2 Corinthians 13
1 Lo! this thridde tyme Y come to you, and in the mouth of tweyne or of thre witnessis euery word schal stonde.
[In the Scriptures it is stated that when one person] accuses [another of wrongdoing, you must not believe his] accusation [right away]. [First, you must listen to at least] two or three people who actually saw what happened. [So keep in mind that] this will be the third time that I will visit you!
2 Y seide bifor, and seie bifor, as present twies, and now absent, to hem that bifor han synned, and to alle othere; for if Y come eftsoone, Y schal not spare.
When I visited you the second time, I warned you [that I was going to punish all the wrongdoers among you]. [And now] I am [warning you] again while I am still away [from you]. When I visit you this third time, I will punish those who were sinning [at the time when I visited you] before [and who are still sinning], and I will [punish] the others [who have been sinning since then, if they have not stopped their sinful behavior].
3 Whether ye seken the preef of that Crist, that spekith in me, which is not feble in you?
Because you have demanded that I prove to you that Christ is speaking [to you when] I [speak to you, I will show you that I speak to you as his apostle. Christ] does not approve of your sinful behavior. On the contrary, he will powerfully [discipline you].
4 For thouy he was crucified of infirmyte, but he lyueth of the vertu of God. For also we ben sijk in hym, but we schulen lyue with him of the vertu of God in vs.
[It is true that] Christ [seemed to be] weak when he was crucified {when [people] killed him by nailing him to the cross}. But [it is also true that] he [now] lives because God [worked] powerfully [to bring him back to life. Similarly], as I [serve] God, I also am a weak human [being as Christ was]. But I also [have a close relationship with] Christ [who is now alive again]. And with his [authority] I will use God’s power [to discipline] you.
5 Asaie you silf, if ye ben in the feith; ye you silf preue. Whether ye knowen not you silf, for Crist Jhesu is in you? but in happe ye ben repreuable.
Each of you should ask yourself: “[Do I] believe [God’s message about Christ?]” Each of you should [examine yourselves to] make sure that you truly do [believe] in Christ [and so truly belong to him], and that [his Spirit lives] in you [(pl)]. When you examine yourselves [in that way], I am sure that you will [RHQ] say [to me], “Yes, of course we [belong to] Christ.”
6 But Y hope, that ye knowen, that we ben not repreuable.
I am [also] certain that you will know that I [belong to Christ, just like you do].
7 And we preien the Lord, that ye do no thing of yuel; not that we seme preued, but that ye do that that is good, and that we ben as repreuable.
But [because I do not want to have to punish you], I am praying to God that he will help you not to do anything evil [that would cause me to have to punish you. I pray this], not in order that when people [who say that I am not your apostle] realize [that my ministry among you has been very successful, they will have to agree] that I do have authority from Christ. Instead, [I pray this because I want] you to do what is right, even though that might mean that [my opponents would think] that I do not have authority from Christ, [since I would not have an opportunity to show my authority to discipline you].
8 For we moun no thing ayens treuthe, but for the treuthe.
[If you do what is right, I will not discipline you], [because it would] not [be right for me to do that if you are conducting your lives the way you should, like] God’s true [message says that you should. What God asks me to do is to help people to know and obey his] true [message].
9 For we ioyen, whanne we ben sijk, but ye ben myyti; and we preien this thing, youre perfeccioun.
I am happy [whenever] you are strongly [trusting and obeying Christ, and because of that I do not have to use my authority to discipline you. It does not matter to me if that makes people think that I do not have any authority]. Truly, what I am praying for is that [God] will [help] you to completely change your conduct.
10 Therfor Y absent write these thingis, that Y present do not hardere, bi the powere, which the Lord yaf to me in to edificacioun, and not in to youre distruccioun.
That is why I am writing these things while I am still away from you. [What I want is that] when I visit you, [you will already be conducting your lives as God wants you to], and so I will not have to [discipline you] severely, as the [Lord Jesus Christ gave me] the authority to do. The authority that I have from the Lord is to help you to become [spiritually] mature believers, not to cause you to stop [trusting in him].
11 Britheren, `hennus forward ioye ye, be ye perfit, excite ye; vndurstonde ye the same thing; haue ye pees, and God of pees and of loue schal be with you.
Finally, my fellow believers, [I say to you], be joyful. Completely [change how you conduct your lives], and do what I have urged you [to do]. Be united in what you think [about the matters about which I have written to you]. Live peacefully [with each other. If you do those things], God, who [enables you to] love [each other] and be peaceful, will bless [MTY] you.
12 Grete ye wel togidere in hooli cos.
Greet each other affectionately as [fellow members] of God’s family [should].
13 Alle hooli men greten you wel.
All God’s people [here] send you greetings.
14 The grace of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, and the charite of God, and the comynyng of the Hooli Gost, be with `you alle. Amen.
[I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ will act kindly [toward] all of you, in ways that you do not deserve, that God will [show all of you how much he] loves you, and that the Holy Spirit [will cause you to have good] fellowship [with him and with each other].
