Luke 12
Wycliffe's Bible
1And when much people stood about, so that they trod each on (the) other [so that they trod (upon) each other], he began to say to his disciples, Be ye ware of the sourdough of the Pharisees, that is hypocrisy (Beware of the yeast, or of the leaven, of the Pharisees, which is their hypocrisy). 2For nothing is covered, that shall not be showed; neither hid, that shall not be known. (For nothing is covered, which shall not be shown, or brought out into the open; nor hidden, which shall not be made known.) 3For why those things that ye have said in darknesses, shall be said in light; and that that ye have spoken in [the] ear in bedchambers, shall be preached in roofs. (Because everything that ye have said in the dark, shall be said in the light; and that which ye have spoken privately in the bedchambers, shall be preached from the rooftops.)

4And I say to you, my friends, be ye not afeared of them that slay the body, and after these things have no more what they shall do. 5But I shall show to you, whom ye shall dread; dread ye him, that after he hath slain, hath power to send into hell. And so I say to you, dread ye him. (But I shall tell you, whom ye should fear; fear him, who after he hath killed, hath power to send into hell. And so I tell you, fear him.) 6Whether five sparrows be not sold for two halfpence, (or two farthings); and one of them is not in forgetting before God? 7But also all the hairs of your head be numbered. Therefore do not ye dread; ye be of more price, than many sparrows (And so, do not fear; ye be of more value, than many sparrows).

8Truly I say to you (I tell you the truth), each man that acknowledgeth me before men, man's Son shall acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God. 10And each that saith a word against man's Son [And each that saith a word against the Son of man], it shall be forgiven to him; but it shall not be forgiven to him, that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost (who blasphemeth against the Holy Spirit). 11And when they lead you into synagogues, and to magistrates, and potentates, do not ye be busy (do not be concerned), how or what ye shall answer, or what ye shall say. 12For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in that hour (For the Holy Spirit shall teach you at that time), what it behooveth you to say.

13And one of the people said to him, Master, say to my brother, that he part with me the heritage (Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me). 14And he said to him, Man, who ordained me a doomsman or a parter, on you, (or over you)? (And he said to him, Man, who put me over you as a judge, or as a divider?) 15And he said to them, See ye, and beware of all covetousness; for the life of a man is not in the abundance of the things, which he wieldeth (that he possesseth). 16And he told to them a likeness (And he told them a parable), and said, The field of a rich man brought forth plenteous fruits. 17And he thought within himself, and said, What shall I do, for I have not whither I shall gather my fruits? (What shall I do, for I have no place where I can store all my crops?) 18And he saith, This thing I shall do; I shall throw down my barns, and I shall make greater (ones), and thither I shall gather all (the) things that grow to me (and there I shall gather together all the things that grow for me), and (all) my goods. 19And I shall say to my soul, Soul, thou hast many goods kept into full many years; rest thou, eat, drink, and make feast. 20And God said to him, Fool, in this night they shall take thy life from thee [in this night they shall ask of thee thy soul]. And (then) whose shall those things be, that thou hast arrayed? 21So is he that treasureth to himself, and is not rich in God.

22And he said to his disciples, Therefore I say to you, do not ye be busy to your life (do not be concerned about your life), what ye shall eat, neither to your body, with what ye shall be clothed. 23The life is more than meat (Life is more than food), and the body more than clothing. 24Behold the crows, for they sow not, neither reap, to which is neither cellar, nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more ye be of more price than they [How much more be ye of more price than they] (Ye be of much more value than they). 25And who of you by thinking may put, (or may add), one cubit to his stature? 26Therefore if ye may not do that that is (the) least, what be ye busy of other things? (And so if ye cannot do anything about that which is so small, why be concerned about the other things?) 27Behold ye the lilies of the field, how they wax; they travail not, neither spin (Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not labour, nor spin). And I say to you, that neither Solomon in all his glory was clothed as one of these. 28And if God clotheth thus the hay, that today is in the field, and tomorrow is cast into an oven; how much more you of little faith. 29And do not ye seek, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; and do not ye be raised (up) on high. 30For folks of the world seek all these things; and your Father knoweth, that ye have need to all these things. (For the peoples of the world seek all these things; and your Father knoweth, that ye have need of all these things.) 31Nevertheless seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be cast to you. 32Do not ye, little flock, dread, for it pleased to your Father to give you a kingdom. (Do not, little flock, have fear, for it pleased your Father to give you a Kingdom.)

