Acts · Chapter 12

[ edit] Forſoþ in þe ſame tyme Heroude kyng ſente hondis, for to turmente ſum men of þe chirche. Forſoþ he ſlouȝ by ſwerd James, þe broþer of John. Forſoþ he ſeynge for it pleſide to Jewis, puttide to for to catche and Petre; forſoþ þe dayes of þerf looues weren. Whom whanne he hadde cauȝt, he ſente into priſoun, and bitakinge to foure quaternyouns of knyȝtis, þat ech hadde foure men vndir him, for to kepe him, willinge aftir paſke for to brynge him forþ to þe peple. And ſoþli Petre was kept in priſoun; forſoþe preier was maad of þe chirche wiþoute ceeſſinge to God for him.

Forſoþe whanne Heroude was to bryngynge forþ him, in þat nyȝt Petre was ſlepinge bitwixe twey knyȝtis, boundun wiþ twey chaynes; and keperis bifore þe dore kepten þe priſoun. And loo! an aungel of þe Lord ſtood nyȝ, and liȝt ſchoon aȝen in þe habytacle. And þe ſyde of Petre ſmytun, he reyſide, or wakide, him, ſeiynge, Ryſe þou ſwiftli. And anoon þe chaynes felden doun of his hondis. Forſoþ þe aungel ſeide to him, Be þou gurd bifore, and do on þi hoſis. And he dide ſo. And he ſeide to him, Do aboute to þee þi cloþ, and ſue me. And he goynge out, ſuede him; and he wiſte not for it is ſoþ, þat was maad bi þe aungel; forſoþ he geſſide him ſilf to ſe a viſioun.

Forſoþ þei paſſinge þe firſte and þe ſecunde kepyng, camen to þe irun ȝate þat leediþ to þe citee, þe which wilfully is opened to hem. And þei goynge out, camen forþ into o ſtreete, and anoon þe aungel paſſide awey fro him. And Petre turnynge aȝen to him ſilf, ſeide, Now I woot verily, for þe Lord ſente his aungel, and delyuerede me fro þe hond of Eroude, and of al abydinge of þe peple of Jewis. And he biholdinge cam to þe hous of Marie, modir of John, þat is named Marcus, where manye weren gederid to gidere, and preiynge. Forſoþ him knockynge at þe dore of þe ȝate, a wenche, Rode by name, cam forþ for to ſe.

And, as ſche knew þe vois of Petre, for ioye ſhe openede not þe ȝate, but rennynge yn, tolde Petre for to ſtonde bifore þe ȝate. And þei ſeiden to hir, Þou maddiſt, or art wood. Soþli ſhe affermyde, for to haue him ſo. Forſoþ þei ſeiden, It is his aungel. Forſoþ Petre laſtide knockynge. Soþli whanne þei hadden openyd, þei ſyȝen him, and wondriden. Soþli he bekenynge to hem wiþ hond for to be ſtille, tolde hou þe Lord hadde ledd him out of priſoun. And he ſeide, Telle ȝe to James and breþeren þes þingis. And he gon out, wente into anoþer place. Soþli þe day maad, þer was not lytil trowblyng among þe knyȝtis, what was don of Petre.

Soþli whanne Eroud had ſouȝt hym aȝen, and nouȝt founde, inquiciſioun, or ſekyng, maad of keperis, he comaundide hem for to be brouȝt. And he comynge doun fro Judee into Ceſarie, dwellide þere. Forſoþ he was wroþ to men of Tyre and of Sidon. And þei of oon acoord camen to him, and Blaſtis, þat was on þe cowche of þe kyng, ſoftli ſtirid, þei axiden pees, for þat her cuntrees weren noriſched, or ſuſteyned, by him. Forſoþ a day ordeyned, Eroud cloþid wiþ kingis cloþinge, ſaat for domeſman, and ſpak to hem. Forſoþ þe peple cryede, Þe vois of God, not of man. Soþly anoon an aungel of þe Lord ſmoot him, for he hadde not don honour to God; and he waaſtid of wormes, deiede.

Soþeli þe word of þe Lord wexide, and was multiplied. Forſoþ Barnabas and Saul turnyden aȝen fro Jeruſalem, þe myniſterie fulfillid, John takyn to, þat was namyd Markus.