Bible in 90 Days

³⁸ And the soterim reported these words to the magistrates, and the magistrates were afraid, hearing that Rav Sha’ul and Sila were both Roman citizens.

³⁹ So the magistrates came, and entreated Rav Sha’ul and Sila, and brought them out, asking them to depart from the city.

⁴⁰ And having come out from the beis hasohar, they came to Lydia, and having seen and encouraged the Achim b’Moshiach of the Kehillah that met in Lydia’s bais, Rav Sha’ul and Sila departed.

17 Now having passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Rav Sha’ul and Sila came to Thessalonica, where there was a shul.

² And as he did bekvius (regularly), Rav Sha’ul joined their minyan, and on shloshah Shabbatot, he gave them drashot from the Kitvei HaKodesh,

³ Making a Messianic midrash (homiletical interpretation of the Scriptures) and giving the pshat (rationale) for the yissurim of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, that it was necessary for him to suffer and to stand up alive from the Mesim, saying, "This one is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, this Yehoshua whom I am proclaiming to you."

⁴ And some of them were persuaded and were being mishtatef (join, become involved) in a chavurah with Rav Sha’ul and Sila, as did a large number of yirei Elohim (Yevanim) and not a few of the chashuve nashim.

⁵ And the Yehudim without emunah, being filled with kinah, and having rounded up from the people of the market the gornisht and the nogoodniks, and having formed a mob, were throwing the city into an uproar. And the crowd was seeking to bring out Moshiach’s Shlichim and throw them to the mob, so they attacked the bais of Jason.

⁶ But not having found the Moshiach’s Shlichim, they were dragging Jason and some other Achim b’Moshiach to the city manhigim, shouting, "These, who have been turning the Olam Hazeh upside down, have come here also!

⁷ "And Jason is the one who has received them into his bais! And all these ones are acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is a king other than Caesar, this Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua!"

⁸ And they stirred up the mob and also the city manhigim who heard them saying these things.

⁹ And having taken the bond money from Jason and the rest, they released them.

¹⁰ And, immediately during the lailah, the Achim b’Moshiach sent both Rav Sha’ul and Sila to Berea. When Moshiach’s Shlichim arrived, they joined the minyan in the shul.

¹¹ But these Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians. The Berean Yehudim received the dvar Hashem with all readiness, yom yom (daily) making a chazora (review) and examining and horiva over (analyzing) the Kitvei HaKodesh, to see if these things might be so. [Dt 29:29]

¹² Therefore, many of them became Messianic Jews, and also of the chashuve Yevanim, not a few nashim and anashim came to emunah.

¹³ But when the Yehudim without emunah from Thessalonica realized that also in Berea the dvar Hashem was being proclaimed by Rav Sha’ul, they came also to Berea, agitating and stirring up mobs.

¹⁴ And immediately, then, the Achim b’Moshiach sent away Rav Sha’ul to go as far as to the sea, but both Sila and Timotiyos remained in Berea.

¹⁵ Now the ones escorting Rav Sha’ul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions to have Sila and Timotiyos come to Rav Sha’ul in Athens as quickly as possible, the ones escorting him departed.

¹⁶ And awaiting them in Athens, the ruach of Rav Sha’ul was being distressed within him as he observed the city being full of elilim.

¹⁷ Therefore, Rav Sha’ul was dialoguing and arguing in the shul with the Yehudim and with the yirei Elohim and also in the marketplace yom yom [street preaching] to the ones who happened to be there.

¹⁸ Also some of the Apikoros (Epicurean) and Stoic philosophers started conversing with Rav Sha’ul, and some were saying, "What might this babbler wish to say?" And others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities." They said this because of what Rav Sha’ul was proclaiming: Yehoshua and the Techiyas HaMesim.

¹⁹ And having taken hold of Rav Sha’ul, they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "Are we able to have da’as of what this new teaching is, which is being spoken by you?

²⁰ "For some surprising things you bring to our hearing. Therefore, we desire to have da’as of what these things mean."

²¹ Now all the Athenians and the visiting foreigners and tourists in Athens used to spend time doing nothing but shmoozing about the latest novelty in the news.

²² And Rav Sha’ul, taking his stand in the middle of the Areopagus, said, "Anashim, Athenians, with respect to everything how very religious indeed I observe you to be.

²³ "For passing through and looking carefully at your objects of worship, I found also an altar on which had been inscribed ‘To the unknown g-d.’ Therefore, what you worship without da’as, this I proclaim to you.

²⁴ "Hashem, the One having made HaOlam and all the things in it, this One being Adon HaShomayim vaHaAretz, does not dwell in temples made by human hands. [Isa 42:5 Dt 10:14; Isa 66:1; 1Kgs 8:27]

²⁵ "Nor is Hashem served by human hands, as if Hashem were in need of something, since He gives to all Chayyim and breath and everything. [Ps 50:10-12; Isa 42:5]

²⁶ "And Hashem made from one ancestor every nation of anashim dwelling pnei kol haAretz. And Hashem has set the zmanim and the fixed boundaries of their habitations, [Dt 32:8; Job 12:23]

²⁷ "So that they would seek Hashem, if efsher (perhaps) they might grope for Him and might find Him, though Hashem is not far from each one of us. [Dt 4:7; Isa 55:6; Jer 23:23,24]

²⁸ "For ‘we live in Him and in Him we move and have our being,’ as also some of your poets have said, ‘For we are all His offspring.’ [Dt 30:20; Job 12:10; Dan 5:23; Epimenides; Aratus]

²⁹ "Therefore, being offspring of Hashem, we ought not to think that Hashem’s essence is like gold or silver or stone, a tzelem (image) made by the skill and thought of Bnei Adam. [Isa 40:18-20]

³⁰ "While Hashem has disregarded and let pass the Am HaAretz times of ignorance, now, however, Hashem proclaims to kol bnei Adam everywhere, Make teshuva,

³¹ "Because he set a day in which he is about to bring MISHPAT (TEHILLIM 9:8) on the Olam Hazeh in tzedek [DANIEL 9:24] by an ISH (ZECHARYAH 6:12) whom he appointed, having furnished proof to all by having made him to stand up alive again from the Mesim." [Ps 9:8; 96:13; 98:9; Isa 53:11 MEGILLOT YAM HAMELACH (DEAD SEA SCROLLS)]

³² And when they heard of the Techiyas HaMesim, some were mocking Rav Sha’ul. But others said, "We will hear you again about this."

³³ Thus did Rav Sha’ul go out from the midst of them.

³⁴ And some anashim became mishtatef in the chavurah of Rav Sha’ul, in that they had emunah, among whom were both Dionysius, a member of the Athenian Council of the Areopagus, and an isha by name Damaris, and others with them.

18 After these things Rav Sha’ul left Athens and went to Corinth.

² And in Corinth Rav Sha’ul found some Messianic Jews, namely Aquila hailing from Pontus, having recently come from Italy, where Claudius ordered a decree of Jewish expulsion from Rome, and Priscilla, his isha. Rav Sha’ul went to see them.

³ And because he had the same parnasah (livelihood), Rav Sha’ul was staying with them, and he was working with them, for they were tentmakers by trade.

⁴ And Rav Sha’ul was debating in the shul every Shabbos, and he was convincing Yehudim and Yevanim.

⁵ Now when both Sila and Timotiyos came down from Macedonia, Rav Sha’ul was farnumen (preoccupied) and totally absorbed with the dvar Hashem, bearing solemn edut to the Yehudim that Yehoshua is the Moshiach.

