11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ¹  went as far as ²  Phoenicia, ³  Cyprus, ⁴  and Antioch, ⁵  speaking the message ⁶  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ⁷  and Cyrene ⁸  among them who came ⁹  to Antioch ¹⁰  and began to speak to the Greeks ¹¹  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ¹²  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ¹³  turned ¹⁴  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ¹⁵  about them came to the attention ¹⁶  of the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁷  and they sent Barnabas ¹⁸  to Antioch. ¹⁹  11:23 When ²⁰  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ²¹  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ²²  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ²³  were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. ²⁴  So ²⁵  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ²⁶  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ²⁷  Now it was in Antioch ²⁸  that the disciples were first called Christians. ²⁹ 

11:27 At that time ³⁰  some ³¹  prophets ³²  came down ³³  from Jerusalem ³⁴  to Antioch. ³⁵  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ³⁶  and predicted ³⁷  by the Spirit that a severe ³⁸  famine ³⁹  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ⁴⁰  (This ⁴¹  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ⁴²  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ⁴³  decided ⁴⁴  to send relief ⁴⁵  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ⁴⁶  sending their financial aid ⁴⁷  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

12:1 About that time King Herod ⁴⁸  laid hands on ⁴⁹  some from the church to harm them. ⁵⁰  12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ⁵¹  12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ⁵²  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ⁵³  12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ⁵⁴  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ⁵⁵  planned ⁵⁶  to bring him out for public trial ⁵⁷  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ⁵⁸  praying to God for him. ⁵⁹  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ⁶⁰  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ⁶¹  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ⁶²  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ⁶³  an angel of the Lord ⁶⁴  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ⁶⁵  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ⁶⁶  wrists. ⁶⁷  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ⁶⁸  and put on your sandals.” Peter ⁶⁹  did so. Then the angel ⁷⁰  said to him, “Put on your cloak ⁷¹  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ⁷²  went out ⁷³  and followed him; ⁷⁴  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ⁷⁵  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ⁷⁶  they came to the iron ⁷⁷  gate leading into the city. It ⁷⁸  opened for them by itself, ⁷⁹  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ⁸⁰  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ⁸¹  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ⁸²  me from the hand ⁸³  of Herod ⁸⁴  and from everything the Jewish people ⁸⁵  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ⁸⁶  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ⁸⁷  where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. ⁸⁸  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ⁸⁹  them ⁹⁰  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ⁹¹  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ⁹²  and they kept saying, ⁹³  “It is his angel!” ⁹⁴  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ⁹⁵  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ⁹⁶  12:17 He motioned to them ⁹⁷  with his hand to be quiet and then related ⁹⁸  how the Lord had brought ⁹⁹  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ¹⁰⁰ 

12:18 At daybreak ¹⁰¹  there was great consternation ¹⁰²  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ¹⁰³  had searched ¹⁰⁴  for him and did not find him, he questioned ¹⁰⁵  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ¹⁰⁶  Then ¹⁰⁷  Herod ¹⁰⁸  went down from Judea to Caesarea ¹⁰⁹  and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod ¹¹⁰  was having an angry quarrel ¹¹¹  with the people of Tyre ¹¹²  and Sidon. ¹¹³  So they joined together ¹¹⁴  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ¹¹⁵  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ¹¹⁶  to help them, ¹¹⁷  they asked for peace, ¹¹⁸  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹¹⁹  put on his royal robes, ¹²⁰  sat down on the judgment seat, ¹²¹  and made a speech ¹²²  to them. 12:22 But the crowd ¹²³  began to shout, ¹²⁴  “The voice of a god, ¹²⁵  and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord ¹²⁶  struck ¹²⁷  Herod ¹²⁸  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ¹²⁹  12:24 But the word of God ¹³⁰  kept on increasing ¹³¹  and multiplying.

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ¹³²  Jerusalem ¹³³  when they had completed ¹³⁴  their mission, ¹³⁵  bringing along with them John Mark. ¹³⁶ 

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ¹³⁷  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ¹³⁸  Lucius the Cyrenian, ¹³⁹  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ¹⁴⁰  the tetrarch ¹⁴¹  from childhood ¹⁴² ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ¹⁴³  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ¹⁴⁴  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ¹⁴⁵  and ¹⁴⁶  prayed and placed their hands ¹⁴⁷  on them, they sent them off.

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ¹⁴⁸  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ¹⁴⁹  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ¹⁵⁰  13:5 When ¹⁵¹  they arrived ¹⁵²  in Salamis, ¹⁵³  they began to proclaim ¹⁵⁴  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ¹⁵⁵  (Now they also had John ¹⁵⁶  as their assistant.) ¹⁵⁷  13:6 When they had crossed over ¹⁵⁸  the whole island as far as Paphos, ¹⁵⁹  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ¹⁶⁰  13:7 who was with the proconsul ¹⁶¹  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ¹⁶²  summoned ¹⁶³  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ¹⁶⁴  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ¹⁶⁵  (for that is the way his name is translated) ¹⁶⁶  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ¹⁶⁷  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ¹⁶⁸  filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶⁹  stared straight ¹⁷⁰  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ¹⁷¹  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹⁷²  13:11 Now ¹⁷³  look, the hand of the Lord is against ¹⁷⁴  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ¹⁷⁵  and darkness came over ¹⁷⁶  him, and he went around seeking people ¹⁷⁷  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ¹⁷⁸  saw what had happened, he believed, ¹⁷⁹  because he was greatly astounded ¹⁸⁰  at the teaching about ¹⁸¹  the Lord.

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ¹⁸²  from Paphos ¹⁸³  and came to Perga ¹⁸⁴  in Pamphylia, ¹⁸⁵  but John ¹⁸⁶  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁸⁷  13:14 Moving on from ¹⁸⁸  Perga, ¹⁸⁹  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ¹⁹⁰  and on the Sabbath day they went into ¹⁹¹  the synagogue ¹⁹²  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ¹⁹³  the leaders of the synagogue ¹⁹⁴  sent them a message, ¹⁹⁵  saying, “Brothers, ¹⁹⁶  if you have any message ¹⁹⁷  of exhortation ¹⁹⁸  for the people, speak it.” ¹⁹⁹  13:16 So Paul stood up, ²⁰⁰  gestured ²⁰¹  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ²⁰²  and you Gentiles who fear God, ²⁰³  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ²⁰⁴  chose our ancestors ²⁰⁵  and made the people great ²⁰⁶  during their stay as foreigners ²⁰⁷  in the country ²⁰⁸  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ²⁰⁹  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ²¹⁰  a period of about forty years he put up with ²¹¹  them in the wilderness. ²¹²  13:19 After ²¹³  he had destroyed ²¹⁴  seven nations ²¹⁵  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ²¹⁶  13:20 All this took ²¹⁷  about four hundred fifty years. After this ²¹⁸  he gave them judges until the time of ²¹⁹  Samuel the prophet. 13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled ²²⁰  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ²²¹  raised up ²²²  David their king. He testified about him: ²²³  ‘I have found David ²²⁴  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ²²⁵  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ²²⁶  13:23 From the descendants ²²⁷  of this man ²²⁸  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ²²⁹  13:24 Before ²³⁰  Jesus ²³¹  arrived, John ²³²  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ²³³  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ²³⁴  he said repeatedly, ²³⁵  ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’ ²³⁶  13:26 Brothers, ²³⁷  descendants ²³⁸  of Abraham’s family, ²³⁹  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ²⁴⁰  the message ²⁴¹  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ²⁴²  him, ²⁴³  and they fulfilled the sayings ²⁴⁴  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ²⁴⁵  him. ²⁴⁶  13:28 Though ²⁴⁷  they found ²⁴⁸  no basis ²⁴⁹  for a death sentence, ²⁵⁰  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ²⁵¹  everything that was written ²⁵²  about him, they took him down ²⁵³  from the cross ²⁵⁴  and placed him ²⁵⁵  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ²⁵⁶  him from the dead, 13:31 and ²⁵⁷  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ²⁵⁸  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ²⁵⁹  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ²⁶⁰  13:33 that this promise ²⁶¹  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ²⁶²  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ²⁶³  today I have fathered you.’ ²⁶⁴  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ²⁶⁵  from the dead, never ²⁶⁶  again to be ²⁶⁷  in a state of decay, God ²⁶⁸  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ²⁶⁹  the holy and trustworthy promises ²⁷⁰  made to David.’ ²⁷¹  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ²⁷²  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ²⁷³  to experience ²⁷⁴  decay.’ ²⁷⁵  13:36 For David, after he had served ²⁷⁶  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ²⁷⁷  was buried with his ancestors, ²⁷⁸  and experienced ²⁷⁹  decay, 13:37 but the one ²⁸⁰  whom God raised up did not experience ²⁸¹  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ²⁸²  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ²⁸³  everyone who believes is justified ²⁸⁴  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ²⁸⁵  you. ²⁸⁶  13:40 Watch out, ²⁸⁷  then, that what is spoken about by ²⁸⁸  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ²⁸⁹ 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ²⁹⁰ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ²⁹¹  were going out, ²⁹²  the people ²⁹³  were urging ²⁹⁴  them to speak about these things ²⁹⁵  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ²⁹⁶  had broken up, ²⁹⁷  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ²⁹⁸  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ²⁹⁹  them ³⁰⁰  to continue ³⁰¹  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ³⁰²  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ³⁰³  and they began to contradict ³⁰⁴  what Paul was saying ³⁰⁵  by reviling him. ³⁰⁶  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ³⁰⁷  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ³⁰⁸  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ³⁰⁹  of eternal life, we ³¹⁰  are turning to the Gentiles. ³¹¹  13:47 For this ³¹²  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ³¹³  you to be a light ³¹⁴  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ³¹⁵  to the ends of the earth.’” ³¹⁶  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ³¹⁷  and praise ³¹⁸  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ³¹⁹  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ³²⁰  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ³²¹  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ³²²  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ³²³  the dust off their feet ³²⁴  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ³²⁵  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ³²⁶  and with the Holy Spirit.

