Matthew 5
Wycliffe's Bible
1And Jesus, seeing the people, went up into the hill (went up onto a hill); and when he was set, his disciples came to him. [+Jesus forsooth, seeing the companies, went up into an hill; and when he had sat, his disciples came nigh to him.] 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, and said,

3Blessed be poor men in spirit, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs. [Blessed be the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.]

4Blessed be mild men, for they shall wield the earth. (Blessed be the meek, or the humble, for they shall possess the earth.)

5Blessed be they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

6Blessed be they that hunger and thirst (for) rightwiseness, for they shall be fulfilled.

7Blessed be merciful men [Blessed (be) the merciful], for they shall get mercy.

8Blessed be they that be of clean heart, for they shall see God.

9Blessed be peaceable men, for they shall be called God's children. [Blessed (be) the peaceable, for they shall be called the sons of God.]

10Blessed be they that suffer persecution for rightwiseness, for the kingdom of heavens is theirs [for the kingdom of heaven is theirs].

11Blessed be ye, when men shall curse you, and shall pursue you (and shall persecute you), and shall say all evil against you lying, for me. 12Joy ye, and be ye glad, for your meed is plenteous in heavens; for so they have pursued also (the) prophets that were before you. (Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in like manner they have persecuted the prophets who were before you.)

13Ye be (the) salt of the earth; (so) that if the salt vanish away, wherein shall it be salted? To nothing it is worth over, [no] but that it be cast out, and be defouled of men (Then it is good for nothing, except that it be thrown away, and be defiled, or be trodden upon, by men).

14Ye be [the] light of the world; a city set on an hill may not be hid (a city set on a hill cannot be hidden); 15nor men tendeth a lantern, and putteth it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, (so) that it give light to all that be in the house. 16So shine your light before men, (so) that they see your good works, and glorify your Father that is in heavens (and glorify your Father who is in heaven).

17Do not ye deem, (or guess) (Do not think), that I came to undo, (or to destroy), the law, or the prophets; I came not to undo, (or to destroy), the law, but to fulfill (it). 18Forsooth I say to you, till heaven and earth pass (away), one letter [one i, that is the least letter], or one tittle shall not pass (away) from the law, till all things be done. 19Therefore he that breaketh one of these least commandments, and teacheth thus men, shall be called the least in the realm of heavens (shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven); but he that doeth (them), and teacheth (them), shall be called great in the kingdom of heavens.

20And I say to you, that but your rightwiseness be more plenteous than (that) of scribes and of Pharisees (that unless your righteousness be more plentiful than that of the scribes and of the Pharisees), ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heavens.

21Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not slay; and he that slayeth, shall be guilty to the doom. (Ye have heard that it was said to men of old, Thou shalt not kill, and he who killeth, shall be brought to judgement/Thou shalt not murder; and he who murdereth, shall be brought to court.) 22But I say to you, that each man that is wroth to his brother, shall be guilty to (the) doom (shall be brought to judgement); and he that saith to his brother, Fie!, (that is, a word of scorn), shall be guilty to the council; but he that saith Fool, (that is, a word of despising), shall be guilty to the fire of hell. 23Therefore if thou offerest thy gift at the altar, and there thou bethinkest (and there thou rememberest), that thy brother hath somewhat, (or hath something), against thee, 24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou shalt come, and shalt offer thy gift. 25Be thou consenting to thine adversary soon, while thou art in the way with him (while thou art on the way with him), lest peradventure thine adversary take thee to the doomsman, (or to the judge), and the doomsman take thee to the minister, and thou be sent into prison. 26Truly I say to thee (I tell you the truth), Thou shalt not go out from thence, till thou yield the last farthing.

27Ye have heard that it was said to old men, Thou shalt not do lechery. (Ye have heard that it was said to men of old, Thou shalt not do adultery.) 28But I say to you, that every man that seeth a woman [for] to covet her, hath now done lechery by her in his heart (hath now done adultery with her in his heart). 29(So) That if thy right eye cause thee to stumble, pull it out, and cast it from thee; for it speedeth to thee (for it is more expedient for thee), that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell. 30And if thy right hand cause thee to stumble, cut it away, and cast [it] from thee; for it speedeth to thee (for it is more expedient for thee), that one of thy members perish, than that all thy body go into hell.

31And it hath been said, Whoever leaveth his wife, give he to her a libel, (or a little book), of forsaking (give her a bill of divorce, or a notice of his leaving). 32But I say to you, that every man that leaveth his wife, except (for) [the] cause of fornication, maketh her to do lechery (maketh her to do adultery), and he that weddeth the forsaken wife, doeth adultery.

33Again ye have heard, that it was said to old men (that it was said to men of old), Thou shalt not forswear, but thou shalt yield thine oaths to the Lord. 34But I say to you, that ye swear not for anything (that ye do not swear by anything); neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35neither by the earth, for it is the stool of his feet; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of a great king [for it is the city of the great king]; 36neither thou shalt swear by thine head, for thou mayest not make one hair white, or black; 37but be your word, Yea, yea; Nay, nay; and that that is more than these, is of evil. (but let your words be, Yes, yes; No, no; and anything more than this, cometh from the Evil One.)

38Ye have heard that it hath been said, Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth. 39But I say to you, that ye against-stand not an evil man [But I say to you, to not against-stand evil]; but if any smite thee in the right cheek, show to him, (or give to him), also the other; (But I tell you, that ye should not stand against an evil man; but if anyone strike thee on the right cheek, give to him also the other cheek;) 40and to him that will strive with thee in doom, and take away thy coat, leave thou to him also thy mantle, (or thine over-cloth); (and to him who will fight with thee in court, to take away thy coat, give to him also thy overcoat;) 41and whoever constraineth thee (to go) a thousand paces, go thou with him (an)other twain. 42Give thou to him that asketh of thee, and turn thou not away from him that will borrow of thee. (Give to him who asketh of thee, and do not turn away from him who desireth to borrow from thee.)

43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44But I say to you, love ye your enemies, do ye well to them that hate you, and pray ye for them that pursue, and slander you; (But I tell you, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who persecute, and slander you;) 45that ye be the sons of your Father that is in heavens, that maketh his sun to rise upon good and evil men, and raineth on just men and unjust (men). (so that ye be the sons of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good and the evil, and raineth upon the just and the unjust.) 46For if ye love them that love you, what meed shall ye have? whether [the] publicans do not (do) this thing? (Because if ye love those who love you, what reward should you get? do not the tax-collectors also do this?) 47And if ye greet your brethren only, what shall ye do more[over]? do not heathen men, (or the pagans), (do) this? (do not the Gentiles do this?) 48Therefore be ye perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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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