Content

CAP 12
1 If it bihoueth to haue glorie, it spedith not; but Y schal come to the visiouns and to the reuelaciouns of the Lord.
2 I woot a man in Crist that bifore fouretene yeer; whether in bodi, whether out of the bodi, Y woot not, God woot; that siche a man was rauyschid `til to the thridde heuene.
3 And Y woot sich a man; whether in bodi, or out of bodi, Y noot, God woot;
4 that he was rauyschid in to paradis, and herde preuy wordis, whiche it is not leueful to a man to speke.
5 For such maner thingis Y schal glorie; but for me no thing, no but in myn infirmytees.
6 For if Y schal wilne to glorie, Y schal not be vnwijs, for Y schal seie treuthe; but Y spare, lest ony man gesse me ouer that thing that he seeth in me, or herith ony thing of me.
7 And lest the greetnesse of reuelaciouns enhaunse me in pride, the pricke of my fleisch, an aungel of Sathanas, is youun to me, that he buffate me.
8 For whiche thing thries Y preiede the Lord, that it schulde go awei fro me.
9 And he seide to me, My grace suffisith to thee; for vertu is parfitli maad in infirmyte. Therfor gladli Y schal glorie in myn infirmytees, that the vertu of Crist dwelle in me.
10 For which thing Y am plesid in myn infirmytees, in dispisyngis, in nedis, in persecuciouns, in anguyschis, for Crist; for whanne Y am sijk, thanne Y am miyti.
11 Y am maad vnwitti, ye constreyneden me. For Y ouyte to be comendid of you; for Y dide no thing lesse than thei that ben apostlis `aboue maner.
12 Thouy Y am nouyt, netheles the signes of myn apostilhed ben maad on you, in al pacience, and signes, and grete wondris, and vertues.
13 And what is it, that ye hadden lesse than othere chirchis, but that Y my silf greuyde you not? Foryyue ye to me this wrong.
14 Lo! this thridde tyme Y am redi to come to you, and Y schal not be greuous to you; for Y seke not tho thingis that ben youre, but you. For nether sones owen to tresoure to fadir and modir, but the fadir and modir to the sones.
15 For Y schal yyue moost wilfuli, and Y my silf schal be youun aboue for youre soulis; thouy Y more loue you, and be lesse louyd.
16 But be it; Y greuyde not you, but whanne Y was sutil, Y took you with gile.
17 Whether Y disseyuede you bi ony of hem, which Y sente to you?
18 Y preiede Tite, and Y sente with hym a brother. Whether Tite begilide you? whether we yeden not in the same spirit? whether not in the same steppis?
19 Sum tyme ye wenen, that we schulen excuse vs anentis you. Bifor God in Crist we speken; and, moost dere britheren, alle thingis for youre edifiyng.
20 But Y drede, lest whanne Y come, Y schal fynde you not suche as Y wole, and Y schal be foundun of you suche as ye wolen not; lest perauenture stryuyngis, enuyes, sturdynessis, dissenciouns and detraccions, preuy spechis of discord, bolnyngis bi pride, debatis ben among you;
21 and lest eftsoone whanne Y come, God make me low anentis you, and Y biweile many of hem, that bifor synneden, and diden not penaunce on the vnclennesse, and fornicacioun, and vnchastite, that thei han don.