Acts 23
1 Paul looked directly at the council members and said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this 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 The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him 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 Then said Paul to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall. Are you sitting to judge me by the law, yet order me to be struck, against the law?”
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 Those who stood by said, “Is this how you insult God's high priest?”
And thei that stoden niy, seiden, Cursist thou the hiyest prest of God?
5 Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”
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 When Paul saw that the one part of the council were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he spoke loudly in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is because I have the certain hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am being judged.”
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 When he said this, an argument began between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the crowd was divided.
And whanne he hadde seid this thing, dissencioun was maad bitwixe the Fariseis and the Saduceis, and the multitude was departid.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, no angels, and no spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge all of them.
For Saduceis seien, that no `rysing ayen of deed men is, nether aungel, nether spirit; but Fariseis knowlechen euer eithir.
9 So a large uproar occurred, and some of the scribes belonging to the Pharisees stood up and argued, saying, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
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 When there arose a great argument, the chief captain feared that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, so he commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among the council members, and bring him into the fortress.
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 The following night the Lord stood beside him and said, “Do not be afraid, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”
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 When it became day, some Jews formed a conspiracy and called a curse down upon themselves with an oath not to eat nor drink anything 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 men who formed this conspiracy.
And there weren mo than fourti men, that maden this sweryng togider.
14 They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have put ourselves under a great curse, to eat nothing 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 Now, therefore, let the council tell the chief captain to bring him down to you, as if you would decide his case more precisely. As for us, we are ready to kill him before he comes here.”
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 But Paul's sister's son heard that they were lying in wait, so he went and entered the fortress and told Paul.
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 centurions and said, “Take this young man to the chief captain, for he has 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 So the centurion took the young man and brought him to the chief captain and said, “Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to say to 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 chief captain took him by the hand to a private place and asked him, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
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 The young man said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring down Paul tomorrow to the council, as if they were going to ask more precisely about 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 give in to them, because there are more than forty men who are lying in wait for him. They have called a curse down on themselves, neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Even now they are ready, waiting for consent from you.”
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 So the chief captain let the young man go, after instructing him, “Tell no one that you have said these things to me.”
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 to him two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready to go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen also, and two hundred spearmen. You will leave at the third hour of the 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 He also ordered them to provide animals which Paul could ride, and to 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 Then he wrote a letter like this:
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 to the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings.
And wroot hym `a pistle, conteynynge these thingis. Claudius Lisias to the beste Felix, president, heelthe.
27 This man was arrested by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with soldiers and rescued him, since 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 I wanted to know why they accused him, so I took him down to their council.
And Y wolde wite the cause, which thei puttiden ayens hym; and Y ledde hym to the counsel of hem.
29 I learned that he was being accused about questions concerning their own law, but that there was no accusation against him that deserved 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 Then it was made known to me that there was a plot against the man, so I immediately sent him to you, and instructed his accusers also to bring their charges against him in your presence. Farewell.”
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 So the soldiers obeyed their orders. They took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.
And so the knyytis, as thei weren comaundid, token Poul, and ledde hym bi nyyt into Antipatriden.
32 On the next day, most of the soldiers left the horsemen to go with him and they themselves returned to the fortress.
And in the dai suynge, whanne the horsmen weren left, that schulden go with hym, thei turneden ayen to the castels.
33 When the horsemen reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
And whanne thei camen to Cesarie, thei token the pistle to the president, and thei setten also Poul byfore him.
34 When the governor read the letter, he asked what province Paul was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia,
And whanne he hadde red, and axide, of what prouynce he was, and knewe that he was of Cilicie,
35 he said, “I will hear you fully when your accusers come here.” Then he commanded him to be kept in Herod's government headquarters.
Y schal here thee, he seide, whanne thin accuseris comen. And he comaundide hym to be kept in the moot halle of Eroude.
