Romans 15
1 We, the strong, ought to take on our own shoulders the weaknesses of those who are not strong, and not merely to please ourselves.
But we saddere men owen to susteyne the feblenesses of sijke men, and not plese to vs silf.
2 Let each of us please his neighbour for his neighbour’s good, to help in the building up of his character.
Eche of vs plese to his neiybore in good, to edificacioun.
3 Even the Christ did not please himself! On the contrary, as Scripture says of him — ‘The reproaches of those who were reproaching thee fell upon me.’
For Crist pleside not to hym silf, as it is writun, The repreues of men dispisynge thee, felden on me.
4 Whatever was written in the Scriptures in days gone by was written for our instruction, so that, through patient endurance, and through the encouragement drawn from the Scriptures, we might hold fast to our hope.
For what euere thingis ben writun, tho ben writun to oure techynge, that bi pacience and coumfort of scripturis we haue hope.
5 And may God, the giver of this patience and this encouragement, grant you to be united in sympathy in Christ,
But God of pacience and of solace yyue to you to vndurstonde the same thing, ech in to othere aftir Jhesu Crist,
6 so that with one heart and one voice you may praise the God and Father of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
that ye of o wille with o mouth worschipe God and the fadir of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.
7 Therefore always receive one another as friends, just as the Christ himself received us, to the glory of God.
For which thing take ye togidere, as also Crist took you in to the onour of God.
8 For I tell you that Christ, in vindication of God’s truthfulness, has become a minister of the Covenant of Circumcision, so that he may fulfil the promises made to our ancestors,
For Y seie, that Jhesu Crist was a mynystre of circumcisioun for the treuthe of God, to conferme the biheestis of fadris.
9 and that the Gentiles also may praise God for his mercy. As Scripture says — ‘Therefore will I make acknowledgment to thee among the Gentiles and sing in honour of thy Name.’
And hethene men owen to onoure God for merci; as it is writun, Therfor, Lord, Y schal knowleche to thee among hethene men, and Y schal synge to thi name.
10 And again it says — ‘Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with God’s People.’
And eft he seith, Ye hethene men, be ye glad with his puple.
11 And yet again — ‘Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and let all Peoples sing his praises.’
And eft, Alle hethene men, herie ye the Lord; and alle puplis, magnefie ye hym.
12 Again, Isaiah says — ‘There shall be a Scion of the house of Jesse, One who is to arise to rule the Gentiles; on him shall the Gentiles rest their hopes.’
And eft Isaie seith, Ther schal be a roote of Jesse, that schal rise vp to gouerne hethene men, and hethene men schulen hope in hym.
13 May God, who inspires our hope, grant you perfect happiness and peace in your faith, till you are filled with this hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And God of hope fulfille you in al ioye and pees in bileuynge, that ye encrees in hope and vertu of the Hooli Goost.
14 I am persuaded, my Brothers — yes, I Paul, with regard to you — that you are yourselves full of kindness, furnished with all Christian learning, and well able to give advice to one another.
And, britheren, Y my silf am certeyn of you, that also ye ben ful of loue, and ye ben fillid with al kunnyng, so that ye moun moneste ech other.
15 But in parts of this letter I have expressed myself somewhat boldly — by way of refreshing your memories —
And, britheren, more boldli Y wroot to you a parti, as bryngynge you in to mynde, for the grace that is youun to me of God,
16 because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles — that I should act as a priest of God’s Good News, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.
that Y be the mynystre of Crist Jhesu among hethene men. And Y halewe the gospel of God, that the offryng of hethene men be acceptid, and halewid in the Hooli Goost.
17 It is, then, through my union with Christ Jesus that I have a proud confidence in my work for God.
Therfor Y haue glorie in Crist Jhesu to God.
18 For I will not dare to speak of anything but what Christ has done through me to win the obedience of the Gentiles —
For Y dar not speke ony thing of tho thingis, whiche Crist doith not bi me, in to obedience of hethene men, in word and dedis,
19 by my words and actions, through the power displayed in signs and marvels, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. And so, starting from Jerusalem and its neighbourhood, and going as far as Illyria, I have told in full the Good News of the Christ;
in vertu of tokenes and grete wondris, in vertu of the Hooli Goost, so that fro Jerusalem bi cumpas to the Illirik see Y haue fillid the gospel of Crist.
20 yet always with the ambition to tell the Good News where Christ’s name had not previously been heard, so as to avoid building upon another man’s foundations.
And so Y haue prechid this gospel, not where Crist was named, lest Y bilde vpon anotheres ground, but as it is writun,
21 But as Scripture says — ‘They to whom he had never been proclaimed shall see; and they who have never heard shall understand!’
For to whom it is not teld of him, thei schulen se, and thei that herden not, schulen vndurstonde.
22 That is why I have so often been prevented from coming to you.
For which thing Y was lettid ful myche to come to you, and Y am lettid to this tyme.
23 But now there are no further openings for me in these parts, and I have for several years been longing to come to you whenever I may be going to Spain.
And now Y haue not ferthere place in these cuntrees, but Y haue desire to come to you, of many yeris that ben passid.
24 For my hope is to visit you on my journey, and then to be sent on my way by you, after I have first partly satisfied myself by seeing something of you.
Whanne Y bygynne to passe in to Spayne, Y hope that in my goyng Y schal se you, and of you Y schal be led thidur, if Y vse you first in parti.
25 Just now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem, to take help to Christ’s People there.
Therfor now Y schal passe forth to Jerusalem, to mynystre to seyntis.
26 For Macedonia and Greece have been glad to make a collection for the poor among Christ’s People at Jerusalem.
For Macedonye and Acaie han assaied to make sum yifte to pore men of seyntis, that ben in Jerusalem.
27 Yes, they were glad to do so; and indeed it is a duty which they owe to them. For the Gentile converts who have shared their spiritual blessings are in duty bound to minister to them in the things of this world.
For it pleside to hem, and thei ben dettouris of hem; for hethene men ben maad parteneris of her goostli thingis, thei owen also in fleischli thingis to mynystre to hem.
28 When I have settled this matter, and have secured to the poor at Jerusalem the enjoyment of these benefits, I shall go, by way of you, to Spain.
Therfor whanne Y haue endid this thing, and haue asigned to hem this fruyt, Y schal passe bi you in to Spayne.
29 And I know that, when I come to you, it will be with a full measure of blessing from Christ.
And Y woot, that Y comynge to you, schal come `in to the abundaunce of the blessing of Crist.
30 I beg you, then, Brothers, by Jesus Christ, our Lord, and by the love inspired by the Spirit, to join me in earnest prayer to God on my behalf.
Therfor, britheren, Y biseche you bi oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and bi charite of the Hooli Goost, that ye helpe me in youre preyeris to the Lord,
31 Pray that I may be rescued from those in Judea who reject the Faith, and that the help which I am taking to Jerusalem may prove acceptable to Christ’s People;
that Y be delyuerid fro the vnfeithful men, that ben in Judee, and that the offryng of my seruyce be acceptid in Jerusalem to seyntis;
32 so that, God willing, I may be able to come to you with a joyful heart, and enjoy some rest among you.
that Y come to you in ioye, bi the wille of God, and that Y be refreischid with you.
33 May God, the giver of peace, be with you all. Amen.
And God of pees be with you alle. Amen.
