Bible in 90 Days

³⁸ When the officers told these words to the magistrates, they feared, hearing that Paul and Silas were Romans, ³⁹ and came and entreated them, and brought them out, and desired them to depart out of the city. ⁴⁰ And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.

Paul goes to Thessalonica, where the Jews set the city on a roar. Paul escapes and goes to Athens, where he preaches the true and unknown God.

17 As they made their journey through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, ³ explaining and showing that the Christ must necessarily have suffered and risen again from death, and that this Jesus was Christ, whom (said he) I preach to you. ⁴ And some of them believed, and came and kept company with Paul and Silas; also of the honourable Greeks a great number, and of the chief women not a few.

⁵ But the Jews who did not believe, being indignant, took some evil men who were vagabonds and gathered a company, and set all the city on a roar, and attacked the house of Jason, and intended to bring Paul and Silas out to the people. ⁶ But when they did not find them, they drew Jason and certain brethren to the officials of the city, shouting, Those men that trouble the world have come here also, ⁷ and Jason took them in. And these people all go contrary to the decrees of Caesar, affirming another king, one Jesus!

⁸ And the people and the officials of the city were troubled when they heard these things. ⁹ But when they were sufficiently answered by Jason and by the others, they let them go.

¹⁰ And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea. When they arrived there, they entered into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ These were the noblest of birth among those of Thessalonica, and received the word with all diligence of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ¹² And many of them believed; also noble women who were Greek, and men not a few.

¹³ When the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came and stirred up the people there. ¹⁴ And then immediately the brethren sent Paul away to go to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there still. ¹⁵ And the men who guided Paul brought him to Athens, and were given a message for Silas and Timothy to come to him at once, and went their way.

¹⁶ While Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was moved in him, to see the city given to the worship of idols. ¹⁷ Then he spoke at length in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with those who came to him. ¹⁸ Certain philosophers of the Epicures and of the Stoics debated with him. And there were some who said, What will this babbler say? Other said, He seems to be a preacher of new devils, because he preached Jesus and the resurrection to them. ¹⁹ And they took him and brought him into Mars Street, saying, May we not know what this new doctrine is of which you speak? ²⁰ For you bring strange tidings to our ears. We would like to know therefore what these things mean. ²¹ (For all the Athenians and foreigners who were there gave themselves to nothing else but either to tell or to hear new things.)

²² Paul stood in the middle of Mars Street and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. ²³ For as I passed by and saw how you worship your gods, I found an altar on which was written, to the unknown god. Him then, whom you worship without knowledge, I proclaim to you. ²⁴ God, who made the world and everything that is in it, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands. ²⁵ Neither is he worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he himself gives life and breath to all people everywhere. ²⁶ And he has made from one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, determining beforehand how long, and also the bounds of their habitation, ²⁷ desiring them to seek God, if they might feel after and find him – though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ For in him we live and move and have our being, as certain of your own poets have said. For we are also his offspring. ²⁹ Since, then, we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the godhead is as gold, silver, or stone, graven by the craft and imagination of man.

³⁰ And God overlooked the time of this ignorance. But now he bids all people everywhere to repent, ³¹ because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world according to righteousness, by that man whom he has appointed. And he has offered faith to all peoples, after raising him from death.

³² When they heard of the resurrection from death, some mocked, but others said, We would like to hear you again concerning this matter.

³³ Leaving it there, Paul departed from the assembly. ³⁴ However, certain men joined with Paul and believed, among whom was Dionysius, a member of the aristocratic council, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul preaches at Corinth, continuing there a year and a half. He goes again into Syria, and to Ephesus, Caesarea, and Antioch. Of Aquila and Priscilla, and Apollos.

18 After that, Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. ² And he met a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because the Emperor Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. And he fell in with them. ³ And because he was of the same craft, he stayed with them and worked; their craft was to make tents. ⁴ And he preached in the synagogue every Sabbath day, and exhorted the Jews and the Gentiles.

