Acts 22

1 Britheren and fadris, here ye what resoun Y yelde now to you.

Brethren and fathers, hear my defence, which I now make to you.

2 And whanne sum herden that in Ebrew tunge he spak to hem, thei yauen the more silence.

And on hearing him speak to them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence. And he saith:

3 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.

I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, hut brought up in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel in the strictness of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day.

4 And Y pursuede this weie til to the deth, byndynge and bitakinge `in to holdis men and wymmen,

And I persecuted this way [[of belief]] even to death, binding and putting into prisons both men and women,

5 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.

as also the high-priest beareth me witness, and all the elderhood; from whom I received letters to the brethren, and was on my way to Damascus to bring those also that were there, bound, to Jerusalem, that they might be punished.

6 And it was don, while Y yede, and neiyede to Damask, at myddai sudeynli fro heuene a greet plente of liyt schoon aboute me.

But it came to pass, as I was on my way, and approaching Damascus, that about noon there suddenly shone around me a great light from heaven;

7 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.

and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me?

8 And Y answeride, Who art thou, Lord? And he seide to me, Y am Jhesu of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom thou persecutest.

9 And thei that weren with me sien but the liyt, but thei herden not the vois of hym, that spak with me.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but the voice of him that spoke to me they did not hear.

10 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.

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there thou wilt be told of all which it hath been appointed thee to do.

11 And whanne Y saye not, for the clerete of that liyt, Y was led bi the hond of felowis, and Y cam to Damask.

And as I could not see by reason of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand of those that were with me, and came into Damascus.

12 And a man, Ananye, that bi the lawe hadde wytnessyng of alle Jewis dwellinge in Damask,

But one Ananias, a devout man according to the Law, well spoken of by all the Jews who dwelt there,

13 cam to me, and stood niy, and seide to me, Saul, brother, biholde. And Y in the same our biheelde in to hym.

came to me, and standing over me said, Brother Saul, receive sight. And I immediately looked up upon him.

14 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.

And he said, The God of our fathers chose thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth;

15 For thou schalt be his witnesse to alle men, of tho thingis that thou hast seyn and herd.

for thou shalt be a witness for him to all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

16 And now, what dwellist thou? Rise vp, and be baptisid, and waische awei thi synnes, bi the name of hym clepid to help.

And now why dost thou delay? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

17 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,

And it came to pass after my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance,

18 and Y siy him seiynge to me, Hiye thou, and go out faste of Jerusalem, for thei schulen not resseyue thi witnessing of me.

and saw him saying to me, Make haste, and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

19 And Y seide, Lord, thei witen, that Y was closing togidir `in to prisoun, and betinge bi synagogis hem that bileueden `in to thee.

And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue, those that believed in thee;

20 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.

and when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed, I myself was standing by and consenting, and keeping the garments of those who slew him.

21 And he seide to me, Go thou, for Y schal sende thee fer to naciouns.

And he said to me, Depart; for I will send thee far hence to the gentiles.

22 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.

And they listened to him as far as this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! for it was not fit that he should live.

23 And whanne thei crieden, and kesten awei her clothis, and threwen dust in to the eir,

And as they were crying out, and shaking their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

24 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.

the chief captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might ascertain for what cause they were thus crying out against him.

25 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?

But when they had stretched him out with the cords, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

26 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.

When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, What art thou about to do? For this man is a Roman.

27 And the tribune cam niy, and seide to hym, Seie thou to me, whether thou art a Romayn?

Then the chief captain came and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yes.

28 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.

The chief captain answered, For a great sum I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said, But I was born a Roman.

29 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.

They therefore who were about to examine him left him immediately. And the chief captain also was alarmed when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 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.

On the morrow, wishing to have certain knowledge why he was accused by the Jews, he released him, and ordered the chief priests and all the council to assemble; and bringing Paul down, he set him before them.