33Sell ye those things that ye have in possession, (or that ye wield), and give ye alms. And make to you satchels that wax not old, treasure that faileth not in heavens, whither a thief nigheth not, neither moth destroyeth. (Sell those things that ye possess, and give what you receive to charity. And make for yourselves totes, or bags, that do not grow old, treasure that faileth not in heaven, where a thief approacheth not, nor a moth destroyeth.) 34For where is thy treasure, there thine heart shall be. [Forsooth where thy treasure is, there also thine heart shall be.]

35Be your loins girded above, and lanterns burning in your hands; 36and be ye like to men that abide their lord, when he shall turn again from the weddings, that when he shall come, and knock, anon they open (the door) to him. (and be like men who wait for their lord, when he shall return from a wedding, so that when he shall come, and knock, they open the door at once for him.) 37Blessed be those servants, that when the lord shall come, he shall find (them) waking. Truly I say to you, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit to (the) meat [and make them sit at the meat], and he shall go, and serve them. (Blessed be those servants, who when their lord shall come back, he shall find them keeping watch. I tell you the truth, that he shall gird himself, and make them sit down for the meal, and he shall go, and serve them.) 38And if he come in the second waking, and if he come in the third waking, and find so, those servants (shall) be blessed. (And if he come in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find so, those servants shall be blessed.)

39And know ye this thing, for if an husbandman knew, in what hour the thief would come, soothly he should wake, and not suffer his house to be (under-)mined (truly he would be on watch, and not allow his house to be under-mined). 40And be ye ready, for in what hour ye guess not, man's Son shall come.

41And Peter said to him, Lord, sayest thou this parable to us, or to all? 42And the Lord said, Who, guessest thou, is a true, (or a faithful), dispenser, and prudent, whom the lord hath ordained on his household, to give them in time a measure of wheat? (And the Lord said, Who, thinkest thou, is a true, or a faithful, and prudent, steward? He whom the lord hath ordained on his household, to give them a measure of wheat at the proper time.) 43Blessed is that servant, that the lord when he cometh, shall find so doing. [Blessed is that servant, whom when the lord shall come, he shall find doing so.] 44Verily I say to you, that on all things that he wieldeth, he shall ordain him. (Truly I say to you/I tell you the truth, that he shall ordain him over everything that he possesseth.) 45That if that servant say in his heart (But if that servant say in his heart), My lord tarrieth to come; and begin to smite children, and handmaidens, and eat, and drink, and be filled, (or be full-filled), over-measure, 46the lord of that servant shall come, in the day that he hopeth not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, and shall part him (and shall divide him in pieces), and put his part with unfaithful men. 47But that servant that knew the will of his lord, and made not him(self) ready, and did not after his will, shall be beaten with many beatings. 48But he that knew not, and did worthy things of strokes, shall be beaten with few. For to each man to whom much is given, much shall be asked of him; and they shall ask more of him, to whom they betook much (and they shall ask more from him, to whom they have delivered much, or they have given much).

49I came to send fire into the earth, and what will I, but that it be kindled? (I came to send fire onto the earth, and how I wish, that it were already kindled!) 50And I have to be baptized with a baptism, and how am I constrained, till that it be perfectly done? 51Ween ye, (or Guess ye), that I came to give peace into [the] earth? Nay, I say to you, but parting, (or division). 52For from this time there shall be five parted in one house; three shall be parted against twain, and twain shall be parted against three; 53the father against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the husband's mother against the son's wife, and the son's wife against her husband's mother.

54And he said also to the people, When ye see a cloud rising from the sun going down, anon ye say (at once ye say), Rain cometh; and so it is done. 55And when ye see the south blowing, ye say, That heat shall be; and it is done. 56Hypocrites, ye know how to prove, (or how to interpret), the face of heaven and of earth, but how prove ye not this time[?].

57But what and of yourselves ye deem not that that is just? [Forsooth why and of yourselves deem ye not this thing that is just?] (But why can ye not judge for yourselves what is the right thing to do?) 58But when thou goest with thine adversary in the way to the prince [Forsooth when thou goest with thine adversary to the prince in the way] (But when thou goest with thy adversary on the way to the prince), do busyness to be delivered from him; lest peradventure he take thee to the doomsman (lest perhaps he take thee to the judge), and the doomsman betake thee to the masterful asker, and the masterful asker send thee into prison. 59I say to thee, thou shalt not go out from thence, till thou yield the last farthing.

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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