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ³²⁷  when Paul and Barnabas ³²⁸  went into the Jewish synagogue ³²⁹  and spoke in such a way that a large group ³³⁰  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ³³¹  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ³³²  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ³³³  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ³³⁴  to the message ³³⁵  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ³³⁶  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ³³⁷  of the city was divided; some ³³⁸  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ³³⁹  an attempt to mistreat ³⁴⁰  them and stone them, ³⁴¹  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ³⁴²  learned about it ³⁴³  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ³⁴⁴  and Derbe ³⁴⁵  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ³⁴⁶  they continued to proclaim ³⁴⁷  the good news.

14:8 In ³⁴⁸  Lystra ³⁴⁹  sat a man who could not use his feet, ³⁵⁰  lame from birth, ³⁵¹  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ³⁵²  stared ³⁵³  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ³⁵⁴  And the man ³⁵⁵  leaped up and began walking. ³⁵⁶  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ³⁵⁷  in the Lycaonian language, ³⁵⁸  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ³⁵⁹  14:12 They began to call ³⁶⁰  Barnabas Zeus ³⁶¹  and Paul Hermes, ³⁶²  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ³⁶³  of Zeus, ³⁶⁴  located just outside the city, brought bulls ³⁶⁵  and garlands ³⁶⁶  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ³⁶⁷  14:14 But when the apostles ³⁶⁸  Barnabas and Paul heard about ³⁶⁹  it, they tore ³⁷⁰  their clothes and rushed out ³⁷¹  into the crowd, shouting, ³⁷²  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ³⁷³  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ³⁷⁴  from these worthless ³⁷⁵  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ³⁷⁶  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ³⁷⁷  past ³⁷⁸  generations he allowed all the nations ³⁷⁹  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ³⁸⁰  by giving you rain from heaven ³⁸¹  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ³⁸²  with food and your hearts with joy.” ³⁸³  14:18 Even by saying ³⁸⁴  these things, they scarcely persuaded ³⁸⁵  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ³⁸⁶  and Iconium, ³⁸⁷  and after winning ³⁸⁸  the crowds over, they stoned ³⁸⁹  Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. 14:20 But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back ³⁹⁰  into the city. On ³⁹¹  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ³⁹² 

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, ³⁹³  to Iconium, ³⁹⁴  and to Antioch. ³⁹⁵  14:22 They strengthened ³⁹⁶  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ³⁹⁷  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ³⁹⁸  of God through many persecutions.” ³⁹⁹  14:23 When they had appointed elders ⁴⁰⁰  for them in the various churches, ⁴⁰¹  with prayer and fasting ⁴⁰²  they entrusted them to the protection ⁴⁰³  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ⁴⁰⁴  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ⁴⁰⁵  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ⁴⁰⁶  in Perga, ⁴⁰⁷  they went down to Attalia. ⁴⁰⁸  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ⁴⁰⁹  where they had been commended ⁴¹⁰  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ⁴¹¹  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ⁴¹²  all the things God ⁴¹³  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ⁴¹⁴  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ⁴¹⁵  considerable ⁴¹⁶  time with the disciples.

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ⁴¹⁷  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ⁴¹⁸  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ⁴¹⁹  with them, the church ⁴²⁰  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ⁴²¹  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁴²²  about this point of disagreement. ⁴²³  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ⁴²⁴  and Samaria, they were relating at length ⁴²⁵  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ⁴²⁶  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ⁴²⁷  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ⁴²⁸  all the things God had done with them. ⁴²⁹  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ⁴³⁰  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ⁴³¹  to circumcise the Gentiles ⁴³²  and to order them to observe ⁴³³  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ⁴³⁴  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ⁴³⁵  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ⁴³⁶  God chose ⁴³⁷  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ⁴³⁸  of the gospel ⁴³⁹  and believe. ⁴⁴⁰  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ⁴⁴¹  has testified ⁴⁴²  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁴⁴³  15:9 and he made no distinction ⁴⁴⁴  between them and us, cleansing ⁴⁴⁵  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ⁴⁴⁶  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ⁴⁴⁷  that neither our ancestors ⁴⁴⁸  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ⁴⁴⁹  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ⁴⁵⁰ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ⁴⁵¹  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ⁴⁵²  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ⁴⁵³  James replied, ⁴⁵⁴  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ⁴⁵⁵  has explained ⁴⁵⁶  how God first concerned himself ⁴⁵⁷  to select ⁴⁵⁸  from among the Gentiles ⁴⁵⁹  a people for his name. 15:15 The ⁴⁶⁰  words of the prophets agree ⁴⁶¹  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ⁴⁶²  I ⁴⁶³  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ⁴⁶⁴  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ⁴⁶⁵  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ⁴⁶⁶  may seek the Lord,

namely, ⁴⁶⁷  all the Gentiles ⁴⁶⁸  I have called to be my own,’ ⁴⁶⁹  says the Lord, ⁴⁷⁰  who makes these things 15:18 known ⁴⁷¹  from long ago. ⁴⁷² 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ⁴⁷³  that we should not cause extra difficulty ⁴⁷⁴  for those among the Gentiles ⁴⁷⁵  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ⁴⁷⁶  telling them to abstain ⁴⁷⁷  from things defiled ⁴⁷⁸  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ⁴⁷⁹  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ⁴⁸⁰  because he is read aloud ⁴⁸¹  in the synagogues ⁴⁸²  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ⁴⁸³  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ⁴⁸⁴  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ⁴⁸⁵  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ⁴⁸⁶ 

From the apostles ⁴⁸⁷  and elders, your brothers, ⁴⁸⁸  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ⁴⁸⁹  in Antioch, ⁴⁹⁰  Syria, ⁴⁹¹  and Cilicia, greetings! 15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused ⁴⁹²  you, upsetting ⁴⁹³  your minds ⁴⁹⁴  by what they said, ⁴⁹⁵  15:25 we have unanimously ⁴⁹⁶  decided ⁴⁹⁷  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ⁴⁹⁸  have risked their lives ⁴⁹⁹  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁰⁰  15:27 Therefore we are sending ⁵⁰¹  Judas and Silas ⁵⁰²  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ⁵⁰³  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ⁵⁰⁴  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ⁵⁰⁵  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ⁵⁰⁶  and from blood and from what has been strangled ⁵⁰⁷  and from sexual immorality. ⁵⁰⁸  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ⁵⁰⁹  you will do well. Farewell. ⁵¹⁰ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ⁵¹¹  they went down to Antioch, ⁵¹²  and after gathering the entire group ⁵¹³  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ⁵¹⁴  the people ⁵¹⁵  rejoiced at its encouragement. ⁵¹⁶  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ⁵¹⁷  15:33 After ⁵¹⁸  they had spent some time there, ⁵¹⁹  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ⁵²⁰  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ⁵²¹  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ⁵²²  the word of the Lord. ⁵²³ 

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ⁵²⁴  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ⁵²⁵  to see how they are doing.” ⁵²⁶  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ⁵²⁷  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ⁵²⁸  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ⁵²⁹  a sharp disagreement, ⁵³⁰  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ⁵³¹  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁵³²  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ⁵³³  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ⁵³⁴  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ⁵³⁵  the churches.

16:1 He also came to Derbe ⁵³⁶  and to Lystra. ⁵³⁷  A disciple ⁵³⁸  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ⁵³⁹  but whose father was a Greek. ⁵⁴⁰  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ⁵⁴¹  and Iconium ⁵⁴²  spoke well ⁵⁴³  of him. ⁵⁴⁴  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ⁵⁴⁵  to accompany him, and he took ⁵⁴⁶  him and circumcised ⁵⁴⁷  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ⁵⁴⁸  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ⁵⁴⁹  16:4 As they went through the towns, ⁵⁵⁰  they passed on ⁵⁵¹  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁵⁵²  for the Gentile believers ⁵⁵³  to obey. ⁵⁵⁴  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ⁵⁵⁵ 

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ⁵⁵⁶  and Galatia, ⁵⁵⁷  having been prevented ⁵⁵⁸  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ⁵⁵⁹  in the province of Asia. ⁵⁶⁰  16:7 When they came to ⁵⁶¹  Mysia, ⁵⁶²  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ⁵⁶³  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ⁵⁶⁴  them to do this, ⁵⁶⁵  16:8 so they passed through ⁵⁶⁶  Mysia ⁵⁶⁷  and went down to Troas. ⁵⁶⁸  16:9 A ⁵⁶⁹  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁵⁷⁰  urging him, ⁵⁷¹  “Come over ⁵⁷²  to Macedonia ⁵⁷³  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ⁵⁷⁴  saw the vision, we attempted ⁵⁷⁵  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ⁵⁷⁶  concluding that God had called ⁵⁷⁷  us to proclaim the good news to them.

16:11 We put out to sea ⁵⁷⁸  from Troas ⁵⁷⁹  and sailed a straight course ⁵⁸⁰  to Samothrace, ⁵⁸¹  the next day to Neapolis, ⁵⁸²  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ⁵⁸³  which is a leading city of that district ⁵⁸⁴  of Macedonia, ⁵⁸⁵  a Roman colony. ⁵⁸⁶  We stayed in this city for some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down ⁵⁸⁷  and began to speak ⁵⁸⁸  to the women ⁵⁸⁹  who had assembled there. ⁵⁹⁰  16:14 A ⁵⁹¹  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ⁵⁹²  from the city of Thyatira, ⁵⁹³  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁵⁹⁴  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁵⁹⁵  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁵⁹⁶  “If ⁵⁹⁷  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁵⁹⁸  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁵⁹⁹  us.

