Acts 22
1 Ye men, brethren and Fathers, heare my defence nowe towards you.
Britheren and fadris, here ye what resoun Y yelde now to you.
2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrewe tongue to them, they kept the more silence, and he sayd)
And whanne sum herden that in Ebrew tunge he spak to hem, thei yauen the more silence.
3 I am verely a man, which am a Iew, borne in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought vp in this citie at the feete of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the perfect maner of the Lawe of the Fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.
And he seide, Y am a man a Jew, borun at Tharse of Cilicie, nurischid and in this citee bisidis the feet of Gamaliel, tauyt bi the treuthe of fadris lawe, a louyere of the lawe, as also ye alle ben to dai.
4 And I persecuted this way vnto the death, binding and deliuering into prison both men and women.
And Y pursuede this weie til to the deth, byndynge and bitakinge `in to holdis men and wymmen,
5 As also ye chiefe Priest doeth beare me witnes, and al the company of the Elders: of whom also I receiued letters vnto the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring them which were there, bound vnto Hierusalem, that they might be punished.
as the prince of prestis yeldith witnessyng to me, and alle the grettest in birth. Of whom also Y took pistlis to britheren, and wente to Damask, to bring fro thennys men boundun in to Jerusalem, that thei schulden be peyned.
6 And so it was, as I iourneyed and was come neere vnto Damascus about noone, that suddenly there shone from heauen a great light round about me.
And it was don, while Y yede, and neiyede to Damask, at myddai sudeynli fro heuene a greet plente of liyt schoon aboute me.
7 So I fell vnto the earth, and heard a voyce, saying vnto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou mee?
And Y felde doun to the erthe, and herde a voice fro heuene, seiynge to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee to kike ayens the pricke.
8 Then I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Iesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.
And Y answeride, Who art thou, Lord? And he seide to me, Y am Jhesu of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.
9 Moreouer they that were with me, sawe in deede a light and were afraide: but they heard not the voyce of him that spake vnto me.
And thei that weren with me sien but the liyt, but thei herden not the vois of hym, that spak with me.
10 Then I sayd, What shall I doe, Lord? And the Lord sayde vnto me, Arise, and goe into Damascus: and there it shall be tolde thee of all things, which are appointed for thee to doe.
And Y seide, Lord, what schal Y do? And the Lord seide to me, Rise thou, and go to Damask; and there it schal be seid to thee, of alle thingis which it bihoueth thee to do.
11 So when I could not see for the glory of that light, I was led by the hand of them that were with me, and came into Damascus.
And whanne Y saye not, for the clerete of that liyt, Y was led bi the hond of felowis, and Y cam to Damask.
12 And one Ananias a godly man, as perteining to the Lawe, hauing good report of all the Iewes which dwelt there,
And a man, Ananye, that bi the lawe hadde wytnessyng of alle Jewis dwellinge in Damask,
13 Came vnto me, and stoode, and sayd vnto me, Brother Saul, receiue thy sight: and that same houre I looked vpon him.
cam to me, and stood niy, and seide to me, Saul, brother, biholde. And Y in the same our biheelde in to hym.
14 And he sayd, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee, that thou shouldest knowe his wil, and shouldest see that Iust one, and shouldest heare the voyce of his mouth.
And he seide, God of oure fadris hath bifor ordeyned thee, that thou schuldist knowe the wille of him, and schuldist se the riytful man, and here the vois of his mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witnes vnto all men, of the things which thou hast seene and heard.
For thou schalt be his witnesse to alle men, of tho thingis that thou hast seyn and herd.
16 Now therefore why tariest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sinnes, in calling on the Name of the Lord.
And now, what dwellist thou? Rise vp, and be baptisid, and waische awei thi synnes, bi the name of hym clepid to help.
17 And it came to passe, that when I was come againe to Hierusalem, and prayed in the Temple, I was in a traunce,
And it was don to me, as Y turnede ayen in to Jerusalem, and preyede in the temple, that Y was maad in rauysching of soule,
18 And saw him saying vnto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Hierusalem: for they will not receiue thy witnes concerning me.
and Y siy him seiynge to me, Hiye thou, and go out faste of Jerusalem, for thei schulen not resseyue thi witnessing of me.
19 Then I sayd, Lord, they know that I prisoned, and beat in euery Synagogue them that beleeued in thee.
And Y seide, Lord, thei witen, that Y was closing togidir `in to prisoun, and betinge bi synagogis hem that bileueden `in to thee.
20 And when the blood of thy martyr Steuen was shed, I also stood by, and consented vnto his death, and kept the clothes of them that slew him.
And whanne the blood of Steuene, thi witnesse, was sched out, Y stood niy, and consentide, and kept the clothis of men that slowen hym.
21 Then he sayd vnto me, Depart: for I will send thee farre hence vnto the Gentiles.
And he seide to me, Go thou, for Y schal sende thee fer to naciouns.
22 And they heard him vnto this worde, but then they lift vp their voyces, and sayd, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not meete that he should liue.
And thei herden him til this word; and thei reiseden her vois, and seiden, Take awei fro the erthe siche a maner man; for it is not leueful, that he lyue.
23 And as they cried and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the aire,
And whanne thei crieden, and kesten awei her clothis, and threwen dust in to the eir,
24 The chiefe captaine commanded him to be led into the castle, and bade that he should be scourged, and examined, that he might knowe wherefore they cryed so on him.
the tribune comaundide hym to be led in to castels, and to be betun with scourgis, and to be turmentid, that he wiste, for what cause thei crieden so to him.
25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul sayd vnto the Centurion that stood by, Is it lawfull for you to scourge one that is a Romane, and not condemned?
And whanne thei hadden boundun hym with cordis, Poul seide to a centurien stondinge niy to hym, Whether it is leueful to you, to scourge a Romayn, and vndampned?
26 Nowe when the Centurion heard it, hee went, and tolde the chiefe captaine, saying, Take heede what thou doest: for this man is a Romane.
And whanne this thing was herd, the centurien wente to the tribune, and telde to hym, and seide, What art thou to doynge? for this man is a citeseyn of Rome.
27 Then the chiefe captaine came, and sayd to him, Tel me, art thou a Romane? And he said, Yea.
And the tribune cam niy, and seide to hym, Seie thou to me, whether thou art a Romayn?
28 And the chiefe captaine answered, With a great summe obtained I this freedome. Then Paul sayd, But I was so borne.
And he seide, Yhe. And the tribune answeride, Y with myche summe gat this fredom. And Poul seide, And Y was borun a citeseyn of Rome.
29 Then straightway they departed from him, which should haue examined him: and the chiefe captaine also was afrayd, after he knewe that hee was a Romane, and that he had bound him.
Therfor anoon thei that schulden haue turmentid hym, departiden awei fro hym. And the tribune dredde, aftir that he wiste, that he was a citeseyn of Rome, and for he hadde boundun hym.
30 On the next day, because hee would haue knowen the certaintie wherefore he was accused of the Iewes, he loosed him from his bonds, and commanded the hie Priests and all their Councill to come together: and he brought Paul, and set him before them.
But in the dai suynge he wolde wite more diligentli, for what cause he were accusid of the Jewis, and vnbounde hym, and comaundide prestis and al the counsel to come togidir. And he brouyte forth Poul, and sette hym among hem.
