< 2 Peter 1 >
1 Simount Petre, seruaunt and apostle of `Jhesu Crist, to hem that han take with vs the euene feith, in the riytwisnesse of oure God and sauyour Jhesu Crist,
I, Simon Peter, [am writing this letter to you. I] serve Jesus Christ, and am an apostle [appointed by] him. [I am sending this letter to you] whom God has caused to believe [in Christ] just like he [caused us(exc) apostles to believe in Christ]. You and we have (equally been given the/both been given the same) privilege of believing in Jesus Christ. He [is] God, he is righteous, he is the one whom we [worship], and he is our Savior.
2 grace and pees be fillid to you, bi the knowing of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.
[I pray that God] will continue to act very kindly towards you, and give you (a deep/very much) [inner] peace, because you [truly] know God and Jesus, who is our Lord.
3 Hou alle thingis of his godlich vertu, that ben to lijf and pitee, ben youun to vs, bi the knowyng of hym, that clepide vs for his owne glorie and vertu.
[God] [PRS] has given us everything [that we need] in order that we might receive [eternal] life and in order that we might [live] (in a godly way/in a way that pleases him). He gives us that by the power that he has because he is God, and he has also given it to us as a result of our knowing him. He is the wonderful and perfect one who chose us [to be his people].
4 Bi whom he yaf to vs moost preciouse biheestis; that bi these thingis ye schulen be maad felows of Goddis kynde, and fle the corrupcioun of that coueytise, that is in the world.
Being [glorious and perfect], he has promised us [that he will do] very great and (priceless/very precious) things [for us]. [He has also promised] you that by [believing what he has promised] you will be able to act [righteously], just like God acts [righteously], and that you will be free from being morally depraved/corrupted, and that you will not be [like] those who do not believe in Christ and are morally depraved because of their desire to do things that are evil.
5 And bringe ye in alle bisynesse, and mynystre ye in youre feith vertu, and `in vertu kunnyng;
Because God has done all that, by trying very hard, make sure that you not only believe [in Christ], but that you are also living morally good lives. And make sure that you are not only living morally good lives, but that you also know [what God desires] (OR, behave wisely).
6 in kunnyng abstinence, in abstynence pacience, in pacience pitee;
And make sure that you not only know [what God desires] (OR, behave wisely), but that you also control what you say and do. And make sure that you not only control what you say and do, but that you are also steadfast/patient. And make sure that you are not only (steadfast/patient when you suffer), but that you are also godly.
7 in pitee, love of britherhod, and in loue of britherhod charite.
And make sure that you not only (are godly/live in a way that pleases God), but that you also have a concern for your fellow believers, as brothers and sisters [ought to have] for each other. And make sure that you not only have a concern for your fellow believers, but that you also love [others].
8 For if these ben with you, and ouercomen, thei schulen not make you voide, nethir with out fruyt, in the knowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist.
If you do these [things], and if [you do them] more and more, that demonstrates that knowing our Lord Jesus Christ (is very effective/produces good results) [LIT] in your lives.
9 But to whom these ben not redi, he is blynd, and gropith with his hoond, and foryetith the purgyng of his elde trespassis.
If these [qualities] are not present in people, it means they are not aware [that these things are important, just like a blind person is not aware of what is around him]. They [think only about earthly matters, just like] [MET] a shortsighted person [sees clearly only things that are near]. It seems that they have forgotten that God has forgiven them for their former sinful lives.
10 Wherfor, britheren, be ye more bisi, that by goode werkis ye make youre clepyng and chesyng certeyn; for ye doynge these thingis schulen not do synne ony tyme.
Instead of [acting like those people], try to confirm/prove by the way you conduct your lives that you are among those whom [God] has chosen [DOU] to be his people. If you do that, you will certainly never become separated from God,
11 For thus the entryng in to euerlastynge kyngdom of oure Lord and sauyour Jhesu Crist, schal be mynystrid to you plenteuousli. (aiōnios )
and [God] will very wholeheartedly welcome you into the place where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will rule [his people] forever. (aiōnios )
12 For which thing Y schal bigynne to moneste you euere more of these thingis; and Y wole that ye be kunnynge, and confermyd in this present treuthe.
I intend to keep on reminding you very frequently [HYP] about these [matters], even though you [already] know them and are firmly convinced that they are true.
13 Forsothe Y deme iustli, as long as Y am in this tabernacle, to reise you in monesting; and Y am certeyn,
I consider it right that I should help you [to continually think about these matters] by reminding you [about them] as long as I am alive [EUP],
14 that the putting awei of my tabernacle is swift, bi this that oure Lord Jhesu Crist hath schewid to me.
because I know that I shall die [EUP] soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ clearly has revealed to me.
15 But Y schal yyue bisynesse, and ofte after my deth ye haue mynde of these thingis.
Moreover, I will (make every effort/try hard) [by writing these things down] to enable you to remember them at all times after I have died [EUP].
16 For we not suynge vnwise talis, han maad knowun to you the vertu and the biforknowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist; but we weren maad biholderis of his greetnesse.
We [apostles] told you that our Lord Jesus Christ [acts] powerfully and that he is coming back [some day]. We were not basing [what we told you] on stories that we had cleverly (invented/made up). Instead, we told you what we ourselves saw with our own eyes, that [the] Lord Jesus is supremely great.
17 For he took of God the fadir onour and glorie, bi siche maner vois slidun doun to hym fro the greet glorie, This is my loued sone, in whom Y haue plesid to me; here ye hym.
God, our Father, greatly honored him when God’s great glory/brightness surrounded him, and God [MTY] said, “This is my Son, whom I love very much; I am very pleased with him.”
18 And we herden this vois brouyt from heuene, whanne we weren with hym in the hooli hil.
We [(exc)] ourselves heard [God] [MTY] [say] that from heaven, when we were with [Christ] on that holy/sacred mountain.
19 And we han a saddere word of prophecie, to which ye yyuynge tent don wel, as to a lanterne that yyueth liyt in a derk place, til the dai bigynne to yyue liyt, and the dai sterre sprenge in youre hertis.
We also have [the Scriptures] that the prophets [wrote about Christ long ago], which are completely reliable/trustworthy. You should (pay attention to/think carefully about) [what they wrote], because [what they wrote enables you to know whether what is taught to you is true or whether it is false] [SIM], like a lamp that is shining in a dark place [enables people to see where they are going] [SIM]. [You should] ([pay attention to/think carefully about]) [what they wrote] until [our Lord Jesus Christ comes back and enables] you [SYN] [to know God fully, which will be like when] [MET] (a day dawns/daylight comes) and the morning star rises [and we can see it clearly].
20 And firste vndurstonde ye this thing, that ech prophesie of scripture is not maad bi propre interpretacioun;
It is important that you realize that no one can interpret/explain by himself [the meaning of] what the prophets wrote [in the Scriptures] without [the help of God’s Spirit] (OR, no [part of the] Scriptures originated with the prophet himself),
21 for prophesie was not brouyt ony tyme bi mannus wille, but the hooli men of God inspirid with the Hooli Goost spaken.
because no human beings decided [to make those prophecies]. On the contrary, those who spoke [messages from God] did that because it was the Holy Spirit who caused them to do [it, and therefore the Spirit must help us to interpret/understand their meaning].