⁶ But when some began opposing Rav Sha’ul, and when they began committing Chillul Hashem, Rav Sha’ul shook out his kaftan and said to them, "The responsibility of your lot be upon your own head! For I am tahor (clean); from now on, I go to the Nations." [2Sm 1:16; Ezek 33:4; 3:17-19; Neh 5:13]

⁷ And so Rav Sha’ul left them, and entered into the bais of a certain ish by the name Titius Justus, a yire Elohim whose bais was right next door to the shul!!

⁸ And Crispus, the Rosh Beit HaKnesset, came to emunah in Moshiach Adoneinu along with his entire bais; also many of the Corinthians who heard came to emunah, and were being given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva.

⁹ Then in the lailah, through a chazon, Adonoi said to Rav Sha’ul, "Do not fear, but speak out, and do not keep silent,

¹⁰ "For I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you; I have many people in this city."

¹¹ And Rav Sha’ul sat shanah and shishah chodashim saying shiurim to them on the dvar Hashem.

¹² And when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the [disobedient] Yehudim rose up with one accord keneged (against, in opposition to) Rav Sha’ul, and they took him to court,

¹³ Saying, "This one persuades anashim to worship Hashem in a manner against the Torah."

¹⁴ Rav Sha’ul was about to open his mouth when Gallio spoke to the Yehudim, "If this matter concerned some wrong or heinous crime, O Yehudim, I might reasonably put up with you;

¹⁵ "But if it is kashes (questions) about a dvar and shemot (names) and your Torah, you will see to it for yourselves. I do not intend to be a shofet (judge) of these things."

¹⁶ And he had them ejected from the courtroom.

¹⁷ They seized Sosthenes, the Rosh HaKnesset, and were beating him in full view of the Kes HaMishpat (Judgment Seat), and none of these things created a concern for Gallio.

¹⁸ But Rav Sha’ul still remained a number of yamim and then took leave of the Achim b’Moshiach, and was sailing away to Syria; and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he cut his hair, for he had taken a neder (vow). [BAMIDBAR 6:2,5,18]

¹⁹ Then they arrived in Ephesus, and Rav Sha’ul left them there, but he joined the minyan in the shul and debated with the Yehudim.

²⁰ And when they were asking Rav Sha’ul to stay for a longer time, he did not give his consent.

²¹ But taking leave of them, he said, “I will return again im yirtzeh Hashem (G-d willing).” Then Rav Sha’ul set sail from Ephesus.

²² And having come down to Caesarea and having gone up and greeted the [Yerushalayim] Kehillah of Moshiach, then Rav Sha’ul went down to Antioch.

²³ And having spent some time, he embarked, passing through the area of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the Moshiach’s talmidim.

²⁴ Now a certain man, a Yehudi, arrived in Ephesus, Apollos by name, hailing from Alexandria, a lamdan (a Torah scholar with prodigious knowledge), being tief (deep and profound, erudite, keen) in the Kitvei HaKodesh.

²⁵ This one had been taught the Derech Hashem and was on fire in the Ruach Hakodesh and saying shiurim and drashot accurate and true to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. But Rav Apollos was acquainted only with the tevilah of teshuva of Yochanan [see Lk 3:16].

²⁶ And this rabbi began to speak with ometz lev (boldness) in the shul. And having heard him, Priscilla and Aquila took him and more accurately instructed him in the Derech Hashem.

²⁷ When Rav Apollos desired to go to Achaia, the Achim b’Moshiach encouraged him and wrote iggrot to Moshiach’s talmidim there to welcome him. When Rav Apollos arrived, he greatly helped the ones who through the Chen v’Chesed Hashem had come to emunah.

²⁸ For Rav Apollos was publicly and powerfully refuting the [unbelieving] Yehudim, showing through the Kitvei HaKodesh that Yehoshua is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

19 And it came about while Rav Apollos was in Corinth that Rav Sha’ul traveled through the upper regions and arrived at Ephesus, finding some of [Moshiach’s] talmidim there.

² And Rav Sha’ul said to them, "Did you receive the Ruach Hakodesh when you came to emunah?" But they said to Rav Sha’ul, "But we never heard that there is a Ruach Hakodesh!"

³ And Rav Sha’ul said, "Into what then were you given tevilah?" And they said, "Into the tevilah of Yochanan."

⁴ And Rav Sha’ul said, "Yochanan gave a tevilah of teshuva to the people, saying that they should have emunah in Hu HaBah [Moshiach], the one coming after him, that is, in Yehoshua." [Lk 3:16]

⁵ And having heard this, they were given Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva in haShem of the Moshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.

⁶ And when Rav Sha’ul placed his hands upon them, the Ruach Hakodesh came upon them, and they were speaking in leshonot and they were speaking dvarim hanevu’ah.

⁷ And the anashim were about sheneym asar in number.

⁸ And having joined the minyan at the shul, Rav Sha’ul was speaking with ometz lev during the course of shloshah chodashim, debating and persuading concerning the things of the Malchut Hashem.

⁹ But when some unbelievers in the shul were being hardened and were disobeying, speaking Chillul Hashem of the Derech Hashem before the multitude, Rav Sha’ul withdrew from them. Rav Sha’ul took the Moshiach’s talmidim and yom yom was saying shiurim in the [Messianic] yeshiva of Tyrannus.

¹⁰ And this happened over a period of two years with the intended result that all the ones inhabiting [the Roman Province of] Asia heard the dvar Hashem, both Yehudim and Yevanim.

¹¹ And gevaltike moftim and niflaot Hashem effected at the hands of Rav Sha’ul,

¹² so that when a handkerchief or an apron touched the skin of Rav Sha’ul and was brought to the cholim, the machlot (sicknesses) and the shedim (demons) left them.

¹³ And some traveling Jewish exorcists attempted to use haShem of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua over the ones possessed of ruchot ra’ot, saying, "I exorcize and cast you out by the Yehoshua whom Rav Sha’ul preaches!"

¹⁴ And there were doing this very thing shivat banim of a certain Skeva, a Jewish "Kohen Gadol."

¹⁵ And in reply the ruach hara’ah (the shed, demon) said to them, "I am acquainted with Yehoshua, I have da’as of Sha’ul, but, you, who are you?!"

¹⁶ And the ish in whom was the ruach hara’ah leaped upon them and subdued all [shivah] of them, and overpowered them, so that they fled, naked and wounded, from the bais.

¹⁷ And this became known to all the Yehudim and also the Yevanim inhabiting Ephesus, and pachad (terror) fell upon all of them, and they were exalting haShem of Adoneinu Yehoshua.

¹⁸ And many of the ones having come to emunah were making vidduy of their ma’asim, disclosing them.

¹⁹ And a number of the ones who had practiced kishshuf (magic, sorcery) brought together their occult sfarim and were burning them publicly; and they added up the price of these occult sfarim, and they found it to be fifty thousand silver pieces.

²⁰ So the dvar Hashem, the Besuras HaGeulah, was growing with ko’ach and was prevailing.

²¹ And when these things were fulfilled, Rav Sha’ul resolved in his ruach to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Yerushalayim, saying "After I have gone there, it is necessary for me also to see Rome."

²² So Rav Sha’ul sent to Macedonia two of the mesharetim (ministers, servants) with him‖Timotiyos and Erastus, while he stayed a little while longer in [the Province of] Asia.

²³ Now during that time there was no small disturbance concerning the Derech Hashem.

²⁴ For a certain one, Demetrius by name, a silversmith and maker of silver idol shrines for Artemis, was providing no small revach (profit) for the craftsmen.

