the Fourth Week of Advent
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Wycliffe Bible
Acts 24
1 And aftir fyue daies, Ananye, prince of preestis, cam doun with summe eldere men, and Terculle, a feir speker, which wenten to the precident ayens Poul.2 And whanne Poul was somened, Terculle bigan to accuse hym, and seide, Whanne in myche pees we doon bi thee, and many thingis ben amendid bi thi wisdom, euere more and euery where,3 thou best Felix, we han resseyued with al doyng of thankingis.4 But lest Y tarie thee lengere, Y preie thee, schortly here vs for thi mekenesse.5 We han foundun this wickid man stirynge dissencioun to alle Jewis in al the world, and auctour of dissencioun of the secte of Nazarenus; and he also enforside to defoule the temple;6 whom also we token, and wolden deme, after oure lawe.7 But Lisias, the trybune, cam with greet strengthe aboue, and delyuerede hym fro oure hoondis;8 and comaundide hise accuseris to come to thee, of whom thou demynge, maist knowe of alle these thingis, of whiche we accusen hym.9 And Jewis putten to, and seiden, that these thingis hadden hem so.
10 And Poul answeride, whanne the president grauntide hym to seie, Of mony yeeris Y knowe thee, that thou art domesman `to this folk, and Y schal do ynowy for me with good resoun.11 For thou maist knowe, for to me ben not more than twelue daies, sithen Y cam vp to worschipe in Jerusalem;12 and nether in the temple thei founden me disputinge with ony man, nether makynge concours of puple, nether in synagogis, nether in citee;13 nether thei moun preue to thee, of the whiche thingis thei now accusen me.14 But Y knowleche to thee this thing, that aftir the secte which thei seien eresie, so Y serue to God the fadir, `and Y bileue to alle thingis that ben writun in the lawe and profetis; and Y haue hope in God,15 whiche also thei hem silf abiden, the ayenrisyng `to comynge of iust men and wickid.16 In this thing Y studie with outen hirtyng, to haue concience to God, and to men euermore.17 But after many yeeris, Y cam to do almes dedis to my folc, and offryngis, and auowis;18 in whiche thei founden me purified in the temple, not with company, nether with noise. And thei cauyten me, and thei crieden, and seiden, Take awei oure enemye.19 And summe Jewis of Asie, whiche it behofte to be now present at thee, and accuse, if thei hadden ony thing ayens me,20 ether these hem silf seie, if thei founden in me ony thing of wickidnesse, sithen Y stonde `in the counsel,21 but oneli of this vois, by which Y criede stondynge among hem, For of the ayenrisyng of deed men Y am demyd this dai of you.
22 Sothely Felix delayede hem, and knewe moost certeynli of the weie, and seide, Whanne Lisias, the tribune, schal come doun, Y schal here you.23 And he comaundide to a centurien to kepe hym, and that he hadde reste, nethir to forbede ony man to mynystre of his owne thingis to him.24 And after summe dayes Felix cam, with Drussille his wijf, that was a Jewesse, and clepide Poul, and herde of him the feith that is in Crist Jhesu.25 And while he disputide of riytwisnesse, and chastite, and of dom to comynge, Felix was maad tremblinge, and answerde, That perteneth now, go; but in tyme couenable Y schal clepe thee.26 Also he hopide, that money schulde be youun to hym of Poul; for which thing eft he clepide hym, and spak with hym.27 And whanne twei yeeris weren fillid, Felix took a successoure, Porcius Festus; and Felix wolde yyue grace to Jewis, and lefte Poul boundun.
