
CAP 1
1 Petre, apostle of Jhesu Crist, to the chosun men, to the comelingis of scateryng abrood, of Ponte, of Galathie, of Capadosie,
2 of Asye, and of Bitynye, bi the `bifor knowyng of God, the fadir, in halewyng of spirit, bi obedience, and springyng of the blood of Jhesu Crist, grace and pees be multiplied to you.
3 Blessid be God, and the fadir of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, which bi his greet merci bigat vs ayen in to lyuynge hope, bi the ayen risyng of Jhesu Crist fro deth,
4 in to eritage vncorruptible, and vndefoulid, and that schal not fade, that is kept in heuenes for you,
5 that in the vertu of God ben kept bi the feith in to heelthe, and is redi to be schewid in the last tyme.
6 In which ye schulen make ioye, thouy it bihoueth now a litil to be sori in dyuerse temptaciouns;
7 that the preuyng of youre feith be myche more preciouse than gold, that is preuyd bi fier; and be foundun in to heriyng, and glorie, and onour, in the reuelacioun of Jhesu Crist.
8 Whom whanne ye han not seyn, ye louen; in to whom also now ye not seynge, bileuen; but ye that bileuen schulen haue ioye, and gladnesse that may not be teld out,
9 and ye schulen be glorified, and haue the ende of youre feith, the helthe of youre soulis.
10 Of which helthe profetis souyten, and enserchiden, that profecieden of the grace to comyng in you,
11 and souyten which euer what maner tyme the spirit of Crist signyfiede in hem, and bifor telde tho passiouns, that ben in Crist, and the latere glories.
12 To which it was schewid, for not to hem silf, but to you thei mynystriden tho thingis, that now ben teld to you bi hem that prechiden to you bi the Hooli Goost sent fro heuene, in to whom aungelis desiren to biholde.
13 For which thing be ye gird the leendis of youre soule, sobre, perfit, and hope ye in to the ilke grace that is profrid to you bi the schewyng of Jhesu Crist,
14 as sones of obedience, not made lijk to the formere desiris of youre vnkunnyngnesse,
15 but lijk him that hath `clepid you hooli; that also `ye silf be hooli in `al lyuyng;
16 for it is writun, Ye schulen be hooli, for Y am hooli.
17 And if ye inwardli clepe him fadir, which demeth withouten accepcioun of persoones bi the werk of ech man, lyue ye in drede in the time of youre pilgrimage; witynge that not bi corruptible gold,
18 ethir siluer, ye ben bouyt ayen of youre veyn liuynge of fadris tradicioun,
19 but bi the precious blood as of the lomb vndefoulid and vnspottid,
20 Crist Jhesu, that was knowun bifor the makyng of the world, but he is schewid in the laste tymes,
21 for you that bi hym ben feithful in God; that reiside hym fro deth, and yaf to hym euerlastynge glorie, that youre feith and hope were in God.
22 And make ye chast youre soulis in obedience of charite, in loue of britherhod; of simple herte loue ye togidre more bisili.
23 And be ye borun ayen, not of corruptible seed, `but vncorruptible, bi the word of lyuynge God, and dwellynge in to with outen ende.
24 For ech fleisch is hey, and al the glorie of it is as flour of hey; the hei driede vp, and his flour felde doun;
25 but the word of the Lord dwellith with outen ende. And this is the word, that is prechid to you.

CAP 2
1 Therfor putte ye awei al malice, and al gile, and feynyngis, and enuyes, and alle bacbityngis;
2 as now borun yonge children, resonable, with out gile, coueite ye mylk, that in it ye wexe in to helthe; if netheles ye han tastid,
3 that the Lord is swete.
4 And neiye ye to hym, that is a lyuyng stoon, and repreuyd of men, but chosun of God, and onourid;
5 and ye silf as quyk stoonys be ye aboue bildid in to spiritual housis, and an hooli preesthod, to offre spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God bi Jhesu Crist.
6 For which thing the scripture seith, Lo! Y schal sette in Syon the hiyeste corner stoon, chosun and preciouse; and he that schal belieue in hym, schal not be confoundid.
7 Therfor onour to you that bileuen; but to men that bileuen not, the stoon whom the bilderis repreuyden, this is maad in to the heed of the corner; and the stoon of hirtyng,
8 and stoon of sclaundre, to hem that offenden to the word, nethir bileuen it, in which thei ben set.
9 But ye ben a chosun kyn, a kyngli preesthod, hooli folc, a puple of purchasing, that ye telle the vertues of hym, that clepide you fro derknessis in to his wondirful liyt.
10 Which sum tyme were not a puple of God, but now ye ben the puple of God; which hadden not merci, but now ye han merci.