⁵ When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the Spirit to testify to the Jews that Jesus was the very Christ. ⁶ And when they contradicted and reviled him, he shook out his clothing and said to them, Your blood is upon your own heads, and from henceforth I go blameless to the Gentiles. ⁷ And moving on from there, he entered into the house of a certain man named Justus, a worshipper of God whose house adjoined the synagogue. ⁸ However one Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians listened and believed and were baptized.

⁹ Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision: Do not be afraid, but speak; and do not hold your peace. ¹⁰ For I am with you, and no man will attack you that will hurt you. For I have many people in this city.

¹¹ And Paul continued there a year and six months, and taught the people the word of God.

¹² When Gallio was ruler of the province of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, This fellow counsels the people to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴ And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or an evil deed, O ye Jews, I should by reason hear you. ¹⁵ But if it is a question of words, or of names, or of your law, look to it yourselves. For I will be no judge in such matters. ¹⁶ And he drove them from the seat. ¹⁷ Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him outside the judge’s seat. And Gallio cared about none of these things.

¹⁸ After this, Paul remained there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and set sail for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila accompanying him. And he shaved his head in Cenchrea, for he had made a vow. ¹⁹ And he came to Ephesus, and left Priscilla and Aquila there; but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰ When they asked him to stay longer with them, he did not consent, ²¹ but bid them farewell, saying, I must be in Jerusalem at the coming feast. But I will return again to you, if God so wills. And he sailed from Ephesus, ²² and landed at Ceasarea, and ascended to Jerusalem, and briefly visited the congregation.

 And he went down to Antioch (in Syria). ²³ And when he had stayed there a while, he departed and went over all the region of Galatia and Phrygia systematically, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴ And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, went to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, and strong in the scriptures. ²⁵ He was informed in the way of the Lord, and spoke fervently in spirit, and taught diligently the things of the Lord; but he knew only the baptism of John. ²⁶ And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him to themselves and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. ²⁷ And when he wanted to go into Achaia, the brethren wrote exhorting the disciples to receive him. After he got there, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. ²⁸ And with strong arguments he overcame the Jews, and that openly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Of the twelve men that Paul baptized at Ephesus, and what miracles were done by him. Demetrius incites riot in the city.

19 It came about, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul passed through the upper regions and went to Ephesus, and found certain disciples, ² and said to them, Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said to him, No, we have not heard whether there is a Holy Spirit or not. ³ And he said to them, With what then were you baptized? And they said, With John’s baptism. ⁴ Then Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him who was to come after him; that is, on Christ Jesus.

⁵ When they heard that, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And Paul laid his hands upon them, and the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷ And the men were about twelve in all.

⁸ And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for the space of three months, teaching and giving them exhortations of the kingdom of God. ⁹ When some grew hardhearted and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way, and that before the assembly, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples. And he held discussions daily in the school of one called Tyrannus. ¹⁰ And this continued for two years, so that all those who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

¹¹ And God worked no small miracles by the hands of Paul. ¹² Napkins or partlets were even brought from his body to the sick, and their diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them.

¹³ Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We exorcise you by Jesus whom Paul preaches! ¹⁴ And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of the priests, who did this. ¹⁵ And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you? ¹⁶ And the man in whom the evil spirit was ran on them and overcame them, and so prevailed against them that they fled out of that house with their clothes torn off and wounded. ¹⁷ And this became known to all, both the Jews and Greeks that dwelt at Ephesus. And fear came on them all, and they magnified the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁸ And many who believed came and confessed, and showed their works. ¹⁹ Many of those who had been involved in occult practices brought their books and burned them openly. They estimated the value of them, and found it fifty thousand silverlings. ²⁰ Thus the word of God grew mightily and prevailed.

²¹ After these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to pass over Macedonia and Achaia and to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. ²² And he sent into Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus; but he himself remained in Asia for a season.

²³ At that time there arose no little ado about the Way. ²⁴ For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no little income to the craftsmen. ²⁵ He called these men together, with the workmen of related occupations, and said, Sirs, you know that we profit from this trade. ²⁶ Moreover, you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that things made with hands are not gods. ²⁷ As a result, not only is this our craft at risk of being discredited, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may fall into disrepute, and her magnificence be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.