16:16 Now ⁶⁰⁰  as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. ⁶⁰¹  She ⁶⁰²  brought her owners ⁶⁰³  a great profit by fortune-telling. ⁶⁰⁴  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁶⁰⁵  “These men are servants ⁶⁰⁶  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁶⁰⁷  of salvation.” ⁶⁰⁸  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ⁶⁰⁹  and turned ⁶¹⁰  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ⁶¹¹  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ⁶¹²  16:19 But when her owners ⁶¹³  saw their hope of profit ⁶¹⁴  was gone, they seized ⁶¹⁵  Paul and Silas and dragged ⁶¹⁶  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ⁶¹⁷  they had brought them ⁶¹⁸  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ⁶¹⁹  They are ⁶²⁰  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ⁶²¹  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ⁶²²  or practice, ⁶²³  since we are ⁶²⁴  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ⁶²⁵  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ⁶²⁶  off Paul and Silas ⁶²⁷  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ⁶²⁸  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ⁶²⁹  they threw them into prison and commanded ⁶³⁰  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ⁶³¹  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ⁶³² 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ⁶³³  and singing hymns to God, ⁶³⁴  and the rest of ⁶³⁵  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ⁶³⁶  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ⁶³⁷  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ⁶³⁸  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ⁶³⁹  because he assumed ⁶⁴⁰  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ⁶⁴¹  “Do not harm yourself, ⁶⁴²  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ⁶⁴³  rushed in and fell down ⁶⁴⁴  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ⁶⁴⁵  and asked, “Sirs, what must ⁶⁴⁶  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ⁶⁴⁷  “Believe ⁶⁴⁸  in the Lord Jesus ⁶⁴⁹  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ⁶⁵⁰  they spoke the word of the Lord ⁶⁵¹  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ⁶⁵²  that hour of the night he took them ⁶⁵³  and washed their wounds; ⁶⁵⁴  then ⁶⁵⁵  he and all his family ⁶⁵⁶  were baptized right away. ⁶⁵⁷  16:34 The jailer ⁶⁵⁸  brought them into his house and set food ⁶⁵⁹  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ⁶⁶⁰  that he had come to believe ⁶⁶¹  in God, together with his entire household. ⁶⁶²  16:35 At daybreak ⁶⁶³  the magistrates ⁶⁶⁴  sent their police officers, ⁶⁶⁵  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ⁶⁶⁶  “The magistrates have sent orders ⁶⁶⁷  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ⁶⁶⁸  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ⁶⁶⁹  “They had us beaten in public ⁶⁷⁰  without a proper trial ⁶⁷¹  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁶⁷²  – and they threw us ⁶⁷³  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁶⁷⁴  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁶⁷⁵  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁶⁷⁶  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ⁶⁷⁷  were Roman citizens ⁶⁷⁸  16:39 and came ⁶⁷⁹  and apologized to them. After ⁶⁸⁰  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ⁶⁸¹  to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ⁶⁸²  departed.

17:1 After they traveled through ⁶⁸³  Amphipolis ⁶⁸⁴  and Apollonia, ⁶⁸⁵  they came to Thessalonica, ⁶⁸⁶  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁶⁸⁷  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ⁶⁸⁸  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ⁶⁸⁹  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ⁶⁹⁰  that the Christ ⁶⁹¹  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ⁶⁹²  saying, ⁶⁹³  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ⁶⁹⁴  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁶⁹⁵  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁶⁹⁶  of God-fearing Greeks ⁶⁹⁷  and quite a few ⁶⁹⁸  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁶⁹⁹  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁷⁰⁰  they formed a mob ⁷⁰¹  and set the city in an uproar. ⁷⁰²  They attacked Jason’s house, ⁷⁰³  trying to find Paul and Silas ⁷⁰⁴  to bring them out to the assembly. ⁷⁰⁵  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁷⁰⁶  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ⁷⁰⁷  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ⁷⁰⁸  throughout the world ⁷⁰⁹  have come here too, 17:7 and ⁷¹⁰  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ⁷¹¹  are all acting against Caesar’s ⁷¹²  decrees, saying there is another king named ⁷¹³  Jesus!” ⁷¹⁴  17:8 They caused confusion among ⁷¹⁵  the crowd and the city officials ⁷¹⁶  who heard these things. 17:9 After ⁷¹⁷  the city officials ⁷¹⁸  had received bail ⁷¹⁹  from Jason and the others, they released them.

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ⁷²⁰  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ⁷²¹  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ⁷²²  17:11 These Jews ⁷²³  were more open-minded ⁷²⁴  than those in Thessalonica, ⁷²⁵  for they eagerly ⁷²⁶  received ⁷²⁷  the message, examining ⁷²⁸  the scriptures carefully every day ⁷²⁹  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ⁷³⁰  prominent ⁷³¹  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ⁷³²  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ⁷³³  in Berea, ⁷³⁴  they came there too, inciting ⁷³⁵  and disturbing ⁷³⁶  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ⁷³⁷  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ⁷³⁸  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁷³⁹  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁷⁴⁰ 

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁷⁴¹  his spirit was greatly upset ⁷⁴²  because he saw ⁷⁴³  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁷⁴⁴  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁷⁴⁵  in the synagogue, ⁷⁴⁶  and in the marketplace every day ⁷⁴⁷  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁷⁴⁸  and Stoic ⁷⁴⁹  philosophers were conversing ⁷⁵⁰  with him, and some were asking, ⁷⁵¹  “What does this foolish babbler ⁷⁵²  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁷⁵³  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁷⁵⁴  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁷⁵⁵  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁷⁵⁶  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁷⁵⁷  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁷⁵⁸  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ⁷⁵⁹  in nothing else than telling ⁷⁶⁰  or listening to something new.) ⁷⁶¹ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁷⁶²  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁷⁶³  in all respects. ⁷⁶⁴  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁷⁶⁵  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁷⁶⁶  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁷⁶⁷  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ⁷⁶⁸  who is ⁷⁶⁹  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ⁷⁷⁰  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ⁷⁷¹  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ⁷⁷²  17:26 From one man ⁷⁷³  he made every nation of the human race ⁷⁷⁴  to inhabit the entire earth, ⁷⁷⁵  determining their set times ⁷⁷⁶  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ⁷⁷⁷  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ⁷⁷⁸  for him and find him, ⁷⁷⁹  though he is ⁷⁸⁰  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ⁷⁸¹  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ⁷⁸²  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ⁷⁸³  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ⁷⁸⁴  made by human ⁷⁸⁵  skill ⁷⁸⁶  and imagination. ⁷⁸⁷  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ⁷⁸⁸  such times of ignorance, ⁷⁸⁹  he now commands all people ⁷⁹⁰  everywhere to repent, ⁷⁹¹  17:31 because he has set ⁷⁹²  a day on which he is going to judge the world ⁷⁹³  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ⁷⁹⁴  having provided proof to everyone by raising ⁷⁹⁵  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ⁷⁹⁶  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ⁷⁹⁷  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ⁷⁹⁸  17:34 But some people ⁷⁹⁹  joined him ⁸⁰⁰  and believed. Among them ⁸⁰¹  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ⁸⁰²  a woman ⁸⁰³  named Damaris, and others with them.

18:1 After this ⁸⁰⁴  Paul ⁸⁰⁵  departed from ⁸⁰⁶  Athens ⁸⁰⁷  and went to Corinth. ⁸⁰⁸  18:2 There he ⁸⁰⁹  found ⁸¹⁰  a Jew named Aquila, ⁸¹¹  a native of Pontus, ⁸¹²  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ⁸¹³  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ⁸¹⁴  Rome. ⁸¹⁵  Paul approached ⁸¹⁶  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ⁸¹⁷  (for they were tentmakers ⁸¹⁸  by trade). ⁸¹⁹  18:4 He addressed ⁸²⁰  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ⁸²¹  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ⁸²²  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ⁸²³  from Macedonia, ⁸²⁴  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ⁸²⁵  the word, testifying ⁸²⁶  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ⁸²⁷  18:6 When they opposed him ⁸²⁸  and reviled him, ⁸²⁹  he protested by shaking out his clothes ⁸³⁰  and said to them, “Your blood ⁸³¹  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ⁸³²  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ⁸³³  left ⁸³⁴  the synagogue ⁸³⁵  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ⁸³⁶  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ⁸³⁷  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ⁸³⁸  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ⁸³⁹  in the night, ⁸⁴⁰  “Do not be afraid, ⁸⁴¹  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ⁸⁴²  you to harm ⁸⁴³  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ⁸⁴⁴  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ⁸⁴⁵ 

18:12 Now while Gallio ⁸⁴⁶  was proconsul ⁸⁴⁷  of Achaia, ⁸⁴⁸  the Jews attacked Paul together ⁸⁴⁹  and brought him before the judgment seat, ⁸⁵⁰  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ⁸⁵¹  people to worship God in a way contrary to ⁸⁵²  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ⁸⁵³  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ⁸⁵⁴  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ⁸⁵⁵  of you Jews, ⁸⁵⁶  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ⁸⁵⁷  about words and names and your own law, settle ⁸⁵⁸  it yourselves. I will not be ⁸⁵⁹  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ⁸⁶⁰  from the judgment seat. ⁸⁶¹  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ⁸⁶²  and began to beat ⁸⁶³  him in front of the judgment seat. ⁸⁶⁴  Yet none of these things were of any concern ⁸⁶⁵  to Gallio.

