Matthew 12
Wycliffe's Bible
1In that time Jesus went by (some) corns in the sabbath day [on the sabbath day]; and his disciples hungered, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat (them). 2And the Pharisees, seeing, said to him, Lo! thy disciples do that thing that is not leaveful to them to do in [the] sabbaths. (And the Pharisees, seeing that, said to him, Lo! thy disciples do what is not lawful for them to do on the Sabbath.) 3And he said to them, Whether ye have not read, what David did, when he hungered, and they that were with him? 4how he entered into the house of God, and ate (the) loaves of proposition, (or the loaves of setting forth), which loaves it was not leaveful to him to eat, neither to them that were with him, [no] but to (the) priests alone? (which loaves it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?) 5Or whether ye have not read in the law, that in the sabbaths (the) priests in the temple defoul the sabbaths, and they be without blame? 6And I say to you, that here is a greater than the temple. (And I tell you, that here is something greater than the Temple.) 7And if ye knew, what it is, I will mercy, and not sacrifice, ye should never have condemned innocents. (And if ye only knew, what is meant by, I want mercy, or kindness, and not sacrifice, ye would never have condemned the innocent.)

8For man's Son is Lord, yea, of the sabbath.

9And when he passed from thence, he came into the synagogue of them. 10And lo! a man that had a dry hand. And they asked him, and said, Whether it be leaveful to heal in the sabbath? that they should accuse him (And they asked him, and said, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? so that they could accuse him). 11And he said to them, What man of you shall there be, that hath one sheep, and if it fall into a ditch in the sabbaths, whether he shall not (take) hold (of it), and lift it up? 12How much more is a man better than a sheep? Therefore it is leaveful to do good in the sabbaths [And so it is leaveful to do good in the sabbath] (And so it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath). 13Then he said to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched (it) forth; and it was restored to health as the other. 14And the Pharisees went out, and made a counsel, (or a plan), against him, (as to) how they should destroy him.

15And Jesus knew it, and went away from thence; and many (pur)sued him (and many followed him), and he healed them all. 16And he commanded to them, that they should not make him known; 17that that thing were fulfilled, that was said by Esaias, the prophet, saying, (so that was fulfilled, which was said by the prophet Isaiah, saying,)

18Lo! my child, whom I have chosen, my darling, in whom it hath well pleased to my soul; I shall put my Spirit on him, and he shall tell doom to (the) heathen men (and he shall tell out judgement to the Gentiles).

19He shall not strive, nor cry, neither any man shall hear his voice in (the) streets.

20A bruised reed he shall not break [He shall not break (al)together a shaken reed], and he shall not quench smoking flax, till he cast out doom, (or judgement), (un)to victory;

21and heathen men shall (have) hope in his name. (and the Gentiles shall have hope in his name.)

22Then a man blind and dumb, that had a fiend, (or a devil), was brought to him; and he healed him, so that he spake, and saw. 23And all the people wondered, and said, Whether this be the son of David? 24But the Pharisees heard, and said, He this casteth not out fiends, (no) but in Beelzebub, (the) prince of (the) fiends. [+But the Pharisees hearing, said, This casteth not out fiends, no but in Beelzebub, (the) prince of (the) devils]. (But the Pharisees heard, and said, He throweth out demons by Beelzebub, the Prince of demons.)

25And Jesus, witting their thoughts, said to them, Each kingdom parted against itself, shall be desolated, (or shall be desolate) (Each kingdom divided against itself shall be destroyed), and each city, or house, parted against itself, shall not stand. 26And if Satan casteth out Satan, he is parted against himself (And if Satan throweth out Satan, he is divided against himself); therefore how shall his kingdom stand? 27And if I in Beelzebub cast out devils, in whom, (or by whose might), (do) your sons cast (them) out? Therefore they shall be your doomsmen (And so they shall be your judges). 28But if I in the Spirit of God cast out fiends, then the kingdom of God is come into you, (or is come among you). (But if I by the Spirit of God throw out devils, or demons, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.) 29Either how may any man enter into the house of a strong man, and take away his vessels, [no] but he first bind the strong man, and then he shall spoil his house? (Or how can any man enter into the house of a strong man, and take away his things? first he must bind up the strong man, and then he can rob his house.)

30He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathereth not together with me, scattereth abroad.

31Therefore I say to you, all sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but [the] blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven (but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven). 32And whoever saith a word against man's Son, it shall be forgiven to him; but who that saith a word against the Holy Ghost (but who that saith a word against the Holy Spirit), it shall not be forgiven to him, neither in this world, nor in the tother.

33Either make ye the tree good, and his fruit good; either make ye the tree evil and his fruit evil; for a tree is known of his fruit (for a tree is known by its fruit). 34Ye generation of adders, how may ye speak good things, when ye be evil? (Ye children of snakes, how can ye say anything good, when ye yourselves be evil?) For the mouth speaketh (out) of the plenty, (or out of the great abundance), of the heart. 35A good man bringeth forth good things of good treasure, and an evil man bringeth forth evil things of evil treasure. 36And I say to you, that of every idle word, that men speak, they shall yield reason thereof in the day of doom; (And I tell you, that for every idle word, that men speak, they shall have to give the reason for it on the Day of Judgement;) 37for of thy words thou shalt be justified, and of thy words thou shalt be condemned.

38Then some of the scribes and the Pharisees answered to him, and said, Master, we will see a token of thee (Teacher, we desire to see a sign from thee). 39Which answered, and said to them, An evil kindred and a spouse-breaker seeketh a token [An evil generation and adulterous seeketh a token], and a token shall not be given to it, [no] but the token of Jonas, the prophet. (And he answered, and said to them, An evil and an adulterous generation seeketh a sign, and no sign shall be given to it, except for the sign of the prophet Jonah.) 40For as Jonas was in the womb of a whale three days and three nights (For as Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days and three nights), so man's Son shall be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41Men of Nineveh shall rise in (the) doom with this generation, and shall condemn it; for they did penance in the preaching of Jonas, and lo! here [is] a greater (man) than Jonas. (Men of Nineveh shall rise at the Judgement with this generation, and they shall condemn it; for they repented after the preaching of Jonah, and lo! here is something greater than Jonah.) 42The queen of the south shall rise in doom with this generation, and (she) shall condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo! here [is] a greater (man) than Solomon. (The Queen of the South shall rise at the Judgement with this generation, and she shall condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and lo! here is something greater than Solomon.)

43When an unclean spirit goeth out from a man, he goeth by dry places, seeking rest, and findeth not [and he findeth none]. 44Then he saith, I shall turn again into mine house, from whence I went out. And he cometh, and findeth it void, and cleansed with besoms, and made fair. (Then he saith, I shall return to my house, from where I went out. And he cometh, and findeth it empty, and swept clean, and made neat and tidy.) 45Then he goeth (out), and taketh (back) with him seven other spirits worse than himself; and they enter [in], and dwell there. And the last things of that man be made worse than the former. So it shall be to this worst generation (And so the last things of that man be made worse than the first things. So it shall be with this evil generation).

46Yet while he spake to the people, lo! his mother and his brethren stood withoutforth, seeking to speak with him. 47And a man said to him, Lo! thy mother and thy brethren stand withoutforth, seeking thee. 48And he answered to the man, that spake to him, and said, Who is my mother? and who be my brethren? 49And he held forth his hand into his disciples, and said, Lo! my mother and my brethren; 50for whoever doeth the will of my Father that is in heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.

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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