²⁸ When they heard this, the men were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians! ²⁹ And all the city was on a roar, and the people rushed into the public theatre with one assent and caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions.

³⁰ When Paul would have entered in to the people, the disciples prevented him. ³¹ Also, certain of the leading Asians that were his friends sent to him, urging him not to press into the theatre. ³² Some cried one thing and some another, and the crowd was all out of order, and the majority did not know why they had come together.

³³ Some of the crowd drew Alexander out, the Jews thrusting him forward. Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to give the people an answer. ³⁴ But when they knew that he was a Jew, there arose a shout for almost two hours, everyone crying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!

³⁵ When the town clerk had quieted the people, he said, Men of Ephesus, what man is it that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana and of the image that came from heaven? ³⁶ Seeing then that no one here denies this, you ought to be quiet, and do nothing rashly. ³⁷ For you have brought here these men who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. ³⁸ And so if Demetrius and the craftsmen that are with him have any charge against anyone, the court is open, and there are deputies. Let them bring complaints against one another. ³⁹ If you have any other matter, it may be determined in a lawful assembly. ⁴⁰ For we are at risk of charges being made against us for this day’s uproar, since there is no good reason we can give to account for this mob of people.

⁴¹ And when he had thus spoken, he let the assembly depart.

Paul goes into Macedonia and into Greece. At Troas he raises up a dead body. At Ephesus he calls the elders of the congregation together, commits the keeping of God’s flock to them, warns them of false teachers, makes his prayer with them, and departs by ship.

20 After the tumult was calmed, Paul called the disciples to him and took his leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia. ² And when he had gone over those parts and given the people many exhortations, he went into Greece, ³ and was there three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him as he was about to sail into Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

⁴ There accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea, and from Thessalonica, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and from Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵ These went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. ⁶ And we sailed away from Philippi after the Passover holy days, and in five days came to them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

⁷ And on the morrow after the Sabbath day, the disciples came together to break bread. Paul, who was ready to depart on the next day, preached to them, and continued preaching until midnight. ⁸ And there were many lamps in the upper chamber where they were gathered together. ⁹ And a certain young man named Eutychus sat in a window, falling into a deep sleep. And as Paul spoke on, he was the more overcome with sleep, and fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead. ¹⁰ Paul went down and fell on him, and embraced him and said, Don’t be troubled, for his life is in him.

¹¹ When Paul had gone upstairs again, he broke bread and ate, and talked a long while, even till the morning, and so departed. ¹² And they brought in the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

¹³ And we went on to the ship and set sail for Assos, there to take Paul on board. For so he had arranged, and would himself go afoot. ¹⁴ When he came to us at Assos, we took him in and went to Mitylene. ¹⁵ And we sailed from there and arrived the next day off Chios. And the next day we arrived at the island of Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we went on to Miletus, ¹⁶ for Paul had determined to pass by Ephesus as they sailed, because he did not want to spend the time in Asia. For he hastened to be (if he could possibly) at Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. ¹⁷ And so from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the congregation.

¹⁸ And when they had come to him, he said to them, You know how, from the first day that I came to Asia, I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humbleness of mind, and with many tears and trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ and how I kept back nothing that was profitable, but have shown you and taught you openly and at home in your houses, ²¹ witnessing both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

²² And now behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will come on me there, ²³ but that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and trouble await me. ²⁴ But none of those things move me. I do not count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵ And now behold, I am sure that henceforth you all (among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God) shall see my face no more. ²⁶ And so I call you as witnesses this same day, that I am clear of the blood of all men. ²⁷ For I have kept nothing back, but have spoken to you all the counsel of God. ²⁸ Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock whereof the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he has purchased with his blood. ²⁹ For I am sure of this, that after my departing, grievous wolves will enter in among you, who will not spare the flock. ³⁰ Moreover, from among your own selves men will rise up speaking perverse things, to draw disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore awake, and remember that for the space of three years I did not cease to warn every one of you, both night and day, with tears.