18:18 Paul, after staying ⁸⁶⁶  many more days in Corinth, ⁸⁶⁷  said farewell to ⁸⁶⁸  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ⁸⁶⁹  Priscilla and Aquila. ⁸⁷⁰  He ⁸⁷¹  had his hair cut off ⁸⁷²  at Cenchrea ⁸⁷³  because he had made a vow. ⁸⁷⁴  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ⁸⁷⁵  Paul ⁸⁷⁶  left Priscilla and Aquila ⁸⁷⁷  behind there, but he himself went ⁸⁷⁸  into the synagogue ⁸⁷⁹  and addressed ⁸⁸⁰  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ⁸⁸¹  18:21 but said farewell to ⁸⁸²  them and added, ⁸⁸³  “I will come back ⁸⁸⁴  to you again if God wills.” ⁸⁸⁵  Then ⁸⁸⁶  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ⁸⁸⁷  at Caesarea, ⁸⁸⁸  he went up and greeted ⁸⁸⁹  the church at Jerusalem ⁸⁹⁰  and then went down to Antioch. ⁸⁹¹  18:23 After he spent ⁸⁹²  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ⁸⁹³  and Phrygia, ⁸⁹⁴  strengthening all the disciples.

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ⁸⁹⁵  He was an eloquent speaker, ⁸⁹⁶  well-versed ⁸⁹⁷  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ⁸⁹⁸  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ⁸⁹⁹  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ⁹⁰⁰  about Jesus, although he knew ⁹⁰¹  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ⁹⁰²  in the synagogue, ⁹⁰³  but when Priscilla and Aquila ⁹⁰⁴  heard him, they took him aside ⁹⁰⁵  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ⁹⁰⁶  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ⁹⁰⁷  the brothers encouraged ⁹⁰⁸  him ⁹⁰⁹  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ⁹¹⁰  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ⁹¹¹  in public debate, ⁹¹²  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ⁹¹³  was Jesus. ⁹¹⁴ 

19:1 While ⁹¹⁵  Apollos was in Corinth, ⁹¹⁶  Paul went through the inland ⁹¹⁷  regions ⁹¹⁸  and came to Ephesus. ⁹¹⁹  He ⁹²⁰  found some disciples there ⁹²¹  19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ⁹²²  They replied, ⁹²³  “No, we have not even ⁹²⁴  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul ⁹²⁵  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ⁹²⁶  19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, ⁹²⁷  that is, in Jesus.” 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 19:6 and when Paul placed ⁹²⁸  his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came ⁹²⁹  upon them, and they began to speak ⁹³⁰  in tongues and to prophesy. ⁹³¹  19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) ⁹³² 

19:8 So Paul ⁹³³  entered ⁹³⁴  the synagogue ⁹³⁵  and spoke out fearlessly ⁹³⁶  for three months, addressing ⁹³⁷  and convincing ⁹³⁸  them about the kingdom of God. ⁹³⁹  19:9 But when ⁹⁴⁰  some were stubborn ⁹⁴¹  and refused to believe, reviling ⁹⁴²  the Way ⁹⁴³  before the congregation, he left ⁹⁴⁴  them and took the disciples with him, ⁹⁴⁵  addressing ⁹⁴⁶  them every day ⁹⁴⁷  in the lecture hall ⁹⁴⁸  of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ⁹⁴⁹  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ⁹⁵⁰ 

19:11 God was performing extraordinary ⁹⁵¹  miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ⁹⁵²  were brought ⁹⁵³  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ⁹⁵⁴  19:13 But some itinerant ⁹⁵⁵  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ⁹⁵⁶  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ⁹⁵⁷  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ⁹⁵⁸  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ⁹⁵⁹  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ⁹⁶⁰  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ⁹⁶¹  “I know about Jesus ⁹⁶²  and I am acquainted with ⁹⁶³  Paul, but who are you?” ⁹⁶⁴  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ⁹⁶⁵  the evil spirit jumped on ⁹⁶⁶  them and beat them all into submission. ⁹⁶⁷  He prevailed ⁹⁶⁸  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ⁹⁶⁹  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ⁹⁷⁰  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ⁹⁷¹  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ⁹⁷²  confessing and making their deeds known. ⁹⁷³  19:19 Large numbers ⁹⁷⁴  of those who had practiced magic ⁹⁷⁵  collected their books ⁹⁷⁶  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ⁹⁷⁷  When ⁹⁷⁸  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ⁹⁷⁹  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ⁹⁸⁰  continued to grow in power ⁹⁸¹  and to prevail. ⁹⁸² 

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ⁹⁸³  Paul resolved ⁹⁸⁴  to go to Jerusalem, ⁹⁸⁵  passing through Macedonia ⁹⁸⁶  and Achaia. ⁹⁸⁷  He said, ⁹⁸⁸  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ⁹⁸⁹  19:22 So after sending ⁹⁹⁰  two of his assistants, ⁹⁹¹  Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, ⁹⁹²  he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. ⁹⁹³ 

19:23 At ⁹⁹⁴  that time ⁹⁹⁵  a great disturbance ⁹⁹⁶  took place concerning the Way. ⁹⁹⁷  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ⁹⁹⁸  of Artemis, ⁹⁹⁹  brought a great deal ¹⁰⁰⁰  of business ¹⁰⁰¹  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered ¹⁰⁰²  these ¹⁰⁰³  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ¹⁰⁰⁴  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ¹⁰⁰⁵  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ¹⁰⁰⁶  and turned away ¹⁰⁰⁷  a large crowd, ¹⁰⁰⁸  not only in Ephesus ¹⁰⁰⁹  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ¹⁰¹⁰  by saying ¹⁰¹¹  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ¹⁰¹²  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ¹⁰¹³  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ¹⁰¹⁴  will be regarded as nothing, ¹⁰¹⁵  and she whom all the province of Asia ¹⁰¹⁶  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ¹⁰¹⁷ 

19:28 When ¹⁰¹⁸  they heard ¹⁰¹⁹  this they became enraged ¹⁰²⁰  and began to shout, ¹⁰²¹  “Great is Artemis ¹⁰²²  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The ¹⁰²³  city was filled with the uproar, ¹⁰²⁴  and the crowd ¹⁰²⁵  rushed to the theater ¹⁰²⁶  together, ¹⁰²⁷  dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, ¹⁰²⁸  the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities ¹⁰²⁹  who were his friends sent ¹⁰³⁰  a message ¹⁰³¹  to him, urging him not to venture ¹⁰³²  into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together. ¹⁰³³  19:33 Some of the crowd concluded ¹⁰³⁴  it was about ¹⁰³⁵  Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. ¹⁰³⁶  Alexander, gesturing ¹⁰³⁷  with his hand, was wanting to make a defense ¹⁰³⁸  before the public assembly. ¹⁰³⁹  19:34 But when they recognized ¹⁰⁴⁰  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ¹⁰⁴¹  “Great is Artemis ¹⁰⁴²  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ¹⁰⁴³  19:35 After the city secretary ¹⁰⁴⁴  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ¹⁰⁴⁵  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ¹⁰⁴⁶  of the temple of the great Artemis ¹⁰⁴⁷  and of her image that fell from heaven? ¹⁰⁴⁸  19:36 So because these facts ¹⁰⁴⁹  are indisputable, ¹⁰⁵⁰  you must keep quiet ¹⁰⁵¹  and not do anything reckless. ¹⁰⁵²  19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ¹⁰⁵³  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ¹⁰⁵⁴  19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ¹⁰⁵⁵  against someone, the courts are open ¹⁰⁵⁶  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ¹⁰⁵⁷  19:39 But if you want anything in addition, ¹⁰⁵⁸  it will have to be settled ¹⁰⁵⁹  in a legal assembly. ¹⁰⁶⁰  19:40 For ¹⁰⁶¹  we are in danger of being charged with rioting ¹⁰⁶²  today, since there is no cause we can give to explain ¹⁰⁶³  this disorderly gathering.” ¹⁰⁶⁴  19:41 After ¹⁰⁶⁵  he had said ¹⁰⁶⁶  this, ¹⁰⁶⁷  he dismissed the assembly. ¹⁰⁶⁸ 

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging ¹⁰⁶⁹  them and saying farewell, ¹⁰⁷⁰  he left to go to Macedonia. ¹⁰⁷¹  20:2 After he had gone through those regions ¹⁰⁷²  and spoken many words of encouragement ¹⁰⁷³  to the believers there, ¹⁰⁷⁴  he came to Greece, ¹⁰⁷⁵  20:3 where he stayed ¹⁰⁷⁶  for three months. Because the Jews had made ¹⁰⁷⁷  a plot ¹⁰⁷⁸  against him as he was intending ¹⁰⁷⁹  to sail ¹⁰⁸⁰  for Syria, he decided ¹⁰⁸¹  to return through Macedonia. ¹⁰⁸²  20:4 Paul ¹⁰⁸³  was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, ¹⁰⁸⁴  Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, ¹⁰⁸⁵  Gaius ¹⁰⁸⁶  from Derbe, ¹⁰⁸⁷  and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ¹⁰⁸⁸  20:5 These had gone on ahead ¹⁰⁸⁹  and were waiting for us in Troas. ¹⁰⁹⁰  20:6 We ¹⁰⁹¹  sailed away from Philippi ¹⁰⁹²  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ¹⁰⁹³  and within five days ¹⁰⁹⁴  we came to the others ¹⁰⁹⁵  in Troas, ¹⁰⁹⁶  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ¹⁰⁹⁷  of the week, when we met ¹⁰⁹⁸  to break bread, Paul began to speak ¹⁰⁹⁹  to the people, and because he intended ¹¹⁰⁰  to leave the next day, he extended ¹¹⁰¹  his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps ¹¹⁰²  in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) ¹¹⁰³  20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, ¹¹⁰⁴  was sinking ¹¹⁰⁵  into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak ¹¹⁰⁶  for a long time. Fast asleep, ¹¹⁰⁷  he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down, ¹¹⁰⁸  threw himself ¹¹⁰⁹  on the young man, ¹¹¹⁰  put his arms around him, ¹¹¹¹  and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” ¹¹¹²  20:11 Then Paul ¹¹¹³  went back upstairs, ¹¹¹⁴  and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them ¹¹¹⁵  a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly ¹¹¹⁶  comforted.

