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 steadfastly, at the High-council, said—Brethren! I, in all good conscience have used my citizenship for God until this day.

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

And, the High-priest, Ananias, ordered them that stood by him, to be smiting 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, unto him, said—God is about to be smiting thee, thou whited wall! Dost, thou, then sit to judge me according to the law, and, unlawfully, orderest me to be smitten?

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

And, they who stood by, said—The High-priest of God, dost thou revile?

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—I was not aware, brethren, that he was high-priest; because it is written—Of a ruler of thy people, shalt thou not speak injuriously.

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.

But Paul, getting to know that, the one part, were Sadducees and, the other, Pharisees, began to cry aloud in the council—Brethren! I, am, a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: —Concerning a hope, even of a rising again of the dead, am I to be judged.

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

And, as this he was saying, there arose a dissension of the Pharisees and Sadducees; and rent asunder was the throng.

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

For, Sadducees, say, there is no rising again, nor messenger, nor spirit, whereas, Pharisees, confess them 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 arose a great outcry, and certain of the Scribes of the party of the Pharisees, standing up, began to strive, saying—Nothing bad, find we in this man; —but, if a spirit hath spoken unto him, or a messenger…

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, great dissension arising, the captain, fearing lest Paul would be torn in pieces by them, ordered the troop to go down, and take him by force out of their midst, 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.

But, on the following night, the Lord, standing over him, said—Be of good courage! for, as thou hast fully borne witness of the things concerning me in Jerusalem, so must thou, in Rome also, bear witness.

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 became day, the Jews, forming a conspiracy, bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had slain Paul.

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

And they were, more than forty, who, this sworn-confederacy, had formed.

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 went unto the High-priests and Elders, and said—With a curse have we bound ourselves, to taste, nothing, until 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, ye, with the High-council, make it appear unto the captain, that he should bring him down unto you, as though about to ascertain more exactly the things that concern him; and, we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

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 lying-in-wait, happening to be near, and coming into the castle, —reported it unto 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 unto him one of the centurions, said—This young man, lead thou away unto the captain, for he hath somewhat to report unto 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, taking him with him, brought him unto the captain, and saith—The prisoner Paul, calling me unto him, requested me to bring this young man unto thee, as having somewhat to tell thee.

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 captain, taking him by the hand, and going aside, began, privately, to ask—What is it which thou hast to report unto 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 to request thee, that, to-morrow, thou wouldst bring, Paul, down into the High-council, as though about to ascertain something, more exact, 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.

Thou, therefore, do not be persuaded by them, for there are lying in wait for him, from among them, more than forty men, —who, indeed, have bound themselves under a curse, neither to eat nor drink, till they have killed him; and, now, are they ready, awaiting the promise, from thee.

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 captain, therefore, dismissed the young man, charging him—Unto no one, divulge thou, that, these things, thou hast shewed unto 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 calling certain two of the centurions he said—Make ye ready two hundred soldiers, that they may journey as far as Caesarea, —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.

beasts also provide, in order that, seating Paul thereon, they may bring him safely through unto 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 a letter, after this form: —

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

Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, Joy!

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, having been apprehended by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them, I went down with the troop, and rescued; having learned that he was, a Roman.

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

And, being minded to find out the cause for which they were accusing him, [I took him down into their High-council],

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, of nothing worthy of death or bonds, to be charged.

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 I was informed there would be a plot against the man, forthwith, I sent him unto thee, charging, his accusers also, to be speaking against him before thee.

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

So the soldiers, according to their orders, taking up Paul, brought him by night unto Antipatris;

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

and, on the morrow, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, returned to the castle, —

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

and the others, entering into Caesarea, and delivering the letter unto the governor, set, 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 it, and asked out of what province he was, and learned that he was from 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 myself will hear thee in full, said he, whensoever, thine accusers also, are come; and gave orders that, in the palace of Herod, he should be kept under guard.