²⁵ Demetrius also assembled the craftsmen occupied with that trade and he said, "Anashim, you have da’as that our prosperity is from this trade,

²⁶ "And you see and hear that not only here in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Rav Sha’ul has persuaded and drawn away a large multitude saying, ‘Elilim made with human hands are not Elohim.’ [Dt 4:28; Ps 115:4; Isa 44:10-20; Jer 10:3-5]

²⁷ "And this is not only a danger to us, that our part, our trade, will fall into disrepute, but also the temple of the elah hagedolah Artemis may be considered as nothing, and also may be about to suffer the loss of her majesty, which all Asia and the Olam Hazeh worship."

²⁸ And having listened and having become full of ka’as, the idol makers were crying out, saying, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

²⁹ And the city was filled with tohu, and they rushed with one impulse into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Macedonians and traveling fellow po’alim of Rav Sha’ul.

³⁰ And Rav Sha’ul desired to enter into the crowd in the theater, but the talmidim were not allowing him.

³¹ And also some of the Asiarchs who were his chaverim, sent to him, begging him not to venture into the theater.

³² Then some began shouting one thing, some another, in the theater, for the kahal was in confusion, and most had no da’as of the purpose of the kahal (assembly).

³³ And from the multitude Alexander was pushed forward by Yehudim and some prompted him with shouts, while Alexander waved his hand, wanting to defend himself to the kahal.

³⁴ But having known what the man was, that he was a Yehudi, all in the theater shouted in unison for lav davka two hours crying out, "Gedolah is Artemis of the Ephesians."

³⁵ And the town clerk, when he had restrained the crowd, said, "Anashim, citizens of Ephesus, who indeed is there among Bnei Adam who does not have da’as that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the tzelem (image) that fell from Shomayim?

³⁶ "Since these things are undeniable, it is necessary for you to calm down and to do nothing reckless.

³⁷ "For you brought these anashim here who are neither temple robbers nor speakers of evil against our religion.

³⁸ "Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a tainah (grievance) against anyone, the civil courts are in session and there are proconsuls. Let it be there that they bring charges against one another.

³⁹ "And if you seek anything further, let your settlement be obtained in the lawful assembly.

⁴⁰ "For indeed we are in danger of being indicted for an intifadah (uprising) today, for there is no justification we can render to excuse this disorder and commotion."

⁴¹ And having said these things, the town clerk dismissed the kahal (assembly).

20 And after the uproar had ended, Rav Sha’ul summoned the Moshiach’s talmidim and, having exhorted them, and having taken his leave, he departed to go to Macedonia.

² And having traveled through those regions and having exhorted the Moshiach’s talmidim there with many words, Rav Sha’ul came to Greece.

³ And after he had spent shloshah chodashim there, Rav Sha’ul was about to set sail for Syria when a kesher (conspiracy) was plotted against him by the [unbelieving] Yehudim, and so Rav Sha’ul decided to return through Macedonia.

⁴ And accompanying Rav Sha’ul from Berea was Sopater the son of Pyrrhus; from Thessalonica was Aristarchus and Secundus; from Derbe, Gaius; and from Asia, Timotiyos, Tychicus and Trophimus.

⁵ And these, having gone ahead, were waiting for us in Troas.

⁶ And we sailed away after the Yamim HaMatzot [i.e., Pesach] from Philippi, and within chamash yamim we came to them in Troas, where we stayed shivah yamim.

⁷ And on Yom Rishon, when we met for tish (it was Motzoei Shabbos when there was a Melaveh Malkeh communal meal), Rav Sha’ul was saying a shiur to them, since he would have to depart early the next day and was having to extend the message until chatzot halailah.

⁸ And there were a number of menorot in the upper story, where we had assembled.

⁹ And a certain bocher, by the name of Eutychus, was sitting on the window sill and began to succumb to a deep sleep while Rav Sha’ul was saying a shiur that went on and on. Overcome by this sleep, Eutychus fell from the third story downwards, and was picked up dead.

¹⁰ And having come down, Rav Sha’ul fell upon him, and, having embraced him, Rav Sha’ul said, "Do not be troubled, for his neshamah is in him." [MELACHIM ALEF 17:21; MELACHIM BAIS 4:34]

¹¹ And having gone up and, at the Betzi’at HaLechem, having partaken of it, and having spoken until Shacharis, thus Rav Sha’ul departed.

¹² And they led away the bochur chai! And they were not a little comforted.

¹³ And we went ahead to the oniyah (sailing vessel) and set sail for Assos, where we were intending to take Rav Sha’ul on board, for he had arranged it so, intending to travel himself there by land.

¹⁴ When Rav Sha’ul met us in Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

¹⁵ And from there, having sailed away, we arrived on the next day opposite Chios. And then the day following we crossed over to Samos, and, on the following day, we came to Miletus.

¹⁶ For Rav Sha’ul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so he would not have to spend time in [the Province of] Asia, for he was hurrying in order that, if possible, he might by Shavu’os go up to Yerushalayim.

¹⁷ And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, Rav Sha’ul summoned the Ziknei HaKehillah.

¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them, "You have da’as from the yom harishon in which I set foot in Asia how I was with you the entire time,

¹⁹ "My avodas kodesh service to Hashem with all anavah (humility) and tears and tzoros, and all that happened to me by the kesharim of the [unbelieving] Yehudim;

²⁰ "How I kept back nothing profitable from you, but kept giving you messianic drashot and shiurim publicly and from bais to bais, [TEHILLIM 40:10; YIRMEYAH 26:2; 42:2]

²¹ "Bearing solemn edut both to Yehudim and Yevanim about teshuva toward Hashem and emunah in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua.

²² "And now, hinei, having been bound by the Ruach Hakodesh, I am going to Yerushalayim, not having da’as of the things that are going to happen to me there,

²³ "Except that the Ruach Hakodesh, in every city, testifies to me, saying that the beis hasohar and tzoros are awaiting me.

²⁴ "But I gufa (myself) do not account my existence in the Olam Hazeh of any value to myself, if only I may finish my course and the avodas kodesh sherut which I received from the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua to bear witness to the Besuras HaGeulah of the Chen v’Chesed Hashem.

²⁵ "And now, hinei, I have da’as that no longer will you see my face, all of you among whom I went about preaching the Malchut Hashem.

²⁶ "Therefore I bear solemn edut (testimony) to you on this very day today, that I am innocent of the blood of any of you.

²⁷ "For I did not shrink back from preaching and disclosing to all of you the whole etzat Hashem (counsel, plan of G-d).

²⁸ "Pay attention to yourselves and to all the Eder Hashem (flock of G-d) in which the Ruach Hakodesh has placed you as mashgichim ruchaniyim (spiritual overseers) to do the work of ro’im (shepherds) over the Kehillah of Hashem which Adoneinu purchased for the Geulah with his own dahm [kapporah].

²⁹ "I have da’as that after my departure savage ze’evim (wolves) will come in among you, not sparing the eder (flock). [YECHEZKEL 34:5]

³⁰ "And from you yourselves will rise up anashim speaking perverted doctrines in order to draw away talmidim after themselves.

³¹ "Therefore, be shomer, remembering that for shloshah shanim, yomam v’lailah, I did not stop admonishing each one of you with tears.

³² "And now I commend you to Hashem and to the Dvar HaChen v’Chesed Hashem which is able to build you up and give you a nachalah (inheritance) among all the kadoshim.

³³ "I coveted no one’s silver or gold or shtreimel. [SHMUEL ALEF 12:3]

³⁴ "You yourselves have da’as that these hands of mine supported all my needs as well as the needs of those with me.

³⁵ "In all this I was showing you a mofet (example) that thus working hard it is necessary to help the weak and to have zikaron of the dvarim of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, that he himself said, ‘Beser (better) to geben (give) than to nemen (take).’"

³⁶ And having said these things, Rav Sha’ul fell down and, with them all, began davening.

