Acts 23

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

And Paul, looking attentively on the Sanhedrim, said, Brethren, I have, even to this day, lived in all good conscience toward God--

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

And Ananias, the high priest, commanded those that stood by him, to strike him on the mouth.

3 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.

Then Paul said to him, God is about to strike you, you whited wall! For do you sit to judge me according to the law, and yet, in violation of the law, command me to be struck?

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

But they, that stood by, said, Do you revile the high priest of God?

5 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.

And Paul said, Brethren, I was not aware that it was the high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people."

6 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.

Then Paul, perceiving that the one part was Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out, in the Sanhedrim, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; for the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am brought into judgment.

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

And on speaking this, there was a contention between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.

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

For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

9 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?

And there was a great clamor; and the scribes who were on the side of the Pharisees, arose and contended, saying, We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit, or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

10 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.

And as a great disturbance arose, the commander, fearing lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, ordered the soldiers to go down, and take him by force from the midst of them, and to bring him into the castle.

11 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.

And in the following night, the Lord, standing by him, said, Be of good courage, Paul; for as you have testified the things concerning me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear testimony in Rome.

12 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.

And when it was day, some of the Jews, entering into a conspiracy, bound themselves with a curse; saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

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

And they were more than forty, who had made this agreement.

14 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.

And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves m by a solemn anathema, not to taste anything till we have slain Paul:

15 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.

now, therefore, do you, with the Sanhedrim, signify to the commander, that he bring him down to you, as if you would more accurately discuss what relates to him; and we are ready to kill him, before he can come near you.

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

But Paul's sister's son, hearing of the ambush, came, and entering into the castle, told Paul.

17 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.

And Paul, calling one of the centurions to him, said, Conduct this young man to the commander, for he has something to tell him.

18 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.

He, therefore, took and led him to the commander, and said, Paul, the prisoner, calling me to him, desired that I would bring to you this young man, who has something to tell you.

19 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?

And the commander, taking him by the hand, and leading him into a retired place, inquired of him, What is it that you have to tell me?

20 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.

And he said, The Jews have agreed together to ask you, that you bring down Paul to-morrow to the Sanhedrim, as if they would inquire something more accurately concerning him.

21 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.

But do not be prevailed on by them; for there are more than forty of them, that lie in ambush for him, who have bound themselves by a curse, neither to eat nor drink, till they have killed him; and they are now ready, expecting this promise from you.

22 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.

The commander, therefore, dismissed the young man, with a charge, Be sure you tell no man, that you have discovered these things to me.

23 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.

And he called too him two of the centurions, and said, Prepare two hundred soldiers, to go to Cesarea; and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen; by the third hour of the night;

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

and provide beasts to set Paul upon, and conduct him in safety to Felix, the governor.

25 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.

And he wrote an epistle, the contents of which are in this copy:

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

Claudius Lysias, to his excellency, Felix, the governor, sends greeting:

27 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.

This man was seized by the Jews, and had like to have been slain by them; when I came with a party of soldiers, and rescued him: and I have since learned, that he is a Roman.

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

And, desiring to know the crime of which they accused him, I brought him before the Sanhedrim,

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

whom I found to be accused concerning questions of their law, but to have nothing charged upon him worthy of death, or of bonds.

30 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.

But when it was signified to me, that an ambush would be laid for the man, by the Jews, I immediately sent him to you, commanding his accusers also to declare before you, what they have against him. Farewell.

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

The soldiers, therefore, as it was commanded them, taking up Paul, brought him by night to Antipatris.

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

And the next day they returned to the castle, leaving the horsemen to go with him:

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

who, entering into Cesarea, and delivering the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

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

And when he had read the letter, he asked of what province he was: and being informed that he was of Cilicia,

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

I will hear you, said he, when your accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's pretorium.