Acts 23
Wycliffe's Bible
1And Paul beheld into the council (And Paul looked at the Council), and said, Brethren, I with all good conscience have lived before God, till into this day. 2And Ananias, (the) prince of priests, commanded to men that stood nigh to him, that they should smite his mouth. (And Ananias, the High Priest, commanded to the men who stood near to him, that they should strike him on his mouth.) 3Then Paul said to him, Thou whited wall [Thou wall made white], God [shall] smite thee; thou sittest, and deemest me by the law, and against the law thou commandest me to be smitten. (Then Paul said to him, Thou whitewashed wall, God shall strike thee; thou sittest, and judgest me by the Law, and then against the Law, thou commandest me to be struck!) 4And they that stood nigh, said, Cursest thou the highest priest of God? [Cursest thou the high priest of God?] (And they who stood nearby, said, Cursest thou the High Priest of God?) 5And Paul said, Brethren, I knew not, that he is [the] prince of priests; for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the prince of thy people. (And Paul said, Brothers, I did not know, that he is the High Priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not curse the leader of thy people.)

6But Paul knew, that one part was of (the) Sadducees, and the other (was) of (the) Pharisees; and he cried in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; I am deemed of the hope and of the again-rising of dead men [of the hope and (the) again-rising of (the) dead I am deemed] (I am on trial over the hope for the resurrection of the dead). 7And when he had said this thing, dissension was made betwixt the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was parted (and so the gathering was divided). 8For Sadducees say, that no rising again of dead men is (For the Sadducees say, that there is no resurrection of the dead), neither angel, neither spirit; but (the) Pharisees acknowledge ever either. [+Forsooth Sadducees say, that no rising again is of (the) dead, neither angel, neither spirit; forsooth Pharisees acknowledge both.] 9And a great cry was made. And some of the Pharisees rose up, and fought, saying, We find nothing of evil in this man; what if a spirit, either an angel, spake to him? 10And when great dissension was made, the tribune dreaded, lest Paul should be drawn to pieces of them; and he commanded knights to go down, and to take, (or to ravish), him from the middle of them, and to lead him into the castles. (And when great dissension was made, the commander feared, lest Paul should be drawn to pieces by them; and he commanded some soldiers to go down, and to snatch him from their midst, and to bring him into the fortress.)

11And in the night (pur)suing the Lord stood nigh to him, and said, Be thou steadfast; for as thou hast witnessed of me in Jerusalem, so it behooveth thee to witness also at Rome. (And on the following night the Lord stood near to him, and said, Be thou resolute; for as thou hast testified about me in Jerusalem, it behooveth thee to also testify about me in Rome.)

12And when the day was come, some of the Jews gathered them(selves), and made a vow, and said, that they should neither eat, nor drink, till they slew Paul. 13And there were more than forty men, that made this swearing together, (or this conjuration). (And there were more than forty men, who formed this conspiracy.) 14And they went to the princes of (the) priests, and elder men (And they went to the high priests, and the elders), and said, With devotion we have avowed [us], that we shall not taste anything, till we have slain Paul. 15Now therefore make ye known to the tribune (And so make it known to the commander), with the council, that he bring him forth to you, as if ye should know something more certainly of him; and we (shall) be ready to slay him, before that he come [nigh].

16And when the son of Paul's sister had heard (of) the ambush, (or of the treason), he came, and entered into the castles (and entered into the fortress), and told to Paul. 17And Paul called to him(self) one of the centurions, and said, Lead this young man to the tribune, for he hath something to show to him (Lead this young man to the commander, for he hath something to tell him). 18And he took him, and led to the tribune, and said, Paul, that is bound, prayed me to lead to thee this young man, that hath something to speak to thee. (And he took him, and brought him to the tribune, and said, Paul, who is bound, beseeched me to bring this young man to thee, for he hath something to say to thee.) 19And the tribune took his hand, and went with him asides half, and asked him, What thing is it, that thou hast to show to me? (And the commander took his hand, and drew him aside, and asked him, What is it, that thou hast to tell me?) 20And he said, The Jews be accorded to pray thee (The Jews be in agreement to beseech thee), that tomorrow thou bring forth Paul into the council, as if they should inquire something more certainly of him. 21But believe thou not to them; for more than forty men of them ambush him, which have avowed, that they shall neither eat nor drink, till they slay him; and now they be ready, abiding thy promise. 22Therefore the tribune let the young man go (And so the commander dismissed the young man), and commanded, that he should speak to no man, that he had made these things known to him.

23And he called together two centurions, and he said to them, Make ye ready two hundred knights, that they go to Caesarea, and horsemen seventy, and spearmen two hundred, from the third hour of the night. (And he called together two centurions, and he said to them, Make ready two hundred soldiers, so that they can go to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at about nine o’clock this evening.) 24And make ye ready an horse, for Paul to ride on, to lead him safe to Felix, the president. For the tribune dreaded, lest the Jews would take him by the way, and slay him, and afterward he might be challenged, as (if) he had taken money. (And prepare a horse, for Paul to ride on, and lead him safely to Governor Felix. Because the commander feared, that the Jews might take hold of him on the way, and kill him, and afterward he might be challenged, that he had received some money.) 25[And] He wrote to him an epistle, containing these things.

26Claudius Lysias to the best Felix, president, health. (Claudius Lysias to the most excellent Governor Felix, greetings and best wishes.)

27This man that was taken (hold) of (by) the Jews, and began to be slain, I came upon them with mine host (I came upon them with my army), and delivered him from them, when I knew that he was a Roman. 28And I would know the cause, which they putted against him; and I led him [in] to the council of them (and I brought him in to their Council). 29And I found, that he was accused of questions of their law, but he had no crime worthy (of) the death, either (of) bonds (or of bondage, or imprisonment).

30And when it was told me of the ambush, that they (had) arrayed for him [And when it was told to me of the treasons, that they (had) made ready to him], I sent him to thee, and I warned also the accusers, that they say at thee (and I have told his accusers, that they must tell their charges to thee). Farewell. 31And so the knights (And so the soldiers), as they were commanded, took Paul, and led him by night into Antipatris. 32And in the day (pur)suing, when the horsemen were left, that should go with him, they turned again to the castles. (And on the following day, the soldiers returned to the fortress, leaving the horsemen, who would go with him.) 33And when they came to Caesarea, they took the epistle to the president, and they set also Paul before him. (And when they arrived at Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the Governor, and they also put Paul before him.) 34And when he had read, and asked, of what province he was, and knew that he was of Cilicia, 35I shall hear thee, he said, when thine accusers come. And he commanded him to be kept in the moot hall of Herod (And he commanded that Paul be kept in Herod’s Judgement Hall, in his palace).

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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