Acts 23

1 Paul fixed his eyes on the Council, and began: “Brothers, for my part, I have always ordered my life before God, with a clear conscience, up to this very day.”

And Poul bihelde in to the counsel, and seide, Britheren, Y with al good conscience haue lyued bifore God, `til in to this dai.

2 At this, the high priest Ananias ordered the men standing near to strike him on the mouth;

And Anany, prince of prestis, comaundide to men that stoden nyy hym, that thei schulden smyte his mouth.

3 Paul turned to him and said: “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to try me in accordance with law, and yet, in defiance of law, order me to be struck?”

Thanne Poul seide to hym, Thou whitid wal, God smyte thee; thou sittist, and demest me bi the lawe, and ayens the law thou comaundist me to be smytun.

4 The people standing near said to Paul, “Do you know that you are insulting God’s high priest?”

And thei that stoden niy, seiden, Cursist thou the hiyest prest of God?

5 “I did not know, brothers, that it was the high priest,” said Paul, “for scripture says – ‘Of the ruler of your people you should speak no ill’.”

And Poul seide, Britheren, Y wiste not, that he is prince of preestis; for it is writun, Thou schalt not curse the prince of thi puple.

6 Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial.”

But Poul wiste, that o parti was of Saduceis, and the othere of Fariseis; and he criede in the counsel, Britheren, Y am a Farisee, the sone of Farisees; Y am demyd of the hope and of the ayen rising of deed men.

7 As soon as he said this, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and there was a sharp division of opinion among those present.

And whanne he hadde seid this thing, dissencioun was maad bitwixe the Fariseis and the Saduceis, and the multitude was departid.

8 (For Sadducees say there is no such thing as a resurrection, and that there is neither angel nor spirit, while Pharisees believe in both.)

For Saduceis seien, that no `rysing ayen of deed men is, nether aungel, nether spirit; but Fariseis knowlechen euer eithir.

9 So a great uproar ensued, and some of the Teachers of the Law belonging to the Pharisees’ party stood up and hotly protested, “We find nothing whatever wrong in this man. Suppose a spirit did speak to him, or an angel…”

And a greet cry was maad. And summe of Farisees rosen vp, and fouyten, seiynge, We fynden no thing of yuel in this man; what if a spirit, ether an aungel spak to hym?

10 The dispute was becoming so violent, that the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces between them, ordered the Guard to go down and rescue him from them, and take him into the Fort.

And whanne greet discencioun was maad, the tribune dredde, lest Poul schulde be to-drawun of hem; and he comaundide knyytis to go doun, and to take hym fro the myddil of hem, and to lede hym in to castels.

11 That night the Lord came and stood by Paul, and said, “Courage! You have borne witness for me in Jerusalem and you must bear witness in Rome also.”

And in the niyt suynge the Lord stood niy to hym, and seide, Be thou stidfast; for as thou hast witnessid of me in Jerusalem, so it bihoueth thee to witnesse also at Rome.

12 In the morning some Jewish men combined together, and took an oath that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

And whanne the dai was come, summe of the Jewis gaderiden hem, and maden `avow, and seiden, that thei schulden nether eete, ne drinke, til thei slowen Poul.

13 There were more than forty in the plot;

And there weren mo than fourti men, that maden this sweryng togider.

14 and they went to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to touch food until we have killed Paul.

And thei wenten to the princis of prestis, and eldre men, and seiden, With deuocioun we han a vowid, that we schulen not taste ony thing, til we sleen Poul.

15 So we want you now, with the consent of the Council, to suggest to the commanding officer that he should bring Paul down before you, as though you intended to go more fully into his case; but, before he comes here, we will be ready to make away with him.”

Now therfor make ye knowun to the tribune, with the counsel, that he bringe hym forth to you, as if ye schulden knowe sum thing more certeynli of hym; and we ben redi to sle hym, bifor that he come.

16 However, the son of Paul’s sister, hearing of the plot, went to the Fort, and on being admitted, told Paul about it.

And whanne the sone of Poulis sister hadde herd the aspies, he cam, and entride in to the castels, and telde to Poul.

17 Paul called one of the garrison centurion and asked him to take the lad to the commanding officer, as he had something to tell him.

And Poul clepide to hym oon of the centuriens, and seide, Lede this yonge man to the tribune, for he hath sum thing to schewe to hym.