³² And now, brethren, I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build further and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³ I have desired no man’s silver, gold, or clothing. ³⁴ You know well that these hands have provided for my needs and for those who were with me. ³⁵ I have shown you in every way how, by so labouring, you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

³⁶ When he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And they all wept abundantly, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the words that he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

Paul’s journey by ship. Of Philip the evangelist, and of Agabus the prophet, who warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem. He remains steadfast in his purpose, and is taken in the temple.

21 And once we had launched forth and drawn away from them, we went with a straight course to Cos, and the day following to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² And we found a ship ready to sail to Phoenicia, and went aboard and set sail. ³ Then we came in sight of Cyprus, and we passed it on the left hand and sailed to Syria. We put in at Tyre, because the ship was to unload her cargo there.  ⁴ And when we found brethren, we stayed there seven days. And they told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ And when the days were ended, we departed and went our ways; and they all brought us on our way, with their wives and children, till we got to the outskirts of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore and prayed. And when we had taken our leave of one another, ⁶ we boarded ship, and they returned home again.

⁷ When we had completed the voyage from Tyre, we went on to Ptolemais and greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day. ⁸ The next day, we who were of Paul’s company departed and went to Caesarea. And we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven deacons, and stayed with him. ⁹ This man had four daughters, virgins who prophesied.

¹⁰ And while we tarried there a good many days, there came a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus. ¹¹ When he had come to us, he took Paul’s girdle and bound his hands and feet, and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit: in this manner the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man that owns this girdle, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹² When we heard this, both we and others of the same place besought Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered and said, What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴ When we could not turn his mind, we gave up, saying, May the will of the Lord be fulfilled.

¹⁵ After those days we made ourselves ready and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and they brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we would lodge. ¹⁷ And when we got to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. ¹⁸ And on the morrow, Paul went in with us to James. And all the elders came together. ¹⁹ And when he had greeted them, he told in order all the things that God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said to him, You see, brother, how many thousand Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous over the law. ²¹ And they are informed of you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, and say that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor live according to the customs. ²² What then? This group is bound to get together, because they will hear that you have come. ²³ Do therefore what we say to you: We have four men who are under a vow. ²⁴ Take them, and purify yourself with them, and bear their expenses so that they can shave their heads, and everyone will know that those things that they have heard concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk keeping the law. ²⁵ For concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they need observe no such things, but should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication.

²⁶ Then the next day Paul took the men and purified himself with them, and entered into the temple, declaring that he was observing the days of purification until an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷ And as the seven days were almost ended, the Jews of Asia, when they saw Paul in the temple, moved all the people, and laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying, Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teaches everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he has also brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place. ²⁹ (For they had seen one Trophimus, an Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed Paul had brought him into the temple.)

³⁰ And all the city was moved, and the people swarmed together. And they took Paul and drew him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut to.

³¹ As they went about to kill him, a report came to the high captain of the soldiers that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the high captain and the soldiers, the people stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the captain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was and what he had done. ³⁴ And one shouted this and another that among the people. And when he could not ascertain the facts due to the tumult, the captain commanded Paul to be taken into the castle. ³⁵ And when Paul came to a flight of stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the people. ³⁶ For the crowd of people followed after, crying, Away with him!

³⁷ And as Paul began to be led into the castle, he said to the high captain, May I speak to you? He said, Can you speak Greek? ³⁸ Are you not that Egyptian who before these days caused a riot, and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?

³⁹ But Paul said, I am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city. I beseech you, allow me to speak to the people.

⁴⁰ When he had given him leave, Paul stood on the steps and beckoned with his hand to the people, and there was a great silence. And he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Paul answers to the Jews, is scourged, and is put in prison again.

22 Men, brethren and fathers, hear my answer, which I make to you.

² When they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence.

And he said, ³ I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and thoroughly taught in the law of the fathers. And I was fervent-minded toward God, as you all are this same day. ⁴ And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women, ⁵ as the chief priest bears me witness, and all the elders – from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring those who were there as prisoners to Jerusalem, to be punished.

