Acts · Chapter 10

[ edit] Forſoþ ſum man was in Ceſarie, Corneli by name, centurio, þat is, hauynge an hundrid men vndir hym, of þe cumpanye of knyȝtis, þat is ſeid of Ytalie; a religious man, and dredinge þe Lord, wiþ al his meyne; doynge manye almeſſis to þe peple, and preiynge þe Lord euermore. Þis ſyȝ in a uyſioun opynli, as in þe nynþe hour, or noon, an aungel of God entrynge into hym, and ſeyinge to him, Corneli. And he biholdinge hym, takyn wiþ drede ſeyde, Who art þou, Lord? Forſoþ he ſeide to him, Þi preieris and þin almeſdedis han ſtiȝed vp into mynde, in þe ſiȝt of þe Lord. And now ſende men into Joppe, and clepe ſum man, Symound, þat is namyd Petre.

Þis is herborid at ſum man, Symound, coriour, whos hous is biſydis þe ſee. Þis ſchal ſeie to þee, what it bihoueþ þee for to do. And whanne þe aungel þat ſpak to him, hadde gon a wey, he clepide tweyne his homely men, and a knyȝt dredinge þe Lord, of hem þat obeiſchiden to him. To which, whanne he hadde told alle þingis, he ſente hem into Joppe. Forſoþ on þe day ſuynge, hem makinge iourney, and neiȝynge to þe citee, Petre ſtiȝede vp into þe hiȝere þingis of þe hous, þat he ſchulde preie, aboute þe ſixte hour. And whanne he hungride, he wolde taſte, or ete.

Forſoþ hem makinge redy, an axceſſ of ſoule, or rauyſching of ſpirit, fel on hym; and he ſyȝ heuene openyd, and ſum veſſel comynge doun, as a greet ſcheete wiþ foure cordis, for to be ſent doun fro heuene into erþe, in þe which weren alle foure footide beeſtis, and crepinge þingis of erþe, and volatils of heuene, or eyr. And a vois is maad to hym, Ryſe, Petre, ſlee, and ete. Forſoþe Petre ſeiþ, Lord, ferr be it fro me, for I neuere eet al comyn þing and vnclene. And eft þe ſecunde tyme þe vois to him, Þat þing þat God haþ clenſid, þou ſchalt not ſeie vnclene. Forſoþ þis þing is don by þries; and a non þe veſſel is receyued into heuene.

And þe while Petre wiþ ynne hym doutide, what þe viſioun was which he ſyȝ, lo! þe men, þat weren ſent fro Cornelie, ſekinge þe hous of Symound, ſtooden nyȝ at þe ȝate. And whanne þei hadden clepid, þei axiden if Symound, þat was named Petre, hadde þer herbore. Forſoþe Petre þenkinge on þe viſioun, a ſpirit ſeide to him, Lo! þre men ſeken þee. And ſo ryſe þou, and go doun, and go wiþ hem, no þing doutynge, for I ſente hem. Forſoþ Petre comynge doun to þe men, ſeide, I am, whom ȝe ſeken; what is þe cauſe, for which ȝe han comen?

Þe whiche ſeiden, Cornelie, centurio, a iuſt man, and dredinge God, and hauynge good witneſſing of alle þe folk of Jewis, took anſwer of an hooly aungel, for to clepe þee into his hous, and for to heere wordis of þee. Þerfore he ledinge hem wiþ ynne, receyuede in herbore. Forſoþ in þe day ſuynge he ryſinge, wente forþ wiþ hem; and ſumme of breþeren fro Joppe folowiden hym, þat þei be witneſſis to Petre. Forſoþ an oþer day he entride into Ceſarie. Forſoþ Cornelie abood hem, his coſyns and neceſſarie frendis clepid to gidere. And it is don, whanne Petre hadde entrid, Cornelie cam metinge him, and fallinge doun at his feet, he worſchipede him.

Petre ſoþli reyſide him, ſeiynge, Ryſe, and I my ſilf am a man, as and þou. And he ſpekinge wiþ him, entride yn, and fond manye þat camen to gidere. And he ſeide to hem, Ȝe witen, how abhomynable it is to a man Jew, for to be ioyned or for to come to an alien; but God ſchewide to me, no man for to ſeie a man comyn, or vnclene. For which þing I clepid cam. Þerfore I axe ȝou, for what cauſe han ȝe clepid me? And Cornelie ſeiþ, Fro þe fourþe day paſſid til to þis hour, I faſtinge was preiynge in þe nynþe hour in myn hous. And lo! a man ſtood bifore me in a whit cloþ, and ſeiþ, Cornelie, þi preier is herd, and þin almeſdedis ben in mynde in þe ſiȝt of God.

Þerfore ſende into Joppe, and clepe Symound, þat is named Petre; þis is herborid in þe hous of Symound coriour, biſydis þe ſee. Þis, whan he ſchal come, ſchal ſpeke to þee. Þerfore anon I ſente to þee, and þou didiſt wel in comynge to vs. Now þerfore we alle ben preſent in þi ſiȝt, for to heere þe wordis, what euere ben comaundid to þee of þe Lord. Forſoþ Petre openynge his mouþ, ſeide, In treuþe I haue foundyn, for God is not acceptour of perſoones; but in ech folk he þat drediþ God, and worchiþ riȝtwyſneſſe, is accept to him.

God ſente a word to þe ſones of Iſrael, ſchewinge pees by Jheſu Criſt; þis is God of alle men. Ȝe witen þe word þat is maad bi al Judee, forſoþ bigynnynge fro Galilee, aftir þe baptym þat John prechide, Jheſu of Nazareþ; how God anoyntide him wiþ þe Hooly Goſt, and vertu; þe which þorw paſſide in wel doynge, and heelinge alle men oppreſſid of þe deuyl, for God was wiþ him. And we ben witneſſis of alle þingis, þe whiche he dide in þe cuntree of Jewis, and Jeruſalem; whom þei ſlowen, hongynge in a tree.

God reyſide þis in þe þridde day, and ȝaf him for to be maad knowun, not to ech peple, but to witneſſis bifore ordeyned of God; to vs þat eetyn and drunkyn wiþ him, aftir þat he roos aȝen fro deed men. And he comaundide to vs for to preche to þe peple, and for to witneſſe, for he is, þat is ordeyned of God domeſman of quyke and deede. To þis alle prophetis beren witneſſing, alle men þat bileuen into him, for to receyue remyſcioun of ſynnes by his name. Ȝit Petre ſpekinge þes wordis, þe Hooli Goſt fell on alle þat herden þe word. And þe feiþful, or criſten, men of circumciſioun wondriden, þat camen wiþ Petre, and for into naciouns þe grace of þe Hooli Goſt is ſched out.

Forſoþ þei herden hem ſpekinge wiþ tungis, or langagis, and magnyfiynge God. Þanne Petre anſweride, Wher ony man may forbede watir, þat þeſe be not baptyſid, þat han receyued þe Hooly Goſt as and we? And he comaundide hem for to be baptiſid in þe name of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt. Þanne þei preieden him, þat he ſchulde dwelle wiþ hem ſumme dayes.