Simount Petre, seruaunt and apostle of Jhesu Crist, to hem that han take with vs the euene miche feith, in the riȝtwisnesse of oure God and sauyour Jhesu Crist, grace to ȝou and pees be fulfillid, in the knowinge of oure Lord Jhesu Crist. Hou alle thinges of his godliche vertu, that ben to lijf and pitee, ben ȝouun to vs, bi the knowing of him, that clepide vs for his owne glory and vertu. Bi whom he ȝaf to vs moost and preciouse biheestes; that bi thes thingis ȝe shulden be maad felawes of Goddis kynde, fleynge the corupcioun of that coueytise, that is in the world. Forsothe ȝe vndir beringe, or ȝeuynge, al cure, mynistre in ȝoure feith vertu, sotheli in vertu science, or kunnynge; in science sotheli abstinence, in abstinence forsothe pacience, in pacience sotheli pitee; in pitee, sotheli loue of britherhede, forsothe in loue of britherhede charite. Forsothe if thes ben with ȝou, and ouercomen, or ben not plenteuous, thei shulen not ordeyne ȝou voyde, ne with outen fruyt, in the knowinge of oure Lord Jhesu Crist. Forsothe to whom thes ben not redy, he is blynd, and bi hond temptynge, or assayinge, receyuynge forȝetnes of the purgynge of his olde trespassis. Wherfore, britheren, more bisye ȝe, that bi goode werkis ȝe make ȝoure clepynge and chesynge certeyn; sotheli ȝe doynge thes thinges shulen not synne ony tyme. Forsothe thus the entringe in to euerelastinge kyngdom of oure Lord Jhesu Crist and sauyour, shal be mynistrid to ȝou plenteuously. For which thing I shal bigynne for to moneste ȝou euermore of thes thingis; and sotheli I wole ȝe wityng and confermid in present treuthe. Forsothe Y deme iust, hou longe I am in this tabernacle, for to reyse ȝou in monestinge; I certeyn for the putting off of my tabernacle is swift, vp that oure Lord Jhesu Crist hath signyfied to me. Forsothe I shal ȝiue werk, or bisynesse, and ofte for to haue ȝou aftir my deeth, that ȝe do the mynde of hem. Sotheli we not suynge vnwijse taales, han maad knowun to ȝou the vertu and prescience, or bifore knowing, of oure Lord Jhesu Crist; but maad biholders of his greetnesse. Sotheli he takinge of God the fadir honour and glory, sich maner voys sliden doun to him fro the greet glory, This is my loued sone, in whom I haue plesid to me; here ȝe him. And we herden this voys brouȝt to fro heuene, whan we weren with him in the holy hyl. And we han a sadder word of the prophet, to which ȝe ȝeuynge tent don wel, as to a lantern ȝeuynge liȝt in a derk, or mysty, place, til the day bigynne for to ȝiue liȝt, and the day sterre springe in ȝoure hertis. First vndirstondinge this thing, that ech prophecie of scripture is not maad bi propre, or owne, interpretacioun. Forsothe prophecie is not brouȝt to bi mannus wille, but the holy men of God inspirid with the Holy Goost spaken.
Forsothe ther weren and false prophetes of the puple, as and in ȝou shulen be maystris liȝers, that shulen bringe in sectes of perdicioun; and thei denyen the ilke Lord that bouȝte hem, and aboue ledynge to hem silf hasty perdicioun, or dampnacioun. And many shulen sue her leccheries, bi whiche the weye of treuthe shal be blasfemyd; and thei shulen marchaundise of ȝou in coueitise bi feyned wordis. To whom now doom sum tyme ceessith not, and the perdicioun of hem nappith not. Forsothe if God sparide not to aungels, but bitoke hem to be turmentid, drawen with boondis of helle in to helle, for to be kept in to doom; and sparide not to the first world, but kept Noe, the eiȝtthe, bifore goer of riȝtwisnesse, bringynge in the diluuye, or greet flood, to the world of vnpiteouse men; and he driuynge in to poudre the citees of men of Sodom and of men of Gomor, dampnide bi turnynge vpsedoun, puttinge ensaumple of hem that weren to doynge yuel, or vnpitously; and deliueride iust Loth, oppressid fro the wrong, of curside men, and leccherous conuersacioun; sotheli in siȝt and heringe he was iust, dwellinge anentis hem that fro day in to day turmentiden with wickide werkis a iust soule. The Lord knew for to delyuere pitouse men of temptacioun, sotheli for to kepe wickide men in to the day of dome for to be turmentid; forsothe more hem that walken aftir flesch, in coueitinge of vnclennesse, and despijsen lordsheping, bolde, dreden not to bringe in sectes plesinge to hem, blasfemynge; wher aungels, whan thei ben more in strengthe and vertu beren not aȝens hem the execrable, or cursid, doom. Thes sotheli as