2 Iohannes, Capitol 1 (Version 1 / 2)

1: Se ealdor þǽm gecorenum hláfdigum and þǽm cildrum hiere, þá þe ic lufie in sóðe, and ne ic ána, ac éac ealle þá þe þæt sóð witon;

2: for þý sóðe þæt þe in ús gebúeþ¹, and biþ á² mid ús.

3: biþ mid ús giefu, milts³, and friþ of⁴ Gode Fæder and Iesuse Criste, Suna þæs Fæder, in sóðe and lufe.

4: ic blissode⁵ swíðe⁶, forþǽm ic fand of þínum cildrum wealcende¹⁴ in sóðe, eallswá⁷ bebod we nómon of⁴ þǽm Fæder.

5: And nú⁸ ic þec beséce, hláfdige, ne swá ic þé wrát níwe bebod, ac þæt þe we ahton fulfremed þæt¹⁷ we úsic óðre lufien.

6: And þéos is séo lufu, þæt we drohtien⁹ æfter¹³ his bebeodum.  Þis is þæt bebod, eallswá gé híerdon fram frymðe, þæt gé þǽrinne sceolden drohtian⁹.

7: for þý¹⁰ manige forláceras¹¹ útáfóron in þá worulde, þá þe ne tócnáwaþ¹² þæt Iesus Crist in flǽsce cymþ¹⁵.  Þes is se forlácere and se Antecrist.

8: Weardiaþ¹⁶ éowic selfe, swá þæt¹⁷ ge ne losoden¹⁸ þá þe we worhton¹⁹, ac ge nómen²⁰ full lean²¹.

9: Áhwá sé þe ofergǽþ²² and ne gebúeþ¹ in þǽre tǽcunge þæs Cristes næfþ God; sé þe gebúeþ¹ in þǽre tǽcunge, he hæfþ ge þone fæder ge þone sunu.

10: Gif hwá²³ wiþ²⁴ éowic²⁴ cymþ, and þás tǽcunge ne bringþ²⁵, ne nimaþ hine in hús and grétunga²⁶ him ne sprecaþ;

11: for sé þe him grétunga spricþ, hé mǽnsumaþ²⁷ mid his yflum²⁸ dǽdum²⁹.

12: Manig (n.pl) hæbbende éow tó wrítenne³⁰, ic nolde³¹ mid papre and blæce, ac ic hopie tó becumenne³² tó éow³³ and nebb wiþ nebb³⁴ tó cweðenne³⁵, þæt¹⁷ séo glædnes úre béo gefylled³⁶.

13: þá cildru þínre gecorenan sweostor grétaþ³⁷ þec.  Amen.

Notes:

1: to remain, abide (gebúan, sittan, standan)

2: for ever (á, simble)

3: mercy (milts, mildheortnes, ár, árfæstnes, liss, líþ, líðung, þances)

4: from (of, wiþ w.d.)

5: rejoiced ((féon, geblissian, gefægnian w.g., gewynsumian, gladian, hréðan)

6: greatly, exceedingly, exceedingly beyond measure (micellíce, þearle, micle, swíðe)

7: even as, as (eallswá, swá)

8: so now

9: walk, live a life (drohtian, drohtnian, libban; 2^nd active subjunctive pl)

10: that, since, because (for þý/þon)

11: corrupter, deceiver (ádwellan, ǽswica, ǽswicend, ǽswician¹, áléogan, andcweðan, ápǽcan, áswícan, áwǽgan, bedréosan, bedydrian,

befician, belǽdan, beléogan, belyrtan, bepǽcan, bepǽcend, besierwan, bespanan, beswica, beswícan,

beswícend, bewǽgan, bewrencan, blencan, blendan, dwelian¹, dwellan, dwola¹, dydrian, forlácan², forlǽran, forspanan, geblendan, gewǽgnian, léaswyrcend, léogan¹, lícettere, mánswica, mierra, misfón, mistihtan, onhyscan,

pǽca, pǽcan,

screncan¹, swica, swícan¹, swícend,

swician, þéodlícetere, trucian¹, tyhtan¹, untréowsian, wǽgan¹, wéman, wordloga)

12: confess, acknowledge (onbúgan, þafian¹, þæslǽcan¹, andettan¹, cnáwan¹, oncnáwan, tócnáwan)

13: according to (æfter, on, néah)

14: walking in the faith, etc. (wealcende?)

15: Iesum Cristum coming in flesh (an accusative participle, the object of the phrase before, to acknowledge); could also be “cyme Iesu Cristes in flǽsce”

16: watch, beware, look ( Greek: to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at; KJV: behold, 10; beware, 4; beware of, 3; look, 3; look on, 4; misc, 9; see, 90; take heed, 12;; bescéawian, bewacian, bewarenian, bewarian, bewitan, cépan, forelócian, gewǽr wesan, healdan¹, mundian¹, oferwacian, wacian, wæccan¹, weardian)

17: in order that, so that, that; (ina; tó þý/þǽm þæt/þe, swá þæt, þæt)

18: destroy, lose; (Greek apollumi: nger form of ollumi, destroy utterly, kill, in Hom. mostly of death in battle, also of things, demolish, lay waste; lose; perish, in theol. sense; could be ámierran, forléosan, forpǽran, forspildan)

19: work, do, perform; (wyrcan, fremman, dón)

20: take, receive; aorist subjunctive yet, the English translations give “may take” not “might take”

21: this clause is translated ge, we, ge; but the RSV English translation keeps “you” throughout, and the KJV is you, we, we.

