekinge glorie of men, nethir of &yogh;ou, nethir of othere, 7   whanne we my&yogh;ten be to charge to &yogh;ou, as Cristis apostelis. But we ben maad litle in the myddil of &yogh;ou, 8   as if a noryse fostre hir sones; so we desyringe &yogh;ou coueityngly, `or with greet loue, wolden bitake to &yogh;ou, not oonly the gospel of God, but also oure soules, `or lyues, for &yogh;e ben maad to vs moost dereworthe. 9   Forsothe, britheren, &yogh;e ben myndeful of oure traueil and werynesse; ny&yogh;t and day we worchinge, that we schulden not greue ony of &yogh;ou, prechiden in &yogh;ou the euangelie of God. 10   &YOGH;e ben witnessis, and God, how hoolily, and iustli, and withouten querel, `or pleynt, to &yogh;ou that bileueden, `we weren. 11   As &yogh;e witen, how ech of &yogh;ou, as the fadir his sones, 12   `preiynge and comfortynge &yogh;ou, we han witnessid, that &yogh;e schulden go worthili to God, that clepide &yogh;ou into his kyngdom and glorie. 13   Therfore and we don thankingis to God with oute ceessinge. For whanne &yogh;e hadden takun of vs the word of the heringe of God, &yogh;e token it not as the word of men, but as it is verily, the word of God, that worchith in &yogh;ou that han bileued. 14   Sothli, britheren, &yogh;e ben maad foloweris of the chirchis of God, that ben in Judee, in Crist Jhesu, for and &yogh;e han suffrid the same thinges of &yogh;oure euene lynagis, as and thei of Jewis. 15   The whiche slowen and the Lord Jhesu and the prophetis, and pursuwen vs, and thei plesen not to God, and to alle men thei ben aduersaries; 16   forbedinge vs for to speke to hethen men, that `the hethen men be maad saaf, that thei fulfille her synnes euermore; forsoth the wraththe

of God bifore cam vpon hem til into the ende. 17   Forsoth, britheren, we desolat fro &yogh;ou `at the tyme `of an hour, in bihooldynge, not in herte, more plenteuously han hi&yogh;ed for to se &yogh;oure face with greet desyr. 18   For we wolden come to &yogh;ou, sotheli I Poul, and oones and eftsoone, but Sathanas lettide vs. 19   Sothli what is oure hope, or ioye, or crowne of glorie? Wher &yogh;e ben not bifore oure Lord Jhesu Crist in his comynge? 20   Forsoth &yogh;e ben oure glorie and ioye. CAP. III.

1   For which thing we susteynynge no lengere, it pleside to vs for to dwelle at Athenis aloone; 2   and senten Tymothe, oure brother, and mynistre of God in the euangelie of Crist, to &yogh;ou, for to be confermyd, and tau&yogh;t, `or monestid, for &yogh;oure feith, 3   that no man be moued in thes tribulaciouns. Sothely &yogh;e silf witen, that in this thing we ben putt. 4   Forwhi and whanne we weren at &yogh;ou, we bifore seyden to &yogh;ou, vs to suffre tribulaciouns; as and it is don, and &yogh;e witen. 5   Therfore and I Poul, not susteynynge, `or abidynge, more, sente for to knowe &yogh;oure feith, lest perauenture he that temptith schal tempte &yogh;ou, and oure traueil be maad veyn. 6   `Now forsoth Tymothe comynge to vs fro &yogh;ou, and tellinge to vs &yogh;oure feith and charite, and for &yogh;e han euermore good mynde of vs, desyringe for to se vs, as we also &yogh;ou; 7   therfore, britheren, we ben comfortid in &yogh;ou, in al oure nede and tribulacioun, by &yogh;oure feith. 8   For now we lyuen, if &yogh;e stonden in the Lord. 9   Sothli what doynge of thankyngis mown we &yogh;elde to God for &yogh;ou, in al ioye, in which we ioyen for &yogh;ou bifore oure Lord? 10   ny&yogh;t and day more plenteuously preiynge, that

we se &yogh;oure face, and fulfille tho thingis that failen of &yogh;oure feith. 11   Forsothe `the same God oure fadir, and the Lord Jhesu Crist, dresse oure wey to &yogh;ou. 12   Forsothe the Lord multiplye &yogh;ou, and make &yogh;oure charite for to habounde in to gidere, and into alle, 13   as and we in &yogh;ou; to &yogh;oure hertis to be confermyd with outen pleynt in hoolynesse, bifore God and oure fadir, in the comynge of oure Lord Jhesu Crist with alle his seyntis. Amen. CAP. IV.

