Poul, apostle of Crist Jhesu, vp the comaundement of God oure sauyour, and Jhesu Crist oure hope, to Tymothe, bylouyd sone in the feith, grace and mercy and pees, of God the fadir, and Jhesu Crist, oure Lord. As I preiede thee, that thou schuldist dwelle at Ephesy, whanne I wente to Macedonye, that thou schuldist denounce to summe, that thei schulden not teche othere weye, nethir ȝyue tent to fablis and genologies withouten endes, the whiche ȝyuen questiouns, more than edificacioun of God, that is in the feith. Forsoth the ende of comaundement is charite of clene herte, and good conscience, and feith not feyned. Fro whiche thingis sum men erringe, ben turned to gidere into veyn speche; willinge for to be techeris of the lawe, not vndirstondinge, nethir what thingis ben spokun, nether of what thingis thei affermen. Forsoth we witen for the lawe is good, if ony man vse it lawefully; witinge this thing, that the lawe is not put to a iust man, but to vniust and not suget, to vnpitouse men and synneris, to curside men and defoulid, to sleeris of fadir, and sleeris of modir, to men sleeris, and fornycatours, to hem that trespassen with malis aȝens kynde, silleris, or steleris, or draweris awey, of men, lesyngmongeris and forsworn, and if ony othir thing is contrarie to holsum teching, that is vp the euangelie of the glorie of blessid God, the which gospel is bitakun to me. I do thankingis to him, that comfortide me in Crist Jhesu oure Lord, for he gesside me feithful, or trewe, puttinge me in mynisterie, the which I first was a blasfeme, or dispiser of God, and pursuwer, and ful of wrongis. But I haue getun the mercy of God, for I vnknowyng dide in vnbileue. Sothli the grace of oure Lord ouer habounde, with feith and loue that is in Crist Jhesu. A trewe worde and worthi al resceyuyng, for Crist Jhesu caam into this world for to make synful men saaf, of whiche I am the firste. But therfore I haue getyn mercy, that Crist Jhesu schulde schewe in me first al pacience, to the enfoormyng of hem that ben to bileuynge to him into euere lastynge lyf. Forsoth to the kyng of worldis, vndeedly and inuisyble God aloone, honour and glorie into worldis of worldis. Amen. I comende, or bitake, this presept, or biddyng, to thee, thou sone Tymothe, vp prophecies bifore goynge in thee, that thou fiȝte, or holde, in hem a good knyȝthood, hauynge feith and good conscience, the which sum men castynge a wey, perischeden a boute the feith. Of which is Emyneus and Alisaundre, whom I bitook to Sathanas, that thei lerne for to not blaspheme.
Therfore I biseche first of alle thingis, for to be maad bisechingis, preieris, axyngis, doynge of thankyngis, for alle men, for kyngis and alle that ben sett in hiȝnesse, or greet stat, that we lede quyet and pesyble lyf, in al pite and chastite. Forsoth this thing is good and acceptid bifore God, oure sauyour, that wole alle men for to be maad saaf, and for to come to the knowynge of treuthe. Sothli o God and mediatour of God and men, a man Jhesus Crist, that ȝaf him silf redempcioun for alle men. Whos witnessinge is confermyd in his tymes; in the which I am putt a prechour and apostle. Sothli I seie treuthe in Crist Jhesu, and I lye not, a techer of hethen men in feith and in treuthe. Therfore I wole, men for to preie in al place, liftynge vp clene hondis with oute wraththe and disputyng, or stryf. Also and wymmen in ourned, or couenable, abite, with schamfastnesse and sobrenesse ournynge hem silf, not in writhun heeris, ethir in gold, ethir margaritis, that ben peerlis, ether precious cloth; but that that bicometh wymmen, bihetynge pite bi goode werkis. A womman lerne in silence, with al subieccioun. Forsothe I suffre not a womman for to tech, nether for to haue lordschip into the man, or hosebonde, but for to be in silence. Forsoth Adam was first foormyd, aftirward Eue; and Adam was not disceyued in feith, forsoth the womman was disceyued in feith, in preuaricacioun, or brekyng of the lawe. Sothli sche schal be saued by generacioun of sones, if sche schal dwelle perfytli in feith, and loue, and hoolynesse, with sobrenesse.