vnresounable beestes, kyndeli in capcioun, or takinge, and in to deeth, blasfemynge in thes thingis that thei knowen not, shulen perische in her corupcioun, receyuynge the hijre of vnriȝtwisnesse, gessynge the voluptees of the day delijces of defoulinge and of wemme, with delijcis flowinge, in her feestis doynge leccherie with ȝou, hauynge iȝen ful of auowtrie, and vncesynge trespasse, deceyuynge vnstedefast soules, hauynge the herte excercisid in coueitise, the sones of cursynge, forsakinge the riȝt weie, erreden, suynge the weie of Balaam of Bosor, the which louede hijre of wickidnesse. Sotheli he hadde correpcioun, or reprouyng, of his woodnesse; a doumbe beest vndir ȝok, spekinge with voys of man, forbede the vnwisdom of the profet. Thes ben welles with out watir, and cloudis, or mijstis, driuun with whirlinge wijndis, to whom the thicke mijst of derknessis is reserued. Sotheli thei spekinge in pride of vanyte, deceyuen in desijris of flesch of leccherie hem, that a litel scapen. The whiche lyuynge in errour, bihotinge liberte, or fredom, to hem, whan thei ben seruauntes of corupcioun. Sotheli of whom ony man is ouercome, of him and he is seruaunt. Forsothe if men forsakinge the defoulinges, or vnclennesses, of the world, in the knowinge of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, eftsoone inwlappid in thes, ben ouercome, the latter thingis ben maad to hem worse than the former. Sotheli it was betere to hem for to not knowe the weie of riȝtwisnesse, than for to turne aȝen aftir the knowinge, fro that holy maundement that was bitakun to hem. Sotheli the ilke thing of verrey prouerbe bifel to hem, An hound turned aȝen to his woom, or castyng vp, and a sowe waschun in walewinge, or slowe, of cley, or fen.
Lo! I wrijte to ȝou this secounde epistle, in which I stire ȝoure cleer soule in monestinge to gydere, that ȝe be myndeful of the wordis, that I bifore seide of holy prophetis, and of the maundementis of holy apostlis of the Lord sauyour; first witynge this thing, that in the laste dayes illusours, or scorners, or deceyuours, shulen come in deceyt, goynge aftir her owne coueitinges, seiynge, Where is biheste, or the comyng, of him? forsothe sith fadirs slepten, so alle thinges lasten fro the bigynnynge of creature. Sotheli it daarith hem willinge this thing, that heuenes weren bifore, and the erthe of watir and bi watir beynge, or stondinge, to gydere bi Goddis word; bi whiche thingis that ilke world clensid thanne perischide. Forsothe the heuenes that now ben, and the erthe, bi the same word, put aȝen, ben kept to fijr in to the day of dome and perdicioun of vnpitouse men. Forsothe, ȝe moost dere, oo thing daare ȝe not, or be not vnknowun, for oo day anentis God as a thousynd ȝeeres, and a thousynd ȝeer as oo day. The Lord tarieth not his biheest, as sum men gessen, but he doith paciently for ȝou, not willinge ony for to perische, but alle for to turne aȝen to penaunce. Forsothe the day of the Lord shal come as a theef, in which heuenes with greet bire, or feersnesse, shulen passe, sotheli elementes shulen be dissolued bi heete, forsothe the erthe, and alle werkes that ben in it, shulen be brent. Therfore whan alle thes thinges shulen be to be dissolued, what maner men bihoueth ȝou for to be in holy lyuyngis and pitees, abidynge and hiȝinge in to the comynge of the day of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom heuenes brennynge shulen be dissolued, and elementes bi brennynge, or heete, of fijr shulen fayle. Sotheli we abijden vp his biheestes newe heuenes and newe erthe, in whiche riȝtwisnesse dwellith. For which thing, ȝe moost dere, abijdinge thes thinges, bisye for to be founde to him in pees vnspottid and vnfoulid. And deme ȝe the longe abijdinge of oure Lord ȝoure helthe, as and oure moost dere brother Poul wroot to ȝou, vp wisdom ȝouun to him. As and in alle epistlis spekinge in hem of thes thingis; in whiche ben summe harde thinges in vndirstondinge, the whiche vnwijse, or vntauȝt, and vnstable men deprauen, as and othere scriptures, to her owne perdicioun. Therfore ȝe, britheren, bifore witynge kepe ȝou silf, lest ȝe ouerled, or deceyued, bi errour of vnwijse men, falle awey fro ȝoure owne sadnesse. Forsothe wexe ȝe in grace and knowinge of oure Lord Jhesu Crist and oure Sauyour; to him glory and now in to the day of euerelastingnesse. Amen.
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