22: go too far (in a bad sense), transgress (KJV); (forgǽgan, Forgíeman, misdón, oferbrecan, ofergán, ofergangan, ofergǽgan)

23: someone ( I don’t know which is more popular in OE; áhwæðer, án, hwá, hwilchwene, hwilchwone, hwilchwegno, hwilchwugu, hwilchugu, sum, ǽnigmon)

24: towards/to you (accusative of motion); (wiþ w.a., tó w.d., tóweard w.d.g., could be used.  I don’t know which is more appropriate)

25: the Greek has here the indicative present, where the KJV has present subjunctive

26: Greek here has an infinitive “to greet,” which for them is used as a form of greeting.  I switched it to the verbal noun.

27: partake, participate, take part in; (ábítan, brúcan¹, dǽlniman, mǽnsumian¹, onbítan, þicgan¹)

28: toilsome, painful, grievous; I chose “yfel” from a number of words.

29: the Greek word order needed to be changed, and the parts of speech: “the speaking for (conj) him [to greet] [takes part] [to the (d.pl.)] [deeds (d.pl.)] him (d.sg.masc) [to the (d.pl.)] wicked/evil (d.pl.)” to “He who speaketh greetings to him partaketh in his evil deeds”

30: Greek: “having many things to write to you” or literally, “many (things) (n.pl) having to you to write”

31: the Greek boulomai is in the aorist passive indicative, but is translated in KJV and RSV as “I would want” or “I would rather…”

32: the Greek has “to become, i.e. to come to pass, happen” which could be “gelimpan, becuman, etc.” and would perhaps better be phrased “ic hopie, þæt ic becóm…” and is aorist infinitive

33: Greek has “to you” also, but is in the accusative.

34: the Greek has “mouth to mouth” but is translated elsewhere “face to face,” which is “nebb wiþ nebb” in OE

35: the Greek has “to have spoken,” and may have better been phrased as “ic hopie…þæt ic cwæþ…”

36: the Greek has “to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full” or “to render full, i.e. to complete” in the perfect passive participle.  The KJV and RSV have “may be full/complete” which could be “fullendian, fyllan” or other words.

Alternate Verse:

1: Se ealdor þǽm gecorenum hláfdigum and þǽm cildrum hiere, þá þe ic lufie in sóðe, and ne ic ána, ac éac ealle þá þe þæt sóð witon;

2: for þý sóðe þæt þe in ús gebúeþ¹, and biþ á² mid ús.

3: biþ mid ús giefu, milts³, and friþ wiþ⁴ Gode Fæder and Iesuse Criste, Suna þæs Fæder, in sóðe and lufe.

4: ic blissode⁵ swíðe⁶, forþǽm ic fand of þínum cildrum wealcende¹⁴ in sóðe, eallswá⁷ bebod we nómon wiþ⁴ þǽm Fæder.

5: And nú⁸ ic þec beséce, hláfdige, ne swá ic þé wrát níwe bebod, ac þæt þe we ahton fulfremed þæt¹⁷ we úsic óðre lufien.

6: And þéos is séo lufu, þæt we drohtien⁹ æfter¹³ his bebeodum.  Þis is þæt bebod, eallswá gé híerdon fram frymðe, þæt gé þǽrinne sceolden drohtian⁹.

7: for þon¹⁰ manige forláceras¹¹ útáfóron in þá worulde, þá þe ne tócnáwaþ¹² þæt Iesus Crist in flǽsce cymþ¹⁵.  Þes is se forlácere and se Antecrist.

8: Weardiaþ¹⁶ éowic selfe, swá þæt¹⁷ ge ne losoden¹⁸ þá þe we worhton¹⁹, ac ge nómen²⁰ full lean²¹.

9: Áhwá sé þe ofergǽþ²² and ne gebúeþ¹ in þǽre tǽcunge þæs Cristes næfþ God; sé þe gebúeþ¹ in þǽre tǽcunge, he hæfþ ge þone fæder ge þone sunu.

10: Gif hwá²³ wiþ²⁴ éowic²⁴ cymþ, and þás tǽcunge ne bringþ²⁵, ne nimaþ hine in hús and grétunga²⁶ him ne sprecaþ;

11: for sé þe him grétunga spricþ, hé mǽnsumaþ²⁷ mid his yflum²⁸ dǽdum²⁹.

12: Manig (n.pl) hæbbende éow tó wrítenne³⁰, ic nolde³¹ mid papre and blæce, ac ic hopie þæt ic becóm³² tó éow³³ and þæt ic cwæþ³⁵ nebb wiþ nebb³⁴, þæt¹⁷ séo glædnes úre béo gefylled³⁶.

13: þá cildru þínre gecorenan sweostor grétaþ³⁷ þec.  Amen.