Luke 16
Wycliffe's Bible
1He said also to his disciples, There was a rich man, that had a bailiff [that had a farmer]; and this was denounced to him, as he had wasted his goods. 2And he called him, and said to him, What hear I this thing of thee? (Why do I hear this about thee?) yield (the) reckoning, (or the accounting), of thy bailiffship, for thou might not now be bailiff [+yield reason of thy farm, for now thou shalt no more hold the farm]. 3And the bailiff said within himself, What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from me the bailiffship? delve may I not, I shame to beg (I cannot dig, I am ashamed to beg). [Forsooth the farmer said within himself, What shall I do, for my lord taketh away from me the farm? I may not delve, I am ashamed to beg.] 4I know what I shall do, (so) that when I am removed from the bailiffship [(so) that when I shall be removed from the farm], they receive me into their houses. 5Therefore when all the debtors of his lord were called together, he said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord? 6And he said, An hundred barrows of oil. And he said to him, Take thy caution [Take thine obligation], and sit soon, and write fifty. 7Afterward he said to another, And how much owest thou? Which answered, An hundred cors of wheat [An hundred measures of wheat]. And he said to him, Take thy letters, and write fourscore. 8And the lord praised the bailiff of wickedness [And the lord praised the farmer of wickedness], for he had done prudently; for the sons of this world be more prudent in their generation, than the sons of light. (And the lord praised the farmer for his wickedness, for he had done prudently; for the sons of this world be more prudent with their affairs, than the sons of the light be.) 9And I say to you, make ye to you friends of the riches of wickedness, (so) that when ye shall fail, they receive you into everlasting tabernacles.

10He that is true in the least thing, is true also in the more (things) [He that is faithful in the least thing, is faithful also in the more]; and he that is wicked in a little thing, is wicked also in the more (things). (He who is true in the least thing, is also true in the greater things; and he who is wicked in a little thing, is also wicked in the greater things.) 11Therefore if ye were not true in the wicked thing of riches [Therefore if ye were not true in the wicked riches], who shall betake to you that that is very, (or that that is sooth)? (who shall deliver unto you that which is truly valuable?) 12And if ye were not true in other men's thing(s), who shall give to you that that is yours? 13No servant may serve to two lords; for either he shall hate the one, and love the other; either he shall draw to the one, and despise the other. Ye may not serve to God and to riches (Ye cannot serve God and money, or wealth). [No man servant may serve two lords; forsooth either he shall hate one, and love the other; either he shall cleave to one, and despise the other. Ye may not serve to God and riches.]

14But the Pharisees, that were covetous, heard all these things, and they scorned him. 15And he said to them, Ye it be, that justify you(rselves) before men; but God hath known your hearts [soothly God knoweth your hearts], for that that is high to men, is (an) abomination before God.

16The law and the prophets till to John; from that time the realm of God is evangelized, (or is preached), and each man doeth violence into it. 17Forsooth it is lighter (for) heaven and earth to pass (away), than that one tittle fall from the law. (For it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than for one iota to fall away from the Law.)

18Every man that forsaketh his wife, and weddeth another, doeth lechery, (or adultery); and he that weddeth the wife forsaken of the husband, doeth adultery (and he who weddeth the wife left by her husband, doeth adultery).

19There was a rich man, and (he) was clothed in purple, and white silk, and ate every day shiningly. 20And there was a beggar, Lazarus by name, that lay at his gate full of boils, 21and coveted to be fulfilled of the crumbs [+coveting to be filled with the crumbs], that fell down from the rich man's board, (or table), and no man gave to him; but (the) hounds came, and licked his boils. 22And it was done, that the beggar died, and was borne of (the) angels (and was carried by the angels), into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man was dead also, and was buried in hell. 23And he raised up his eyes, when he was in torments, and saw Abraham afar, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he dip the end of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25And Abraham said to him, Son, have mind (Son, remember), for thou hast received good things in thy life, and Lazarus also evil things; but he is now comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And in all these things a great dark place, (or a great dark depth), is stablished betwixt us and you; that they that will from hence pass to you, may not (so that they who want to pass over from here to you, cannot), neither from thence (to) pass over hither. 27And he said, Then I pray thee, father, that thou send him into the house of my father. 28For I have five brethren, that he witness to them (For I have five brothers, so that he can testify to them), lest also they come into this place of torments. 29And Abraham said to him, They have Moses and the prophets; hear they them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if any of dead men go to them [but if any of (the) dead shall go to them], they shall do penance (then they shall repent). 31And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither if any of (the) dead men rise again, they shall believe to him. (And he said to him, If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, even if a dead man shall rise again, they shall not believe him.)

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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