1 WYC And Poul bihelde in to the counsel, and seide, Britheren, Y with al good conscience haue lyued bifore God, `til in to this dai. BSB BSB: Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”
2 WYC And Anany, prince of prestis, comaundide to men that stoden nyy hym, that thei schulden smyte his mouth. BSB BSB: At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”
4 WYC And thei that stoden niy, seiden, Cursist thou the hiyest prest of God? BSB BSB: But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”
5 WYC 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. BSB BSB: “Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
6 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
7 WYC And whanne he hadde seid this thing, dissencioun was maad bitwixe the Fariseis and the Saduceis, and the multitude was departid. BSB BSB: As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 WYC For Saduceis seien, that no `rysing ayen of deed men is, nether aungel, nether spirit; but Fariseis knowlechen euer eithir. BSB BSB: For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
9 WYC 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? BSB BSB: A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
10 WYC 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. BSB BSB: The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 WYC 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. BSB BSB: The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”
12 WYC 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. BSB BSB: When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 WYC And there weren mo than fourti men, that maden this sweryng togider. BSB BSB: More than forty of them were involved in this plot.
14 WYC 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. BSB BSB: They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.
15 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”
16 WYC And whanne the sone of Poulis sister hadde herd the aspies, he cam, and entride in to the castels, and telde to Poul. BSB BSB: But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul.
17 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”
18 WYC 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. BSB BSB: So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”
19 WYC 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? BSB BSB: The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”
20 WYC 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. BSB BSB: He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.
21 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”
22 WYC 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. BSB BSB: So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”
23 WYC 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. BSB BSB: Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.
24 WYC And make ye redy an hors, for Poul to ride on, to lede hym saaf to Felix, the presydent. BSB BSB: Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”
25 WYC 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. BSB BSB: And he wrote the following letter:
26 WYC And wroot hym `a pistle, conteynynge these thingis. Claudius Lisias to the beste Felix, president, heelthe. BSB BSB: Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.
27 WYC 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. BSB BSB: This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,
28 WYC And Y wolde wite the cause, which thei puttiden ayens hym; and Y ledde hym to the counsel of hem. BSB BSB: and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.
29 WYC And Y foond, that he was accusid of questiouns of her lawe, but he hadde no cryme worthi the deth, ethir boondis. BSB BSB: I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.
30 WYC 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. BSB BSB: When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.
31 WYC And so the knyytis, as thei weren comaundid, token Poul, and ledde hym bi nyyt into Antipatriden. BSB BSB: So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.
32 WYC And in the dai suynge, whanne the horsmen weren left, that schulden go with hym, thei turneden ayen to the castels. BSB BSB: The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.
34 WYC And whanne he hadde red, and axide, of what prouynce he was, and knewe that he was of Cilicie, BSB BSB: The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,
35 WYC Y schal here thee, he seide, whanne thin accuseris comen. And he comaundide hym to be kept in the moot halle of Eroude. BSB BSB: he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.