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¹ Simount Petre, seruaunt and apostle of `Jhesu Crist, to hem that han take with vs the euene feith, in the riytwisnesse of oure God and sauyour Jhesu Crist,² grace and pees be fillid to you, bi the knowing of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.³ Hou alle thingis of his godlich vertu, that ben to lijf and pitee, ben youun to vs, bi the knowyng of hym, that clepide vs for his owne glorie and vertu.⁴ Bi whom he yaf to vs moost preciouse biheestis; that bi these thingis ye schulen be maad felows of Goddis kynde, and fle the corrupcioun of that coueytise, that is in the world.

⁵ And bringe ye in alle bisynesse, and mynystre ye in youre feith vertu, and `in vertu kunnyng;⁶ in kunnyng abstinence, in abstynence pacience, in pacience pitee;⁷ in pitee, love of britherhod, and in loue of britherhod charite.⁸ For if these ben with you, and ouercomen, thei schulen not make you voide, nethir with out fruyt, in the knowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.⁹ But to whom these ben not redi, he is blynd, and gropith with his hoond, and foryetith the purgyng of his elde trespassis.¹⁰ Wherfor, britheren, be ye more bisi, that by goode werkis ye make youre clepyng and chesyng certeyn;¹¹ for ye doynge these thingis schulen not do synne ony tyme. For thus the entryng in to euerlastynge kyngdom of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, schal be mynystrid to you plenteuousli.

¹² For which thing Y schal bigynne to moneste you euere more of these thingis; and Y wole that ye be kunnynge, and confermyd in this present treuthe.¹³ Forsothe Y deme iustli, as long as Y am in this tabernacle, to reise you in monesting; and Y am certeyn,¹⁴ that the putting awei of my tabernacle is swift, bi this that oure Lord Jhesu Crist hath schewid to me.¹⁵ But Y schal yyue bisynesse, and ofte after my deth ye haue mynde of these thingis.

¹⁶ For we not suynge vnwise talis, han maad knowun to you the vertu and the biforknowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist; but we weren maad biholderis of his greetnesse.¹⁷ For he took of God the fadir onour and glorie, bi siche maner vois slidun doun to hym fro the greet glorie, This is my loued sone, in whom Y haue plesid to me; here ye hym.¹⁸ And we herden this vois brouyt from heuene, whanne we weren with hym in the hooli hil.

¹⁹ And we han a saddere word of prophecie, to which ye yyuynge tent don wel, as to a lanterne that yyueth liyt in a derk place, til the dai bigynne to yyue liyt, and the dai sterre sprenge in youre hertis.²⁰ And firste vndurstonde ye this thing, that ech prophesie of scripture is not maad bi propre interpretacioun;²¹ for prophesie was not brouyt ony tyme bi mannus wille, but the hooli men of God inspirid with the Hooli Goost spaken.