Acts 8
1 Saul approved of his being put to death. On that very day a great persecution broke out against the church which was in Jerusalem; and its members, with the exception of the apostles, were all scattered over the districts of Judea and Samaria.
But Saul was consentynge to his deth. And greet persecucioun was maad that dai in the chirche, that was in Jerusalem. And alle men weren scatered bi the cuntrees of Judee and Samarie, outakun the apostlis.
2 Some religious men buried Stephen, with loud lamentations for him.
But good men birieden Steuene, and maden greet mornyng on hym.
3 But Saul began to devastate the church; he entered house after house, dragged out men and women alike, and threw them into prison.
But Saul greetli distruyede the chirche, and entryde bi housis, and drowe men and wymmen, and bitook hem in to prisoun.
4 Now those who were scattered in different directions went from place to place proclaiming the good news.
And thei that weren scaterid, passiden forth, prechynge the word of God.
5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and there began to preach the Christ.
And Filip cam doun in to a citee of Samarie, and prechide to hem Crist.
6 The people, one and all, listened attentively to what Philip told them, when they heard of, and saw, the miracles which he was working.
And the puple yaf tent to thes thingis that weren seid of Filip, with o wille herynge and seynge the signes that he dide.
7 For there were many instances of people with foul spirits, where the spirits, with loud screams, came out of them; and many who were paralyzed or lame were cured,
For manye of hem that hadden vnclene spirits, crieden with a greet vois, and wenten out.
8 so that there was great rejoicing throughout that city.
And manye sijk in the palsi, and crokid, weren heelid.
9 There was staying in the city a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic there and mystifying the Samaritan people, giving himself out to be some great being.
Therfor greet ioye was maad in that citee. But there was a man in that citee, whos name was Symount, a witche, that hadde disseyued the folc of Samarie, seiynge, that him silf was sum greet man.
10 Everyone, high and low, paid attention to him. ‘This man,’ they used to say, ‘must be that power of God which people call “The Great Power.”’
Whom alle herkeneden, fro the leest to the moost, and seiden, This is the vertu of God, which is clepid greet.
11 And they paid attention to him because they had for a long time been mystified by his magic arts.
And thei leueden hym, for long tyme he hadde maddid hem with his witche craftis.
12 However, when they came to believe Philip, as he told them the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
But whanne thei hadden bileued to Filip, `that prechide of the kingdom of God, men and wymmen weren baptisid in the name of Jhesu Crist.
13 Even Simon believed, and after his baptism attached himself to Philip, and was in his turn mystified at seeing signs and great miracles constantly occurring.
And thanne also Symount him silf bileued; and whanne he was baptisid, he drouy to Filip; and he sai also that signes and grete vertues weren don, he was astonyed, and wondride.
14 When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had welcomed God’s message, they sent Peter and John to them;
But whanne the apostlis that weren at Jerusalem, hadden herd that Samarie hadde resseyued the word of God, thei senten to hem Petre and Joon.
15 and they, on their arrival, prayed that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit.
And whanne thei camen, thei preieden for hem, that thei schulden resseyue the Hooli Goost;
16 (As yet the Spirit had not descended on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).
for he cam not yit in to ony of hem, but thei weren baptisid oonli in the name of the Lord Jhesu.
17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Thanne thei leiden hoondis on hem, and thei resseyueden the Hooli Goost.
18 When Simon saw that it was through the placing of the apostles’ hands on them that the Spirit was given, he brought them a sum of money and said,
And whanne Symount hadde seyn, that the Hooly Goost was youun bi leiyng on of the hoondis of the apostlis, and he proferide to hem money, and seide,
19 “Give me also this power of yours, so that, if I place my hands on anyone, he may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Yyue ye also to me this power, that whom euere Y schal leye on myn hoondis, that he resseyue the Hooli Goost.
20 “A curse on you and on your silver,” Peter exclaimed, “for thinking that God’s free gift can be bought with money!
But Petir seide to hym, Thi money be with thee into perdicioun, for thou gessidist the yifte of God schulde be had for monei.
21 You have no share or part in our message, for your heart is not right with God.
Ther is no part, ne sort to thee, in this word, for thin herte is not riytful bifor God.