³⁷ And there was much weeping among them, and, having fallen upon the neck of Rav Sha’ul, they were kissing him,

³⁸ with agmat nefesh above all at the dvar in which Rav Sha’ul had said that no longer would they see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the oniyah.

21 And when it came about that we set sail, having parted from them, having run a straight course, we came to Cos. And on the next day we got to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

² And having found an oniyah crossing over to Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail.

³ And having come within sight of Cyprus, and leaving Cyprus behind on our left, we were sailing to Syria and we arrived in Tzor, for there the oniyah was unloading its cargo.

⁴ And after having searched for Moshiach’s talmidim there, we stayed in Tzor shivah yamim. And Moshiach’s talmidim were telling Rav Sha’ul by the Ruach Hakodesh not to make any aliyah (ascent) to Yerushalayim.

⁵ But when our yamim there were ended, we departed and everyone, including nashim and yeladim, were accompanying us as far as the outskirts of the city; and falling down on the beach, we all were davening.

⁶ And having bid them "Shalom," we embarked in the oniyah, and they returned to their own batim.

⁷ And when we had completed the voyage from Tzor, we arrived in Ptolemais, and, having given a "Shalom" greeting to the Achim b’Moshiach there, we stayed yom echad with them.

⁸ And on the next day, having left, we came to Caesarea; and entered the bais of Philippos, the maggid of the Besuras HaGeulah who was one of HaShivah [see 6:3]. And we stayed with him.

⁹ And Philippos was the abba of arbah banot, betulot, who were gifted in giving a dvar nevuah. [Ex 15:20; Judg 4:4; Neh 6:14]

¹⁰ And remaining there many yamim, a certain one came down from Yehudah, a navi, Agav by name.

¹¹ And when he came to us, he took Rav Sha’ul’s gartel and, having bound his own feet and hands with it, Agav said, "So says the Ruach Hakodesh: this is the way the Yehudim in Yerushalayim will bind the man who owns this gartel, and they will hand him over to the Goyim.” [MELACHIM ALEF 22:11; Isa 20:2- 4; Jer 13:1-11]

¹² And when we heard these things, we were begging Rav Sha’ul, both we and the locals, not to make any aliyah (ascent) to Yerushalayim.

¹³ Then Rav Sha’ul answered, "What are you doing weeping and breaking my lev (heart)? For I am prepared not only to be bound but to die al kiddush ha-Shem in Yerushalayim, for haShem of the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua."

¹⁴ And not persuading him, we remained silent, having said, "Let the ratzon Hashem be done."

¹⁵ And after these yamim, having made preparations, we were making an aliyah to Yerushalayim.

¹⁶ And also some of Moshiach’s talmidim from Caesarea traveled with us, bringing us for hachnosas orchim to the bais of the Cyprian Mnason, one of Moshiach’s talmidim of long standing [an early disciple].

¹⁷ And when we arrived in Yerushalayim, the Achim b’Moshiach there gave us a kabbalat panim welcome with lev same’ach.

¹⁸ And on the following day Rav Sha’ul was going in with us to Ya’akov [see p.848], and all the Ziknei HaKehillah came.

¹⁹ And having given them a "Shalom" greeting, Rav Sha’ul was explaining one by one the things Hashem did through his avodas kodesh as Moshiach’s Shliach to the Goyim.

²⁰ And the ones who heard were saying, "Baruch Hashem!" And they said to him, "You see, Ach b’Moshiach, how many thousands there are among the Yehudim who have emunah [in our Moshiach] and they all have kanous (zealousness), are shomer mitzvot for the Torah [Sinai Covenant and its mitzvot].

²¹ "And these Orthodox Jewish ma’aminim hameshichiyim have heard a rumor informing them about you, that you teach the Yehudim living among the Goyim in the Golus to be shmad and to commit apostasy from Moshe [Rabbeinu, i.e., Orthodox Judaism], telling them to abandon bris milah for Bnei Yisroel and not to be shomer regarding the darkhei haTorah [“ways of the Torah,” i.e. the Sinai Covenant and its mitzvot]. [BAMIDBAR 6:2,5]

²² "What then is to be done? Certainly these Orthodox Jewish ma’aminim hameshichiyim [i.e., who have emunah in our Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Adoneinu Yehoshua, Ac 21:20] will get word that you have come.

²³ "This, therefore, do what we tell you. There are with us arba’ah anashim who are under a neder Nezirim.

²⁴ "Go! Take these for hitkaddeshut (purification) and purify yourself with them and pay expenses for them, that they may cut their hair; then all shall have da’as that there is no emes to the rumor; then it shall be clear that you yourself are in agreement and frum regarding the darkhei haTorah and that you are charedi and shomer mitzvot, in the ranks of those who practice Orthodox Judaism." [BAMIDBAR 6:1-21, Mishnah tractate Nazir]

²⁵ “And concerning the Goyim coming to [Orthodox Jewish] emunah, we have sent an iggeret with our decision that they avoid what is offered to elilim and dahm and what is strangled and zenut."

²⁶ Then Rav Sha’ul took the anashim on the following day, and he went with them for hitkaddeshut (purification) and was entering the Beis Hamikdash, giving notice of the completion of the yamim of the tohorah until was offered for each one of them the korban. [BAMIDBAR 6:13 20]

²⁷ Now when the shivat yamim were about to be completed, unbelieving Yehudim from the Province of Asia [Ephesus], having seen Rav Sha’ul in the Beis Hamikdash, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid their hands on him, [YIRMEYAH 26:8]

²⁸ Crying out, "Anashim, Bnei Yisroel, help us! This one is the ish who is giving shiurim to everyone everywhere keneged (against, in opposition to) HaAm [Yisroel] and the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu and this Makom HaKadosh, and in addition also he brought Yevanim into the Beis Hamikdash and has defiled Makom HaKadosh HaZeh [the Beis Hamikdash]."

²⁹ —For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Rav Sha’ul and they had jumped to the conclusion and made the unwarranted assumption that Rav Sha’ul had brought Trophimus past the Soreg [barrier of the holy precinct] in the Beis Hamikdash.

³⁰ —And the whole city was aroused and the people were rushing together, and they seized Rav Sha’ul, and they were dragging him outside the Beit Hamikdash; and immediately the delatot were shut.

³¹ And while they were trying to kill him, a report went up to a tribune of the Roman cohort that all Yerushalayim was in an oifshtand (uprising) uproar.

³² At once he took his chaiyalim and centurions and ran down to them, and when the rioters saw the Roman tribune and the chaiyalim, they stopped beating Rav Sha’ul.

³³ Then the Roman tribune came near and took hold of Rav Sha’ul and ordered him to be bound with two sharsherot (chains), and the tribune was inquiring who he might be and what he had done.

³⁴ Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, some another, and the tribune was not able to have da’as of anything definite because of the noise, so he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

³⁵ And when Rav Sha’ul was on the steps, it came about that he was carried by the chaiyalim, because of the violence of the multitude,

³⁶ For the crowd kept following and shouting, "Away with him!"

³⁷ And just when he was about to be brought into the barracks, Rav Sha’ul says to the Roman tribune, "Is it permissible for me to say something to you?" And the tribune said, "Ellinisti Ginoskeis? (Do you know Greek?)

³⁸ "Then you are not the Egyptian who recently stirred up an intifada and led out four thousand assassins into the wilderness?"

³⁹ And Rav Sha’ul said, "I gufa (myself) am an ish Yehudi from Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. And I ask you to allow me to speak to the people."

⁴⁰ And when the tribune had given permission, Rav Sha’ul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. And a great silence fell upon the crowd. Then Rav Sha’ul addressed the multitude in the language of the Hebrews.

