< 1 Corinthians 4 >
1 So a man gesse vs, as mynystris of Crist, and dispenderis of the mynysteries of God.
2 Now it is souyt here among the dispenderis, that a man be foundun trewe.
3 And to me it is for the leest thing, that Y be demyd of you, or of mannus dai; but nether Y deme my silf.
4 For Y am no thing ouer trowynge to my silf, but not in this thing Y am iustified; for he that demeth me, is the Lord.
5 Therfor nyle ye deme bifore the tyme, til that the Lord come, which schal liytne the hyd thingis of derknessis, and schal schewe the counseils of hertis; and thanne preisyng schal be to ech man of God.
6 And, britheren, Y haue transfigurid these thingis in to me and in to Apollo, for you; that in vs ye lerne, lest ouer that it is writun, oon ayens another be blowun with pride for another.
7 Who demeth thee? And what hast thou, that thou hast not resseyued? And if thou hast resseyued, what gloriest thou, as thou haddist not resseyued?
8 Nowe ye ben fyllid, now ye ben maad riche; ye regnen with outen vs; and Y wolde that ye regnen, that also we regnen with you.
9 And Y gesse, that God schewide vs the laste apostlis, as thilke that ben sent to the deth; for we ben maad a spectacle to the world, and to aungels, and to men.
10 We foolis for Crist, but ye prudent in Crist; we sike, but ye stronge; ye noble, but we vnnoble.
11 Til in to this our we hungren, and thirsten, and ben nakid, and ben smytun with buffatis,
12 and we ben vnstable, and we trauelen worchynge with oure hondis; we ben cursid, and we blessen; we suffren persecucioun, and we abiden longe; we ben blasfemyd, and we bisechen;
13 as clensyngis of this world we ben maad the `out castyng of alle thingis `til yit.
14 Y write not these thingis, that Y confounde you, but Y warne as my moste dereworthe sones.
15 For whi if ye han ten thousynde of vndur maistris in Crist, but not many fadris; for in Crist Jhesu Y haue gendrid you bi the gospel.
16 Therfor, britheren, Y preye you, be ye foleweris of me, as Y of Crist.
17 Therfor Y sente to you Tymothe, which is my most dereworthe sone, and feithful in the Lord, which schal teche you my weies, that ben in Crist Jhesu; as Y teche euery where in ech chirche.
18 As thouy Y schulde not come to you, so summe ben blowun with pride;
19 but Y schal come to you soone, if God wole; and Y schal knowe not the word of hem that ben blowun with pride, but the vertu.
20 For the rewme of God is not in word, but in vertu.
21 What wole ye? Schal Y come to you in a yerde, or in charite, and in spirit of myldenesse?