Acts · Chapter 2

[ edit] And whanne þe dayes Pentecoſtes, þat is, fyfti, weren fulfillid, alle diſciplis weren to gidere in þe ſame place. And ſudenly þer was maad a ſown fro heuene, as of a greet ſpirit comynge to, and it fulfillide al þe hous where þei weren ſittinge. And tungis dyuerſly partid as fyer apperiden to hem, and it ſaat vpon ech of hem. And alle ben fulfillid wiþ þe Hooli Goſt, and þei bigunnen for to ſpeke wiþ dyuerſe langagis, as þe Hooli Goſt ȝaf to hem for to ſpeke. Forſoþ þer weren in Jeruſalem dwellinge Jewis, religiouſe men, of ech nacioun þat is vndir heuene.

Soþli, þis vois maad, þe multitude cam to gidere, and in ſoule, or vndirſtondyng, was confoundid, or ſtoneyd, for ech man herde hem ſpekynge in his langage. Forſoþ alle men weren a ſtoneyd in witt, and wondriden, ſeyinge to gidere, Wher not alle þeſe þat ſpeken ben Galilees, and how we herden ech man his langage in which we ben born? Party, and Medy, and Elamyte, and þei þat dwellen in Meſopotamye, Judee, and Capadocie, Ponte, and Aſie, Frigie, and Pamphilie, Egipt, and þe parties of Libie, þat is aboute Sirenen, and cumelingis Romayns, and Jewis, and proſelitis, men of Crete and Arabye, we han herd hem ſpekynge in oure langagis þe greete þingis of God.

Forſoþe alle weren ſtoneyd in witt, and wondriden, ſeyinge, What wole þis þing be? Forſoþ oþere ſcornyden, ſeyinge, For þei ben ful of muſt. Forſoþ Petre ſtondinge wiþ enleuene, reyſide his vois, and ſpak to hem, Men Jewis, and alle þat dwellen in Jeruſalem, be þis þing knowun to ȝou, and wiþ eeris perſeyue my wordis.

Soþely not as ȝe demen, or geſſen, þeſe be drunkun, whanne it is þe þridde our of þe day, or vndirne; but þis þing it is, þat was ſeid by þe prophete Johel, And it ſchal be in þe laſte dayes, þe Lord ſeiþ, I ſchal heelde out of my ſpirit on al fleiſch; and ȝoure ſones and ȝoure douȝtris ſchulen prophecie, and ȝoure ȝonge ſchulen ſe viſyouns, and ȝoure eldris ſchulen dreme meetels, or ſweuens. And ſoþeli on my ſeruauntis men and myne handmaydens in þo dayes I ſchal ſchede out of my ſpirit, and þei ſchulen prophecie. And I ſchal ȝyue greete wondris in heuene aboue, and ſignes in erþe byneþe, blood, and fyer, and vapour of ſmoke.

Þe ſunne ſchal be turned into derkneſſis, and þe mone into blood, bifore þat þe gret and opyn day of þe Lord ſchal come. And ech man which euere ſchal inclepe þe name of þe Lord, ſchal be ſaf. Ȝe men of Iſrael, heeriþ þes wordis. Jheſu of Nazareþ, a man prouyd of God in ȝou by vertues, or myraclis, and wondris, and tokenes, þe whiche God dide by him in þe myddel of ȝou, as ȝe witen, hym, þe counceil determyned, or endid, and by þe preſcience, or bifore knowynge, of God, bitakun, or trayed, by þe hondis of wickid ȝe turmentinge ſlowen. Whom God reyſide, þe ſorwis of helle vnboundun, vp þat it was inpoſſible him for to be holdyn of it.

Soþli Dauiþ ſeiþ into him, I purueyde þe Lord bifore me euermore, for he is on my riȝþalf, þat I be not moued. For þis þing myn herte ioyede, and my tunge gladide, more ouer and my fleiſch ſchal reſte in hope. For þou ſchalt not forſake my ſoule in helle, neþir þou ſchalt ȝyue þin hooli for to ſe corupcioun. Þou haſt maad knowun to me þe weies of lyf, þou ſchalt fulfille me in myrþe wiþ þi face. Men breþeren, be it leefful boldly for to ſeye to ȝou of þe patriark Dauiþ, for he is deed and biried, and his ſepulcre is at vs til into þis day.

Þerfore whanne he was a prophete, and wiſte, for wiþ an ooþ God hadde ſworn to him, of þe fruyt of his leende for to ſitte on his ſeete, he purueyinge ſpak of þe reſurexcioun of Criſt, for neþir he is left in helle, neþir his fleiſch ſiȝ corupcioun. God reiſide þis Jheſu, to whom we alle ben witneſſis. Þerfore he enhaunſid by þe riȝt hond of God, and þe biheeſte of þe Hooli Goſt takyn of þe fadir, he ſchedde out þis, þat ȝe ſeen and heeren. Forſoþ Dauiþ aſſendide not into heuene; forſoþ he ſeiþ, Þe Lord ſeide to my Lord, Sitt on my riȝþalf, til I ſchal putte þin enemyes þe ſtool of þi feet.

Þerfore mooſt certeynly wite al þe hous of Iſrael, for God reyſide and hym þe Lord and Criſt, þis Jheſu, whom ȝe crucifieden. Þeſe þingis herd, þei weren compunct in herte; and þei ſeiden to Petre and to oþere apoſtlis, Men breþeren, what ſchulen we do? Petre forſoþ ſeiþ to hem, Penaunce, he ſeiþ, do ȝe, and ech of ȝou be criſtened in þe name of Jheſu Criſt, into remiſcioun of ȝoure ſynnes; and ȝe ſchulen take þe ȝifte of þe Hooly Goſt. Forſoþ repromiſcioun, or eft biheeſte, is to ȝou, and to ȝoure ſones, and to alle þat ben ferr, whom euere þe Lord oure God haþ clepid to.

Soþli wiþ oþere wordis ful manye he witneſſide to hem, and moneſtide hem, ſeyinge, Be ȝe ſaued fro þis wickid, or ſchrewid, generacioun. Þerfore þei þat receyueden his wordis, weren baptyſid, and in þat day ſoulis ben putt to, aboute þre þouſynd. Forſoþ þei weren laſtynge in techinge of apoſtlis, and in comunynge of brekinge of breed, and in preieris. Forſoþ drede was maad to ech ſoule. And many wondris and ſygnes weren don by apoſtlis in Jeruſalem, and greet drede was in alle. Alſo alle men þat bileuyden weren to gidere, and hadden alle þingis comyn. Þei ſelden poſſeſciouns and ſubſtaunces, or goodis, and departiden alle þingis to alle men, as it was nede to ech.

Forſoþ day bi day þei laſtinge to gidere in þe temple, and brekinge breed aboute houſis, token mete wiþ gladyng and ſympleneſſe of herte, heriynge to gidere God, and hauynge grace to al þe peple. Forſoþ þe Lord encreſide hem þat weren maad ſaaf, ech day into þe ſame þing.