Acts · Chapter 23

[ edit] Poul forſoþ biholdinge in to þe counſeil, ſeiþ, Men breþeren, I wiþ al good conſcience haue lyued bifore God, til into þis day. Soþli Anany, prince of preſtis, comaundide to men ſtondinge nyȝ, for to ſmyte his mouþ. Þanne Poul ſeide to him, Wal maad whiȝt, God ſchal ſmyte þee; and þou ſittinge demeſt me vp þe lawe, and aȝenſt þe lawe comaundiſt me for to be ſmytyn. And þei þat ſtooden nyȝ, ſeiden, Curſiſt þou þe hiȝeſte preſt of God? Soþli Poul ſeide, Breþeren, I wiſte not, for he is prince of preſtis; forſoþ it is writun, Þou ſchalt not curſe þe prince of þi peple.

Forſoþe Poul witinge, for o party was of Saducees, and þat oþir of Phariſees, he cryede in þe counceil, Men breþeren, I am a Phariſe, þe ſone of Phariſees; of þe hope and aȝen ryſing of deede men I am demed. And whanne he hadde ſeid þis þing, diſſencioun is maad bitwixe Phariſees and Saducees, and þe multitude is departid. Forſoþ Saducees ſeyn, for to be no ryſinge aȝen of deede men, neþer aungel, neþer ſpirit; forſoþe Phariſees knowlechen boþe. Soþli a greet cry is maad. And ſumme of Phariſees ryſinge vp, fouȝten, ſeyinge, We fynde no þing of yuel in þis man; what if a ſpirit ſpak to him, or aungel?

And whanne greet diſſencioun was maad, þe tribune dredinge, leſt Poul ſchulde be to-drawun a mong hem, comaundide knyȝtis for to go doun, and to rauyſche him of þe myddil of hem, and for to lede him in to caſtels. Soþli in þe nyȝt ſuynge þe Lord ſtondinge nyȝ to him, ſeiþ, Be þou ſtedefaſt; ſoþli as þou haſt witneſſid of me in Jeruſalem, ſo it bihoueþ þee for to witneſſe and at Rome. Forſoþe þe day maad, ſumme of þe Jewis gederiden hem, and maden a vow, ſeyinge, hem neþer to etinge, neþer to drynkinge, til þei ſlowen Poul. Forſoþ þer weren mo þan fourty men, þat maden þis coniuracioun, or ſwering to gidere.

Þe whiche wenten to þe princes of preſtis, and eldre men, and ſeiden, Wiþ deuocioun we han avowid vs to no þing taſtinge, til we ſlen Poul. Now þerfore make ȝe knowun to þe tribune, wiþ þe counceil, þat he leede forþ him to ȝou, as ȝe to knowinge ſum þing more certeynli of him; ſoþli we ben redy for to ſle him, bifore þat he come nyȝ. Which þing whanne þe ſone of Poulis ſiſtir hadde herd þe aſpies, or treſoun, he cam, and entride in to þe caſtels, and tolde Poul. Soþli he clepinge to him oon of þe centuriouns, ſeiþ, Leed þis ȝonge man to þe tribune, for he haþ ſum þing for to ſchewe to him.

And he forſoþe takinge him to, ledde to þe tribune, and ſeiþ, Boundyn Poul preiede me, for to lede to þee þis ȝonge man, hauynge ſum þing for to ſpeke to þee. Soþli þe tribune takinge his hond, wente wiþ him a ſydis half, and axide him, What þing is it, þat þou haſt to ſchewe to me? Forſoþ he ſeide, It bifalliþ to þe Jewis for to preie þee, þat to morwe day þou bringe forþ Poul into þe counceil, as þei ben to ſekinge ſum þing certeynere. Soþli bileue þou not to hem; forſoþe more þan fourty men of hem aſpien him, þe whiche han a vowid, hem for to not ete ne drynke, til þei ſlen him; and now þei ben redy, abidinge þi biheeſte.

Þerfore þe tribune lefte þe ȝonge man, comaundinge, þat he ſchulde ſpeke to no man, for he hadde maad þes þingis knowun to him. And tweye centuriouns clepid to gidire, he ſeide to hem, Make ȝe redy tweyne hundrid knyȝtis, þat þei go til to Ceſarie, and horſmen ſeuenty, and ſper men tweyn hundrid, fro þe þridde hour of þe nyȝt. And make ȝe redy iumentis, or hors, þat þei puttinge Poul vpon, ſchulden lede him ſaf to Felix, preſident. Soþli he dredde, leſt perauenture Jewis ſchulden rauyſche him, and ſlee, and he aftirward ſchulde ſuffre chalenge, as he were to takinge money; writinge to him an epiſtle, conteynynge þes þingis. Claudius Liſias to þe beſt Felix, precident, heelþe.

Þis man takyn of Jewis, and bigynnynge for to be ſlayn of hem, I aboue comynge wiþ cumpany delyuerede, knowun for he is a Romayn. And I willinge for to wite þe cauſe, þe which þei puttiden aȝens him, ledde him in to þe counceil of hem. Whom I fond for to ben accuſid of queſtiouns of þe lawe of hem, forſoþ hauynge no cryme worþi þe deeþ, or bondis. And whanne it was teeld to me of þe aſpies, or treſouns, þat þei maden redy, I ſente him to þee, denounſinge and to accuſatours, þat þei ſeie at þee. Farwel. Soþli knyȝtis, vp þing comaundid to hem, takinge to Poul, ledden him by nyȝt into Antipatriden.

And in þe day ſuynge, þe horſmen left, þat þei ſchulden go wiþ him, þei turnyden aȝen to þe caſtels. Þe whiche whanne þei camen to Ceſarie, and token þe pyſtle to þe preſident, þei ſetten bifore hym and Poul. Forſoþ whanne he hadde rad, and axid, of what prouynce he was, and knowinge for he was of Cilice, I ſchal heere þee, he ſeiþ, whanne þi accuſeris ſchulen come. And he comaundide him for to be kept in þe pretorie, or moote halle, of Heroude.