Acts 22

1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

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

2 When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

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

3 “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

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.

4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

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

5 as also the high priest and all the council of the elders testify, from whom also I received letters to the brothers, and traveled to Damascus to bring them also who were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

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.

6 “As I made my journey and came close to Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone around me from the sky.

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

7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’

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.

8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.’

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

9 “Those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they didn’t understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

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

10 I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.’

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.

11 When I couldn’t see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

12 “One Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews who lived in Damascus,

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

13 came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ In that very hour I looked up at him.

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

14 He said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

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.

15 For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

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

16 Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

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

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance

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,

18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.’

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

19 I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

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

20 When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

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.

21 “He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”

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

22 They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice and said, “Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn’t fit to live!”

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.

23 As they cried out, threw off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air,

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

24 the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they shouted against him like that.

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.

25 When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?”

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?

26 When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, “Watch what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman!”

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.

27 The commanding officer came and asked him, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said, “Yes.”

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

28 The commanding officer answered, “I bought my citizenship for a great price.” Paul said, “But I was born a Roman.”

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.

29 Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

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.

30 But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

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.