11 Moost dere, Y biseche you, as comelyngis and pilgrymys, to absteine you fro fleischli desiris, that fiyten ayens the soule;
12 and haue ye youre conuersacioun good among hethene men, that in that thing that thei bacbite of you, as of mysdoeris, thei biholden you of good werkis, and glorifie God in the dai of visitacioun.
13 Be ye suget to ech creature, for God; ethir to the kyng, as to hym that is hiyer in state,
14 ethir to duykis, as to thilke that ben sent of hym to the veniaunce of mysdoers, and to the preisyng of good men.
15 For so is the wille of God, that ye do wel, and make the vnkunnyngnesse of vnprudent men to be doumb.
16 As fre men, and not as hauynge fredom the keuering of malice, but as the seruauntis of God.
17 Onoure ye alle men, loue ye brithirhod, drede ye God, onoure ye the king.
18 Seruauntis, be ye sugetis in al drede to lordis, not oneli to good and to mylde, but also to tyrauntis.
19 For this is grace, if for conscience of God ony man suffrith heuynessis, and suffrith vniustli.
20 For what grace is it, if ye synnen, and ben buffatid, and suffren? But if ye don wel, and suffren pacientli, this is grace anentis God.
21 For to this thing ye ben clepid. For also Crist suffride for vs, and lefte ensaumple to you, that ye folewe the steppis of hym.
22 Which dide not synne, nethir gile was foundun in his mouth.
23 And whanne he was cursid, he curside not; whanne he suffride, he manasside not; but he bitook hym silf to hym, that demyde hym vniustli.
24 And he hym silf bar oure synnes in his bodi on a tre, that we be deed to synnes, and lyue to riytwisnesse, bi whos wan wounde ye ben heelid.
25 For ye weren as scheep errynge, but ye ben now turned to the schipherde, and bischop of youre soulis.

CAP 3
1 Also wymmen be thei suget to her hosebondis; that if ony man bileue not to the word, bi the conuersacioun of wymmen thei be wonnun with out word.
2 And biholde ye in drede youre hooli conuersacioun.
3 Of whiche `ther be not with outforth curious ournyng of heer, ether doyng aboute of gold, ethir ournyng of clothing;
4 but thilke that is the hid man of herte, in vncorrupcioun, and of mylde spirit, which is riche in the siyt of God.
5 For so sumtyme hooli wymmen hopinge in God ourneden hem silf, and weren suget to her owne hosebondis.
6 As Sara obeied to Abraham, and clepide hym lord; of whom ye ben douytris wel doynge, and not dredynge ony perturbacioun.
7 Also men dwelle togidre, and bi kunnyng yyue ye onoure to the wommanus freeltee, as to the more feble, and as to euen eiris of grace and of lijf, that youre preieris be not lettid.
8 And in feith alle of oon wille in preier be ye eche suffringe with othere, loueris of britherhod, merciful, mylde, meke;
9 not yeldinge yuel for yuel, nether cursing for cursing, but ayenward blessinge; for in this thing ye ben clepid, that ye welde blessinge bi eritage.
10 For he that wole loue lijf, and se goode daies, constreyne his tunge from yuel, and hise lippis, that thei speke not gile.
11 And bowe he from yuel, and do good; seke he pees, and perfitli sue it.
12 For the iyen of the Lord ben on iust men, and hise eris on the preieris of hem; but the cheer of the Lord is on men that don yuels.
13 And who is it that schal anoye you, if ye ben sueris and louyeris of goodnesse?
14 But also if ye suffren ony thing for riytwisnesse, ye ben blessid; but drede ye not the drede of hem, that ye be not disturblid.
15 But halewe ye the Lord Crist in youre hertis, and euermore be ye redi to satisfaccioun to ech man axynge you resoun of that feith and hope that is in you,
16 but with myldenesse and drede, hauynge good conscience; that in that thing that thei bacbiten of you, thei ben confoundid, whiche chalengen falsly youre good conuersacioun in Crist.
17 For it is betere that ye do wel, and suffre, if the wille of God wole, than doynge yuele.
18 For also Crist onys diede for oure synnes, he iust for vniust, that he schulde offre to God vs, maad deed in fleisch, but maad quik in spirit.
19 For which thing he cam in spirit, and also to hem that weren closid togidre in prisoun prechide;
20 whiche weren sum tyme vnbileueful, whanne thei abididen the pacience of God in the daies of Noe, whanne the schip was maad, in which a few, that is to seie, eiyte soulis weren maad saaf bi water.
