1 Timothy 3

1 This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

A feithful word. If ony man desirith a bishopriche, he desirith a good werk.

2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Therfor it bihoueth a byschop to be with out repreef, the hosebonde of o wijf, sobre, prudent, chast, vertewous, holdinge hospitalite, a techere;

3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

not youun myche to wyn, not a smytere, but temperat, not ful of chiding, not coueitouse, wel reulinge his hous,

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

and haue sones suget with al chastite;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

for if ony man kan not gouerne his house, hou schal he haue diligence of the chirche of God? not new conuertid to the feith,

6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

lest he be borun vp in to pride, and falle in to doom of the deuel.

7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

For it bihoueth hym to haue also good witnessing of hem that ben with outforth, that he falle not in to repreef, and in to the snare of the deuel.

8 Likewise [must] the deacons [be] grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

Also it bihoueth dekenes to be chast, not double tungid, not youun myche to wyn, not suynge foul wynnyng;

9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

that han the mysterie of feith in clene conscience.

10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being [found] blameless.

But be thei preued first, and mynystre so, hauynge no cryme.

11 Even so [must their] wives [be] grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.

Also it bihoueth wymmen to be chast, not bacbitinge, sobre, feithful in alle thingis.

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Dekenes be hosebondis of o wijf; whiche gouerne wel her sones and her housis.

13 For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

For thei that mynystren wel, schulen gete a good degre to hem silf, and myche triste in the feith, that is in Crist Jhesu.

14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:

Sone Timothe, Y write to thee these thingis, hopinge that Y schal come soon to thee;

15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

but if Y tarie, that thou wite, hou it bihoueth thee to lyue in the hous of God, that is the chirche of lyuynge God, a pilere and sadnesse of treuthe.

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

And opynli it is a greet sacrament of pitee, that thing that was schewid in fleisch, it is iustified in spirit, it apperid to aungels, it is prechid to hethene men, it is bileuyd in the world, it is takun vp in glorie.