A feithful word. If ony man desyre a byschopriche, he desyrith a good werk. Therfore it bihoueth a byschop for to be irreprehensyble, or withoute reproue, and the hosebonde of oo wyf, sobre, prudent, ourned, chast, holdynge hospitalite, techer; not ȝouun moche to wyn, not smyter, but temperaunt, or pacient, not litigious, or ful of stryf, or chidyng, not coueitous, wel rewlynge his hous, hauynge sones suget with al chastite; forsoth if ony man kan not gouerne his hous, how schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not newe conuertid into feith, lest he borun vp into pride, falle into the dom, or synne, of the deuyl. Forsoth it bihoueth hym for to haue good witnessyng and of hem that ben withoute forth, that he falle not into schenschip, or reprof, and into the snare of the deuyl. Also it byhoueth dekenes for to be chast, not dowble tungid, not ȝouun to moche wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng; hauynge the mysterie of feith in clene conscience. And forsoth be thei proued first, that thei mynystre so, hauynge no cryme, or greet synne. Also it bihoueth wymmen for to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis. Dekenes be thei hosebondis of o wyf; the whiche dekenes gouerne wel her sones and her housis. Sothli thei that schulen mynistre wel, schulen gete a good degree to hem silf, and moche trist in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu. Sone Tymothe, I write to thee thes thingis, hopinge me for to come soone to thee; forsoth if I schal tarie, that thou wite, how it bihoueth thee for to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of quyk God, a piler and sadnesse of treuthe. And opynly it is a greet sacrament of pite, that that is schewid in fleisch, is iustified in spirit, it apperide to aungels, it is prechid to hethen men, it is byleuyd in the world, it is takyn vp in glorie.
Forsoth the spirit seith opynli, for in the laste tymes summe schulen departe fro the feith, ȝyuynge tent to spiritis of errour, and to techingis of deuels; in ypocrisye spekinge lesyng, and hauynge her conscience brent, forbedynge for to wedde, for to absteyne fro metis, the whiche God made of noȝt for to take with doynge of thankingis, to feithful men, and hem that han knowen the treuthe. For ech creature of God is good, and no thing is to be cast awey, the which is takun with doynge of thankingis; forsoth it is halwid by the word of God, and by preier. Thou puttinge forth these thingis to britheren, schalt be a good mynistre of Crist Jhesu; thou norischid with wordis of feith and of good doctryne, that thou hast gete in suynge. Forsothe schonye thou vncouenable fablis and veyn; sothli haunte thi silf to pite. Forwhi bodili excercitacioun, or traueling, or abstinence, to litil thing is profytable; forsoth pite is profytable to alle thingis, hauynge biheeste of lyf that now is, and to comynge. A trewe word, and worthi al accepcioun. Sothli in this thing we traueilen, and ben cursid, for we hopen in quyk God, that is sauyour of alle men, moost of feithful men. Comaunde thou this thing, and teche. No man dispise thi ȝongthe, but be thou ensaumple of feithful men in word, in lyuynge, in charite, in feith, in chastite. The while I come, taak tent to redinge, to exortacioun, or monestyng, and teching. Nyle thou dispise, or litil charge, the grace of God that is in thee, that is ȝouun to thee by prophecie, with puttynge to of hondis of prestis, or presthod. Thenk thou thes thingis, in these be thou, that thi profytyng be schewid, or knowun, to alle men. Tak tent to thi silf and doctryn; be bisy in hem. Sothli thou doynge thes thingis, schalt make thi silf saf, and hem that heeren thee.
