Wycliffe's English Translation (1388)
Wycliffe
Translated from the Latin in the 14th century
[1]But Saul, yit a blower of manassis and of betingis ayens the disciplis of the Lord, [2]cam to the prince of preestis, and axide of hym lettris in to Damask, to the synagogis; that if he fond ony men and wymmen of this lijf, he schulde lede hem boundun to Jerusalem. [3]And whanne he made his iourney, it bifelde, that he cam nyy to Damask. And sudenli a liyt from heuene schoon aboute hym; [4]and he fallide to the erthe, and herde a vois seiynge to hym, Saul, Saul, what pursuest thou me? [5]And he seide, Who art thou, Lord? And he seide, Y am Jhesu of Nazareth, whom thou pursuest. It is hard to thee, to kike ayens the pricke. [6]And he tremblide, and wondride, and seide, Lord, what wolt thou that Y do? [7]And the Lord seide to hym, Rise vp, and entre in to the citee, and it schal be seide to thee, what it bihoueth thee to do. And tho men that wenten with hym, stoden astonyed; for thei herden a vois, but thei sien no man. [8]And Saul roos fro the earth; and whanne hise iyen weren opened, he say no thing. And thei drowen hym bi the hondis, and ledden hym in to Damask. [9]And he was thre daies not seynge; `and he eete not, nether drank. [10]And a disciple, Ananye bi name, was at Damask. And the Lord seide to hym in `a visioun, Ananye. And he seide, Lo! [11]Y, Lord. And the Lord seide to hym, Rise thou, and go in to a streete that is clepid Rectus; and seke, in the hous of Judas, Saul bi name of Tharse. For lo! he preieth; and he say a man, [12]Ananye bi name, entringe and leiynge on hym hoondis, that he resseyue siyt. [13]And Ananye answerde, Lord, Y haue herd of many of this man, how greete yuelis he dide to thi seyntis in Jerusalem; [14]and this hath power of the princis of preestis, to bynde alle men that clepen thi name to helpe. [15]And the Lord seide to hym, Go thou, for this is to me a vessel of chesing, that he bere my name bifore hethene men, and kingis, and tofore the sones of Israel. [16]For Y schal schewe to hym, how grete thingis it bihoueth hym to suffre for my name. [17]And Ananye wente, and entride in to the hous; and leide on hym his hondis, and seide, Saul brothir, the Lord Jhesu sente me, that apperide to thee in the weie, in which thou camest, that thou se, and be fulfillid with the Hooli Goost. [18]And anoon as the scalis felden fro hise iyen, he resseyuede siyt. And he roos, and was baptisid. [19]And whanne he hadde takun mete, he was coumfortid. And he was bi sum daies with the disciplis, that weren at Damask. [20]And anoon he entride in to the synagogis, and prechide the Lord Jhesu, for this is the sone of God. [21]And alle men that herden hym, wondriden, and seiden, Whether this is not he that impugnede in Jerusalem hem that clepiden to help this name? and hidir he cam for this thing, that he schulde leede hem boundun to the princis of preestis? [22]But Saul myche more wexede strong, and confoundide the Jewis that dwelliden at Damask, and affermyde that this is Crist. [23]And whanne manye daies weren fillid, Jewis maden a counsel, that thei schulden sle hym. [24]And the aspies of hem weren maad knowun to Saul. And thei kepten the yatis dai and niyt, that thei schulden sle him. [25]But hise disciplis token hym bi nyyt, and delyuereden hym, and leeten him doun in a leep bi the wal. [26]And whanne he cam in to Jerusalem, he assaiede to ioyne hym to the disciplis; and alle dredden hym, and leueden not that he was a disciple. [27]But Barnabas took, and ledde hym to the apostlis, and telde to hem, how in the weie he hadde seyn the Lord, and that he spak to hym, and hou in Damask he dide tristili in the name of Jhesu. [28]And he was with hem, and entride, and yede out in Jerusalem, and dide tristili in the name of Jhesu. [29]And he spak with hethene men, and disputide with Grekis. And thei souyten to sle hym. [30]Which thing whanne the britheren hadden knowe, thei ledden hym bi nyyt to Cesarie, and leten hym go to Tarsis. [31]And the chirche bi al Judee, and Galilee, and Samarie, hadde pees, and was edefied, and walkide in the drede of the Lord, and was fillid with coumfort of the Hooli Goost. [32]And it bifelde, that Petre, the while he passide aboute alle, cam to the hooli men that dwelliden at Lidde. [33]And he foond a man, Eneas bi name, that fro eiyte yeer he hadde leie `in bed; and he was sijk in palsy. [34]And Petre seide to hym, Eneas, the Lord Jhesu Crist heele thee; rise thou, and araye thee. And anoon he roos. [35]And alle men that dwelten at Lidde, and at Sarone, saien hym, whiche weren conuertid to the Lord. [36]And in Joppe was a disciplesse, whos name was Tabita, that is to seie, Dorcas. This was ful of good werkis and almesdedis, that sche dide. [37]And it bifelde in tho daies, that sche was sijk, and diede. And whanne thei hadden waischun hir, thei leiden hir in a soler. [38]And for Lidda was nyy Joppe, the disciplis herden that Petre was thereynne, and senten twei men to hym, and preieden, That thou tarie not to come to vs. [39]And Petre roos vp, and cam with hem. And whanne he was comun, thei ledden hym in to the soler. And alle widewis stoden aboute hym, wepynge, and schewynge cootis and clothis, which Dorcas made to hem. [40]And whanne alle men weren put with out forth, Petre knelide, and preiede. And he turnede to the bodi, and seide, Tabita, rise thou. And sche openyde hir iyen, and whanne sche siy Petre, sche sat vp ayen. [41]And he took hir bi the hond, and reiside hir. And whanne he hadde clepid the hooli men and widewis, he assignede hir alyue. [42]And it was maad knowun bi al Joppe; and many bileueden in the Lord. [43]And it was maad, that many daies he dwellide in Joppe, at oon Symount, a curiour.
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Author: John Wycliffe (1328 – 1384)
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