¹ Lo! ye moost dereworth britheren, Y write to you this secounde epistle, in which Y stire youre clere soule bi monesting togidere,

² that ye be myndeful of tho wordis, that Y biforseide of the hooli prophetis, and of the maundementis of the hooli apostlis of the Lord and sauyour.

³ First wite ye this thing, that in the laste daies disseyueris schulen come in disseit, goynge aftir her owne coueityngis,

⁴ seiynge, Where is the biheest, or the comyng of hym? for sithen the fadris dieden, alle thingis lasten fro the bigynnyng of creature.

⁵ But it is hid fro hem willynge this thing, that heuenes were bifore, and the erthe of water was stondynge bi watir, of Goddis word;

⁶ bi which that ilke world clensid, thanne bi watir perischide.

⁷ But the heuenes that now ben, and the erthe, ben kept bi the same word, and ben reseruyd to fier in to the dai of doom and perdicioun of wickid men.

⁸ But, ye moost dere, this o thing be not hid to you, that o dai anentis God is as a thousynde yeeris, and a thousynde yeeris ben as o dai.

⁹ The Lord tarieth not his biheest, as summe gessen, but he doith pacientli for you, and wole not that ony men perische, but that alle turne ayen to penaunce.

¹⁰ For the dai of the Lord schal come as a theef, in which heuenes with greet bire schulen passe, and elementis schulen be dissoluyd bi heete, and the erthe, and alle the werkis that ben in it, schulen be brent.

¹¹ Therfor whanne alle these thingis schulen be dissolued, what manner men bihoueth it you to be in hooli lyuyngis and pitees,

¹² abidinge and hiyynge in to the comyng of the dai of oure Lord Jhesu Crist, bi whom heuenes brennynge schulen be dissoluyd, and elementis schulen faile bi brennyng of fier.

¹³ Also we abiden bi hise biheestis newe heuenes and newe erthe, in which riytwisnesse dwellith.

¹⁴ For which thing, ye moost dere, abidynge these thingis, be ye bisye to be foundun to hym in pees vnspottid and vndefoulid.

¹⁵ And deme ye long abiding of oure Lord Jhesu Crist youre heelthe, as also oure moost dere brother Poul wroot to you, bi wisdom youun to hym.

¹⁶ As and in alle epistlis he spekith `in hem of these thingis; in which ben summe hard thingis to vndurstonde, whiche vnwise and vnstable men deprauen, as also thei don othere scripturis, to her owne perdicioun.

¹⁷ Therfor ye, britheren, bifor witynge kepe you silf, lest ye be disseyued bi errour of vnwise men, and falle awei fro youre owne sadnesse.

¹⁸ But wexe ye in the grace and the knowyng of oure Lord Jhesu Crist and oure Sauyour; to hym be glorie now and in to the dai of euerlastyngnesse. Amen.