Acts · Chapter 4

[ edit] Forſoþe hem ſpekinge to þe peple, preſtis and magiſtratis of þe temple camen vpon, and Sadducees, ſorwynge þat þei ſchulden teche þe peple, and toolden into Jheſu aȝen ryſinge fro deed men. And þei leyden hondis into hem, and puttiden hem into kepinge til into þe morwe; ſoþli it was now euen. Forſoþ manye of hem þat hadden herd þe word, bileuyden; and þe noumbre of hem is maad fyue þouſendis. Forſoþe in þe morwe it is don, þat þe princes of hem, and eldere men and ſcribes ſchulden be gederid in Jeruſalem; and Annas, prince of preſtis, and Cayphas, and Joon, and Aliſaundre, and how manye euere weren of þe kynde of preeſtis.

And þei ordeynynge hem in þe myddel axiden, In what vertu, or what name, han ȝe don þis þing? Þanne Petre fulfillid wiþ þe Hooly Goſt, ſeide to hem, Ȝe princes of þe peple, and eldre men, heere, If we to day ben demyd in þe good dedis of a ſyke man, in þe which þis is maad ſaaf, be it knowun to ȝou alle, and to al þe peple of Iſrael, for in þe name of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt of Nazareþ, whom ȝe crucifieden, whom God reyſide fro deed men, in þis þis man ſtondiþ hool bifore ȝou. Þis is þe ſtoon, which was reproued of ȝou bildinge, þe which is maad into þe heed of þe corner; and heelþe is not in ony oþir.

Forſoþ neþir oþir name is vndir heuene ȝouun to men, in þe which it bihoueþ vs to be maad ſaf. Forſoþ þei ſeynge þe ſtedfaſtneſſe of Petre and John, founden þat þei weren men wiþ oute lettris, and idiotis, wondriden, and knewen for þei weren wiþ Jheſu. And ſeynge þe man ſtondinge wiþ hem, þat was heelid, þei myȝten no þing wiþſeye. Forſoþ þei comaundiden hem for to go forþ wiþoute þe counceil. And þei ſpaken to gidere, ſeyinge, What ſchulen we do to þes men? for ſoþli þe ſygne is maad knowun by hem to alle men, dwellinge at Jeruſalem; it is opyn, and we mown not denye. But þat it be no more puppliſchid into þe peple, manaſe we to hem, þat þei ſpeke no more in þis name to ony of men.

And þei clepinge hem denounſiden, þat on no maner þei ſchulden ſpeke, ne teche, in þe name of Jheſu. Forſoþe Petre and John anſweringe, ſeiden to hem, If it be riȝtful in þe ſiȝt of God for to heere ȝou raþere þan God, deme ȝe. Forſoþ we mown not not ſpeke þe þingis þat we han ſeyn and herd. And þei manaſinge leften hem, not fyndynge how þei ſchulden ponyſche hem, for þe peple; for alle men clarifieden þat þing þat was don in þat þing þat bifel. Forſoþe þe man was more þan of fourty ȝeeris, in þe which þis ſygne of heelþe was maad. Forſoþ þei left, camen to hern, and toolden to hem, how manye þingis þe princes and eldere men ſeiden to hem.

Þe whiche whanne þei herden, wiþ oon herte reyſiden voys to þe Lord, and ſeiden, Lord, þou þat madiſt heuene and erþe, ſee, and alle þingis þat ben in hem, þe which by þe Hooly Goſt, by þe mouþ of oure fadir Dauiþ, þi child, ſeidiſt, Whi heþene men wraþþiden, or beten wiþ teeþ to gidere, and peplis þouȝten veyn þingis? Kyngis of þe erþe ſtooden nyȝ, and princes camen to gidere into oon, aȝens þe Lord, and aȝens his Criſt. For þei camen to gidere verily in þis citee aȝens þi hooly child Jheſu, whom þou anoyntideſt, Heroude and Pounce Pilat, wiþ heþene men, and peplis of Iſrael, for to do þe þingis, þat þin hond and þi counceil demiden for to be don.

And now, Lord, bihold into þe þretingis of hem, and ȝyue to þi ſeruauntis wiþ al triſt for to ſpeke þi word, in þat þing þat þou holde forþ þin hond, heelþis and ſignes and wondris for to be maad by þe name of þin hooly ſone Jheſu. And whanne þei hadden preied, þe place was moued, in which þei weren gederid; and alle ben fulfillid wiþ þe Hooli Goſt, and ſpaken þe word of God wiþ triſt. Forſoþ of þe multitude of men bileuynge þer was oon herte and oon ſoule, or wille; neþir ony man ſeide ony þing of þo þingis þat he weeldide for to be his owne, but alle þingis weren comune to hem.

And wiþ greet vertu apoſtlis ȝoldun witneſſyng of þe aȝen ryſynge of Jheſu Criſt oure Lord, and greet grace was in alle hem. Forſoþ neþir ony nedy man was among hem, for how many euere weren poſſeſcioners, or weelders, of feeldis or howſis, þei ſellynge brouȝten to þe prices of þo þingis þat þei ſolden, and puttiden bifore þe feet of apoſtlis. Forſoþ þei departiden to ech, as it was nede to ech. Forſoþ Joſeph, þat is named Barnabas of apoſtlis, þat is interpretid, þe ſone of coumfort, a dekene, of þe kynde of Cypre, whanne he hadde a feeld, ſolde it, and brouȝte to þe prijs, and puttide bifore þe feet of apoſtlis.