⁶ But it came to pass, as I made my journey and had come near to Damascus about noon, that suddenly a great light from heaven shone round about me. ⁷ And I fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ⁸ And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

⁹ And those who were with me saw a light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of him who spoke with me. ¹⁰ And I said, What shall I do Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you all the things that are appointed for you to do.

¹¹ And when I could not see anything due to the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus. ¹² And one Ananias, a godly man, and as pertaining to the law having a good report among all the Jews who dwelt there, ¹³ came to me. And he stood and said to me, Brother Saul, look up! And that same hour I received my sight, and could see him. ¹⁴ And he said, The God of our fathers has fore-ordained you to know his will, and to see that which is rightful, and to hear the voice of his mouth. ¹⁵ For you shall be his witness to all people of those things that you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now, why tarry? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, in calling on the name of the Lord.

¹⁷ And it happened, when I returned again to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance, ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, Make haste, and get quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive the witness that you bear of me.

¹⁹ And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed on you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I also stood by and consented to his death, and minded the garments of those who slew him. ²¹ Then he said to me, Depart, for I will send you far from here, to the Gentiles.

²² The people listened to him until these words, and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth! It is a pity that he should live! ²³ And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴ the high captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, and commanded him to be scourged and examined in order to find out why the people cried out so against him. ²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and without a trial? ²⁶ When the centurion heard that, he went and told the high captain, saying, What do you intend to do? This man is a Roman.

²⁷ Then the high captain came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes. ²⁸ And the captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, I was free born.

²⁹ Then the soldiers who were to have examined him straightaway drew back from him. And the high captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

³⁰ On the day following, because he wanted to know exactly what Paul was accused of by the Jews, the captain released him from his bonds, and commanded the high priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul and set him before them.

Paul comes before the council. Debate arises among the people. The high captain delivers him. God comforts him.

23 Paul beheld the council and said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. ² Then the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by to strike him on the mouth.

³ Then Paul said to him, God smite you, you painted wall! Do you sit and judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?

⁴ And those who stood by said, Do you revile God’s high priest?

⁵ Then Paul said, I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest. For it is written: You shall not curse the ruler of your people.

⁶ When Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is concerning the hope and resurrection from death that I am on trial.

⁷ And when he had said this, there arose a quarrel between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and also no angels or spirits. But the Pharisees grant both. ⁹ And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were of the Pharisees’ party arose and protested, saying, We find no evil in this man. And if a spirit or an angel has appeared to him, let us not strive against God.

¹⁰ And when great controversy arose, the captain, fearing lest Paul should be pulled apart by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him from among them, and to bring him into the castle. ¹¹ The night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you bear witness at Rome.

¹² When day came, certain of the Jews gathered themselves together and made a vow, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were about forty who conspired this together. ¹⁴ And they went to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves with a vow that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, petition the high captain and the council to bring him forth to us tomorrow, as though we want to better understand something concerning him. But we, before he comes near, are ready meanwhile to kill him.

¹⁶ When the son of Paul’s sister heard of their plan to lie in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the high captain, because he has a certain thing to tell him. ¹⁸ And he brought him and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has a certain matter to tell you of.

¹⁹ The high captain took him by the hand and went apart with him privately, and asked him, What have you to say to me? ²⁰ And he said, The Jews have resolved to ask you to bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they want to make further enquiries of him. ²¹ But do not go along with them, because there will be more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with a vow that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your word.

²² The high captain let the young man depart, and instructed him, See you tell no one that you have told these things to me. ²³ And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night. ²⁴ And provide horses to put Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix, the governor. ²⁵ And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶ Claudius Lysias to the most noble Governor Felix, sends greetings. ²⁷ This man was taken by the Jews, and was near to being killed by them. Then I came with soldiers and rescued him, and learned that he was a Roman. ²⁸ And when I wished to know the offence for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council. ²⁹ There I could see that he was accused concerning questions of their law, but was not guilty of anything worthy of death or of bonds. ³⁰ Afterward, when it was reported to me that the Jews were lying in wait for the man, I sent him straightaway to you, and directed his accusers, if they had anything against him, to tell it to you. Farewell.

³¹ Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they left horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle.