Blame thou not an elder man, but bisech as a fadir, ȝonge men, as britheren; olde wymmen, as modris, ȝonge wymmen, as sistris, in al chastite. Honoure thou widewis, that ben verrey widewis. Forsoth if ony widew hath sone, or children of sones, lerne sche first for to gouerne hir hous, and chaungable while, or ech to othir, ȝelde to fadir and modir; sothli this thing is aceptid bifore God. Forsoth she that is a widowe verily, and desolat, or discomfortid, hope into God, and wake, or be bysi, in bisechingis and preieris nyȝt and day. Forwhi sche that is lyuynge in delycis, is deed. And this thing comaunde thou, that thei be withoute reprof. Forsoth if ony man haue not cure of his owne, and moost of his houshold men, he hath denyed the feith, and is worse than an vnfeithful, or hethen, man. A widewe be not chosun lesse than sixty ȝeer, that was wyf of oon hosebonde, hauynge witnessinge in goode workis, if she norische sones, if she resseyue pore men to herbore, if she hath waischyn the feet of hooly men, if she vndirmynistride to men suffringe tribulacioun, if she folowide al good work. Forsoth eschewe ȝongere widewis; forsothe whanne thei han don leccherie in Crist, thei wolen be weddid, hauynge dampnacioun, for thei han maad the firste feith voide. Also forsothe and thei ydel lernen for to enuyrowne housis, not oonly forsoth ydel, but and ful of wordis and curiouse, spekinge what thing it bihoueth not. Therfore I wole, ȝongere for to be weddid, for to brynge forth sones, for to be hosewyues, for to ȝyue noon occasioun to the aduersarie, bicause of cursid thing. Now forsoth summe ben turned abac aftir Sathanas. If ony feithful man hath widewis, vndirmynistre he to hem, that the chirche be not greuyd, that it suffice to hem that ben verri widewis. The prestis that ben wel bifore, that is, treuly kepen presthod, be thei hadd worthi double honour; moost thei that trauelen in word and teching. Sothli the scripture seith, Thou schalt not bridele the mouth to the oxe threischinge, and, A werkman is worthi his hyre.Nyle thou resceyue accusyng aȝens a prest, no but vndir tweye or thre witnessis. Forsothe repreue thou men synnynge bifore alle men, that and othere haue drede. I preie, or coniure, thee bifore God, and Crist Jhesu, and his chosne angels, that thou kepe thes thingis, and withouten bifore dom doynge nothing, bowynge into another part. To no man soone thou schalt putte hondis, nether thou schalt comune with othere mennis synnes. Kepe thi silf chast. Nyle thou ȝit drynke watir, but use a litil wyn for thi stomak, and thin ofte falling infirmytees. Sum mennis synnes ben opyn, bifore goynge to dom; forsoth of sum men and thei suen. Also and goode dedis ben opyn, and tho that han hem othirwyse, mown not be hid.
Who euere seruauntis ben vndir ȝok, deme thei her lordis worthi al honour, lest the name of the Lord and doctryn be blasfemyd. Forsoth thei that han feithful, or cristene, lordis, dispise not, for thei ben britheren; but more serue thei, for thei ben feithful and loued, the whiche ben parceners of benefice, or good doyng. These thingis teche thou, and these thingis moneste thou. If ony man techith othirwyse, and acordith not to the hoole, or holsum, wordis of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and to that teching that is vp pite, is proud, no thing kunnynge, but langwischinge aboute questiouns and fiȝtingis of wordis, of the whiche ben brouȝt forth enuyes, stryues, blasfemyes, yuele suspiciouns, fiȝtingis of men corupt in soule, or resoun, and that ben priued fro treuthe, demynge wynnynge for to be pite. Forsoth a greet wynnyng is pite, with sufficience. Forsoth we brouȝten no thing in to this world, no dowte, for we mown not bere awei ony thing. Forsothe hauynge foodis, and with what thingis we schulen be clothid, with these thingis be we payed. Forwhi thei that wolen be maad riche, fallen into temptacioun, and into snare of the deuel, and manye vnprofitable desyris and noyows, the whiche drenchen men into the deeth and perdicioun. Sothly the roote of alle yuels is couetyse, the which sum men coueitynge, or desyringe, erreden fro the feith, and bisettiden hem with many sorwis. Forsoth thou, man of God, fle thes thingis; sothli sue thou riȝtwysnesse, pite, feith, charite, pacience, myldenesse. Stryue thou a good strif of feith, catche euerlastyng lyf, into which thou art clepid, and hast knowlechid a good knowleching bifore many witnesses. I comaunde to thee bifore God, that quykeneth alle thingis, and Crist Jhesu, that ȝelde a witnessing vndir Pilat of Pounce, a good confessioun, that thou kepe the comaundement withouten wem, irreprehensible, til into the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist; whom the blessid and aloone myȝty kyng of kingis, and Lord of lordis, schal schewe in his tymes. The which aloone hath immortalite, and dwellith in liȝt, to which no man may come; whom noon of men syȝ, but nether may se; to whom glorie, and honour, and empire into withouten ende. Amen. Comaunde thou to riche men of this world, for to not sauere, or vndirstonde, hiȝly, nethir for to hope in vncerteynte of richessis, but in quyk God, that ȝyueth to vs alle thingis 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, that thei catche euerlasting lyif. Thou Tymothe, kepe the depoost, or thing bitakun to thee, eschewinge curside noueltees of voyces, and opynyouns of fals name of kunnyng; the which sum men bihetynge, falliden doun aboute the feith. The grace of God with thee. Amen.
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