Acts 5
Wycliffe's Bible
1But a man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a field, 2and defrauded of the price of the field (and lied about the payment for the field); and his wife was witting. And he brought (only) a part, and laid [it] before the feet of the apostles. 3And Peter said to him, Ananias, why hath Satan tempted thine heart, that thou lie to the Holy Ghost, and to defraud (God) of the price of the field? (And Peter said to him, Ananias, why hath thou allowed Satan to test thy heart, so that thou lie to the Holy Spirit, and defraud God of the payment for the field?) 4Whether it unsold was not thine; and when it was sold, it was in thy power? Why hast thou put this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied to men, but to God. 5Ananias heard these words, and felled down, and was dead [and died]. And great dread was made on all that heard (about this) (And fearful reverence came upon all who heard about this). 6And young men rose (up), and moved him away, and bare him out, and buried (him).

7And there was made a space of three hours, and his wife knew not that thing that was done, and entered. 8And Peter answered to her, Woman, say to me, whether ye sold the field for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9And Peter said to her, What befelled to you [What soothly came together to you, or accorded], to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? (What befell to you, to test the Spirit of the Lord?) Lo! the feet of them that have buried thine husband be at the door, and they shall bear thee out. 10Anon she felled down at his feet, and died. And the young men entered, and found her dead, and they bare her out, and buried [her] to her husband. (At once she fell down at his feet, and died. And the young men returned, and found her dead, and they carried her out, and buried her beside her husband.) 11And great dread was made in all the church, and into all that heard (of) these things. (And fearful reverence came upon all the church, and upon all who heard about these things.)

12And by the hands of the apostles signs, (or miracles), and many wonders were made in the people. And all were of one accord in the porch of Solomon. 13But no man of others durst join himself with them, but the people magnified them. 14And the multitude of men and of women believing in the Lord was more increased, 15so that they brought out sick men into (the) streets, and laid (them) in little beds and couches, (so) that when Peter came, namely the shadow of him should shadow each of them, and they should be delivered from their sicknesses (and they would be released from their sicknesses). [so that into (the) streets they brought out sick men, and put (them) in little beds and couches, (so) that when Peter came, namely the shadow of him should shadow each of them, and they were delivered from all sicknesses.] 16And the multitude(s) of cities nigh to Jerusalem ran, bringing sick men, and (they) that were travailed of unclean spirits (and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, or demons), which all were healed.

17But the prince of priests rose up (But the High Priest rose up), and all that were with him, that is the heresy of (the) Sadducees, and (they) were filled with envy; 18and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common ward, (or in the common keeping). (and they laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the prison.) 19But the angel of the Lord opened by night the gates of the prison [Forsooth the angel of the Lord by night opened the gates of the prison], and led them out, and said, 20Go ye, and stand ye, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 21Whom when they had heard, they entered early into the temple, and taught. And the prince of priests came (And the High Priest came), and they that were with him, and called together the council, and all the elder men of the children of Israel; and sent (men) to the prison, (so) that they should be brought forth. 22And when the ministers came, and found them not, and for the prison was opened [Soothly when the ministers came, and, the prison opened, found them not], they turned again and told (them), (But when their servants, their officials, came, and opened the prison, and did not find them, they returned, and told them,) 23and said, We found the prison shut with all diligence, and the keepers standing at the gates (and the guards standing at the gates); but we opened (it), and found no man therein. 24And as the magistrates of the temple, and the princes of (the) priests heard these words, they doubted of them, what was done. (And when the Temple magistrate, and the high priests, heard these words, they wondered, what had become of them.) 25But a man came, and told to them, For lo! those men which ye have put into prison, be in the temple, and stand (there), and teach the people. 26Then the magistrate went with the ministers, and brought them without violence; for they dreaded the people, lest they should be stoned. (Then the magistrate went with his servants, his officials, and brought them without force; because they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.)

27And when they had brought them (in), they set them in the council; and the prince of priests asked them (and the High Priest spoke to them), 28and said, In commandment we commanded you, that ye should not teach in this name, and lo! ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and ye will bring on us the blood of this man. 29And Peter answered, and the apostles, and said, It behooveth (us) to obey to God, more than to men. 30[The] God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom ye slew, hanging in a tree. (The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom ye killed, by hanging him on a tree, or on the cross.) 31God enhanced with his right hand this prince and Saviour, that penance were given to Israel [for to give penance to Israel], and remission of sins. (With his right hand God exalted, or raised up, this Leader and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness for their sins.) 32And we be witnesses of these words, and the Holy Ghost (as is the Holy Spirit), whom God gave to all obeying to him.

33When they heard these things, they were tormented, and thought to slay them. 34But a man rose in the council, a Pharisee, Gamaliel by name, a doctor of the law, a worshipful man to all the people, and (he) commanded the men to be put withoutforth for a while. (But a man stood up in the Council, a Pharisee, called Gamaliel, a teacher of the Law, a man honoured by all the people, and he commanded the men to be put outside for a while.) 35And he said to them, Ye men of Israel (Israelites), take attention to yourselves on these men, what ye shall do. 36For before these days (there was) Theudas, that said himself to be some man, to whom a number of men consented, about four hundred; which was slain, and all that believed to him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37After this, Judas of Galilee was in the days of profession, and turned away the people after him; and all how many ever consented to him, were scattered, and he perished. (After this, there was Judas of Galilee during the days of professing, that is, during the census, and he turned away the people after him; but all whomever consented to him, were scattered, after that he perished.) 38And now therefore I say to you, depart ye from these men, and suffer ye them; for if this counsel either work is of men, it shall be undone; (And so now I say to you, go away from these men, and let them be; for if this plan or this work is from men, it shall be destroyed/it shall be ended;) 39but if it is of God, ye may not undo them, lest peradventure ye be found to repugn against God. (but if it is from God, ye cannot stop them, or destroy them, lest perhaps ye be found to fight against God.) [forsooth if it is of God, ye may not undo them. But suffer ye them, lest peradventure ye be found for to repugn God. (but if it is from God, ye cannot stop them. So let them be, lest perhaps ye be found to be fighting with God.)]

40And they consented to him; and they called together the apostles, and commanded to them, (or announced to them), (after) that (they) were beaten, that they should no more speak in the name of Jesus, and (then) they let them go. 41And they went joying from the sight of the council, that they were had worthy to suffer despising for the name of Jesus. 42But each day they ceased not in the temple, and about houses, to teach and preach Jesus Christ. (But each day they did not cease in the Temple, and in their houses, to teach and to preach about Jesus Christ.)

WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE

Comprising of
Wycliffe’s Old Testament

and

Wycliffe’s New Testament
(Revised Edition)


Translated by

JOHN WYCLIFFE
and JOHN PURVEY


A modern-spelling edition of their
14TH century Middle English translation,
the first complete English vernacular version,
with an Introduction by

TERENCE P. NOBLE

Used by Permission

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