22 Rav Sha’ul said, "Anashim, Achim, Avot, listen now to my hitstaddekut (defense)."

² And when they heard that Rav Sha’ul was addressing them in the language of the Hebrews, they were even more quiet. And Rav Sha’ul said,

³ "I am an ish Yehudi, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but having been brought up in a yeshiva in this city of Yerushalayim at the feet of Rabban Gamliel, having learned with irreproachable frumkeit according to all machmir chumra strictness the Torah of Avoteinu, and I have a kinat Hashem just as all of you do today; [MELACHIM ALEF 19:10]

⁴ "I brought redifah on this ‘Derech,’ even to the point of mavet, binding and delivering both anashim and nashim over to the beis hasohar,

⁵ "As even the Kohen Gadol and all the Zekenim of the Sanhedrin could give solemn eidus for me. For from them I also was authorized with iggrot to the Achim in Damascus, and I was going there to lead away also the ones who were there in order to bring them bound back to Yerushalayim to have them punished.

⁶ "And it happened to me while traveling and drawing near to Damascus, lav davka (approximately) noon, suddenly from Shomayim, a very bright ohr (light) shone around me;

⁷ "And I fell to the ground. Then I heard a bat kol saying to me, ‘Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you bringing redifah on me?'’

⁸ "And I answered, ‘Who are you, Adoni?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Yehoshua of Natzeret, upon whom you are bringing redifah.’

⁹ "And the ones with me saw the ohr (light) but they did not have real hearing (understanding) of the voice speaking to me.

¹⁰ "And I said, ‘What shall I do, Adoni?'’ And HaAdon said to me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything which has been appointed for you to do.'’

¹¹ "And because I had been blinded from the kavod (glory) of that ohr (light), I was led by the hand by the ones who were with me and who led me into Damascus.

¹² "A certain man, Chananyah by name, an ehrliche Yid (a truly pious Jew), charedi according to the Torah and with a shem tov with all the Yehudim living in Damascus,

¹³ "Came to me and stood next to me, saying, ‘Ach b’Moshiach Sha’ul, receive your sight.’ And at that moment I looked up at him.

¹⁴ "And he said, ‘Elohei Avoteinu has chosen and appointed you to have da’as of His ratzon (will) and to see the Tzaddik [Moshiach] and to hear the kol (voice) from His mouth.

¹⁵ ‘For you will be an eidus (witness) to him to all anashim of what you have seen and heard.

¹⁶ ‘And now what do you intend to do? Get up and receive Moshiach’s tevilah of teshuva and wash away your averos (sins) by calling upon SHMO.' [VAYIKRA 8:6; TEHILLIM 51:2; YECHEZKEL 36:25; YOEL 3:5(2:32) ZECHARYAH 6:12]

¹⁷ "And it happened that after I had returned to Yerushalayim and as I was davening in the Beis Hamikdash, that I fell into a trance,

¹⁸ "And saw Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out quickly from Yerushalayim, because they will not receive your edut (testimony) concerning me.'

¹⁹ "And I said ‘Adoni, they themselves have da’as that in every shul I was imprisoning and beating the ones with emunah in you.

²⁰ ‘And when in al kiddush ha-Shem, the dahm of your eidus (witness) Stefanos was being poured out, I myself also had been standing by and agreeing and protecting the kaftans of the ones killing him.'

²¹ "And Moshiach said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you out, far away to the Goyim.’'"

²² And they were listening to Rav Sha’ul up to the word "Goyim;" and then they lifted up their kol, saying, "Away with such a one from ha’aretz! He should not be allowed to live!"

²³ And while they were crying out, while they were throwing off their kaftans and tossing dust into the air, [SHMUEL BAIS 16:13]

²⁴ the Roman tribune directed him to be brought into the barracks, and ordered him to be examined by the flagellum’s scourge, that the tribune might have da’as of the reason for the mob’s shouting thus keneged (against, in opposition to) Rav Sha’ul.

²⁵ And when the Roman soldiers stretched Rav Sha’ul out with the straps, he said to the centurion who was standing by, "If a man is a Roman citizen and uncondemned, it is lawful for you to scourge him?"

²⁶ And having heard this, the centurion approached the tribune and reported, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man has Roman citizenship."

²⁷ And having approached, the tribune said to Rav Sha’ul, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And Rav Sha’ul said, "Etiam." [T.N. Latin: "Yes, certainly."]

²⁸ And the tribune answered, "It cost me a large sum of money for me to acquire my Roman citizenship. " And Rav Sha’ul said, "But indeed I have been born a Roman citizen."

²⁹ Ofen ort, then, the ones about to examine him drew back from Rav Sha’ul. Also the tribune did the same. For he was afraid, learning that Rav Sha’ul is a Roman and that he had bound him.

³⁰ And on the next day, desiring to know something definite about why Rav Sha’ul was accused by the Yehudim, the tribune released him and ordered the Rashei Hakohanim and all the Sanhedrin to be assembled. Then, having brought down Rav Sha’ul, the tribune had him set before them.

23 And as he gazed at the Sanhedrin, Rav Sha’ul said, “Anashim, Achim, I have lived before Hashem until this day with a lev tahor.”

² And the Kohen Gadol Chananyah ordered the ones standing by Rav Sha’ul to strike his mouth.

³ Then Rav Sha’ul said to him, “Hashem is about to strike you, you white-washed wall! You sit judging me according to Torah and yet in violation of the Torah you command me to be struck?” [Lv 19:15; Dt 25:1,2]

⁴ And the ones standing by said, “Do you revile the Kohen Gadol of Hashem?”

⁵ And Rav Sha’ul said, “I was without da’as, Achim, that he is the Kohen Gadol, for it has been written, NASI V’AMMECHA LO TA’OR (“A ruler of your people you will not speak evil of, curse,” Ex 22:27(28)

⁶ And Rav Sha’ul, having da’as that one kat is of Tzedukim (Sadducees) and the other of Perushim (Pharisees), was crying out in the Sanhedrin, “Anashim, Achim, I am a Parush ben Parush and it is for the tikvah of the Techiyas HaMesim that I am being judged.”

⁷ Now when Rav Sha’ul said this, there came about a machlochet (controversy) between the Perushim and Tzedukim, and the multitude was divided.

⁸ Loit (according to) the Tzedukim, there is no Techiyas HaMesim nor a malach nor ruchot, but Perushim acknowledge all these things.

⁹ And there was a kol gadol and some of the Sofrim of the kat of the Perushim were arguing vigorously, saying, “Nothing rah do we find keneged this ish, and what if a ruach did speak to him or a malach?”

¹⁰ And fearing much more machloket was coming, the Roman tribune ordered the troops to go down to take Rav Sha’ul away from the midst of them and to bring him into the barracks lest he be torn to pieces by them.

¹¹ And on the following lailah, HaAdon stood by Rav Sha’ul and said, “Chazak! For as you gave solemn edut about me in Yerushalayim, thus it is necessary for you also to bear solemn eidus in Rome.”

¹² In the boker, the Judeans joined in a kesher and bound themselves with a shevu’ah that none of them would eat or drink until they had carried out their plot of retzichah b’seter of Rav Sha’ul.

¹³ Now there were more than arba’im anashim (forty men) who joined in this kesher.

¹⁴ After they approached the Rashei HaKohanim (Chief Priests) and the Zekenim (Elders), they said, "We have bound ourselves with a shevu’ah (oath) to eat nothing until we have killed Rav Sha’ul.

¹⁵ "Now, therefore, you with the Sanhedrin notify the tribune so that he may bring Rav Sha’ul down to you as if intending to determine more accurately the things concerning him, and, before he draws near, we are ready to kill him."