³³ When the horsemen got to Caesarea, they delivered the epistle to the governor and presented Paul before him. ³⁴ When the governor had read the letter, he asked what province he was from. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, ³⁵ I will hear you when your accusers have come also.

And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s palace.

Paul is accused before Felix. He answers for himself.

24 After five days, Ananias, the high priest, descended with elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, and made representations to the governor concerning Paul. ² When Paul was called forth, Tertullus began the case against him, saying,

Seeing that we live in great quietness owing to you, and that many good things are done for this nation through your prudent government, ³ we receive and acknowledge it ever and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thanks. ⁴ But in order that I not be tedious to you, I pray that you would kindly hear a few words from us.

⁵ We have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of conflict among all the Jews throughout the world, and a maintainer of the sect of the Nazarites, ⁶ who has also taken in hand to profane the temple. We took him, and would have judged him according to our law, ⁷ but the high captain Lysias came upon us, and with great force took him away out of our hands, ⁸ commanding his accusers to come to you. You may, if you wish to enquire, ascertain from him the facts concerning all these things of which we accuse him.

⁹ The Jews maintained likewise, saying that it was even so.

¹⁰ Then Paul (after the governor himself had indicated to him that he should speak) answered, I shall with a more quiet mind answer for myself, ¹¹ since I understand that for many years you have been a judge to this people, in order that you may know that it is yet only twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to pray, ¹² and they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone, nor inciting the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city. ¹³ Nor can they prove the things they accuse me of.

¹⁴ But this I confess to you: that in accordance with the Way, which they call heresy, so do I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and the prophets. ¹⁵ And I have hope in God that the same resurrection of the dead that they themselves look for also will come, both of the just and the unjust. ¹⁶ And therefore I strive to have a clear conscience toward God, and toward man also.

¹⁷ But after many years I came, bringing alms and offerings to my people, ¹⁸ in the course of which they found me purified in the temple, neither with a lot of people, nor making a disturbance. However, there were certain Jews out of Asia, ¹⁹ who ought to be here present before you and accuse me if they have anything against me. ²⁰ Or else let these men here say if they have found any wrongdoing in me, while I stand here in the council – ²¹ unless it be for this one statement that I made standing among them: It is concerning the resurrection from death that I am on trial before you this day.

²² When Felix heard these things, he adjourned the hearing – for he knew very well of that Way – and said, When Lysias the captain arrives, I will hear the last of your matters. ²³ And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and that he should have rest, and not to forbid any of his friends to minister to him or come to him.

²⁴ And after some time, Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, came and called for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith that is toward Christ. ²⁵ And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, That is enough at this time; depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for you. ²⁶ He hoped also that Paul would give him money to set him free, so he called for him often and conversed with him.

²⁷ But after two years, Festus Porcius succeeded Felix. And Felix, wanting to please the Jews, left Paul bound in prison.

The Jews accuse Paul before Festus. Paul appeals to the Emperor and is sent to Rome.

25 When Festus had arrived in the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ² Then the high priests and the chief men of the Jews made submissions to him about Paul. And they entreated him, ³ and requested his indulgence concerning Paul, that he would send for him to come to Jerusalem. And they planned to lay wait for him along the way, to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, but that he himself would shortly go there. ⁵ Therefore (said he), let those among you who are able to do it come down with us, and bring your case against him there, if there be any fault in the man.

⁶ When he had been in Jerusalem more than ten days, Festus departed to Caesarea. And the next day, he sat down in the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he appeared, the Jews that had come from Jerusalem came about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul – which they could not prove, ⁸ as long as he answered for himself that he had not offended against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, in anything at all.

⁹ Festus, wanting to please the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things? ¹⁰ Then Paul said, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no harm, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I have hurt them, or committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. If none of these things are so, of which they accuse me, no one ought to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar!

¹² Then Festus spoke with deliberation and answered, You have appealed to Caesar: to Caesar you shall go.

