1 WYC Britheren and fadris, here ye what resoun Y yelde now to you. BSB BSB: “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
2 WYC And whanne sum herden that in Ebrew tunge he spak to hem, thei yauen the more silence. BSB BSB: When they heard him speak to them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then Paul declared,
3 WYC 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. BSB BSB: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised in this city. I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel in strict conformity to the law of our fathers. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.
4 WYC And Y pursuede this weie til to the deth, byndynge and bitakinge `in to holdis men and wymmen, BSB BSB: I persecuted this Way even to the death, detaining both men and women and throwing them into prison,
5 WYC 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. BSB BSB: as the high priest and the whole Council can testify about me. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to apprehend these people and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 WYC And it was don, while Y yede, and neiyede to Damask, at myddai sudeynli fro heuene a greet plente of liyt schoon aboute me. BSB BSB: About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.
7 WYC 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. BSB BSB: I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’
8 WYC And Y answeride, Who art thou, Lord? And he seide to me, Y am Jhesu of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest. BSB BSB: ‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.
9 WYC And thei that weren with me sien but the liyt, but thei herden not the vois of hym, that spak with me. BSB BSB: My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.
10 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ ‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’
11 WYC And whanne Y saye not, for the clerete of that liyt, Y was led bi the hond of felowis, and Y cam to Damask. BSB BSB: Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.
12 WYC And a man, Ananye, that bi the lawe hadde wytnessyng of alle Jewis dwellinge in Damask, BSB BSB: There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there,
13 WYC cam to me, and stood niy, and seide to me, Saul, brother, biholde. And Y in the same our biheelde in to hym. BSB BSB: came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.
14 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice.
15 WYC For thou schalt be his witnesse to alle men, of tho thingis that thou hast seyn and herd. BSB BSB: You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
16 WYC And now, what dwellist thou? Rise vp, and be baptisid, and waische awei thi synnes, bi the name of hym clepid to help. BSB BSB: And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’
17 WYC 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, BSB BSB: Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18 WYC and Y siy him seiynge to me, Hiye thou, and go out faste of Jerusalem, for thei schulen not resseyue thi witnessing of me. BSB BSB: and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem quickly, because the people here will not accept your testimony about Me.’
19 WYC And Y seide, Lord, thei witen, that Y was closing togidir `in to prisoun, and betinge bi synagogis hem that bileueden `in to thee. BSB BSB: ‘Lord,’ I answered, ‘they know very well that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in You.
20 WYC 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. BSB BSB: And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’
21 WYC And he seide to me, Go thou, for Y schal sende thee fer to naciouns. BSB BSB: Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
22 WYC 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. BSB BSB: The crowd listened to Paul until he made this statement. Then they lifted up their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He is not fit to live!”
23 WYC And whanne thei crieden, and kesten awei her clothis, and threwen dust in to the eir, BSB BSB: As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,
24 WYC 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. BSB BSB: the commander ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. He directed that Paul be flogged and interrogated to determine the reason for this outcry against him.
25 WYC 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? BSB BSB: But as they stretched him out to strap him down, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen without a trial?”
26 WYC 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. BSB BSB: On hearing this, the centurion went and reported it to the commander. “What are you going to do?” he said. “This man is a Roman citizen.”
27 WYC And the tribune cam niy, and seide to hym, Seie thou to me, whether thou art a Romayn? BSB BSB: The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered.
28 WYC 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. BSB BSB: “I paid a high price for my citizenship,” said the commander. “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.
29 WYC 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. BSB BSB: At once those who were about to interrogate Paul stepped back, and the commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.
30 WYC 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. BSB BSB: The next day the commander, wanting to learn the real reason Paul was accused by the Jews, released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.