¹⁶ Now when Rav Sha’ul’s achyon (nephew) heard about the ma’arav (ambush), he went and gained entrance into the barracks and reported this to Rav Sha’ul.

¹⁷ And Rav Sha’ul summoned one of the centurions and said, "Bring this bochur to the tribune for he has something to report to him."

¹⁸ So the centurion took the bochur and brought him to the tribune and says, "The prisoner Rav Sha’ul has summoned me and asked me to bring this bochur to you; he has something to say to you."

¹⁹ The tribune grasped the bochur’s hand and drew him aside privately, inquiring, "What is it you have to report to me?"

²⁰ And the bochur said, "The Judeans agreed to ask you to bring Rav Sha’ul down machar (tomorrow) to the Sanhedrin as if intending to inquire something more accurate concerning him.

²¹ "Therefore, you should not be persuaded by them, for more than arba’im anashim are lying in wait for him and these took a shevu’ah upon themselves neither to eat nor to drink until they have assassinated him, and now they are ready, waiting for your consent."

²² Therefore, the tribune dismissed the bochur, ordering him, "Tell no one that you reported these things to me."

²³ And having summoned two of the centurions, the tribune said, "Prepare to leave for Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight the following: two hundred chaiyalim, seventy horsemen, and two hundred bowmen.

²⁴ "And also provide mounts for Rav Sha’ul to ride, that he may be given safe passage to Felix the Moshel."

²⁵ Then the tribune wrote an iggeret to this effect:

²⁶ "Claudius Lysias to the most excellent Moshel, Felix. Greetings.

²⁷ "This man was seized by the Judeans and was about to be killed by them, but when I learned that he is a Roman citizen, I came with the chaiyalim and rescued him.

²⁸ "Desiring to have da’as of the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.

²⁹ "I found he was being accused about issues of their Torah and the charge was nothing worthy of mavet or of imprisonment.

³⁰ "And when I received information of a kesher (plot) keneged (against) the man, I sent him immediately to you, having given orders also to his accusers to state their case against Rav Sha’ul before your excellency."

³¹ Therefore, as they were ordered, the chaiyalim took Rav Sha’ul along and brought him under cover of lailah to Antipatris.

³² And on the next day, having allowed the horsemen to go on with Rav Sha’ul, they returned to the barracks.

³³ When the horsemen entered into Caesarea, they delivered the iggeret to the Moshel and also presented Rav Sha’ul to him.

³⁴ And having read it, and having asked from what province Rav Sha’ul hailed, the Moshel learned that he was from Cilicia.

³⁵ "I will give you a hearing," Felix said, "when also your accusers arrive." Then the Moshel commanded Rav Sha’ul to be watched by shomrim in the Praetorium of Herod.

24 And after chamash yamim, the Kohen Gadol Chananyah came down with some Zekenim and an orator, a certain Tertullus, who explained to the Moshel the charges keneged (against) Rav Sha’ul.

² And when Rav Sha’ul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Your Excellency, much shalom has been attained through you, and reforms have come to this nation by your foresight.

³ "This in every way and everywhere, we acknowledge, most excellent Felix, with todah rabbah.

⁴ "But in order that I may not detain you any longer, I beg you in your kindness to hear us briefly.

⁵ "For having found this man a troublemaker and an inciter of riots among all the Yehudim throughout kol ha’aretz, a manhig of the kat [of Judaism], the Natzrati Kat.

⁶ "He even tried to desecrate the Beis Hamikdash! And so we apprehended him, [and would have tried him according to our own law;]

⁷ ["But the sar haelef Lysias came, and with great ko’ach took him away out of our hands, and ordered his adversaries to come unto you.]

⁸ "When you examine him, you will be able to find out yourself regarding all these things of which we accuse him."

⁹ And the rest of the Judeans joined in the attack, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰ And when the Moshel nodded to him to speak, Rav Sha’ul answered, "Knowing that for many years you have been a shofet (judge) to this nation, I cheerfully make my hitstaddekut.

¹¹ "You will be able to learn that not more than twelve days have elapsed since I made an aliyah to worship in Yerushalayim.

¹² "And neither in the Beis Hamikdash did they find me conversing with anyone nor did they find me stirring up the multitude either in the shuls or anywhere in Yerushalayim.

¹³ "Nor are they able to prove to you concerning the things of which now they are accusing me.

¹⁴ "For Ani modeh (I confess) this to you, that according to the Derech Hashem, which they call a ‘kat’ [of Judaism], I serve the Elohei Avoteinu, having emunah in everything written according to the Torah and the Nevi’im.

¹⁵ "I have a tikvah (hope) in Hashem, which also these ones themselves anticipate, the coming Techiyas HaMesim of both the Tzaddikim and the Resha’im.

¹⁶ "In view of this, I always do my best to keep a matzpun naki (clear conscience) before Hashem and before anashim.

¹⁷ "Now after many years, I came bringing nedavot (donations) to my people and also to make korbanot (sacrifices).

¹⁸ "And this is how they found me, having undergone purification in the Beis Hamikdash, not with rioters nor with any disturbance.

¹⁹ "But there were some Yehudim from the Province of Asia who ought to be present before you to make accusation, if they might have something against me.

²⁰ "Or let these themselves say what crime they found in me when they stood me before the Sanhedrin,

²¹ "unless it is about this one statement, which I stood and cried out among them, and that statement was concerning the Techiyas HaMesim, and it is for this that I am being judged today by you."

²² But Felix, who was already rather well informed about the Derech Hashem, adjourned the meeting, saying, "When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case."

²³ Then Felix gave orders to the centurion to guard Rav Sha’ul, but to grant him considerable liberty and not to prevent his chaverim from ministering to his needs.

²⁴ And after some yamim, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was Jewish. He summoned Rav Sha’ul and listened to him concerning his emunah (faith) in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua.

²⁵ And as Rav Sha’ul was conversing about tzedek [DANIEL 9:24] and kibush hayetzer (self-control) and about the Yom HaDin coming, Felix suddenly became afraid, and said, "That will do for the moment. Go now. When I find time, I’ll send for you."

²⁶ At the same time Felix was also hoping that bribe money would be given to him by Rav Sha’ul. Therefore, Felix used to frequently send for Rav Sha’ul to converse with him.

²⁷ When two years passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and, wanting to grant a favor to the Judeans, Felix left Rav Sha’ul in custody.

25 Therefore Festus, having arrived in the Province, after shloshah yamim went up from Caesarea to Yerushalayim,

² Where the Rashei Hakohanim and manhigim of the Yehudim explained to Festus the charges keneged Rav Sha’ul, and they were begging him,

³ Asking a favor from him, that Festus might summon Rav Sha’ul to Yerushalayim, while at the same time they were forming a kesher to kill him along the way.

⁴ Festus answered that Rav Sha’ul was to be kept in Caesarea and that Festus himself intended quickly to go there.

⁵ "Therefore, those in authority among you," Festus says, "should come down with me, and if there is anything in the wrong about Rav Sha’ul, then let them bring charges against him."

⁶ And having stayed with them no more than shmonah or asarah yamim, Festus went down to Caesarea; the next day he sat on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered Rav Sha’ul to be brought in.

⁷ When Rav Sha’ul came in, the Judeans who had come down from Yerushalayim stood around him and brought serious charges keneged (against) him, which they were not able to prove.

⁸ Rav Sha’ul defended himself, saying, "Neither keneged the Torah nor keneged the Beis Hamikdash nor keneged Caesar have I done anything wrong."

⁹ But Festus, wishing to grant the Judeans a favor, said in reply to Rav Sha’ul, "Do you want to go up to Yerushalayim to be judged by me there concerning these things?"

