1 Timothy 6
1 All who are in the position of slaves should regard their masters as deserving of the greatest respect, so that the Name of God, and our Teaching, may not be maligned.
What euere seruauntis ben vndur yok, deme thei her lordis worthi al onour, lest the name of the Lord and the doctryn be blasfemyd.
2 Those who have Christian masters should not think less of them because they are their Brothers, but on the contrary they should serve them all the better, because those who are to benefit by their good work are dear to them as their fellow Christians.
And thei that han feithful lordis, dispise hem not, for thei ben britheren; but more serue thei, for thei ben feithful and louyd, whiche ben parceneris of benefice. Teche thou these thingis, and moneste thou these thingis.
3 Any one who teaches otherwise, and refuses his assent to sound instruction — the instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ — and to the teaching of religion,
If ony man techith othere wise, and acordith not to the hoolsum wordis of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and to that teching that is bi pitee,
4 is puffed up with conceit, not really knowing anything, but having a morbid craving for discussions and arguments. Such things only give rise to envy, quarrelling, recriminations, base suspicions,
he is proud, and kan no thing, but langwischith aboute questiouns and stryuyng of wordis, of the whiche ben brouyt forth enuyes, stryues, blasfemyes, yuele suspiciouns, fiytingis of men,
5 and incessant wrangling on the part of these corrupt-minded people who have lost all hold on the Truth, and who think of religion only as a source of gain.
that ben corrupt in soule, and that ben pryued fro treuthe, that demen wynnyng to be pitee.
6 And a great source of gain religion is, when it brings contentment with it!
But a greet wynnyng is pitee, with sufficience.
7 For we brought nothing into the world, because we cannot even carry anything out of it.
For we brouyten in no thing in to this world, and no doute, that we moun not bere `awey ony thing.
8 So, with food and shelter, we will be content.
But we hauynge foodis, and with what thingus we schulen be hilid, be we paied with these thingis.
9 Those who want to be rich fall into the snares of temptation, and become the prey of many foolish and harmful ambitions, which plunge people into Destruction and Ruin.
For thei that wolen be maad riche, fallen in to temptacioun, and `in to snare of the deuel, and in to many vnprofitable desiris and noyous, whiche drenchen men in to deth and perdicioun.
10 Love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the Faith, and have been pierced to the heart by many a regret.
For the rote of alle yuelis is coueytise, which summen coueitinge erriden fro the feith, and bisettiden hem with many sorewis.
11 But do you, Servant of God, avoid all this. Aim at righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, gentleness.
But, thou, man of God, fle these thingis; but sue thou riytwisnesse, pite, feith, charite, pacience, myldenesse.
12 Run the great race of the Faith, and win the Immortal Life. It was for this that you received the Call, and, in the presence of many witnesses, made the great profession of Faith. (aiōnios g166)
Stryue thou a good strijf of feith, catche euerlastinge lijf, in to which thou art clepid, and hast knoulechid a good knouleching bifor many witnessis. (aiōnios g166)
13 I urge you, as in the sight of God, the source of all life, and of Christ Jesus who before Pontius Pilate made the great profession of Faith —
I comaunde to thee bifor God, that quikeneth alle thingis, and bifor Crist Jhesu, that yeldide a witnessing vnder Pilat of Pounce, a good confessioun,
14 I urge you to keep his Command free from stain or reproach, until the Appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.
that thou kepe the comaundement with out wem, with out repreef, in to the comyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist;
15 This will be brought about in his own time by the one ever-blessed Potentate, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords,
whom the blessid and aloone miyti king of kyngis and Lord of lordis schal schewe in his tymes.
16 who alone is possessed of immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has ever seen or ever can see — to whom be ascribed honour and power for ever. Amen. (aiōnios g166)
Which aloone hath vndeedlynesse, and dwellith in liyt, to which no man may come; whom no man say, nether may se; to whom glorie, and honour, and empire be with out ende. Amen. (aiōnios g166)
17 Urge upon those who are wealthy in this life not to pride themselves, or fix their hopes, on so uncertain a thing as wealth, but on God, who gives us a wealth of enjoyment on every side. (aiōn g165)
Comaunde thou to the riche men of this world, that thei vndurstonde not hiyli, nether that thei hope in vncerteynte of richessis, but in the lyuynge God, that yyueth to vs alle thingis plenteuously to vse; (aiōn g165)
18 Urge upon them to show kindness, to exhibit a wealth of good actions, to be open-handed and generous,
to do wel, to be maad riche in good werkis, liytli to yyue, to comyne,
19 storing up for themselves what in the future will prove to be a good foundation, that they may gain the only true Life.
to tresoure to hem silf a good foundement in to tyme to comynge, that thei catche euerlastinge lijf.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane prattle and contradictions of what some miscall ‘theology,’
Thou Tymothe, kepe the thing bitakun to thee, eschewynge cursid noueltees of voicis, and opynyouns of fals name of kunnyng;
21 for there are those who, while asserting their proficiency in it, have yet, as regards the Faith, gone altogether astray. God bless you all.
which summen bihetinge, aboute the feith fellen doun. The grace of God be with thee. Amen.
