Acts · Chapter 9

[ edit] Saul, ȝit breþere, or blowere, of manaſſis and betyng, or ſleyng, into diſciplis of þe Lord, cam nyȝ to þe princes of preſtis, and axide of him epiſtlis into Damaſke, to ſynagogis; þat if he founde ony men and wymmen of þis lyf, he ſchulde lede boundyn to Jeruſalem. And whanne he made iourney, it bifel, þat he cam nyȝ to Damaſke. And ſudeynly liȝt fro heuene ſchon aboute hym; and he fallinge into þe erþe, herde a vois ſeyinge to hym, Saul, Saul, what purſueſt þou me? Þe which ſeide, Who art þou, Lord? And he, >I am Jheſu of Nazareþ, whom þou purſueſt. It is hard to þee, for to kyke aȝens þe pricke. And he tremblinge and wondringe, ſeide, Lord, what wolt þou me for to do.

And þe Lord to him, Ryſe þou, and entre in to þe citee, and it ſchal be ſeide to þee, what it bihoueþ þee for to do. Forſoþe þo men þat wenten wiþ him, ſtooden maad ferd, or out of mynde; ſoþli heeringe a vois, forſoþe ſeynge no man. Forſoþe Saul roos fro þe erþe; and þe yȝen openyd, he ſyȝ no þing. Forſoþ þei drawinge him to hondis, ledden into Damaſk. And he was þre daies not ſeynge; and he eet not, neþer drank. Forſoþ ſum diſciple was at Damaſk, by name Ananye. And þe Lord ſeide to him in a viſioun, Ananye. And he ſeiþ, Lo! I, Lord. And þe Lord to him, >Ryſe þou, and go into a ſtreete þat is clepid Rectus; and ſeke, in þe hous of Judas, Saul by name Tarſence.

Forſoþ lo! he preieþ; and he ſyȝ a man Ananye by name, entringe and puttinge to hym hondis, þat he receyue ſiȝt. Forſoþe Ananye anſweride, Lord, I haue herd of manye of þis man, how manye yuele þingis he dide to þi ſeyntis in Jeruſalem; and þis haþ power of þe princes of preſtis, for to bynde alle men þat inclepen þi name. Forſoþ þe Lord ſeide to him, Go þou, for þis is to me a veſſel of cheſyng, þat he bere my name bifore heþen men, and kingis, and þe ſones of Iſrael. Forſoþe I ſchal ſchewe to him, how manye þingis it bihoueþ him for to ſuffre for my name.

And Ananye wente, and entride into þe hous; and he puttinge to him þe hondis, ſeide, Saul broþir, þe Lord Jheſu ſente me, þat apperide to þee in þe weye, in which þou cameſt, þat þou ſe, and be fulfillid wiþ þe Hooli Goſt. And anon þer felden from his yȝen as ſcalis, and he receyuede ſiȝt. And he riſinge is baptiſid. And whanne he hadde takun mete, he was comfortid. Forſoþ he was wiþ diſciplis, þat weren at Damaſk, by ſumme dayes. And anoon he entrynge into þe ſynagogis, prechide þe Lord Jheſu, for þis is þe ſone of God.

Forſoþ alle men þat herden him, wondriden, and ſeiden, Wher þis is not þat inpugnide in Jeruſalem hem þat inclepiden þis name? and hidir to þis þing he cam, þat he ſchulde lede hem bounden to þe princes of preſtis. Forſoþe Saul moche more wexide ſtrong, and confoundide þe Jewis þat dwelliden at Damaſk, affermynge for þis is Criſt. Forſoþ whanne manye dayes weren fulfillid, Jewis maden a counceil, þat þei ſchulden ſlee him. Forſoþe þe aſpies of hem ben maad knowun to Saul. Forſoþe þei kepten and þe ȝatis day and nyȝt, þat þei ſchulden ſle him. Forſoþe his diſciplis takynge him in nyȝt, bi þe wal leften him, ſendinge doun in a leep.

Forſoþ whanne he cam into Jeruſalem, he temptide, or aſaiede, for to ioyne him to diſciplis; and alle dredden him, not bileuynge þat he was a diſciple. Forſoþ Barnabas ledde him takun to apoſtlis, and telde to hem, how in þe weye he hadde ſeyn þe Lord, and for he ſpak to him, and how in Damaſk he dide triſtily in þe name of Jheſu. And he was wiþ hem, entringe and goynge out in Jeruſalem, doynge triſtily in þe name of þe Lord. And he ſpaak to heþene men, and diſputide wiþ Grekis. Forſoþe þei ſouȝten for to ſle him. Þe which þing whanne breþeren hadden knowe, þei ledden him in nyȝt to Ceſarie, and leften to Tarſis.

Soþli þe chirche by al Judee, and Galile, and Samarie hadde pees, and was edifyed, walkinge in þe drede of þe Lord, and was fulfillid wiþ comfort of þe Hooly Goſt. Forſoþ it is maad, þat Petre, þe while he paſſide alle, cam to þe hooly men þat dwelliden at Lidde. Forſoþe he fond þere ſum man, Eneas by name, fro eiȝte ȝeris ligynge in bedd; þe which was ſyke in paleſye. And Petre ſeiþ to him, Eneas, þe Lord Jheſu Criſt heele þee; ryſe þou, and dreſſe to þee. And anoon he roos. And alle men þat dwelliden at Lidde, and Sarone, ſyȝen hym, þe whiche ben conuertid to þe Lord. Forſoþ in Joppe was ſum diſcipliſſe, bi name Tabyta, þe which interpretid, is ſeid Dorcas.

Þis was ful of goode werkis and almeſdedis, þat ſche dide. Forſoþ it is maad in þo dayes, þat ſche maad ſyk deiede. Þe whiche whanne þei hadde wayſchun, þei puttiden hir in a ſoupyng place. Forſoþ whanne Lidda was nyȝ fro Joppe, diſciplis heeringe for Petre was in it, ſenten twey men to him, preiynge, Þat þou tarie not for to come til to vs. Soþli Petre ryſinge vp cam wiþ hem. And whanne he cam, þei ledden him into þe ſouping place. And alle widewis ſtooden aboute hym, wepinge, and ſchewinge cootis and cloþis, þe whiche Dorcas maade to hem. Forſoþe alle men caſt out wiþouteforþ, Petre puttinge þe knees, preiede. And he turnyd to þe body, ſeide, Tabita, ryſe þou.

And ſche openyde þe yȝen, and Petre ſeyn, ſaat vp aȝen. Forſoþ he ȝyuynge to hir þe hond, reyſide hir. And whanne he hadde clepid hooly men and widewis, he aſſignede hir quyk. Forſoþ it is maad knowun by al Joppe; and þei bileuyden in þe Lord. Forſoþ it is maad, þat many dayes he dwellide in Joppe, at Symound, ſum coriour, or tawier.