20:13 We went on ahead ¹¹¹⁷  to the ship and put out to sea ¹¹¹⁸  for Assos, ¹¹¹⁹  intending ¹¹²⁰  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ¹¹²¹  He ¹¹²²  himself was intending ¹¹²³  to go there by land. ¹¹²⁴  20:14 When he met us in Assos, ¹¹²⁵  we took him aboard ¹¹²⁶  and went to Mitylene. ¹¹²⁷  20:15 We set sail ¹¹²⁸  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ¹¹²⁹  The next day we approached ¹¹³⁰  Samos, ¹¹³¹  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ¹¹³²  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ¹¹³³  so as not to spend time ¹¹³⁴  in the province of Asia, ¹¹³⁵  for he was hurrying ¹¹³⁶  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹¹³⁷  if possible, ¹¹³⁸  by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus ¹¹³⁹  he sent a message ¹¹⁴⁰  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ¹¹⁴¹ 

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived ¹¹⁴²  the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot ¹¹⁴³  in the province of Asia, ¹¹⁴⁴  20:19 serving the Lord with all humility ¹¹⁴⁵  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ¹¹⁴⁶  of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ¹¹⁴⁷  to you anything that would be helpful, ¹¹⁴⁸  and from teaching you publicly ¹¹⁴⁹  and from house to house, 20:21 testifying ¹¹⁵⁰  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ¹¹⁵¹  20:22 And now, ¹¹⁵²  compelled ¹¹⁵³  by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem ¹¹⁵⁴  without knowing what will happen to me there, ¹¹⁵⁵  20:23 except ¹¹⁵⁶  that the Holy Spirit warns ¹¹⁵⁷  me in town after town ¹¹⁵⁸  that ¹¹⁵⁹  imprisonment ¹¹⁶⁰  and persecutions ¹¹⁶¹  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ¹¹⁶²  worth anything ¹¹⁶³  to myself, so that ¹¹⁶⁴  I may finish my task ¹¹⁶⁵  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹¹⁶⁶  of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now ¹¹⁶⁷  I know that none ¹¹⁶⁸  of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom ¹¹⁶⁹  will see me ¹¹⁷⁰  again. 20:26 Therefore I declare ¹¹⁷¹  to you today that I am innocent ¹¹⁷²  of the blood of you all. ¹¹⁷³  20:27 For I did not hold back from ¹¹⁷⁴  announcing ¹¹⁷⁵  to you the whole purpose ¹¹⁷⁶  of God. 20:28 Watch out for ¹¹⁷⁷  yourselves and for all the flock of which ¹¹⁷⁸  the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ¹¹⁷⁹  to shepherd the church of God ¹¹⁸⁰  that he obtained ¹¹⁸¹  with the blood of his own Son. ¹¹⁸²  20:29 I know that after I am gone ¹¹⁸³  fierce wolves ¹¹⁸⁴  will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group ¹¹⁸⁵  men ¹¹⁸⁶  will arise, teaching perversions of the truth ¹¹⁸⁷  to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, ¹¹⁸⁸  remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning ¹¹⁸⁹  each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust ¹¹⁹⁰  you to God and to the message ¹¹⁹¹  of his grace. This message ¹¹⁹²  is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired ¹¹⁹³  no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine ¹¹⁹⁴  provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things, ¹¹⁹⁵  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ¹¹⁹⁶  the weak, ¹¹⁹⁷  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ¹¹⁹⁸ 

20:36 When ¹¹⁹⁹  he had said these things, he knelt down ¹²⁰⁰  with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly, ¹²⁰¹  and hugged ¹²⁰²  Paul and kissed him, ¹²⁰³  20:38 especially saddened ¹²⁰⁴  by what ¹²⁰⁵  he had said, that they were not going to see him ¹²⁰⁶  again. Then they accompanied ¹²⁰⁷  him to the ship.

21:1 After ¹²⁰⁸  we ¹²⁰⁹  tore ourselves away ¹²¹⁰  from them, we put out to sea, ¹²¹¹  and sailing a straight course, ¹²¹²  we came to Cos, ¹²¹³  on the next day to Rhodes, ¹²¹⁴  and from there to Patara. ¹²¹⁵  21:2 We found ¹²¹⁶  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹²¹⁷  went aboard, ¹²¹⁸  and put out to sea. ¹²¹⁹  21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹²²⁰  and left it behind on our port side, ¹²²¹  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹²²²  at Tyre, ¹²²³  because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located ¹²²⁴  the disciples, we stayed there ¹²²⁵  seven days. They repeatedly told ¹²²⁶  Paul through the Spirit ¹²²⁷  not to set foot ¹²²⁸  in Jerusalem. ¹²²⁹  21:5 When ¹²³⁰  our time was over, ¹²³¹  we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ¹²³²  us outside of the city. After ¹²³³  kneeling down on the beach and praying, ¹²³⁴  21:6 we said farewell ¹²³⁵  to one another. ¹²³⁶  Then ¹²³⁷  we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ¹²³⁸  21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ¹²³⁹  and arrived at Ptolemais, ¹²⁴⁰  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left ¹²⁴¹  and came to Caesarea, ¹²⁴²  and entered ¹²⁴³  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ¹²⁴⁴  and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried ¹²⁴⁵  daughters who prophesied.) ¹²⁴⁶ 

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days, ¹²⁴⁷  a prophet named Agabus ¹²⁴⁸  came down from Judea. 21:11 He came ¹²⁴⁹  to us, took ¹²⁵⁰  Paul’s belt, ¹²⁵¹  tied ¹²⁵²  his own hands and feet with it, ¹²⁵³  and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over ¹²⁵⁴  to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ¹²⁵⁵  begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ¹²⁵⁶  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ¹²⁵⁷  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ¹²⁵⁸  we said no more except, ¹²⁵⁹  “The Lord’s will be done.” ¹²⁶⁰ 

21:15 After these days we got ready ¹²⁶¹  and started up ¹²⁶²  to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ¹²⁶³  came along with us too, and brought us to the house ¹²⁶⁴  of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ¹²⁶⁵  with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹²⁶⁶  21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ¹²⁶⁷  21:19 When Paul ¹²⁶⁸  had greeted them, he began to explain ¹²⁶⁹  in detail ¹²⁷⁰  what God ¹²⁷¹  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised ¹²⁷²  God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews ¹²⁷³  there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers ¹²⁷⁴  of the law. ¹²⁷⁵  21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ¹²⁷⁶  among the Gentiles to abandon ¹²⁷⁷  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ¹²⁷⁸  or live ¹²⁷⁹  according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt ¹²⁸⁰  hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what ¹²⁸¹  we tell you: We have four men ¹²⁸²  who have taken ¹²⁸³  a vow; ¹²⁸⁴  21:24 take them and purify ¹²⁸⁵  yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ¹²⁸⁶  so that they may have their heads shaved. ¹²⁸⁷  Then ¹²⁸⁸  everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told ¹²⁸⁹  about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with ¹²⁹⁰  the law. ¹²⁹¹  21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹²⁹²  that they should avoid ¹²⁹³  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹²⁹⁴  and blood and what has been strangled ¹²⁹⁵  and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, ¹²⁹⁶  and after he had purified himself ¹²⁹⁷  along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice ¹²⁹⁸  of the completion of the days of purification, ¹²⁹⁹  when ¹³⁰⁰  the sacrifice would be offered for each ¹³⁰¹  of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over, ¹³⁰²  the Jews from the province of Asia ¹³⁰³  who had seen him in the temple area ¹³⁰⁴  stirred up the whole crowd ¹³⁰⁵  and seized ¹³⁰⁶  him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel, ¹³⁰⁷  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ¹³⁰⁸  and this sanctuary! ¹³⁰⁹  Furthermore ¹³¹⁰  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ¹³¹¹  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ¹³¹²  21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and ¹³¹³  they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) ¹³¹⁴  21:30 The whole city was stirred up, ¹³¹⁵  and the people rushed together. ¹³¹⁶  They seized ¹³¹⁷  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ¹³¹⁸  and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying ¹³¹⁹  to kill him, a report ¹³²⁰  was sent up ¹³²¹  to the commanding officer ¹³²²  of the cohort ¹³²³  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ¹³²⁴  21:32 He ¹³²⁵  immediately took ¹³²⁶  soldiers and centurions ¹³²⁷  and ran down to the crowd. ¹³²⁸  When they saw ¹³²⁹  the commanding officer ¹³³⁰  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ¹³³¹  Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer ¹³³²  came up and arrested ¹³³³  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ¹³³⁴  he ¹³³⁵  then asked who he was and what ¹³³⁶  he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, ¹³³⁷  and when the commanding officer ¹³³⁸  was unable ¹³³⁹  to find out the truth ¹³⁴⁰  because of the disturbance, ¹³⁴¹  he ordered Paul ¹³⁴²  to be brought into the barracks. ¹³⁴³  21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul ¹³⁴⁴  had to be carried ¹³⁴⁵  by the soldiers because of the violence ¹³⁴⁶  of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people ¹³⁴⁷  followed them, ¹³⁴⁸  screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ¹³⁴⁹  he said ¹³⁵⁰  to the commanding officer, ¹³⁵¹  “May I say ¹³⁵²  something to you?” The officer ¹³⁵³  replied, ¹³⁵⁴  “Do you know Greek? ¹³⁵⁵  21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion ¹³⁵⁶  and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ ¹³⁵⁷  into the wilderness ¹³⁵⁸  some time ago?” ¹³⁵⁹  21:39 Paul answered, ¹³⁶⁰  “I am a Jew ¹³⁶¹  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ¹³⁶²  Please ¹³⁶³  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ¹³⁶⁴  had given him permission, ¹³⁶⁵  Paul stood ¹³⁶⁶  on the steps and gestured ¹³⁶⁷  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ¹³⁶⁸  he addressed ¹³⁶⁹  them in Aramaic, ¹³⁷⁰ 