¹³ After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ And when they had been there a good season, Festus described Paul’s case to the king, saying, There is a certain man left in prison by Felix, ¹⁵ against whom the high priests and elders of the Jews informed me when I went to Jerusalem, and asked to have judgment against him. ¹⁶ To whom I answered, It is not the practice of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he has his accusers before him, and has the opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge made against him. ¹⁷ When they came here, without delay I sat the next day to give judgment and commanded the man to be brought forth.

¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, ¹⁹ but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition, and about one Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked him if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters. ²¹ Then, when Paul appealed to be held for hearing by Caesar, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar. 

²² Agrippa said to Festus, I would also like to hear the man myself.

Tomorrow (said he) you shall hear him.

²³ And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and had entered into the council house with the high captains and chief men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. ²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and everyone here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have been calling upon me, both at Jerusalem and also here, complaining that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ Yet I found nothing worthy of death committed by him. Nevertheless, seeing that he has appealed to Caesar, I have determined to send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing certain to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the complaints that are laid against him.

King Agrippa hears Paul, who describes his calling from the beginning.

26 Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself:

² I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, because I may answer this day before you to all the things I am accused of by the Jews, ³ especially because you are expert in all the customs and questions that are among the Jews. Therefore I beseech you to hear me patiently.

⁴ My life from my childhood, which was at first among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews ⁵ who knew me from the beginning know, if they would testify it. For in accordance with the most strict sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ⁶ And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷ to which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to attain. For which hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. ⁸ Why should it be thought a thing incredible to you, that God should raise the dead up again?

⁹ I also truly thought in myself that I ought to do many things to utterly oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth – ¹⁰ which things I also did in Jerusalem, where I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority from the high priests. And when they were put to death, I joined in giving the sentence. ¹¹ And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme, and was even more mad upon them, and persecuted them even to distant cities.

¹² In going about these things, as I was going to Damascus with leave and authority from the high priests, ¹³ at midday, O King, I saw in the road a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round about me and those who were journeying with me. ¹⁴ When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the pricks. ¹⁵ And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. ¹⁶ But rise and stand up on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose: to make you a minister and a witness both of those things you have seen, and of those things in which I will appear to you, ¹⁷ delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles to whom I now send you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, and may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.

¹⁹ And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but preached first to those of Damascus, and then at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do the right works of repentance. ²¹ Because of this, the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. ²² Nevertheless, I obtained help from God, and continue to this day witnessing both to small and to great, speaking of no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say would come: ²³ that Christ would suffer, and that he would be the first to rise from death, and would show light to the people and to the Gentiles.

²⁴ As he thus answered for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning has made you mad.

²⁵ And Paul said, I am not mad, most dear Festus, but speak the words of truth and soberness. ²⁶ The king knows of these things, before whom I speak freely. I do not think any of these things are hidden from him. For this was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know well that you believe.

²⁸ Agrippa said to Paul, You bring me in mind somewhat to become a Christian.

²⁹ And Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, were not only somewhat, but altogether such as I am, except for these bonds.

³⁰ And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up with the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them. ³¹ And when they had gone apart, they talked between themselves, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death, nor of bonds. ³² Then Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

Paul begins the voyage toward Rome. The centurion Julius treats him graciously. They suffer shipwreck.

27 When it was concluded that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of Caesar’s soldiers. ² And we entered into a ship of Adramyttium and put out from land, appointed to sail by the coasts of Asia. One Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. ³ And the next day we came to Sidon. And Julius treated Paul graciously, and gave him liberty to go to his friends and to refresh himself. ⁴ And from there we put out to sea, and sailed hard by Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵ Then we sailed over the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, and came to Myra, a city in Lycia.

⁶ And there the centurion found a ship of Alexander ready to sail to Italy, and put us in it. ⁷ And when we had sailed slowly many days, and with difficulty arrived off Cnidus (because the wind was against us), we sailed hard by the coast of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ With much work we sailed beyond Salmone, and came to a Cretan port called Fair Havens, near which was a city called Lasea. ⁹ When much time had passed, and sailing was now risky, and also because we had fasted too long, Paul gave them warning ¹⁰ and said to them, Sirs, I can see that this voyage will be with injury and much loss, not of the cargo and ship only, but also of our lives.