21 And so baptym of lijk forme makith vs saaf; not the puttyng awei of the filthis of fleisch, but the axyng of a good conscience in God, bi the ayenrysyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, that is in the riyt half of God,
22 and swolewith deth, that we schulden be made eiris of euerlastinge lijf. He yede in to heuene, and aungelis, and powers, and vertues, ben maad sugetis to hym.

CAP 4
1 Therfor for Crist suffride in fleisch, be ye also armed bi the same thenkynge; for he that suffride in fleisch ceesside fro synnes,
2 that that is left now in fleisch lyue not now to the desiris of men, but to the wille of God.
3 For the time that is passid is ynow to the wille of hethene men to be endid, whiche walkiden in letcheries, and lustis, in myche drinking of wyn, in vnmesurable etyngis, and drynkyngis, and vnleueful worschiping of mawmetis.
4 In whiche now thei ben astonyed, in which thing thei wondren, for ye rennen not togidere `in to the same confusioun of letcherie, and blasfemen.
5 And thei schulen yyue resoun to hym, that is redi to deme the quyke and the deed.
6 For whi for this thing it is prechid also to deed men, that thei be demed bi men in fleisch, and that thei lyue bi God in spirit.
7 For the ende of alle thingis schal neiye. Therfor be ye prudent, and wake ye in preyeris;
8 bifore alle thingis haue ye charite ech to other in you silf algatis lastynge; for charite couerith the multitude of synnes.
9 Holde ye hospitalite togidere with out grutching;
10 ech man as he hath resseyued grace, mynystringe it in to ech othere, as good dispenderis of the manyfold grace of God.
11 If ony man spekith, speke he as the wordis of God; if ony man mynystrith, as of the vertu which God mynystrith; that God be onourid in alle thingis bi Jhesu Crist oure Lord, to whom is glorie and lordschip in to worldis `of worldis.
12 Amen. Moost dere brytheren, nyle ye go in pilgrymage in feruour, that is maad to you to temptacioun, as if ony newe thing bifalle to you;
13 but comyne ye with the passiouns of Crist, and haue ye ioye, that also ye be glad, and haue ioye in the reuelacioun of his glorie.
14 If ye ben dispisid for the name of Crist, ye schulen be blessid; for that that is of the onour, and of the glorie, and of the vertu of God, and the spirit that is his, schal reste on you.
15 But no man of you suffre as a mansleere, ethir a theef, ether cursere, ethir a disirere of othere mennus goodis;
16 but if as a cristen man, schame he not, but glorifie he God in this name.
17 For tyme is, that doom bigynne at Goddis hous; and if it bigynne first at vs, what ende schal be of hem, that bileuen not to the gospel?
18 And if a iust man vnnethe schal be sauid, where schulen the vnfeithful man and the synnere appere? Therfor and thei that suffren bi the wille of God, bitaken her soulis in good dedis to the feithful makere of nouyt.

CAP 5
1 Therfor Y, an euene eldre man, and a witnesse of Cristis passiouns, which also am a comynere of that glorie, that schal be schewid in tyme to comynge; byseche ye the eldre men,
2 that ben among you, fede ye the flok of God, that is among you, and puruey ye, not as constreyned, but wilfulli, bi God; not for loue of foule wynnyng,
3 but wilfulli, nether as hauynge lordschip in the clergie, but that ye ben maad ensaumple of the floc, of wille.
4 And whanne the prince of scheepherdis schal appere, ye schulen resseyue the coroun of glorie, that may neuere fade.
5 Also, ye yonge men, be ye suget to eldre men, and alle schewe ye togidere mekenesse; for the Lord withstondith proude men, but he yyueth grace to meke men.
6 Therfor be ye mekid vndir the myyti hoond of God, that he reise you in the tyme of visitacioun,
7 and caste ye al youre bisynesse in to hym, for to hym is cure of you.
8 Be ye sobre, and wake ye, for youre aduersarie, the deuel, as a rorynge lioun goith aboute, sechinge whom he schal deuoure.
9 Whom ayenstonde ye, stronge in the feith, witynge that the same passioun is maad to thilke brithirhode of you, that is in the world.
10 And God of al grace, that clepide you in to his euerlastinge glorie, you suffrynge a litil, he schal performe, and schal conferme, and schal make sad.
11 To hym be glorie and lordschip, in to worldis of worldis. Amen.
12 Bi Siluan, feithful brother to you as Y deme, Y wroot schortli; bisechinge, and witnessinge that this is the very grace of God, in which ye stonden.
13 The chirche that is gaderid in Babiloyne, and Marcus, my sone, gretith you wel.
14 Grete ye wel togidere in hooli cos. Grace be to you alle that ben in Crist. Amen.