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ¹³⁷¹  that I now ¹³⁷²  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ¹³⁷³  that he was addressing ¹³⁷⁴  them in Aramaic, ¹³⁷⁵  they became even ¹³⁷⁶  quieter.) ¹³⁷⁷  Then ¹³⁷⁸  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ¹³⁷⁹  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ¹³⁸⁰  in this city, educated with strictness ¹³⁸¹  under ¹³⁸²  Gamaliel ¹³⁸³  according to the law of our ancestors, ¹³⁸⁴  and was ¹³⁸⁵  zealous ¹³⁸⁶  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ¹³⁸⁷  persecuted this Way ¹³⁸⁸  even to the point of death, ¹³⁸⁹  tying up ¹³⁹⁰  both men and women and putting ¹³⁹¹  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹³⁹²  can testify about me. From them ¹³⁹³  I also received ¹³⁹⁴  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹³⁹⁵  to make arrests there and bring ¹³⁹⁶  the prisoners ¹³⁹⁷  to Jerusalem ¹³⁹⁸  to be punished. 22:6 As ¹³⁹⁹  I was en route and near Damascus, ¹⁴⁰⁰  about noon a very bright ¹⁴⁰¹  light from heaven ¹⁴⁰²  suddenly flashed ¹⁴⁰³  around me. 22:7 Then I ¹⁴⁰⁴  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 22:8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 22:9 Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand ¹⁴⁰⁵  the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked, ¹⁴⁰⁶  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ¹⁴⁰⁷  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ¹⁴⁰⁸  that you have been designated ¹⁴⁰⁹  to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of ¹⁴¹⁰  the brilliance ¹⁴¹¹  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ¹⁴¹²  those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias, ¹⁴¹³  a devout man according to the law, ¹⁴¹⁴  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ¹⁴¹⁵  22:13 came ¹⁴¹⁶  to me and stood beside me ¹⁴¹⁷  and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ ¹⁴¹⁸  And at that very moment ¹⁴¹⁹  I looked up and saw him. ¹⁴²⁰  22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ¹⁴²¹  has already chosen ¹⁴²²  you to know his will, to see ¹⁴²³  the Righteous One, ¹⁴²⁴  and to hear a command ¹⁴²⁵  from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness ¹⁴²⁶  to all people ¹⁴²⁷  of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? ¹⁴²⁸  Get up, ¹⁴²⁹  be baptized, and have your sins washed away, ¹⁴³⁰  calling on his name.’ ¹⁴³¹  22:17 When ¹⁴³²  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁴³³  22:18 and saw the Lord ¹⁴³⁴  saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied, ¹⁴³⁵  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ¹⁴³⁶  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ¹⁴³⁷  Stephen was shed, ¹⁴³⁸  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ¹⁴³⁹  and guarding the cloaks ¹⁴⁴⁰  of those who were killing him.’ ¹⁴⁴¹  22:21 Then ¹⁴⁴²  he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22:22 The crowd ¹⁴⁴³  was listening to him until he said this. ¹⁴⁴⁴  Then ¹⁴⁴⁵  they raised their voices and shouted, ¹⁴⁴⁶  “Away with this man ¹⁴⁴⁷  from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” ¹⁴⁴⁸  22:23 While they were screaming ¹⁴⁴⁹  and throwing off their cloaks ¹⁴⁵⁰  and tossing dust ¹⁴⁵¹  in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer ¹⁴⁵²  ordered Paul ¹⁴⁵³  to be brought back into the barracks. ¹⁴⁵⁴  He told them ¹⁴⁵⁵  to interrogate Paul ¹⁴⁵⁶  by beating him with a lash ¹⁴⁵⁷  so that he could find out the reason the crowd ¹⁴⁵⁸  was shouting at Paul ¹⁴⁵⁹  in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹⁴⁶⁰  Paul said to the centurion ¹⁴⁶¹  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ¹⁴⁶²  without a proper trial?” ¹⁴⁶³  22:26 When the centurion ¹⁴⁶⁴  heard this, ¹⁴⁶⁵  he went to the commanding officer ¹⁴⁶⁶  and reported it, ¹⁴⁶⁷  saying, “What are you about to do? ¹⁴⁶⁸  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ¹⁴⁶⁹  22:27 So the commanding officer ¹⁴⁷⁰  came and asked ¹⁴⁷¹  Paul, ¹⁴⁷²  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ¹⁴⁷³  He replied, ¹⁴⁷⁴  “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer ¹⁴⁷⁵  answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” ¹⁴⁷⁶  “But I was even ¹⁴⁷⁷  born a citizen,” ¹⁴⁷⁸  Paul replied. ¹⁴⁷⁹  22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ¹⁴⁸⁰  from him, and the commanding officer ¹⁴⁸¹  was frightened when he realized that Paul ¹⁴⁸²  was ¹⁴⁸³  a Roman citizen ¹⁴⁸⁴  and that he had had him tied up. ¹⁴⁸⁵ 

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ¹⁴⁸⁶  wanted to know the true reason ¹⁴⁸⁷  Paul ¹⁴⁸⁸  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ¹⁴⁸⁹  to assemble. He then brought ¹⁴⁹⁰  Paul down and had him stand before them.

23:1 Paul looked directly ¹⁴⁹¹  at the council ¹⁴⁹²  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ¹⁴⁹³  before God to this day.” 23:2 At that ¹⁴⁹⁴  the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near ¹⁴⁹⁵  Paul ¹⁴⁹⁶  to strike ¹⁴⁹⁷  him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ¹⁴⁹⁸  Do ¹⁴⁹⁹  you sit there judging me according to the law, ¹⁵⁰⁰  and in violation of the law ¹⁵⁰¹  you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him ¹⁵⁰²  said, “Do you dare insult ¹⁵⁰³  God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied, ¹⁵⁰⁴  “I did not realize, ¹⁵⁰⁵  brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’” ¹⁵⁰⁶ 

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ¹⁵⁰⁷  that part of them were Sadducees ¹⁵⁰⁸  and the others Pharisees, ¹⁵⁰⁹  he shouted out in the council, ¹⁵¹⁰  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ¹⁵¹¹  of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this, ¹⁵¹²  an argument ¹⁵¹³  began ¹⁵¹⁴  between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) ¹⁵¹⁵  23:9 There was a great commotion, ¹⁵¹⁶  and some experts in the law ¹⁵¹⁷  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ¹⁵¹⁸  and protested strongly, ¹⁵¹⁹  “We find nothing wrong ¹⁵²⁰  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ¹⁵²¹  so great the commanding officer ¹⁵²²  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ¹⁵²³  he ordered the detachment ¹⁵²⁴  to go down, take him away from them by force, ¹⁵²⁵  and bring him into the barracks. ¹⁵²⁶ 

23:11 The following night the Lord ¹⁵²⁷  stood near ¹⁵²⁸  Paul ¹⁵²⁹  and said, “Have courage, ¹⁵³⁰  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ¹⁵³¹  so you must also testify in Rome.” ¹⁵³² 

23:12 When morning came, ¹⁵³³  the Jews formed ¹⁵³⁴  a conspiracy ¹⁵³⁵  and bound themselves with an oath ¹⁵³⁶  not to eat or drink anything ¹⁵³⁷  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ¹⁵³⁸  23:14 They ¹⁵³⁹  went ¹⁵⁴⁰  to the chief priests ¹⁵⁴¹  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ¹⁵⁴²  not to partake ¹⁵⁴³  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ¹⁵⁴⁴  request the commanding officer ¹⁵⁴⁵  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ¹⁵⁴⁶  his case ¹⁵⁴⁷  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ¹⁵⁴⁸  We are ready to kill him ¹⁵⁴⁹  before he comes near this place.” ¹⁵⁵⁰ 

