Acts · Chapter 22

[ edit] Men, breþeren and fadris, heere ȝe what reſoun I ȝelde now to ȝou. Forſoþ, whanne ſumme herden for in Ebrew tunge he ſpak to hem, þei ȝauen more ſilence. And he ſeide, I a man Jew, born at Tarſe of Cilicie, noriſchid forſoþ in þis citee biſydis þe feet of Gamaliel, lerud vp þe treuþe of fadris lawe, folower, or louer, of þe lawe, as and ȝe alle ben to day. Þe whiche I purſuede þis wey til to þe deeþ, byndinge to gidere and drawinge into holdis men and wymmen, as þe prince of preſtis ȝeldiþ witneſſing to me, and alle þe more in birþe. Of which and I takinge piſtlis to breþeren, wente to Damaſk, þat I ſchulde brynge fro þennis bounden into Jeruſalem, þat þei ſchulden ben peyned.

Forſoþ it is don, me goynge, and neiȝynge to Damaſk, in þe mydday ſudenli fro heuene a copious liȝt ſchon aboute me. And I fallinge into þe erþe, herde a vois fro heuene, ſeiynge to me, Saul, Saul, what purſueſt þou me? It is hard to þee for to kyke aȝens þe pricke. Forſoþe I anſweride, Who art þou, Lord? And he ſeide to me, I am Jheſu of Nazareþ, whom þou purſueſt. And þei þat weren wiþ me ſyȝen ſoþli þe liȝt, forſoþe þei herden not þe vois of him, þat ſpak wiþ me. And I ſeide, Lord, what ſchal I do? Soþli þe Lord ſeide to me, Þou riſynge, go to Damaſk; and þere it ſchal be ſeid to þee, of alle þingis whiche it bihoueþ þee for to do.

And whanne I ſyȝ not, for þe clerete of þat liȝt, I ledd to hondis of felowis, cam to Damaſk. Forſoþ ſumman, Ananye, vp þe lawe hauynge witneſſing of alle Jewis dwellinge in Damaſk, comynge to me, and ſtondinge nyȝ, ſeide, Saul, broþer, bihold. And I in þe ſame hour biheld in to him. And he ſeide, God of oure fadris ordeynede þee, þat þou ſchuldiſt knowe þe wille of him, and ſchuldiſt ſe iuſt þing, and heere þe vois of his mouþ. For þou ſchalt be his witneſſe to alle men, of þo þingis þat þou haſt ſeyn and herd. And now, what dwelliſt þou? Ryſe vp, and be baptiſid, and waiſch awey þi ſynnes, ynclepid þe name of him.

Forſoþ it is don to me, turnynge aȝen into Jeruſalem, and preinge in þe temple, me for to be maad in rauyſſching of ſoule, and to ſe him ſeyinge to me, Hiȝe þou, and go out faſte of Jeruſalem, for þei ſchulen not receyue þi witneſſyng of me. And I ſeide, Lord, þei witen, for I was cloſynge to gidere into priſoun, and betynge by ſynagogis hem þat bileueden in to þee. And whanne þe blood of Sþeuene, þi witneſſe, was ſched, I ſtood nyȝ, and conſentide, and kepte þe cloþis of men ſleynge him. And he ſeide to me, Go þou, for I ſchal ſende þee ferr to naciouns.

Forſoþ þei herden him til to þis word; and þei reyſiden her vois, ſeyinge, Take fro þe erþe ſuch a maner man; forſoþ it is not leefful, him for to lyue. Soþli hem cryinge in voys, and caſtinge a wey her cloþis, and þrowinge dowſt in to þe eyr, þe tribune comaundide hym for to be ledd in to caſtels, and for to be betyn wiþ ſcourgis, and him for to be turmentid, þat he ſchulde wite, for what cauſe þei cryeden ſo to him. And whanne þei hadden ſtreyned hym wiþ boondis, or roopis, Poul ſeide to a centurioun ſtondinge nyȝ to him, If it is leefful to ȝou, for to ſcourge a man Romayn, and vndampned?

Which þing herd, centurioun wente to þe tribune, and tolde to him, ſeiynge, What art þou to doinge? forſoþ þis man is a citeſeyn Romayn. Forſoþ þe tribune comynge to, ſeide to him, Seie þou to me, if þou art a Romayn? And he ſeide, Ȝhe. And þe tribune anſweride, How liȝtly ſeiſt þou þee a Romayn citeſeyn? I wiþ moche ſumme gat þis ciuylite. And Poul ſeiþ, I ſoþli and am borun. Þerfore a noon þei þat weren to turmentinge him, departiden awey fro him. And þe tribune dredde, aftir þat he wiſte aȝen, for he was a citeſeyn of Rome, and for he hadde boundyn him.

Forſoþ in þe day ſuynge he willinge for to wite more diligently, of what cauſe he were accuſid of Jewis, vnbound him, and comaundide preſtis for to come, and al þe counſeil. And he bryngynge forþ Poul, ordeynede him among hem.