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¹ But also false prophetis weren in the puple, as in you schulen be maistris lieris, that schulen bringe in sectis of perdicioun; and thei denyen thilke Lord that bouyte hem, and bringen on hem silf hasti perdicioun.² And many schulen sue her letcheries, bi whiche the weie of treuthe schal be blasfemyd;

³ and thei schulen make marchaundie of you in coueytise bi feyned wordis. To whiche doom now a while ago ceessith not, and the perdicioun of hem nappith not.⁴ For if God sparide not aungels synnynge, but bitook hem to be turmentid, and to be drawun doun with boondis of helle in to helle, to be kept in to dom;⁵ and sparide not the firste world, but kept Noe, the eiythe man, the biforgoere of riytwisnesse, and brouyte in the greet flood to the world of vnfeithful men;⁶ and he droof in to poudre the citees of men of Sodom and of men of Gommor, and dampnede bi turnyng vpsedoun, and putte hem the ensaumple of hem that weren to doynge yuele;

⁷ and delyuerid the iust Loth, oppressid of the wrong, and of the letcherouse conuersacioun of cursid men;⁸ for in siyt and hering he was iust, and dwellide amongst hem that fro dai in to dai turmentiden with wickid werkis a iust soule.⁹ For the Lord kan delyuere piteuouse men fro temptacioun, and kepe wickid men `in to the dai of dom to be turmentid;

¹⁰ but more hem that walken aftir the fleisch, in coueytinge of vnclennesse, and dispisen lordschiping, and ben boold, plesynge hem silf, and dreden not to bringe in sectis, blasfemynge; where aungels,¹¹ whanne thei ben more in strengthe and vertu, beren not `that was the execrable doom ayens hem.<sup>12</sup> But these ben as vnresonable beestis, kyndli in to takyng, and in to deth, blasfemynge in these thingis that thei knowen not, and schulen perische in her corrupcioun,<sup>13</sup> and resseyue the hire of vnriytwisnesse. And thei gessen delicis of defouling and of wemme, to be likyngis of dai, flowynge in her feestis with delicis, doynge letcherie with you,<sup>14</sup> and han iyen ful of auowtrie, and vnceessynge trespas, disseyuynge vnstidfast soulis, and han the herte excercisid to coueitise; the sones of cursyng,<sup>15</sup> that forsaken the riyt weie, and erriden, suynge the weie of Balaam of Bosor, which louyde the hire of wickidnesse.<sup>16</sup> But he hadde repreuyng of his woodnesse; a doumb beest vndur yok, that spak with vois of man, that forbede the vnwisdom of the profete.<sup>17</sup> These ben wellis with out watir, and mystis dryuun with `whirlinge wyndys, to whiche the thicke mijst of derknessis is reseruyd.¹⁸ And thei speken in pryde of vanyte, and disseyuen in desiris of fleisch of letcherie hem, that scapen a litil.¹⁹ Whiche lyuen in errour, and biheten fredom to hem, whanne thei ben seruauntis of corrupcioun. For of whom ony man is ouercomun, of hym also he is seruaunt.²⁰ For if men forsaken the vnclennessis of the world, bi the knowyng of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, and eftsone ben wlappid in these, and ben ouercomun, the lattere thingis ben maad to hem worse than the formere.²¹ For it was betere to hem to not knowe the weie of riytwisnesse, than to turne ayen aftir the knowyng, fro that hooli maundement that was bitakun to hem.²² For thilke very prouerb bifelde to hem, The hound turnede ayen to his castyng, and a sowe is waischun in walwyng in fenne.