Acts · Chapter 19

[ edit] Forſoþ it is don, whanne Apollo was at Corinþe, þat þe hiȝer partis gon, Poul cam to Epheſi, and fond ſumme of diſciplis. And he ſeide to hem, If ȝe han reſceyued þe Hooli Goſt bileuynge? And þei ſeiden to him, But neþir we han herd, if þe Hooli Goſt is. Soþly he ſeiþ, Þerfore in what þing ben ȝe baptyſid? Whiche ſeiden, In baptym of John. Forſoþ Poul ſeide, John baptyſide in baptym of penaunce þe peple, ſeyinge, þat þei ſchulde byleue into him þat was to comynge aftir him, þat is, into Jheſu. Þeſe þingis herd, þei ben baptiſid in þe name of þe Lord Jheſu. And whanne Poul hadde putt to hem þe hondis, þe Hooli Goſt cam on hem, and þei ſpaken wiþ langagis, and propheſieden.

Forſoþ alle weren almeſt twelue men. Soþli he gon into þe ſynagoge, wiþ triſt ſpak, by þre moneþis diſputinge and ſoftli mouynge of þe kyngdom of God. Soþli whanne ſumme weren endurid, or maad hard, and bileuyden not, curſinge þe wey of þe Lord bifore multitude, he goynge awey fro hem, departide diſciplis, ech day diſputinge in ſcole of ſum tyraunt, or ſtrong man. Þis is don by twey ȝeeris, ſo þat alle þat dwelliden in Aſie herden þe word of þe Lord, Jewis and heþene men.

And vertues whiche euere þe Lord dide by þe hond of Poul, ſo þat on ſyke men þe ſudaries, or ſwetyng cloþis, or nyȝt cloþis, or girdils, weren borun fro his body, and ſikeneſſis departiden fro hem, and wickide ſpiritis wenten out. Forſoþe and ſumme of þe Jewis exorciſtis, or coniureris, comynge aboute, temptide for to inclepe þe name of þe Lord Jheſu Criſt on hem þat hadden yuele ſpiritis, ſeiynge, I coniure ȝou by Jheſu, whom Poul prechiþ. Soþeli þer weren ſumme ſeuene ſones of a Jewe, Sceue, prince of preſtis, þat diden þis þing. Soþli þe yuel ſpirit anſweringe, ſeide to hem, I haue knowe Jheſu, and I woot Poul; forſoþ whiche ben ȝe?

And þe man in which was þe worſte deuel, lippinge into hem, and hauynge lordſchip of boþe, was ſtrong aȝens hem, þat þei nakid and woundid fledden awey fro þat hous. Forſoþ þis þing was maad knowun to alle Jewis and heþene men, þat dwelliden at Epheſi; and drede fel doun on hem alle, and þei magnyfieden þe name of þe Lord Jheſu. And manye of men bileuynge camen, knowlechinge and tellinge her dedis. Soþeli manye of hem þat ſueden curiouſe þingis, brouȝten to gidere bookis, and brennyden hem bifore alle men; and þe priſis of hem acountid, þei founden money of fifty þouſynd pens; ſo ſtrongly þe word of God wexide, and was confermyd.

Soþli þes þingis fulfillid, Poul purpoſide in ſpirit, Macedonye paſſid and Achaye, for to go to Jeruſalem, ſeiynge, For aftir þat I ſchal be þere, it bihoueþ me for to ſe Rome. Forſoþ he ſendinge into Macedonye tweyne of men myniſtringe to him, Tymoþe and Eraſte, dwellide at a tyme in Aſie. Þerfore þer was maad in þat day a ſturbling not leeſt, of þe wey of þe Lord.

Forſoþ ſum man, Demetrie by name, argentarie, makinge ſiluerene houſis to Dian, þat is, fals goddeſſe, ȝaf to crafty men not litil wynnyng; whom he clepinge to gidere, and hem þat weren ſuche manere werk men, ſeide, Men, ȝe witen for of þis craft is to ȝou wynnyng; and ȝe ſeen and heeren, for not oonly of Epheſi, but almeſt of al Aſie, þis Poul councelinge turneþ awey moche cumpany, ſeiynge, for þei ben not goddis, þat ben maad by hondis. Forſoþ not oonli þis part ſchal be in perel to vs, for to come into reprof, but þe temple of greet Dian ſchal be acountid into noȝt; but and þe mageſte of hir ſchal be diſtroyed, whom al Aſie worſchipiþ and þe world.

Þeſe þingis herd, þei ben fulfillid wiþ ire, and cryeden, ſeiynge, Greet Dian of Epheſians. And þe citee is fulfillid wiþ confuſioun, and þei maden a ſawt wiþ oon ynwit, or wille, in to þe teatre, or comune biholdyng place, Gayus rauyſchid and Ariſtark, men of Macedonye, felowis of Poul. Soþli Poul willinge for to entre into þe peple, diſciplis ſuffriden not. Forſoþ ſumme and of þe princes of Aſie, þat weren his frendis, ſenten to him, preiynge, þat he ſchulde not ȝyue him ſilf into þe teatre. Soþli oþere men cryeden oþir þing; ſoþli þe chirche was confuſid, and manye wiſten not of what cauſe þei camen to gidere.

Soþli of þe cumpanye þei wiþdrowen ſum man Aliſaundre, Jewis puttinge him, or fer ſchowfynge. Forſoþe Aliſaundre, ſilence axid wiþ þe hond, wolde ȝelde reſoun to þe peple. Whom as þei knewen for to be a Jew, o vois of alle men was maad, criynge as by twey houris, Greet Dian of Ephiſians. And whanne þe ſcribe hadde ceeſſid þe cumpanyes, he ſeide, Men of Epheſi, who ſoþli is of men, þat knowiþ not, þe citee of Ephiſians for to be worſchiper of greet Dian, and of þe ſone Jubiter? Þerfore whanne it may not be aȝen ſeid to þes þingis, it bihoueþ ȝou for to be ceeſſid, or ſwagid, and for to do no þing folily; ſoþli ȝe han brouȝt þes men, neþer ſacrilegeris, neþer blasfemynge ȝoure goddeſſe.

Þat if Demetrie, and þe werkmen þat ben wiþ him, han cauſe aȝens ony man, comyngis to gidere of dom ben don, and proconſuls, or iuſtiſis, ben; accuſe þei hem to gidere. If ȝe ſeken ouȝt of ony oþir þing, it may be aſoylid in þe laweful chirche. Forwhi and we ben in perel for to be reproued of þis dayes ſeducioun, or diſſencioun, ſiþen no man is gilty, of whom we mown ȝelde reſoun of þis rennyng to gidere. And whanne he hadde ſeid þis þing, he lefte, or delyuerede, þe chirche.