Acts 22

Wycliffe Bible

22 Brethren and fathers [Men, brethren and fathers], hear ye what reason I yield now to you.

² And when some heard that in Hebrew tongue he spake to them, they gave the more silence. And he said,

³ I am a man a Jew, born at Tarsus of Cilicia, nourished and in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, taught by the truth of fathers' law, a lover of the law [nourished forsooth in this city beside the feet of Gamaliel, learned after the truth of fathers' law, follower, or lover, of the law], as also ye all be to day.

⁴ And I pursued this way till to the death, binding [together] and betaking into holds men and women,

⁵ as the prince of priests yieldeth witnessing to me, and all the greatest of birth [and all the more in birth]. Of whom also I took epistles to brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring from thence men bound into Jerusalem, that they should be pained.

⁶ And it was done, while I went, and approached to Damascus, at midday suddenly from heaven a great plenty of light shone about me. [Forsooth it was done, while I went and nighed to Damascus, in the midday suddenly from heaven a copious light shone about me.]

⁷ And I felled down to the earth, and heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? It is hard to thee to kick against the prick [It is hard for thee for to kick against the prick].

⁸ And I answered, Who art thou Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest.

⁹ And they that were with me saw but the light [And they that were with me saw soothly the light], but they heard not the voice of him, that spake with me.

¹⁰ And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said to me, Rise thou, and go to Damascus; and there it shall be said to thee, of all things which it behooveth thee to do.

¹¹ And when I saw not, for the clarity of that light, I was led by the hand of fellows, and I came to Damascus.

¹² And a man, Ananias, that by the law had witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus, [Forsooth some man, Ananias, after the law having witnessing of all Jews dwelling in Damascus,]

¹³ came to me, and stood nigh, and said to me, Saul, brother, behold. And I in the same hour beheld into him.

¹⁴ And he said, God of our fathers hath before-ordained thee, that thou shouldest know the will of him, and shouldest see the rightful man [and shouldest see just Christ], and hear the voice of his mouth.

¹⁵ For thou shalt be his witness to all men, of those things that thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶ And now, what dwellest thou? Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, by the name of him called to help [Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, in-call the name of him].

¹⁷ And it was done to me, as I turned again into [to] Jerusalem, and prayed in the temple, that I was made in ravishing of soul,

¹⁸ and I saw him saying to me, Hie thou, and go out fast of Jerusalem, for they shall not receive thy witnessing of me.

¹⁹ And I said, Lord, they know, that I was closing together in prison, and beating by synagogues them that believed into thee [them that believed in thee].

²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen, thy witness, was shed out [was shed], I stood nigh, and consented, and kept the clothes of men that slew him.

²¹ And he said to me, Go thou, for I shall send thee far to nations.

²² And they heard him till [to] this word; and they raised their voice, and said, Take away from the earth such a manner man; for it is not leaveful, that he live.

²³ And when they cried, and cast away their clothes, and threw dust in the air,

²⁴ the tribune commanded him to be led into the castles, and to be beaten with scourges, and to be tormented, that he knew [that he should know], for what cause they cried so to him.

²⁵ And when they had bound him with cords, Paul said to a centurion standing nigh to him, Whether it is leaveful to you, to scourge a Roman, and uncondemned? [And when they had restrained him with bonds, or ropes, Paul said to a centurion standing nigh to him, If it is leaveful to you, to scourge a man Roman, and uncondemned?]

²⁶ And when this thing was heard, the centurion went to the tribune, and told to him, and said [saying], What art thou to doing? for this man is a citizen of Rome [forsooth this man is a citizen Roman].

²⁷ And the tribune came nigh, and said to him, Say thou to me, whether thou art a Roman [Forsooth the tribune coming to, said to him, Say thou to me, if thou art a Roman]? And he said, Yea.

²⁸ And the tribune answered, I with much sum got this freedom. And Paul said, And I was born a citizen of Rome [And Paul saith, I soothly and am born].

²⁹ Therefore at once [Therefore anon] they that should have tormented him, departed away from him. And the tribune dreaded, after that he knew, that he was a citizen of Rome, and for he had bound him [and that he had bound him].

³⁰ But in the day following he would know more diligently, for what cause he were accused of the Jews, and unbound him, and commanded [the] priests and all the council to come together. And he brought forth Paul, and set him among them.