Acts · Chapter 17

[ edit] Soþeli, whanne þei hadden paſſid bi Amphipolis and Apolonye, þei camen to Teſſalonyk, wher was a ſynagoge of Jewis. Soþli vp cuſtom Poul entride into hem, and by þre ſabotis he declaride to hem of ſcripturis, openynge and ſchewynge for it bihoueþ Criſt for to ſuffre, and ryſe aȝen fro deede men, and for þis is Jheſus Criſt, whom I tolde, or ſchewide, to ȝou. And ſumme of hem bileueden, and ben ioyned to Poul and Silas; and of heþen men worſchipinge a greet multitude, and noble wymmen not fewe. Soþli Jewis hauynge enuye, and takinge of þe comune ſumme yuele men, and a cumpanye maad, þei moueden þe citee. And þei ſtondinge nyȝ Jaſons hous, ſouȝten hem for to bringe forþ into þe peple.

And whanne þei founden hem not, þei drowen Jaſon and ſumme breþeren to þe princes of þe citee, criynge, For þeſe it ben, þat mouen þe world, and hidir þei camen, whom Jaſon receyuede. And þes alle don aȝens þe maundementis of Ceſar, ſeiynge, an oþer Jheſu for to be kyng. Forſoþ þei mouyden þe peple, and princes of þe citee, heeringe þes þingis. And ſatisfaccioun takun of Jaſon and of oþere, þei leften hem. Forſoþ anoon by nyȝte breþeren diſmittiden Poul and Silas in to Beroan. Þe whiche whanne þei camen, entriden into þe ſynagoge of Jewis.

Soþli þes weren þe nobelere of hem þat ben at Teſſalonyk, whiche reſceyueden þe word wiþ al deſyr, ech day ſekynge ſcripturis, if þeſe þingis ſo hadden hem. And ſoþeli manye of hem bileuyden, and of heþen wymmen honeſte and men not fewe. Forſoþe whanne Jewis in Teſſalonyk hadden knowe, for and at Beroan þe word of God is prechid of Poul, þei camen and þidur, mouynge and diſturblinge þe multitude. And anon breþeren diſmittiden Poul þanne, þat he ſchulde go til to þe ſee; forſoþ Silas and Tymoþe dwelten þere. Soþli þei þat ledden forþ Poul, ledden him til to Aþenes. And maundement takyn of him to Silas and Tymoþe, þat ful hiȝyngli þei ſchulden come to him, þei wenten forþ.

Forſoþ whanne Poul abood hem at Aþenys, his ſpirit was mouyd in him, ſeynge þe citee ȝouun to ydolatrie. Þerfore he diſputide in þe ſynagoge wiþ Jewis, and men worſchipinge, in þe chepinge, or dom place, bi alle dayes to hem þat herden. Forſoþe ſumme Epicureis, and Stoycis, and philoſofris diſputiden, or tretiden, wiþ him. And ſumme ſeiden, What wole þis ſowere of wordis ſeie? Soþli oþere ſeiden, He is ſeyn for to be a tellere of newe deuelis; for he telde to hem Jheſu, and aȝen ryſing. And þei ledden him takun to Ariopage, þat is, comun ſcole, ſeyinge, Mown we wite, what is þis newe doctryn, þat is ſeid of þee?

Soþli þou bringiſt yn ſum newe þingis to oure eeris; þerfore we wolen wite, what þeſe þingis wolen be. Soþli alle men of Aþenis and comelingis, herborid men, ȝauen tent to noon oþir þing, no but eþir for to ſeye, eþir for to heere, ony þing of newe. Forſoþ Poul ſtondinge in þe myddel of Areopage, ſeiþ, Men of Aþenis, bi alle þingis I ſe ȝou as veyn worſchiperis. Soþli I paſſinge, and ſeynge ȝoure ſymulacris, foond and an auter, in which was writun, To vnknowun God. Þerfore which þing ȝe vnknowynge worſchipen, þis þing I ſchewe to ȝou.

God þat made þe world and alle þingis þat ben in it, þis, whanne he is Lord of heuene and erþe, dwelliþ not in templis maad bi hond, neþer is worſchipid by mannis hondis, hauynge nede of ony þing, whanne he ȝyueþ lyf to alle men, and ynbreþing, and alle þingis; and maad of oon al þe kynde of men for to enhabite on al þe face of erþe, determynynge tymes ordeyned, and termes of habitacioun, or dwelling, of hem, for to ſeke God, if perauenture þei feelen him, eþir fynden, þouȝ he be not fer fro ech of ȝou. Soþeli in him we lyuen, and ben moued, and ben. As and ſumme of ȝoure poetis ſeiden, Soþeli we ben and þe kynde of him.

Þerfore ſiþen we ben þe kynde of God, we ſchulen not deme, or geſſe, godly þing for to be lyk to gold, and ſiluer, or ſtoon, to grauyng of craft and þouȝt of man. And ſoþeli God diſpiſinge þe tymes of þis vnkunnynge, now ſchewiþ to men, þat alle euerywhere do penaunce; for þat he ordeynede a day, in which he is to demynge þe world in equyte, in a man in which he ordeynede, feiþ ȝyuynge to alle, reyſinge him fro deede men. Soþeli whanne þei hadden herd þe aȝen ryſing of deede men, ſoþli ſumme ſcorneden, ſumme forſoþe ſeiden, We ſchulen heere þee eft of þis þing. So Poul wente out of þe myddil of hem. Forſoþe ſumme cliuynge to him, bileuyden.

In þe whiche and Dionyſe Ariopagite, or greet man of comun ſcole, and a womman, by name Damaris, and oþere men wiþ hem.