Acts · Chapter 5

[ edit] Forſoþ ſum man, Ananye by name, wiþ Safyra, his wife, ſeelden a feeld, and defraudide of þe priys, his wyf gilty, or witinge. And he bryngynge ſum part, puttide bifore þe feet of apoſtlis. Forſoþ Petre ſeide, Anany, why haþ Saþanas temtid þin herte, þee for to lye to þe Hooly Goſt, and for to defraude of þe prijs of þe feeld? Wher it dwellinge dwelte not to þee; and it ſold was in þi power? Whi haſt þou put þis þing in þin herte? Þou haſt not lyed to men, but to God. Forſoþ Ananye heerynge þes wordis felde doun, and deiede. And greet drede was maad into alle þat herden. Forſoþ ȝonge men ryſinge mouedyn hym awey, and berynge out birieden.

Forſoþe þer was maad as þe ſpace of þre houris, and þe wyf of him not knowynge þat þing þat was don, entride yn. Forſoþe Petre anſweride to hir, Womman, ſeye to me, if ȝe ſolden þe feeld for ſo moche? And ſhe ſeide, Ȝhe, ſo moche. Forſoþ Petre ſeide to hir, What ſoþli cam to gidere to ȝou, or acordide, for to tempte þe ſpirit of þe Lord? Lo! þe feet of hem þat han biried þin hoſebonde at þe dore, and þei ſchulen bere þee out. Anoon ſhe felde down at his feet, and deiede. Forſoþ þe ȝonge men entrynge founden hir deed, and þei baren out, and birieden to hir hoſebonde. And greet drede is maad in al þe chirche, and into alle þat herden þes þingis.

Forſoþe by þe hondis of apoſtlis ſignes and many wondris ben maad in þe peple. And alle weren to gidere in þe porche of Salomon. Forſoþ no man of oþere durſte ioyne him ſilf wiþ hem, but þe peple magnyfiede hem. Forſoþ þe multitude of men and wymmen bileuynge in þe Lord was more encreſid, ſo þat into ſtreetis þei brouȝten out ſike men, and puttiden in litle beddis and cowchis, þat Petre comynge, namely þe ſchadowe of him ſchulde ſchadowe ech of hem, and þei weren dilyuered fro al ſykneſſe. Forſoþ þe multitude of citees nyȝ to Jeruſalem ran, brynginge to ſyk men, and trauelid of vnclene ſpiritis, þe whiche weren heelid alle.

Forſoþ þe prince of preſtis ryſinge, and alle þat weren wiþ him, þat is þe hereſye of Saducees, ben fulfillid wiþ enuye; and leiden hondis into apoſtlis, and puttiden hem in comun kepyng. Forſoþ þe aungel of þe Lord by nyȝte openynge þe ȝate of þe priſoun, and ledinge hem out, ſeyde, Go ȝe, and ȝe ſtondinge ſpeke in þe temple to þe peple alle þe wordis of þis lyf. Þe whiche whanne þei hadden herd, entriden erly into þe temple, and tauȝten. Forſoþ þe prince of preſtis comynge, and þei þat weren wiþ him, clepiden togidere þe counceil, and alle þe eldere men of þe ſones of Iſrael; and ſenten to þe priſoun, þat þei ſchulden be brouȝt forþ.

Soþli whanne þe myniſtris camen, and, þe priſoun openyd, founden hem not, þei turned aȝen telden, ſeiyng, Forſoþ we founden þe priſoun ſchit wiþ al diligence, and þe keperis ſtondinge at þe ȝatis; forſoþ we openynge founden no man þer ynne. Soþli as þe mageſtratis of þe temple, and þe princes of preſtis herden þeſe wordis, þei doutiden of hem, what ſchulde be don. Forſoþe ſum man comynge to, tolde to hem, For lo! þo men whom ȝe han put into priſoun, ben in þe temple, ſtondinge, and techinge þe peple. Þanne þe mageſtrat wente wiþ myniſtris, and brouȝten hem to wiþ outen ſtrengþe; forſoþ þei dredden þe peple, leſt þei ſchulden be ſtooned to deeþ.

And whanne þei hadden brouȝt hem to, þei ordeyneden in þe counceil; and þe princes of preſtis axiden hem, ſeyinge, In comaundinge we comaundiden ȝou, þat ȝe ſchulden not teche in þis name, and lo! ȝe han fulfillid Jeruſalem wiþ ȝoure teching, and ȝe wolen brynge yn on vs þe blood of þis man. Forſoþ Petre anſweringe, and apoſtlis, ſeiden, It bihoueþ for to obeye to God, more þan to men. Þe God of oure fadris reyſide Jheſu, whom ȝe ſlowen, hangynge in a tree. God enhaunſide wiþ his riȝþond þis prince and ſauyour, for to ȝyue penaunce to Iſrael, and remyſcioun of ſynnes. And we ben witneſſis of þes wordis, and þe Hooly Goſt, whom God ȝaf to alle obeiſchinge to him.

Whanne þei herden þes þingis, þei weren turmentid, and þouȝten for to ſle hem. Forſoþ ſum man ryſinge in þe counceil, a Phariſe, Gamaliel by name, a doctour of þe lawe, a worſchipful man to al þe peple, comaundide men for to be maad wiþouteforþ to a ſchort tyme. And he ſeide to hem, Ȝe men of Iſrael, take tent to ȝou ſilf on þes men, what ȝe be to doynge. Forſoþ bifore þes dayes Theodas was, ſeyinge him ſilf for to be ſum man, to whom a noumbre of men conſentide, aboute foure hundrid; þe which is ſlayn, and alle whiche euere bileueden to him, ben diſparplid, and brouȝt to nouȝt.

Aftir þis, Judas Galilee was in þo dayes of profeſcioun, and turnede awey þe peple aftir him; and alle how manye euere conſentiden to him, ben ſcaterid, and he periſchide. And now ſoþli I ſeie to ȝou, departe ȝe fro þes men, and ſuffre ȝe hem; for if it is of men þis counceil or werk, it ſchal be vndon; forſoþe if it is of God, ȝe mown not vndo hem. But ſuffre ȝe hem, leſt perauenture and ȝe be foundun for to repugne God. Forſoþ þei conſentiden to him; and þei clepinge to gidere apoſtlis, denounciden to hem betun, þat þei ſchulde no more ſpeke in þe name of Jheſu, and leften hem.

And ſoþli þei wenten ioyinge fro þe ſiȝt of þe counceil, for þei ben had worþi for to ſuffre diſpyſing, or wrong, for þe name of Jheſu. Forſoþ ech day þei ceeſſiden not in þe temple, and aboute houſis, techinge and euangeliſynge Jheſu Criſt.