Acts · Chapter 8

[ edit] Forſoþ Saul was conſentynge to his deeþ. Forſoþ greet perſecucioun was maad in þat day in þe chirche, þat was in Jeruſalem. And alle men weren ſcaterid by þe cuntrees of Judee and Samarie, out takun apoſtlis. Forſoþ men dredeful curiden, or birieden, Sþeuene, and maden greet moornyng on him. Forſoþ Saul greetli diſtroyede þe chirche, entringe by howſis, drawynge men and wymmen, bitook into kepyng, or priſoun. Þerfore þei þat weren ſcaterid, paſſyden forþ, euangeliſynge þe word of God. Forſoþ Philip comynge down into a citee of Samarie, prechide to hem Criſt. Forſoþ þe cumpanyes ȝauen tent to þes þingis þat weren ſeid of Philip, to gidere heeringe and ſeynge þe ſignes þat he dide.

Forſoþe manye of hem þat hadden vnclene ſpiritis, cryinge wiþ greet vois, wenten out. Forſoþe manye ſyke in palaſye, and crokid, ben heelid. Þerfore gret ioye is maad in þat citee. Forſoþ þer was ſum man, Symound by name, þe which bifore was in þe citee a wicche, diſſeyuynge þe folk of Samarie, ſeiynge him ſilf for to be ſum greet man. To whom alle herkenyden, fro þe leeſte til to þe mooſte, ſeiynge, Þis is þe vertu of God, þe which is clepid greet. Forſoþe alle bihelden him, for þis þing, þat moche tyme he hadde maad hem mad, or wood, wiþ his wicchingis. Soþli whanne þei hadden bileuyde to Philip, euangelyſinge of þe kyngdom of God, in þe name of Jheſu Criſt, men and wymmen weren baptiſide.

Þanne Symound and he bileuyde; and whanne he was baptyſid, he clyuede to Philip; he ſeynge ſignes and mooſt vertues for to be maad, dredinge wondride. Forſoþ whanne apoſtlis þat weren at Jeruſalem, hadden herd for Samarie receyuede þe word of God, þei ſenten to hem Petre and John. Þe whiche whanne þei camen, preieden for hem, þat þei ſchulden receyue þe Hooly Goſt; forſoþ not ȝit he cam into ony of hem, but þei weren baptyſid oonly in þe name of þe Lord Jheſu. Þanne þei puttiden hondis on hem, and þei receyueden þe Hooly Goſt.

Forſoþ whanne Symound hadde ſeyn, for þe Hooli Goſt was ȝouun by puttyng on of þe hond of apoſtlis, he offride to hem money, ſeyinge, Ȝyue ȝe to me and þis power, þat to whom euere I ſchal putte on hondis, he receyue þe Hooly Goſt. Forſoþ Petre ſeide to him, Þi money be wiþ þee into perdicioun, for þou geſſidiſt þe ȝifte of God for to be had, or weeldid, by money. Part is not to þee, neþir ſort, in þis word, for þin herte is not riȝtful bifore God. And ſo do þou penaunce fro þis þi wickidneſſe, and preie God, if perauenture þis þouȝt of þin herte be forȝouun to þee. Forſoþ in galle of bittirneſſe and bond of wickidneſſe I ſe þee for to be.

Forſoþ Symound anſweringe, ſeide, Preie ȝe for me to þe Lord, þat no þing of þes þat ȝe han ſeid, come on me. And þei witneſſinge and ſpekinge þe word of þe Lord, ȝeden aȝen to Jeruſalem, and euangeliſiden to manye cuntrees of Samaritans. Forſoþ an aungel of þe Lord ſpak to Philip, ſeyinge, Ryſe þou, and go aȝens þe ſouþ, to þe weye þat goþ doun fro Jeruſalem into Gaſam; þis is deſert weye. And he riſynge, wente forþ. And lo! a man of Eþiopie, geldyng, myȝti of þe queene Candace of Eþiopiens, þe which was on alle hir richeſſis, cam for to worſchipe in Jeruſalem. And he turnyde aȝen, ſittinge on his chare, and redynge Yſaie, þe prophete.

Forſoþ þe ſpirit ſeide to Philip, Come to, and ioyne þee to þis chare. Forſoþ Philip rennynge to, herde hym redinge Yſaie, þe prophete. And he ſeyde, Geſſiſt þou, wher þou vndirſtondiſt, what þingis þou rediſt? Þe which ſeiþ, And how may I, if ſum man ſchal not ſchewe to me? And he preiede Philip, þat he ſchulde ſtiȝe vp, and ſitte wiþ him. Forſoþe þe place of ſcripture þat he radde, was þis, As a ſcheep to ſleyng he was led, and as a lomb bifore a man ſcheringe him is doumb wiþ oute vois, ſo he openyde not his mouþ. In mekeneſſe his dom is takyn vp; who ſchal telle out þe generacioun of hym? For his lyf ſchal be takyn awey fro þe erþe.

Forſoþ þe gelding anſweringe to Philip, ſeide, I biſeche þee, of what prophete ſeiþ he þis þing? of him, or of ony oþir? Forſoþe Philip openynge his mouþ, and bigynnynge at þis ſcripture, euangeliſide to hym Jheſu. And þe while þei wenten bi þe weye, þei camen to ſum watir. And þe geldyng ſeiþ, Loo! watir; who forbediþ me for to be baptyſid? Forſoþ Philip ſeide, If þou bileuyſt of al þe herte, it is leefful. And he anſweringe, ſeiþ, I bileue þe ſone of God for to be Jheſu. And he comaundide þe chare for to ſtonde. And þei wenten doun boþe into þe watir, Philip and þe gelding, and he baptiſyde him.

Forſoþe whanne he ſtiȝede vp of þe watir, þe ſpirit of þe Lord rauyſchide Philip, and þe geldyng ſyȝ him no more. Forſoþ he wente ioyinge by his weye. Forſoþ Philip is foundun in Aſoto; and he paſſinge forþ, euangeliſide to alle citees, til he cam to Ceſarye.