Acts · Chapter 11

[ edit] Forſoþ apoſtlis herden, þat were in Judee, for and heþene men receyueden þe word of God, and þei glorifieden God. Forſoþ whanne Petre cam to Jeruſalem, þei þat weren of circumciſioun, diſputiden aȝens him, ſeiynge, Whi entridiſt þou to men hauynge prepucie, and haſt ete wiþ hem? Petre ſoþli bigynnynge, expownede to hem þe ordre, ſeiynge, I was in þe citee of Joppe preiynge, and I ſyȝ in exceſſ of my ſoule a viſioun, ſum veſſel comynge down as a greet ſcheete, or lynnen clooþ, wiþ foure cordis for to be ſent down fro heuene; and it cam til to me. Into which I biholdinge biheeld, and ſyȝ foure footide þingis of erþe, and beeſtis, and crepinge þingis, and volatils of þe eyr.

Forſoþ I herde and a voys ſeyinge to me, Petre, ryſe, ſle, and ete. Forſoþ I ſeide, Nay, Lord; comyn þing or vnclene, entride neuere into my mouþ. Soþli þe vois anſweride þe ſecunde tyme fro heuene, Þo þingis þat God haþ clenſid, þou ſchalt not ſeye vnclene. Forſoþ þis is don bi þries, and alle þingis ben receyued aȝen into heuene. And lo! þre men anon ſtooden nyȝ in þe hous, in which I was, ſent fro Ceſarie to me. Forſoþ a ſpirit ſeide to me, þat I ſchulde go wiþ hem, no þing doutynge. Forſoþ and þes ſixe breþeren camen wiþ me, and we entriden into þe hous of þe man.

Soþli he teelde, how he ſyȝ an aungel in his hous, ſtondinge and ſeyinge to him, Sende into Joppe, and clepe Symound, þat is namyd Petre, þe which ſchal ſpeke to þee wordis, in whiche þou ſchalt be ſaf, and al þin hous. Forſoþ whanne I hadde bigunne for to ſpeke, þe Hooly Goſt fel on hem, as and into vs in þe bygynnyng. Forſoþ I biþouȝte on þe word of þe Lord, as he ſeide, Soþli John baptiſide in watir, forſoþ ȝe ſchulen be baptiſid in þe Hooly Gooſt. Þerfore if God ȝaf to hem þe ſame grace, as and to vs þat bileuyden into þe Lord Jheſu Criſt, who was I, þat myȝte forbede þe Lord, þat he ſchulde not ȝyue þe Hooly Goſt to men bileuynge in þe name of Jheſu Criſt?

Þeſe þingis herd, þei heelden pees, and glorifieden God, ſeiynge, Þerfore and to heþene men God haþ ȝouun penaunce to þe lyf. And ſoþeli þei þat weren ſcaterid of þe tribulacioun þat was maad vndir Sþeuene, walkiden forþ til to Fenyſe, and Cypre, and Antiochie, to no man ſpekinge þe word, no but to Jewis aloone. Forſoþ ſumme of hem weren men of Cypre and Cyrenen; þe whiche whanne þei entriden into Antiochie, ſpaken to Greekis, ſchewinge þe Lord Jheſu. And þe hond of þe Lord was wiþ hem, and moche noumbre of men bileuynge is conuertid to þe Lord. Forſoþ þe word cam to þe eeris of þe chirche, þat was at Jeruſalem, on þes þingis; and þei ſenten Barnabas til to Antiochie.

Þe which whanne he hadde come, and ſeyn þe grace of þe Lord, ioyede, and moneſtide alle men in purpos of herte for to dwelle in þe Lord; for he was a good man, and ful of þe Hooly Goſt, and feiþ. And moche cumpanye is putt to þe Lord. Forſoþ he wente forþ to Tarſis, þat he ſchulde ſeke Saul; whom whanne he hadde founden, he ledde to Antiochie. And al a ȝeer þei lyueden þere in þe chirche, and tauȝten moche cumpanye, ſo þat firſt criſten diſciplis weren namyd at Antiochie. Forſoþe in þes daies prophetis camen ouer fro Jeruſalem to Antiochie. And oon of hem ryſinge, Agabus by name, ſignyfiede bi þe ſpirit a greet hungir to comynge in al þe roundneſſe of erþis, þat is maad vndir Claudius.

Forſoþ diſciplis purpoſiden alle, as ech hadde, for to ſende myniſterie to breþeren dwellinge in Judee. Þe which þing and þei diden, ſendinge to þe eldere men, bi þe hondis of Barnabas and Saul.