Acts 19
Wycliffe's Bible
1And it befell, when Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul when he had gone (to) the higher coasts, he came to Ephesus, and found some of the disciples (there). 2And he said to them, Whether ye that believe have received the Holy Ghost? And they said to him, But neither have we heard [But neither we have heard], if the Holy Ghost is. (And he said to them, Have ye who believe received the Holy Spirit? And they said to him, None of us have heard that there is a Holy Spirit?) 3And he said, Therefore in what thing be ye baptized? And they said, In the baptism of John. 4And Paul said, John baptized the people in the baptism of penance (John baptized the people with a baptism for repentance), and taught, that they should believe in him that was to coming after him [and taught, that they should believe into him that was to come after him], that is, in Jesus. 5When they heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid on them his hands, the Holy Ghost came into them [the Holy Ghost came (up)on them], and they spake with languages, and prophesied. (And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in strange and ecstatic tongues, and prophesied.) 7And all were almost twelve men.

8And he went into the synagogue, and spake with trust (for) three months, disputing and treating, (or softly moving), of the kingdom of God (arguing about and quietly discussing the Kingdom of God). 9But when some were harded, (or were made hard), and believed not, and cursed the way of the Lord before the multitude, he went away from them, and separated the disciples (and set apart the disciples), and disputed in the school of a mighty man each day. 10This was done by two years, so that all that dwelled in Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and heathen men. (This was done for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, yea, both Jews and Gentiles.)

11And God did virtues not small, (or little), by the hand of Paul, (And God did works of power, or miracles, that were not small, or insignificant, by Paul’s hand.) 12so that on sick men the napkins, (or the girdles, or the aprons), were borne from his body, and sicknesses departed from them, and wicked spirits went out. 13But also some of the Jewish exorcists went about, and assayed, (or attempted), to [in-]call the name of the Lord Jesus Christ on them that had evil spirits, and said, I conjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. 14And there were [some] seven sons of a Jew, Sceva, a prince of (the) priests (a high priest), that did this thing. 15But the evil spirit answered, and said to them, I know Jesus, and I know Paul; but who be ye? 16And the man in which was the worst devil, leaped on them, and had victory, (or lordship), on both, and was (so) strong against them, that they naked and wounded fled away from that house. 17And this thing was made known to all the Jews and heathen men, that dwelled at Ephesus; and dread fell down on them all, and they magnified the name of the Lord Jesus. (And this was made known to all the Jews and Gentiles, who lived in Ephesus; and fearful reverence fell upon them, and they magnified the name of the Lord Jesus.) 18And many men believed, and came, acknowledging and telling their deeds. 19And many of them that (pur)sued curious things, brought together (their) books, and burned them before all men; and when the prices of those were accounted, they found money of fifty thousand pence; (And many of them who followed curious things, brought together all their books, and burned them before everyone; and when the value of those books was reckoned, they found that they were worth about fifty thousand pence;) 20so strongly the word of God waxed, (or grew), and was confirmed.

21And when these things were [ful]filled, Paul purposed in spirit, after that Macedonia was passed (through) and Achaia (also), to go to Jerusalem, and said, For after that I shall be there, it behooveth me also to see Rome [it behooveth me to see also Rome]. 22And he sent into Macedonia two men, that ministered to him (who served him), Timothy, and Erastus, and he dwelled for a time in Asia.

23And a great troubling was made in that day, of the way of the Lord [in the way of the Lord]. 24For a man, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, made silver houses to Diana, (that is, a false goddess), and gave to craftsmen much winning, (or great profit); 25which he called together them that were such manner workmen, and said, Men, ye know that of this craft winning is to us (Men, ye know that from this craft there is much gain, or great profit, for us); 26and ye see and hear, that this Paul counseleth and turneth away much people, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, and said, that they be not gods, that be made with hands. 27And not only this part shall be in peril to us, to come into reproof, but also the temple of the great Diana shall be accounted into nought (but even the temple of the great Diana shall be reckoned as worthless); yea, and the majesty of her shall begin to be destroyed [but and the majesty of her shall be destroyed], whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

28When these things were heard, they were [full-]filled with ire, and cried, and said, Great is the Diana of the Ephesians. 29And the city was filled with confusion, and they made an assault with one will into the theatre, and took Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, (and) fellows of Paul. 30And when Paul would have entered into the people, the disciples suffered not. (And when Paul wanted to go out to the people, the disciples would not allow him to go.) 31And also some of the princes of Asia, that were his friends, sent to him, and prayed (him), that he should not give himself into the theatre. (And also some of the leaders of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, and beseeched him, so that he himself would not go to the theatre.) 32And other men cried other thing(s); for the church was confused, and many knew not for what cause they were come together. 33But of the people they drew away one Alexander, while (the) Jews putted him forth. And Alexander asked with his hand silence, and would yield reason to the people. 34And as they knew that he was a Jew, one voice of all (the) men was made, crying as by twain hours, Great is Diana of (the) Ephesians. 35And when the scribe, that is, a town clerk, had ceased the people, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is he, that knoweth not, that the city of Ephesians is the worshipper of the great Diana, and of the child of Jupiter? 36Therefore when it may not be gainsaid to these things, it behooveth you to be ceased, (or to be assuaged), and to do nothing follily; (And so since these things cannot be denied, or argued against, it behooveth you to cease your uproar, and to do nothing foolish;) 37for ye have brought these men, neither sacrilegers, neither blaspheming your goddess. 38That if Demetrius, and the workmen that be with him, have cause against any man, there be courts, and dooms, and judges; accuse they each other (there). 39If ye seek aught of any other thing, it may be absolved in the lawful church (it can be resolved, or settled, in the legal assembly). 40For why we be in peril to be reproved of this day's dissension, (or sedition), since no man is guilty, of whom we may yield (a) reason of this running together. 41And when he had said this thing, he let the people go.

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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