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, ¹⁵⁵¹  he came and entered ¹⁵⁵²  the barracks ¹⁵⁵³  and told Paul. 23:17 Paul called ¹⁵⁵⁴  one of the centurions ¹⁵⁵⁵  and said, “Take this young man to the commanding officer, ¹⁵⁵⁶  for he has something to report to him.” 23:18 So the centurion ¹⁵⁵⁷  took him and brought him to the commanding officer ¹⁵⁵⁸  and said, “The prisoner Paul called ¹⁵⁵⁹  me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 23:19 The commanding officer ¹⁵⁶⁰  took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, “What is it that you want ¹⁵⁶¹  to report to me?” 23:20 He replied, ¹⁵⁶²  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ¹⁵⁶³  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. 23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ¹⁵⁶⁴  because more than forty of them ¹⁵⁶⁵  are lying in ambush ¹⁵⁶⁶  for him. They ¹⁵⁶⁷  have bound themselves with an oath ¹⁵⁶⁸  not to eat or drink anything ¹⁵⁶⁹  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ¹⁵⁷⁰  23:22 Then the commanding officer ¹⁵⁷¹  sent the young man away, directing him, ¹⁵⁷²  “Tell no one that you have reported ¹⁵⁷³  these things to me.” 23:23 Then ¹⁵⁷⁴  he summoned ¹⁵⁷⁵  two of the centurions ¹⁵⁷⁶  and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea ¹⁵⁷⁷  along with seventy horsemen ¹⁵⁷⁸  and two hundred spearmen ¹⁵⁷⁹  by ¹⁵⁸⁰  nine o’clock tonight, ¹⁵⁸¹  23:24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride ¹⁵⁸²  so that he may be brought safely to Felix ¹⁵⁸³  the governor.” ¹⁵⁸⁴  23:25 He wrote ¹⁵⁸⁵  a letter that went like this: ¹⁵⁸⁶ 

23:26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor ¹⁵⁸⁷  Felix, ¹⁵⁸⁸  greetings. 23:27 This man was seized ¹⁵⁸⁹  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ¹⁵⁹⁰  when I came up ¹⁵⁹¹  with the detachment ¹⁵⁹²  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ¹⁵⁹³  a Roman citizen. ¹⁵⁹⁴  23:28 Since I wanted to know ¹⁵⁹⁵  what charge they were accusing him of, ¹⁵⁹⁶  I brought him down to their council. ¹⁵⁹⁷  23:29 I found he ¹⁵⁹⁸  was accused with reference to controversial questions ¹⁵⁹⁹  about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. ¹⁶⁰⁰  23:30 When I was informed ¹⁶⁰¹  there would be a plot ¹⁶⁰²  against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges ¹⁶⁰³  against him before you.

23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, ¹⁶⁰⁴  took ¹⁶⁰⁵  Paul and brought him to Antipatris ¹⁶⁰⁶  during the night. 23:32 The next day they let ¹⁶⁰⁷  the horsemen ¹⁶⁰⁸  go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. ¹⁶⁰⁹  23:33 When the horsemen ¹⁶¹⁰  came to Caesarea ¹⁶¹¹  and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented ¹⁶¹²  Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor ¹⁶¹³  had read ¹⁶¹⁴  the letter, ¹⁶¹⁵  he asked ¹⁶¹⁶  what province he was from. ¹⁶¹⁷  When he learned ¹⁶¹⁸  that he was from Cilicia, ¹⁶¹⁹  23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing ¹⁶²⁰  when your accusers arrive too.” Then ¹⁶²¹  he ordered that Paul ¹⁶²²  be kept under guard in Herod’s palace. ¹⁶²³ 

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias ¹⁶²⁴  came down with some elders and an attorney ¹⁶²⁵  named ¹⁶²⁶  Tertullus, and they ¹⁶²⁷  brought formal charges ¹⁶²⁸  against Paul to the governor. 24:2 When Paul ¹⁶²⁹  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ¹⁶³⁰  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ¹⁶³¹  of peace through your rule, ¹⁶³²  and reforms ¹⁶³³  are being made in this nation ¹⁶³⁴  through your foresight. ¹⁶³⁵  24:3 Most excellent Felix, ¹⁶³⁶  we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way ¹⁶³⁷  with all gratitude. ¹⁶³⁸  24:4 But so that I may not delay ¹⁶³⁹  you any further, I beg ¹⁶⁴⁰  you to hear us briefly ¹⁶⁴¹  with your customary graciousness. ¹⁶⁴²  24:5 For we have found ¹⁶⁴³  this man to be a troublemaker, ¹⁶⁴⁴  one who stirs up riots ¹⁶⁴⁵  among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader ¹⁶⁴⁶  of the sect of the Nazarenes. ¹⁶⁴⁷  24:6 He ¹⁶⁴⁸  even tried to desecrate ¹⁶⁴⁹  the temple, so we arrested ¹⁶⁵⁰  him. 24:7 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁶⁵¹  24:8 When you examine ¹⁶⁵²  him yourself, you will be able to learn from him ¹⁶⁵³  about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” ¹⁶⁵⁴  24:9 The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, ¹⁶⁵⁵  claiming ¹⁶⁵⁶  that these things were true.

24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know ¹⁶⁵⁷  that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. ¹⁶⁵⁸  24:11 As you can verify ¹⁶⁵⁹  for yourself, not more than twelve days ago ¹⁶⁶⁰  I went up to Jerusalem ¹⁶⁶¹  to worship. 24:12 They did not find me arguing ¹⁶⁶²  with anyone or stirring up a crowd ¹⁶⁶³  in the temple courts ¹⁶⁶⁴  or in the synagogues ¹⁶⁶⁵  or throughout the city, ¹⁶⁶⁶  24:13 nor can they prove ¹⁶⁶⁷  to you the things ¹⁶⁶⁸  they are accusing me of doing. ¹⁶⁶⁹  24:14 But I confess this to you, that I worship ¹⁶⁷⁰  the God of our ancestors ¹⁶⁷¹  according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law ¹⁶⁷²  and that is written in the prophets. 24:15 I have ¹⁶⁷³  a hope in God (a hope ¹⁶⁷⁴  that ¹⁶⁷⁵  these men ¹⁶⁷⁶  themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁶⁷⁷  24:16 This is the reason ¹⁶⁷⁸  I do my best to always ¹⁶⁷⁹  have a clear ¹⁶⁸⁰  conscience toward God and toward people. ¹⁶⁸¹  24:17 After several years ¹⁶⁸²  I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor ¹⁶⁸³  and to present offerings, ¹⁶⁸⁴  24:18 which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, ¹⁶⁸⁵  without a crowd or a disturbance. ¹⁶⁸⁶  24:19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ¹⁶⁸⁷  who should be here before you and bring charges, ¹⁶⁸⁸  if they have anything against me. 24:20 Or these men here ¹⁶⁸⁹  should tell what crime ¹⁶⁹⁰  they found me guilty of ¹⁶⁹¹  when I stood before the council, ¹⁶⁹²  24:21 other than ¹⁶⁹³  this one thing ¹⁶⁹⁴  I shouted out while I stood before ¹⁶⁹⁵  them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’” ¹⁶⁹⁶ 

24:22 Then Felix, ¹⁶⁹⁷  who understood the facts ¹⁶⁹⁸  concerning the Way ¹⁶⁹⁹  more accurately, ¹⁷⁰⁰  adjourned their hearing, ¹⁷⁰¹  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ¹⁷⁰²  24:23 He ordered the centurion ¹⁷⁰³  to guard Paul, ¹⁷⁰⁴  but to let him have some freedom, ¹⁷⁰⁵  and not to prevent any of his friends ¹⁷⁰⁶  from meeting his needs. ¹⁷⁰⁷ 

24:24 Some days later, when Felix ¹⁷⁰⁸  arrived with his wife Drusilla, ¹⁷⁰⁹  who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak ¹⁷¹⁰  about faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁷¹¹  24:25 While Paul ¹⁷¹²  was discussing ¹⁷¹³  righteousness, self-control, ¹⁷¹⁴  and the coming judgment, Felix ¹⁷¹⁵  became ¹⁷¹⁶  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ¹⁷¹⁷  I will send for you.” 24:26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹⁷¹⁸  and for this reason he sent for Paul ¹⁷¹⁹  as often as possible ¹⁷²⁰  and talked ¹⁷²¹  with him. 24:27 After two years ¹⁷²²  had passed, Porcius Festus ¹⁷²³  succeeded Felix, ¹⁷²⁴  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ¹⁷²⁵ 

25:1 Now ¹⁷²⁶  three days after Festus ¹⁷²⁷  arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem ¹⁷²⁸  from Caesarea. ¹⁷²⁹  25:2 So the chief priests and the most prominent men ¹⁷³⁰  of the Jews brought formal charges ¹⁷³¹  against Paul to him. 25:3 Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, ¹⁷³²  they urged Festus ¹⁷³³  to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush ¹⁷³⁴  to kill him along the way. 25:4 Then Festus ¹⁷³⁵  replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, ¹⁷³⁶  and he himself intended to go there ¹⁷³⁷  shortly. 25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ¹⁷³⁸  go down there ¹⁷³⁹  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ¹⁷⁴⁰  they may bring charges ¹⁷⁴¹  against him.”

