Acts · Chapter 1

[ edit] Forſoþe, þou Theophile, firſt I made a ſermoun, or word, of alle þe þingis, þat Jheſus bygan for to do and teche, til into þe day, in which he comaundinge to apoſtlis bi þe Hooly Goſt, whom he chees, was takyn vp; to which and he ȝaf hym ſilf alyue, or quyke, aftir his paſſioun, in manye argumentis, or prouyngis, by fourty dayes apperinge to hem, and ſpekinge of þe rewme of God. And he etinge to gidere, comaundide to hem, þat þei ſchulden not departe fro Jeruſalem, but ſchulden abyde þe biheeſte of þe fadir, þe which ȝe herden, he ſeiþ, by my mouþ; for ſoþeli John baptiſide in watir, but ȝe ſchulen be baptyſid in þe Hooly Goſt, not aftir þeſe manye dayes.

Þerfore þei þat camen to gidere, axiden him, ſeyinge, Lord, if in þis tyme ſchalt þou reſtore þe kyngdom of Iſrael? Forſoþ he ſeide to hem, It is not ȝoure for to haue knowe tymes or momentis, þe whiche þe fadir haþ put in his power; but ȝe ſchulen take þe vertu of þe Hooli Goſt comynge fro a boue into ȝou, and ȝe ſchulen be witneſſis to me in Jeruſalem, and in al Judee, and Samarye, and til to þe vtmeſte of erþe. And whanne he hadde ſeid þes þingis, hem ſeynge, he was lift vp, and a cloud receyuede hym fro þe yȝen of hem.

And whanne þei bihelden into heuene him goynge, lo! twey men ſtoodyn nyȝ biſydis hem in white cloþis, þe whiche and ſeiden, Men of Galilee, what ſtonde ȝe biholdinge into heuene? Þis Jheſus, þat is takyn vp fro ȝou into heuene, ſo ſchal come, as ȝe ſyȝen him goynge into heuene. Þanne þei turneden aȝen to Jeruſalem, fro þe hil þat is clepid Olyuete, þe which is biſydis Jeruſalem, hauynge þe iurney of a ſaboþ. And whanne þei hadden entride into þe ſoupyng place, þei wenten vp in to þe hiȝere þingis, where þei dwelten, Petre and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartelmew and Maþew, James of Alfey, and Symound Zelotes, and Judas of James.

Alle þes weren dwellinge, or laſtinge, to gidere in preier, wiþ wymmen, and Marie, þe modir of Jheſu, and wiþ his breþeren. In þo dayes Petre ryſynge vp in þe myddel of breþeren, ſeide; forſoþ þer was a cumpeny of men to gidere, almeſt an hundrid and twenty; Men breþeren, it bihoueþ þe ſcripture for to be fulfillid, which þe Hooly Goſt bifore ſeyde by þe mouþ of Dauiþ, of Judas þat was leder of hem þat tooken Jheſu; þe which was noumbrid in vs, and gat þe ſort of þis mynyſterie. And forſoþ þis weeldide a feeld of þe hyre of wickidneſſe, and he hangid, to-barſt þe myddel, and alle his entrailis ben ſched a brood.

And it is maad knowun to alle men dwellinge in Jeruſalem, ſo þat þilke feeld was clepid Achildemak in þe langage of hem, þat is, þe feeld of blood. Forſoþ it is writun in þe book of Salmes, Þe habitacioun of him be maad deſert, and be þere not þat dwelliþ in it, and anoþer take þe biſſhopryche of him. Þerfore it bihoueþ of þeſe men, þat ben gederid to gidere wiþ vs in al tyme, in which þe Lord Jheſu entride yn, and wente out among vs, bigynnynge fro baptym of John til into þe day in which he was takyn vp fro vs, oon of þeſe for to be maad a witneſſe of his reſurexcioun wiþ vs. And þei ordeyneden tweyne, Joſeph, þat is clepid Barſabas, þat is namyd Juſtus, and Maþi.

And þei preiynge ſeiden, Þou, Lord, þat haſt knowe þe hertis of men, ſchewe whom þou haſt choſun of þes tweyne, oon for to take þe place of þis myniſterie and apoſtilhed, of þe which Judas treſpaſſide, þat he ſchulde go into his place. And þei ȝauen lottis to hem, and þe lot felde to Maþi; and he was noumbrid to gidere wiþ enleuene apoſtlis.