18 The centurion went with the lad to the commanding officer, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this lad to you, as he has something to tell you.”

And he took hym, and ledde to the tribune, and seide, Poul, that is boundun, preide me to lede to thee this yonge man, that hath sum thing to speke to thee.

19 The commanding officer took the lad by the hand, and, stepping aside, asked what it was he had to tell him.

And the tribune took his hoond, and wente with hym asidis half, and axide hym, What thing is it, that thou hast to schewe to me?

20 “Some men have agreed,” answered the lad, “to ask you to bring Paul down before the Council tomorrow, on the plea of your making further inquiry into his case.

And he seide, The Jewis ben acordid to preye thee, that to morewe thou brynge forth Poul in to the counsel, as if thei schulden enquere sum thing more certeynli of hym.

21 But do not let them persuade you, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have taken an oath that they will not eat or drink, until they have made away with him; and they are at this very moment in readiness, counting on your promise.”

But bileue thou not to hem; for mo than fourti men of hem aspien hym, which han a vowid, that thei schulen not eete nether drynke, til thei sleen hym; and now thei ben redi, abidinge thi biheest.

22 The commanding officer then dismissed the lad, cautioning him not to mention to anybody that he had given him that information.

Therfor the tribune lefte the yonge man, and comaundide, that he schulde speke to no man, that he hadde maad these thingis knowun to hym.

23 Then he called two Captains, and ordered them to have two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, as well as seventy troopers and two hundred lancers, by nine o’clock that night,

And he clepide togidre twei centuriens, and he seide to hem, Make ye redi twei hundrid knyytis, that thei go to Cesarie, and horse men seuenti, and spere men twey hundrid, fro the thridde our of the nyyt.

24 and to have horses ready for Paul to ride, so that they might take him safely to Felix, the Governor.

And make ye redy an hors, for Poul to ride on, to lede hym saaf to Felix, the presydent.

25 He also wrote a letter along these lines:

For the tribune dredde, lest the Jewis wolden take hym bi the weie, and sle hym, and aftirward he miyte be chalengid, as he hadde take money.

26 ‘Claudius Lysias sends his compliments to His Excellency Felix the Governor.

And wroot hym `a pistle, conteynynge these thingis. Claudius Lisias to the beste Felix, president, heelthe.

27 The man whom I send with this had been seized by some Jews, and was on the point of being killed by them, when I came upon them with the force under my command, and rescued him, as I learned that he was a Roman citizen.

This man that was take of the Jewis, and bigan to be slayn, Y cam vpon hem with myn oost, and delyuerede hym fro hem, whanne Y knewe that he was a Romayn.

28 Wanting to know exactly the ground of the charges they made against him, I brought him before their Council,

And Y wolde wite the cause, which thei puttiden ayens hym; and Y ledde hym to the counsel of hem.

29 when I found that their charges were connected with questions of their own Law, and that there was nothing alleged involving either death or imprisonment.

And Y foond, that he was accusid of questiouns of her lawe, but he hadde no cryme worthi the deth, ethir boondis.

30 Having, however, information of a plot against the man, which was about to be put into execution, I am sending him to you at once, and I have also directed his accusers to prosecute him before you.’

And whanne it was teeld me of the aspies, that thei arayden for hym, Y sente hym to thee, and Y warnede also the accuseris, that thei seie at thee. Fare wel.

31 The soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took charge of Paul and conducted him by night to Antipatris;

And so the knyytis, as thei weren comaundid, token Poul, and ledde hym bi nyyt into Antipatriden.

32 and on the next day, leaving the troopers to go on with him, they returned to the Fort.

And in the dai suynge, whanne the horsmen weren left, that schulden go with hym, thei turneden ayen to the castels.

33 On arriving at Caesarea, the troopers delivered the letter to the Governor, and brought Paul before him.

And whanne thei camen to Cesarie, thei token the pistle to the president, and thei setten also Poul byfore him.

34 As soon as Felix had read the letter, he enquired to what province Paul belonged, and, learning that he came from Cilicia, he said,

And whanne he hadde red, and axide, of what prouynce he was, and knewe that he was of Cilicie,

35 “I will hear all you have to say as soon as your accusers have arrived.” And he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod’s Government house.

Y schal here thee, he seide, whanne thin accuseris comen. And he comaundide hym to be kept in the moot halle of Eroude.