Acts · Chapter 26

[ edit] Agrippa ſoþli ſeiþ to Poul, It is ſuffrid to þee, for to ſpeke for þi ſilf. Þanne Poul, þe hond holdun forþ, bigan for to ȝelde reſoun. Of alle þingis, in whiche I am accuſid, þou kyng Agrippa, I geſſe me bleſſid at þee, whanne I am to defendinge me þis day; mooſt þee witinge alle þingis þat ben at Jewis, cuſtoms and queſtiouns. For which þing, I beſeche, heere me paciently. And ſoþli alle Jewis bifore witinge me fro þe bigynnyng, han knowun my lyf fro ȝongþe; þat fro þe bigynnyng was in my folk in Jeruſalem, if þei wolen bere witneſſe, for vp þe mooſt certeyn ſecte of oure religioun, I lyuede a Fariſee.

And now in þe hope of repromyſcioun, þat is maad to oure fadris of God, I ſtonde ſuget in dom; in which oure twelue lynagis ſeruynge nyȝt and day, hopen for to become; of which hope, þou king, I am accuſid of Jewis. What vnbileefful þing is demyd at ȝou, if God reyſiþ deede men? And ſoþeli I geſſide, me aȝens þe name of Jheſu Nazarene, for to owe do manye contrarie þingis. Which þing and I dide in Jeruſalem, and I encloſide manye of ſeyntis in priſouns, power takun of þe princes of preſtis. And whanne þei weren ſlayn, I ȝaf þe ſentence. And bi alle ſynagogis ofte I ponyſchinge hem, conſtreynede for to blasfeme; and more I waxynge wood aȝens hem, purſuede to aliene citees.

In whiche, þe while I wente to Damaſk, wiþ power and ſuffring of princes of preſtis, in þe mydday, in þe wey I ſyȝ, þou kyng, fro heuene liȝt haue ſchyned aboute me, ouer þe ſchynyng of þe ſunne, and hem þat weren to gidere wiþ me. And whanne we alle hadden fallun doun into þe erþe, I herde a voys ſeyinge to me in Ebrew tunge, Saul, Saul, what purſueſt þou me? it is hard to þee, for to kike aȝens þe pricke. Forſoþ I ſeide, Who art þou, Lord? Soþeli þe Lord ſeide, I am Jheſus, whom þou purſueſt. But ryſe vp, and ſtond on þi feet.

Soþli to þis þing I aperide to þee, þat I ordeyne þee myniſtre and witneſſe of þo þingis þat þou haſt ſeyn, and of þo in whiche I ſchal apeere to þee; delyuerynge þee fro peplis and folkis, into whiche now I ſende þee, for to opene þe yȝen of hem, þat þei be conuertid fro derkneſſis to liȝt, and fro power of Saþanas to God, þat þei take remyſcioun of ſynnes, and ſort, or part, among ſeyntis, by feiþ þat is in me. Wherfore, þou kyng Agrippa, I was not vnbileefful to heuenly viſioun; but to hem þat ben at Damaſk firſt, and Jeruſalem, and bi al þe cuntree of Judee, and to heþen men, I ſchewide, or tolde, þat þei ſchulden do penaunce, and be conuertid to God, doynge worþi workis of penaunce.

Of þis cauſe Jewis temptiden me takyn to, whanne I was in þe temple, willinge for to ſle me. Soþli I holpyn by þe help of God into þis day, ſtonde, witneſſinge to laſſe and more; no þing wiþoute ſeyinge þan whiche þingis þe prophetis and Moyſes ſpaken for to be comynge, if Criſt paſſible, or able to ſuffre, if þe firſte of þe aȝen ryſing of deede men is to ſchewinge liȝt to þe peple and heþen men. Him ſpekinge þes þingis, and ȝeldinge reſoun, Feſtus wiþ greet vois ſeyde, Poul, þou maddiſt, or wexiſt wood; manye lettris turnen þee to woodneſſe. And Poul ſeiþ, I madde not, þou beſt Feſtus, but I ſpeke out þe wordus of treuþe and ſobreneſſe.

Soþli and þe kyng, to whom I ſpeke ſtedefaſtly, woot of þeſe þingis; ſoþli I deme no þing of þeſe for to dare him, or vnknowe. Forſoþ neþer in a corner is ouȝt of þeſe þingis don. Bileueſt þou, kyng Agrippa, to prophetis? I woot for þou bileueſt. Soþli Agrippa ſeide to Poul, In litil þing þou counceliſt me for to be maad a criſten man. And Poul, I deſyre anentis God, and in litil and in greet, not oonly þee, but and alle þeſe þat heeren to day, for to be maad ſuche what manere and I am, out takun þes bondis. And þe kyng roos vp, and þe preſident, and Bernyce, and þei þat ſaten nyȝ to hem.

Þe whiche whanne þei wenten awey, ſpaken to gidere, ſeyinge, For þis man haþ not don ony þing worþi deeþ, or bondis. Forſoþ Agrippa ſeide to Feſtus, Þis man myȝte be diſmittid, or delyuered, if he hadde not apelid to Ceſar.