The Epistle of Paul to Titus

Wycliffe's Translation Presented by The Master's Table

Chapter 1
1 Poul, the seruaunt of God, and apostle of Jhesu Crist, bi the feith of the chosun of God, and bi the knowing of the treuthe,
2 whiche is aftir pitee, in to the hope of euerlastinge lijf, which lijf God that lieth not, bihiyte bifore tymes of the world;
3 but he hath schewid in hise tymes his word in preching, that is bitakun to me bi the comaundement of `God oure sauyour,
4 to Tite, most dereworthe sone bi the comyn feith, grace and pees of God the fadir, and of Crist Jhesu, oure sauyour.
5 For cause of this thing Y lefte thee at Crete, that thou amende tho thingis that failen, and ordeyne preestis bi citees, as also Y disposide to thee.
6 If ony man is withoute cryme, an hosebonde of o wijf, and hath feithful sones, not in accusacioun of letcherie, or not suget.
7 For it bihoueth a bischop to be without cryme, a dispendour of God, not proud, not wrathful, not drunkelew, not smytere, not coueytouse of foul wynnyng;
8 but holdinge hospitalite, benygne, prudent, sobre, iust,
9 hooli, contynent, takinge that trewe word, that is aftir doctryn; that he be miyti to amoneste in hoolsum techyng, and to repreue hem that ayenseien.
10 For ther ben many vnobedient, and veyn spekeris, and disseyueris, moost thei that ben of circumcisyoun,
11 whiche it bihoueth to be repreued; whiche subuerten alle housis, techinge whiche thingis it bihoueth not, for the loue of foul wynnyng.
12 And oon of hem, her propre profete, seide, Men of Crete ben euere more lyeris, yuele beestis, of slowe wombe.
13 This witnessyng is trewe. For what cause blame hem sore, that thei be hool in feith,
14 not yyuynge tent to fablis of Jewis, and to maundementis of men, that turnen awei hem fro treuthe.
15 And alle thingis ben clene to clene men; but to vnclene men and to vnfeithful no thing is clene, for the soule and conscience of hem ben maad vnclene.
16 Thei knoulechen that thei knowen God, but bi dedis thei denyen; whanne thei ben abhominable, and vnbileueful, and repreuable to al good werk.

CAP 2
1 But speke thou tho thingis that bisemen hoolsum teching;
2 that elde men be sobre, chast, prudent, hool in feith, in loue, and pacience;
3 also olde wymmen in hooli abite, not sclaundereris, not seruynge myche to wyn, wel techynge, that thei teche prudence.
4 Moneste thou yonge wymmen, that thei loue here hosebondis, that thei loue her children;
5 and that thei be prudent, chast, sobre, hauynge cure of the hous, benygne, suget to her hosebondis, that the word of God be not blasfemyd.
6 Also moneste thou yonge men, that thei be sobre.
7 In alle thingis yyue thi silf ensaumple of good werkis, in teching, in hoolnesse, in sadnesse.
8 An hoolsum word, and vnrepreuable; that he that is of the contrarie side, be aschamed, hauynge noon yuel thing to seie of you.
9 Moneste thou seruauntis to be suget to her lordis; in alle thingis plesinge, not ayenseiynge, not defraudynge,
10 but in alle thingis schewinge good feith, that thei onoure in alle thingis the doctryn of `God, oure sauyour.
11 For the grace of `God, oure sauyour,
12 hath apperid to alle men, and tauyte vs, that we forsake wickidnesse, and worldli desyris, lyue sobreli, and iustli, `and piteuousli in this world,
13 abidinge the blessid hope and the comyng of the glorie of the greet God, and of oure sauyour Jhesu Crist;
14 that yaf hym silf for vs, to ayenbie vs fro al wickidnesse, and make clene to hym silf a puple acceptable, and suere of good werkis.
15 Speke thou these thingis, and moneste thou, and repreue thou with al comaundement; no man dispise thee.

CAP 3
1 Amoneste hem to be sugetis to prynces, and to poweris; to obeische to that that is seid, and to be redi to al good werk;
2 to blasfeme no man, to be not ful of chiding, but temperat, schewynge al myldenesse to alle men.
3 For we weren sum tyme vnwise, vnbileueful, errynge, and seruynge to desiris, and to dyuerse lustis, doynge in malice and enuye, worthi to be hatid, hatinge ech othere.
4 But whanne the benygnyte and the manhed of oure sauyour God aperide,
5 not of werkis of riytwisnesse that we diden, but bi his merci he made vs saaf, bi waischyng of ayen bigetyng, and ayen newyng of the Hooli Goost,
6 whom he schedde into vs plenteuousli bi Jhesu Crist,
7 oure saueour, that we iustified bi his grace, ben eiris by hope of euerlastinge lijf.
8 A trewe word is, and of these thingis Y wole that thou conferme othere, that thei that bileuen to God, be bisy to be aboue othere in good werkis. These thingis ben good, and profitable to men.
9 And eschewe thou foltische questiouns, and genologies, and stryues, and fiytyngis of the lawe; for tho ben vnprofitable and veyn.
10 Eschewe thou a man eretik, aftir oon and the secound correccioun;
11 witinge that he that is siche a maner man is subuertid, and trespassith, and is dampned bi his owne dom.
12 Whanne Y sende to thee Arteman, or Titicus, hiy thou to `come to me to Nycopolis; for Y haue purposid to dwelle in wyntir there.
13 Bisili byfor sende Zenam, a wise man of lawe, and Apollo, that no thing faile to hem.
14 Thei that ben of ouris, lerne to be gouernouris in good werkis, to necessarie vsis, that thei be not with out fruyt.
15 Alle men that ben with me greeten thee wel. Grete thou wel hem, that louen vs in feith. The grace of God be with you alle. Amen.