1   Therfore, britheren, `hennis forthward we preyen &yogh;ou, and biseche in the Lord Jhesu, that as &yogh;e han resceyued of vs how it bihoueth &yogh;ou for to go and plese to God, so and walke &yogh;e, that &yogh;e habounde more. 2   Sothely &yogh;e wyten what comaundementis I haue &yogh;ouun to &yogh;ou by the Lord Jhesu. 3   Forsoth this is the wille of God, &yogh;oure makinge hooly, that &yogh;e absteyne &yogh;ou fro fornycacioun. 4   That ech of &yogh;ou kunne welde his vessel in `makynge hooly, `or hoolynesse, 5   and honour; not in passioun of desyr, as and `hethen men that knowen not God. 6   And that no man ouergo, nether disseyue his brother in cause, `or nede. For the Lord is venger of alle thes thingis, as we bifore seiden to &yogh;ou, and han witnessid, `or prouyd by autorite. 7   Sothli God clepide not vs into vnclennesse, but into hoolynesse. 8   `And so he that dispisith thes thingis, dispisith not man, but God, that &yogh;af his hooly spirit in vs. 9   Forsothe of the charite of britherhed we hadden not nede for to wryte to &yogh;ou; sothli &yogh;e silf han lerud of God, that &yogh;e loue to gidere; 10   `and forsothe &yogh;e don that into alle britheren in al Macedonye. Forsothe, britheren, we preyen &yogh;ou, that &yogh;e habounde more; 11   and &yogh;yue werk, `or bisynesse, that

&yogh;e be quyet, and do &yogh;oure nede, that &yogh;e worche with &yogh;oure hondis, as we han comaundid to &yogh;ou; and that &yogh;e wandre honestly to hem that ben withouteforth, that of no mannis &yogh;e desyre ony thing. 12   Forsoth, britheren, we wolen not &yogh;ou `for to vnknowe of men slepynge, `or deiynge, that &yogh;e ben not sorwful, as and othere that han not hope. 13   Sothli if we bileuen, that Jhesus was deed, and roos a&yogh;en, so and God schal lede with him hem that `slepten, or deieden, by Jhesu. 14   Sotheli this thing we seien to &yogh;ou in the word of the Lord, for we that lyuen, that ben residue, `or left, in the comynge of the Lord, schulen not come bifore hem that slepten, `or deieden. 15   For he the Lord `schal come down fro heuene, in the comaundyng, and in the voys of archaungel, and in the trumpe of God; and the deede men that ben in Crist, schulen ryse a&yogh;en first. 16   Aftirward we that lyuen, that ben left, schulen be rauyschid to gidere with hem in cloudis, meetynge to Crist into the eyr; `and so euermore we schulen be with the Lord. 17   `And so be &yogh;e comfortid to gidere in thes wordis. CAP. V.

1   Forsoth, britheren, of `tymes and momentis &yogh;e neden not that I write to &yogh;ou. 2   Also &yogh;e silf diligentli witen, for the day of the Lord, as a theef in ny&yogh;t, so schal come. 3   Sothli whanne thei schulen seye pees and sikurnesse, thanne sudeyn perischinge, `or deeth, schal come `aboue to hem, as sorwe to a womman `beringe child, and thei schulen not scape. 4   Forsoth, britheren, &yogh;e ben not in derknessis, that `the ilke day as a theef catche &yogh;ou.

5   Sothli alle &yogh;e ben the sones of ly&yogh;t, and sones of day; we ben not of ny&yogh;t, nethir of derknessis. 6   Therfore slepe we not as and othere; but wake, and be we sobre. 7   Forsoth thei that slepen, slepen in the ny&yogh;t, and thei that ben drunken, ben drunken in ny&yogh;t. 8   Forsoth we that ben of the day, ben sobre, clothid the haburioun of feith and charite, and the helm, hope of heelthe. 9   For God puttide not vs into wraththe, but into the purchasyng of heelthe by oure Lord Jhesu Crist, 10   that was deed for vs; that where we waken, where we slepen, we lyue to gidere with him. 11   For which thing `be &yogh;e comfortid to gidere, and `edifie &yogh;e ech othir, as and &yogh;e don. 12   Forsoth, britheren, we preien &yogh;ou, that &yogh;e schulen knowe hem that trauelen among &yogh;ou, and ben bifore to &yogh;ou in the Lord, and monesten, `or techen, 13   &yogh;ou, that &yogh;e haue hem more haboundantli in charite; for the work of hem, haue &yogh;e pees with hem. 14   Forsoth, britheren, we preien &yogh;ou, reproue, `or chastyse, &yogh;e vnquyete men. Comforte &yogh;e men of litil herte, resceyue &yogh;e syke men, be &yogh;e pacient to alle men. 15   Se &yogh;e, that no man &yogh;elde yuel for yuel; but euermore sue &yogh;e that that is good, to gidere and into alle men. 16    17   Euermore ioye &yogh;e; with oute ceessynge preie &yogh;e; 18   in alle thingis do &yogh;e thankyngis. Forsothe this is the wille of God in Crist Jhesu, and in alle &yogh;ou. 19    20   Nyle &yogh;e `quenche the spirit; nyle &yogh;e dispise prophecies. 21   Forsoth proue &yogh;e alle thingis, holde &yogh;e that thing that is good. 22   Absteyne &yogh;ou fro al yuel spice, `or liknesse. 23   Forsothe `the same God of pees make &yogh;ou hooly by alle thingis, that &yogh;oure spirit be kept hool, and soule, and body, with oute playnt, in the comynge of oure

Lord Jhesu Crist. 24   God is trewe, that clepide &yogh;ou, the which also schal do. 25    26   Britheren, preie &yogh;e for vs. `Greete &yogh;e wel alle britheren in hooly coss. 27   I coniure &yogh;ou by the Lord, that this pistle be rad to alle hooly britheren. 28   The grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist be with &yogh;ou alle. Amen. Here endith the firste pistle to Tessalonycensis, and bigynneth the prologe to the secunde pistle.

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