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¹ Poul, apostle `of Jhesu Crist, bi the comaundement of God oure sauyour, and of Jhesu Crist oure hope,² to Tymothe, bilouyd sone in the feith, grace and merci and pees, of God the fadir, and of Jhesu Crist, oure Lord.³ As Y preyede thee, that thou schuldist dwelle at Effesi, whanne Y wente into Macedonye, that thou schuldist denounce to summe men, that thei schulden not teche othere weie,⁴ nether yyue tent to fablis and genologies that ben vncerteyn, whiche yyuen questiouns, more than edificacioun of God, that is in the feith.

⁵ For the ende of comaundement is charite of clene herte, and good conscience, and of feith not feyned.⁶ Fro whiche thingis sum men han errid, and ben turned in to veyn speche;⁷ and willith to be techeris of the lawe, and vndurstonden not what thingis thei speken, nether of what thingis thei affermen.⁸ And we witen that the lawe is good, if ony man vse it lawefulli;⁹ and witinge this thing, that the lawe is not set to a iust man, but to vniust men and not suget, to wickid men and to synneris, to cursid men and defoulid, to sleeris of fadir, and sleeris of modir, to `men sleeris and lechouris,¹⁰ to hem that don letcherie with men, lesingmongeris and forsworun, and if ony othere thing is contrarie to the hoolsum teching,¹¹ that is aftir the euangelie of the glorie of blessid God, which is bitakun to me.

¹² Y do thankingis to hym, that coumfortide me in Crist Jhesu oure Lord, for he gesside me feithful, and putte me in mynystrie,¹³ that first was a blasfeme, and a pursuere, and ful of wrongis. But Y haue getun the merci of God, for Y vnknowinge dide in vnbileue.¹⁴ But the grace of oure Lord ouer aboundide, with feith and loue that is in Crist Jhesu.¹⁵ A trewe word and worthi al resseyuyng, for Crist Jhesu cam in to this world to make synful men saaf, of whiche Y am the firste.¹⁶ But therfor Y haue getun merci, that Crist Jhesu schulde schewe in me first al pacience, to the enfourmyng of hem that schulen bileue to hym in to euerlastinge lijf.¹⁷ And to the king of worldis, vndeedli and vnvysible God aloone, be onour and glorie in to worldis of worldis. Amen.

¹⁸ I bitake this comaundement to thee, thou sone Timothe, after the prophecies that han be hertofore in thee, that thou traueile in hem a good trauel,¹⁹ hauynge feith and good conscience, which summen casten awei, and perischiden aboute the feith.²⁰ Of whiche is Ymeneus and Alisaundre, which Y bitook to Sathanas, that thei lerne `to not blasfeme.