22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord, that, if possible, you may be forgiven for such a thought;
Therfor do thou penaunce for this wickidnesse of thee, and preie God, if perauenture this thouyt of thin herte be foryouun to thee.
23 for I see that you have fallen into the bitterness of envy and the fetters of sin.”
For Y se that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the boond of wickidnesse.
24 “Pray to the Lord for me, all of you,” Simon answered, “so that none of the things you have spoken of may happen to me.”
And Symount answeride, and seide, Preie ye for me to the Lord, that no thing of these thingis that ye han seid, com on me.
25 Peter and John, having borne their testimony and delivered the Lord’s message, returned to Jerusalem, telling the good news, as they went, in many Samaritan villages.
And thei witnessiden, and spaken the word of the Lord, and yeden ayen to Jerusalem, and prechiden to many cuntrees of Samaritans.
26 Meanwhile an angel of the Lord had said to Philip, “Set out on a journey southwards, along the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (It is now deserted).
And an aungel of the Lord spak to Filip, and seide, Ryse thou, and go ayens the south, to the weie that goith doun fro Jerusalem in to Gasa; this is desert.
27 So Philip set out on a journey; and on his way he came on an official of high rank, in the service of Candace, Queen of the Abyssinians. He was her treasurer, and had been to Jerusalem to worship,
And he roos, and wente forth. And lo! a man of Ethiopie, a myyti man seruaunt, a yelding of Candace, the queen of Ethiopiens, which was on alle her richessis, cam to worschipe in Jerusalem.
28 and was now on his way home, sitting in his carriage and reading the prophet Isaiah.
And he turnede ayen, sittinge on his chare, and redinge Isaie, the profete.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go up to the carriage over there and keep close to it.”
And the spirit seide to Filip, Neiye thou, and ioyne thee to this chare.
30 So Philip ran up, and he heard the Abyssinian reading the prophet Isaiah. “Do you understand what you are reading?” he asked.
And Filip `ran to, and herde hym redynge Ysaie, the prophete. And he seide, Gessist thou, whether thou vndirstondist, what thingis thou redist?
31 “How can I,” the other answered, “unless someone will explain it to me?” and he invited Philip to get up and sit by his side.
And he seide, How may Y, if no man schewe to me? And he preiede Filip, that he schulde come vp, and sitte with hym.
32 The passage of scripture which he was reading was this – ‘Like a sheep, he was led away to slaughter, and as a lamb is dumb in the hands of its shearer, so he refrains from opening his lips.
And the place of the scripture that he redde, was this, As a scheep he was led to sleyng, and as a lomb bifor a man that scherith him is doumb with out vois, so he openyde not his mouth.
33 He was humiliated and justice was denied him. Who will tell the story of his generation? For his life is cut off from earth.’
In mekenesse his dom was takun vp; who schal telle out the generacioun of hym? For his lijf schal be takun awei fro the erthe.
34 “Now,” said the Treasurer, addressing Philip, “tell me, of whom is the prophet speaking? Of himself, or of someone else?”
And the gelding answeride to Filip, and seide, Y biseche thee, of `what profete seith he this thing? of him silf, ethir of ony othere?
35 Then Philip began, and, taking this passage as his text, told him the good news about Jesus.
And Filip openyde his mouth, and bigan at this scripture, and prechide to him Jhesu.
36 Presently, as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the Treasurer exclaimed, “Look! Here is water; what is to prevent my being baptized?”
And the while thei wenten bi the weie, thei camen to a water. And the gelding seide, Lo! watir; who forbedith me to be baptisid?
And Filip seide, If thou bileuest of al the herte, it is leueful. And he answeride, and seide, Y bileue that Jhesu Crist is the sone of God.
38 So he ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water – both Philip and the Treasurer – and Philip baptized him.
And he comaundide the chare to stonde stille. And thei wenten doun bothe into the watir, Filip and the gelding, and Filip baptiside hym.
39 But, when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the Treasurer saw no more of him; for he continued his journey with a joyful heart.
And whanne thei weren come vp of the watir, the spirit of the Lord rauyschide Filip, and the gelding say hym no more.
40 But Philip was found at Ashdod, and, as he went on his way, he told the good news in all the towns through which he passed, until he came to Caesarea.
And Filip was foundun in Azotus; and he passide forth, and prechide to alle citees, til he cam to Cesarie.