¹¹ But the centurion believed the steersman and the shipmaster over those things that were spoken by Paul. ¹² And because the port was not good to winter in, many were minded to depart, if by any means they might reach Phoenix, a harbour of Crete that serves to the southwest and northwest wind, and winter there.

¹³ When the south wind blew, they, expecting to achieve their purpose, raised anchor and sailed past all Crete. ¹⁴ But soon after, there arose a contrary squall of wind out of the northeast. ¹⁵ And when the ship was caught and could not resist the wind, we let her go, and drove with the weather.

¹⁶ And we came to an isle named Clauda, and with much effort obtained a skiff, ¹⁷ which they hoisted up. And we had help undergirding the ship, fearing to fall into the Syrtis Sands.  And we floated an anchor, and so were carried.

¹⁸ The next day, when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship. ¹⁹ And the third day, we cast the ship’s tackle overboard with our own hands. ²⁰ When at the last neither sun nor star appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay upon us, all hope that we would be saved was then taken away.

²¹ Then, after long forbearance, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not set out from Crete, and brought to us this harm and loss. ²² But now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship only. ²³ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, Fear not, Paul, for you must be brought before Caesar. And lo, God has given to you all those who sail with you.

²⁵ Therefore, Sirs, be of good cheer. For I believe God, that it will be just as it was told me. ²⁶ However, we must be cast onto a certain island.

²⁷ But when the fourteenth night came, as we were carried about in the Adriatic Sea, at about midnight the sailors suspected some land was near. ²⁸ And they took soundings, and found it twenty fathoms. And when they had gone a little further, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹ Then, fearing to hit some rock, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

³⁰ Then, as the sailors were about to escape out of the ship, and had let the skiff down into the sea under the pretence of casting anchors out of the foreship, ³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these men remain in the ship, you cannot be safe.

³² Then the soldiers cut the rope off of the skiff, and let it fall away.

³³ And in the meantime, between that and day, Paul besought them all to take food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and continued without eating, taking nothing at all. ³⁴ So I urge you to take food for your health. For not a hair shall fall from the head of any of you.

³⁵ And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all, and broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ Then they were all of good cheer, and they also took food. ³⁷ We were altogether in the ship 276 souls. ³⁸ And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹ When it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they spotted a certain inlet with a bank, into which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship. ⁴⁰ And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, loosed the rudder bonds, hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and drew to land. ⁴¹ They chanced on a shallow sandbank and thrust in the ship. And the forepart stuck fast, and did not move, but the stern broke with the violence of the waves.

⁴² The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them, when he had swum out, should flee away. ⁴³ But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and escape to land. ⁴⁴ And the others he commanded to go, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they all came safe to land.

The viper does not hurt Paul’s hand. He heals Publius’ father, and preaches Christ at Rome.

28 And when they had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta. ² And the people of the island showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire, and took us in every one, because of the falling rain and because of the cold.

³ And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them into the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, which leapt upon his hand. ⁴ When the islanders saw the venomous snake hanging on his hand, they said among themselves, This man must be a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffers not to live. ⁵ But he shook the snake off into the fire and felt no ill effect. ⁶ However, they waited for him to swell up or fall down dead suddenly. But after they had waited a great while and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

⁷ In the same region, the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, had a lordship. He received us and kindly lodged us for three days. ⁸ And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of dysentery. Paul entered in to him and prayed, and laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ When this was done, others also who had diseases in the isle came and were healed. ¹⁰ And they honoured us greatly; and when we departed, they brought on board such things as were necessary.

¹¹ After three months, we departed in a ship of Alexandria that had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was Castor and Pollux. ¹² And when we came to Syracuse, we stayed there three days. ¹³ And from there we made a circuit and came to Rhegium.

And after one day, the south wind blew. And we came the next day to Puteoli, ¹⁴ where we found brethren and were invited to stay with them seven days; and so we went on toward Rome.

¹⁵ And from Rome, when the brethren heard of us, they came out as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and gained courage. ¹⁶ And when he reached Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the chief captain of the host. But Paul was allowed to dwell by himself, with one soldier to guard him.