Acts 23

1 Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”

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 Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to 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, “Do you malign God’s high priest?”

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

5 Paul said, “I didn’t 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 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead 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 had said this, an argument arose 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, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.

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

9 A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ part stood up, and contended, saying, “We find no evil in this man. But if a spirit or angel has spoken to him, let’s not fight against God!”

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 a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them and bring him into the barracks.

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 by him and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at 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 was day, some of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink 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 people who had made this conspiracy.

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

14 They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse to taste 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, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near.”

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 they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks 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 summoned one of the centurions and said, “Bring this young man to the commanding officer, 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 he took him and brought him to the commanding officer and said, “Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell 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 commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, “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 He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

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 Therefore don’t yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise 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 commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, “Tell no one that you have revealed 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 He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen and two hundred men armed with spears, 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 asked them to provide mounts, that they might set Paul on one, and bring 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 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 seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

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 Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought 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 found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.

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

30 When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. 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, carrying out their orders, 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 But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.

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

33 When they came to 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 had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,

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

35 “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

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