¹⁰ And Rav Sha’ul said, "I am standing before the Kes HaMishpat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be tried. I have done no wrong to my Jewish people, as you also have da’as very well.

¹¹ "Now if I have done wrong and am worthy of mavet, I am not trying to escape the penalty. But if there is nothing to the charges these bring against me, no one is able to hand me over to them. Therefore, I appeal to Caesar."

¹² Then Festus, having talked with his council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed, to Caesar you will go."

¹³ After several yamim had passed, Agrippa HaMelech and Bernice arrived in Caesarea, having paid their respects to Festus.

¹⁴ And while they were spending many yamim there, Festus laid out to the Melech the things with respect to Rav Sha’ul, saying, "There is a man here who was left behind in the beis hasohar by Felix.

¹⁵ "When I went to Yerushalayim, the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim of the Yehudim informed me about this man, requesting keneged him a sentence of condemnation.

¹⁶ "I answered them that it violated Roman law to hand over any man before the accused met face to face with his accusers and had an opportunity for a hitstaddekut (defense) concerning the accusation.

¹⁷ "Therefore, they were assembled here; I allowed no delay, and on the next day, I sat down on the Kes HaMishpat and ordered the man brought in.

¹⁸ "But when the accusers stood up, no charge were they bringing of any crimes I was expecting.

¹⁹ "Instead it was an internal matter having to do with questions regarding Orthodox Judaism, and certain disagreements they had with Rav Sha’ul, and regarding a certain Yehoshua who was deceased, but whom Rav Sha’ul asserted was alive.

²⁰ "Since I was not qualified to investigate these religious questions, I was saying he might wish to go to Yerushalayim and there to be judged concerning these things.

²¹ "But Rav Sha’ul appealed that he be kept in custody for the decision of Caesar, so I ordered him to be kept until I send him to Caesar."

²² And Agrippa said to Festus, "I was desiring also myself to hear Rav Sha’ul." Then Festus says, "Tomorrow you will hear him."

²³ Then on the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered into the auditorium along with both the military tribunes and the chashuve anashim of Caesarea. And Festus the Moshel gave orders to have Rav Sha’ul brought in.

²⁴ And Festus says, "Agrippa HaMelech and all here present with us, you see this man about whom K’lal Yisroel has petitioned me, both in Yerushalayim and here, shouting that he is no longer fit to live.

²⁵ "But I found he has done nothing worthy of mavet, and when he appealed to Caesar, I decided to send him.

²⁶ "But I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign; therefore, I especially brought him before you, O Agrippa HaMelech, so that, after you have examined him, I may have something I may write.

²⁷ "For it seems unreasonable to me sending a prisoner and not having charges to report against him."

26 And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "It is permitted for you to speak concerning yourself." Then Rav Sha’ul, having stretched out his hand, was making his hitstaddekut (defense), saying,

² "I have considered myself fortunate that it is before you, Agrippa HaMelech, that I am able to make my hitstaddekut today concerning everything of which I am accused by Yehudim.

³ "Most of all, you are a bukki (expert, meivin) in all the minhagim and issues of the Yehudim; therefore, I beg you to listen patiently to me.

⁴ "All the Yehudim have da’as of my Yiddishkeit from my earliest youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Yerushalayim.

⁵ "They have had da’as of this for a long time, if they are willing to bear edut, that according to the most machmir kat of our Orthodox Jewish faith my life has been lived out as a Parush.

⁶ "And now I stand here on trial on account of my tikvah in the havtacha made to Avoteinu,

⁷ "A havtacha Sheneym Asar Shevateinu have tikvah to attain, as they with earnestness worship Hashem yomam valailah. It if for this tikvah, your Excellency, that I am accused by Yehudim!

⁸ "Why is it considered incredible by any of you that Hashem makes the Mesim to stand up alive?

⁹ "Indeed, I myself thought it necessary to do many opposing things against ha-Shem of Yehoshua from Natzeret.

¹⁰ "And this I also did in Yerushalayim; and armed with samchut received from the Rashei Hakohanim, many of the kadoshim I locked up in the beis hasohar; and I cast my vote keneged (against) them when they received the death penalty.

¹¹ "And throughout all the shuls I often punished them, forcing them to commit Chillul Hashem gidduf (blasphemy), and since I was so enraged against them, I was bringing redifah on them even as far as foreign cities.

¹² "This it was, that as I was traveling to Damascus with authorization and permission from the Rashei Hakohanim,

¹³ "At noon on the derech, O Melech, I saw from Shomayim an ohr, more brilliant than the shemesh, shining around me and around the ones traveling with me.

¹⁴ "And we all fell down to the ground. Then I heard a kol saying to me in the language of the Hebrews, ‘Sha’ul, Sha’ul, why are you bringing redifah upon me? It is hard for you to kick keneged (against) the prod.’

¹⁵ "And I said, ‘Who are you Adoni?’ And HaAdon said, ‘I am Yehoshua upon whom you are bringing redifah.

¹⁶ ‘But get up and stand on your feet. For this tachlis, then, I appeared to you, to give you s’michah as a mesharet, an eved, and an eidus (witness), both of what things you have seen and the things which I will reveal to you. [Ezek 2:1; Dan 10:11]

¹⁷ ‘I will deliver you from your own people and from the Goyim to whom I am sending you, [YIRMEYAH 1:8,19]

¹⁸ ‘To open their eyes, to turn them from choshech to ohr and from the samchut of Hasatan to Hashem, that they receive selichat avon and nachalah among the ones having been set apart in kedushah by emunah in me.' [YESHAYAH 35:5; TEHILLIM 18:28; YESHAYAH 42:7,16]

¹⁹ "O Agrippa HaMelech, I was not disobedient to the chazon from Shomayim. [YESHAYAH 50:5]

²⁰ "But beginning with the ones in Damascus and also with those in Yerushalayim, and with all the region of Yehudah and with the Goyim, I was preaching they should make teshuva and turn to Hashem, doing ma’asim mitzvot worthy of teshuva. [YIRMEYAH 18:11; 35:15]

²¹ "Because of these things, the unbelieving Yehudim seized me while I was in the Beis Hamikdash, and were trying to kill me.

²² "To this day I have obtained ezer (help) from Hashem, to stand and give solemn edut (testimony) before both ketanim and Gedolim, testifying about nothing beyond the Orthodox Jewish faith based on what the Nevi’im and Moshe Rabbenu said would happen:

²³ "That is, the yissurim (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and that by being rishon to stand up alive in the Techiyas HaMoshiach, he would proclaim ohr both to K’lal Yisroel and the Nations."

²⁴ And while he was saying these things in his hitstaddekut, Festus in a kol gadol shouts, "Rav Sha’ul, all your yeshiva learning has made you meshuggah!"

²⁵ But Rav Sha’ul says, "I am not meshuggah, most excellent Festus; I am speaking dvarim of Emes and Ta’am (Reason).

²⁶ "For HaMelech has da’as of these matters, to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am sure that absolutely none of these things escape his notice, for this has not been done in a corner.

²⁷ "Agrippa HaMelech, do you believe in the Nevi’im? I have da’as that you do believe."

²⁸ And Agrippa said to Rav Sha’ul, "You think, do you, that as quick as that you can make me mekabel Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach?"

²⁹ But Rav Sha’ul said, "I would daven that Hashem, quickly or not, might make not only you but all listening to me today as I am, apart from these sharsherot (chains)."

³⁰ HaMelech and the Moshel and Bernice and the ones sitting with them got up.

³¹ And having withdrawn, they were saying to one another, "This man does nothing worthy of the death penalty or imprisonment."

³² And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar."

27 And when it was decided that we set sail to Italy, they were handing over both Rav Sha’ul and some other prisoners to a centurion, Julius by name, of the Imperial Cohort.

² And having embarked in an oniyah of Adramyttium about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we set sail, Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

³ The next day, we put in at a harbor in Tzidon; and Julius treated Rav Sha’ul with kindness, permitting him to be cared for by his chaverim.

⁴ And from there, having put out to sea, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

⁵ Then having sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came down to Myra of Lycia.

⁶ And there the centurion found an Alexandrian oniyah sailing to Italy and put us on board.

⁷ But for many yamim we sailed slowly and with difficulty along the coast of Cnidus, and as the wind was not permitting us to go vaiter (farther), we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone.

⁸ And with difficulty sailing past it, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

⁹ And since considerable time had been lost and it was already unsafe for a voyage, because Yom Kippur had already come and gone; therefore, Rav Sha’ul gave them this eitza (suggestion),

¹⁰ Saying to them, "Anashim, I see that the voyage will be hardship and much peril, not only of the cargo and the oniyah, but also of our lives."

¹¹ But the centurion was persuaded by the pilot and the owner rather than by the dvarim of Rav Sha’ul.

¹² But the port being unfavorably situated for spending the winter, the majority decided to set sail from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix to spend the winter. It was a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.

¹³ And a gentle south wind began to blow, and they thought they could attain their matarah (objective), so they weighed anchor and they were sailing past Crete, close by the shore.

¹⁴ After not much time a violent, typhoon force wind rushed down from Crete, the so called Euraquilo, the Northeaster.

¹⁵ And the oniyah, having been caught in it, and not being able to directly face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven.

¹⁶ By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were able only with difficulty to get the lifeboat secured.

¹⁷ After hoisting it up, they were using frapping cables, passing them underneath the oniyah; then, fearing lest on the shallows of Syrtis they might run aground, they lowered the sea anchor, and so they were being driven along.

¹⁸ And we were being violently tossed by the storm, so much so that the next day they were throwing the cargo overboard.

¹⁹ And on the Yom Shlishi, with their own hands, they threw out the tackle of the oniyah.

²⁰ And neither shemesh (sun) nor kochavim appeared for many yamim and no small tempest assailed us. Lemaskana (finally) all tikvateinu for yeshu’ah was being abandoned.

²¹ And after having much loss of appetite, then Rav Sha’ul stood up in the midst of them, and said, "Anashim, you should have obeyed me and not put out to sea from Crete and thereby spared yourselves this hardship and this loss.

²² "And now I advise you to have ometz lev (courage), for there will be no loss of life among you, except the oniyah.

²³ "For a malach Hashem stood by me during lailah hazeh, of the G-d whom I serve,

²⁴ "Saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Sha’ul. It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and, hinei, Hashem has given to you all the ones sailing with you.'

²⁵ "Therefore have lev same’ach, Anashim. For I have emunah in Hashem that it will be exactly as he has told me.

²⁶ "But it is necessary for us to run aground on some island."

²⁷ Now when the fourteenth night had come, while we being driven about in the Adriatic Sea, toward chatzot halailah (midnight), the sailors were suspecting that we were getting close to land.

²⁸ And having taken soundings, they found twenty fathoms and, having sailed a little vaiter (farther), again they took soundings, and they found fifteen fathoms.

²⁹ And fearing lest somehow against the rough places we might run aground, they threw four anchors off the stern, and they were praying for the dawn to break.

³⁰ Now when the sailors sought to flee from the oniyah and to let down the lifeboat into the sea on the pretext of casting out anchors,

³¹ Rav Sha’ul said to the centurion and to the chaiyalim, "Unless these remain in the oniyah, you cannot be saved."

³² Then the chaiyalim cut away the ropes of the lifeboat, and let it fall away, setting it adrift.

³³ Just before boker, Rav Sha’ul was urging everyone to take okhel (food), saying, "Today is the 14th day you have been held in suspense and are continuing without eating, having taken nothing.

³⁴ "Therefore, I encourage you to take okhel, for it is for your deliverance, for none of you will lose a hair from your heads."

³⁵ And having said these things, and having taken lechem, Rav Sha’ul said the HaMotzi before all, and, after the Betzi’at HaLechem, he began to eat.

³⁶ And receiving ometz lev, they all took okhel.

³⁷ Now there were in all two hundred and seventy-six nefashot in the oniyah.

³⁸ And having eaten enough okhel (food), they were lightening the oniyah by throwing the wheat overboard into the sea.

³⁹ And when it became day, they were not recognizing the land, but a certain bay they were noticing, having a shore onto which they were wanting, if possible, to run aground the oniyah.

⁴⁰ And the anchors they cast off and they left them in the sea. At the same time they loosened the ropes of the rudders and raised the sail to the wind and were steering toward the shore.

⁴¹ But having fallen into a channel, a place between two seas, they ran the oniyah aground, and, while the bow had stuck and remained immovable, the stern was being destroyed by the force of the waves.

⁴² Now the kesher (plan, plot) of the chaiyalim was that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone, having swum away, should escape.

⁴³ But the centurion, desiring to save Rav Sha’ul, kept them from carrying out the kesher, and he ordered the ones able to swim to throw themselves overboard first and to make for the shore.

⁴⁴ As for the rest, some were on planks, others on pieces from the oniyah. And so everyone was brought safely onto the land.

28 And having been brought safely through, we then found out that the island is called Malta.

² And the natives were showing not the ordinary kindness to us for, because of the geshem (rain) that had set in and because of the cold, they lit a hadlakah (bonfire).

³ And when Rav Sha’ul gathered some brushwood and placed the sticks on the hadlakah (bonfire), a nachash (serpent) from the heat came out and fastened onto Rav Sha’ul’s hand.

⁴ And when the natives saw it hanging from his hand, they were saying to one another, "Surely this man is a rotzeach (murderer); for though he was brought safely from the sea, Yashrus (Justice) did not allow him to live."

⁵ Then, having shaken off the nachash into the eish (fire), Rav Sha’ul suffered no ill effects. (Mk 16:18)

⁶ But the natives were expecting him to be about to swell up or suddenly to fall down. But they watched him expectantly for a long time, and when they observed nothing unusual happening to him, they changed their minds and were saying that he was a g-d.

⁷ Now in the area around that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, Publius by name, who welcomed us and gave us hachnosas orchim.

⁸ And it came about that the abba of Publius was bedfast, suffering fevers and dysentery. Rav Sha’ul approached him, and having davened, laid his hands on him and administered refuah shleimah to him.

⁹ And when this happened, also others on the island, the cholim, were approaching Rav Sha’ul and were receiving refuah shleimah.

¹⁰ The natives bestowed matanot rabbot on us and, while being put out to sea, they gave us the provisions for our needs. [TEHILLIM 15:4]

¹¹ And after shloshah chodashim, we set sail in an oniyah, having spent the winter on the island. It was an Alexandrian oniyah marked by the insignia of the twin Achim.

¹² And having put in at Syracuse, we stayed 3 days.

¹³ Then we weighed anchor and arrived at Rhegium. And after one day, a southwest wind sprang up and on the second day we came to Puteoli.

¹⁴ There we found Achim b’Moshiach and we were invited by them to stay shivah yamim. And so we came to Rome.

¹⁵ And from there, the Achim b’Moshiach when they heard of us, came out to meet us, even as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. On seeing them, ometz lev came to Rav Sha’ul and he said a bracha, davening hodah to Hashem.

¹⁶ Now when we entered into Rome, Rav Sha’ul was permitted to live by himself in his own quarters with a chaiyal guarding him.