25:6 After Festus ¹⁷⁴²  had stayed ¹⁷⁴³  not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, ¹⁷⁴⁴  and the next day he sat ¹⁷⁴⁵  on the judgment seat ¹⁷⁴⁶  and ordered Paul to be brought. 25:7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, ¹⁷⁴⁷  bringing many serious ¹⁷⁴⁸  charges that they were not able to prove. ¹⁷⁴⁹  25:8 Paul said in his defense, ¹⁷⁵⁰  “I have committed no offense ¹⁷⁵¹  against the Jewish law ¹⁷⁵²  or against the temple or against Caesar.” ¹⁷⁵³  25:9 But Festus, ¹⁷⁵⁴  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁷⁵⁵  before me there on these charges?” ¹⁷⁵⁶  25:10 Paul replied, ¹⁷⁵⁷  “I am standing before Caesar’s ¹⁷⁵⁸  judgment seat, ¹⁷⁵⁹  where I should be tried. ¹⁷⁶⁰  I have done nothing wrong ¹⁷⁶¹  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹⁷⁶²  25:11 If then I am in the wrong ¹⁷⁶³  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ¹⁷⁶⁴  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ¹⁷⁶⁵  no one can hand me over to them. ¹⁷⁶⁶  I appeal to Caesar!” ¹⁷⁶⁷  25:12 Then, after conferring with his council, ¹⁷⁶⁸  Festus ¹⁷⁶⁹  replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; ¹⁷⁷⁰  to Caesar ¹⁷⁷¹  you will go!” ¹⁷⁷² 

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa ¹⁷⁷³  and Bernice arrived at Caesarea ¹⁷⁷⁴  to pay their respects ¹⁷⁷⁵  to Festus. ¹⁷⁷⁶  25:14 While ¹⁷⁷⁷  they were staying there many days, Festus ¹⁷⁷⁸  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ¹⁷⁷⁹  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ¹⁷⁸⁰  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ¹⁷⁸¹  me about him, ¹⁷⁸²  asking for a sentence of condemnation ¹⁷⁸³  against him. 25:16 I answered them ¹⁷⁸⁴  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ¹⁷⁸⁵  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ¹⁷⁸⁶  and had been given ¹⁷⁸⁷  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ¹⁷⁸⁸  25:17 So after they came back here with me, ¹⁷⁸⁹  I did not postpone the case, ¹⁷⁹⁰  but the next day I sat ¹⁷⁹¹  on the judgment seat ¹⁷⁹²  and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ¹⁷⁹³  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ¹⁷⁹⁴  25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement ¹⁷⁹⁵  with him about their own religion ¹⁷⁹⁶  and about a man named Jesus ¹⁷⁹⁷  who was dead, whom Paul claimed ¹⁷⁹⁸  to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss ¹⁷⁹⁹  how I could investigate these matters, ¹⁸⁰⁰  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁸⁰¹  there on these charges. ¹⁸⁰²  25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁸⁰³  I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” ¹⁸⁰⁴  25:22 Agrippa ¹⁸⁰⁵  said to Festus, ¹⁸⁰⁶  “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, ¹⁸⁰⁷  “you will hear him.”

25:23 So the next day Agrippa ¹⁸⁰⁸  and Bernice came with great pomp ¹⁸⁰⁹  and entered the audience hall, ¹⁸¹⁰  along with the senior military officers ¹⁸¹¹  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ¹⁸¹²  gave the order, ¹⁸¹³  Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus ¹⁸¹⁴  said, “King Agrippa, ¹⁸¹⁵  and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace ¹⁸¹⁶  petitioned ¹⁸¹⁷  me both in Jerusalem ¹⁸¹⁸  and here, ¹⁸¹⁹  shouting loudly ¹⁸²⁰  that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, ¹⁸²¹  and when he appealed ¹⁸²²  to His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁸²³  I decided to send him. ¹⁸²⁴  25:26 But I have nothing definite ¹⁸²⁵  to write to my lord ¹⁸²⁶  about him. ¹⁸²⁷  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ¹⁸²⁸  so that after this preliminary hearing ¹⁸²⁹  I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating ¹⁸³⁰  the charges against him.”

26:1 So Agrippa ¹⁸³¹  said to Paul, “You have permission ¹⁸³²  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ¹⁸³³  and began his defense: ¹⁸³⁴ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹⁸³⁵  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially ¹⁸³⁶  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ¹⁸³⁷  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ¹⁸³⁸  you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived ¹⁸³⁹  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ¹⁸⁴⁰  and in Jerusalem. ¹⁸⁴¹  26:5 They know, ¹⁸⁴²  because they have known ¹⁸⁴³  me from time past, ¹⁸⁴⁴  if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party ¹⁸⁴⁵  of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ¹⁸⁴⁶  26:6 And now I stand here on trial ¹⁸⁴⁷  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ¹⁸⁴⁸  26:7 a promise ¹⁸⁴⁹  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ¹⁸⁵⁰  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ¹⁸⁵¹  Your Majesty! ¹⁸⁵²  26:8 Why do you people ¹⁸⁵³  think ¹⁸⁵⁴  it is unbelievable ¹⁸⁵⁵  that ¹⁸⁵⁶  God raises the dead? 26:9 Of course, ¹⁸⁵⁷  I myself was convinced ¹⁸⁵⁸  that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ¹⁸⁵⁹  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ¹⁸⁶⁰  against them when they were sentenced to death. ¹⁸⁶¹  26:11 I punished ¹⁸⁶²  them often in all the synagogues ¹⁸⁶³  and tried to force ¹⁸⁶⁴  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ¹⁸⁶⁵  at them, I went to persecute ¹⁸⁶⁶  them even in foreign cities.

26:12 “While doing this very thing, ¹⁸⁶⁷  as I was going ¹⁸⁶⁸  to Damascus with authority and complete power ¹⁸⁶⁹  from the chief priests, 26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ¹⁸⁷⁰  I saw a light from heaven, ¹⁸⁷¹  brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ¹⁸⁷²  me and those traveling with me. 26:14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ¹⁸⁷³  ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ¹⁸⁷⁴  by kicking against the goads.’ ¹⁸⁷⁵  26:15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ¹⁸⁷⁶  ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance ¹⁸⁷⁷  as a servant and witness ¹⁸⁷⁸  to the things ¹⁸⁷⁹  you have seen ¹⁸⁸⁰  and to the things in which I will appear to you. 26:17 I will rescue ¹⁸⁸¹  you from your own people ¹⁸⁸²  and from the Gentiles, to whom ¹⁸⁸³  I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ¹⁸⁸⁴  from darkness to light and from the power ¹⁸⁸⁵  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ¹⁸⁸⁶  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ¹⁸⁸⁷  I was not disobedient ¹⁸⁸⁸  to the heavenly ¹⁸⁸⁹  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ¹⁸⁹⁰  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ¹⁸⁹¹  performing deeds consistent with ¹⁸⁹²  repentance. 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts ¹⁸⁹³  and were trying to kill me. 26:22 I have experienced ¹⁸⁹⁴  help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except ¹⁸⁹⁵  what the prophets and Moses said ¹⁸⁹⁶  was going to happen: 26:23 that ¹⁸⁹⁷  the Christ ¹⁸⁹⁸  was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people ¹⁸⁹⁹  and to the Gentiles.” ¹⁹⁰⁰ 

26:24 As Paul ¹⁹⁰¹  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ¹⁹⁰²  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ¹⁹⁰³  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ¹⁹⁰⁴  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ¹⁹⁰⁵  but am speaking ¹⁹⁰⁶  true and rational ¹⁹⁰⁷  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹⁹⁰⁸  to him, ¹⁹⁰⁹  because I cannot believe ¹⁹¹⁰  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ¹⁹¹¹  for this was not done in a corner. ¹⁹¹²  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ¹⁹¹³  King Agrippa? ¹⁹¹⁴  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ¹⁹¹⁵  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ¹⁹¹⁶  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ¹⁹¹⁷  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ¹⁹¹⁸ 

26:30 So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, 26:31 and as they were leaving they said to one another, ¹⁹¹⁹  “This man is not doing anything deserving ¹⁹²⁰  death or imprisonment.” 26:32 Agrippa ¹⁹²¹  said to Festus, ¹⁹²²  “This man could have been released ¹⁹²³  if he had not appealed to Caesar.” ¹⁹²⁴ 

27:1 When it was decided we ¹⁹²⁵  would sail to Italy, ¹⁹²⁶  they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion ¹⁹²⁷  of the Augustan Cohort ¹⁹²⁸  named Julius. 27:2 We went on board ¹⁹²⁹  a ship from Adramyttium ¹⁹³⁰  that was about to sail to various ports ¹⁹³¹  along the coast of the province of Asia ¹⁹³²  and put out to sea, ¹⁹³³  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ¹⁹³⁴  from Thessalonica. ¹⁹³⁵  27:3 The next day we put in ¹⁹³⁶  at Sidon, ¹⁹³⁷  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ¹⁹³⁸  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ¹⁹³⁹  27:4 From there we put out to sea ¹⁹⁴⁰  and sailed under the lee ¹⁹⁴¹  of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea ¹⁹⁴²  off Cilicia and Pamphylia, ¹⁹⁴³  we put in ¹⁹⁴⁴  at Myra ¹⁹⁴⁵  in Lycia. ¹⁹⁴⁶  27:6 There the centurion ¹⁹⁴⁷  found ¹⁹⁴⁸  a ship from Alexandria ¹⁹⁴⁹  sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly ¹⁹⁵⁰  for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. ¹⁹⁵¹  Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, ¹⁹⁵²  we sailed under the lee ¹⁹⁵³  of Crete off Salmone. ¹⁹⁵⁴  27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast ¹⁹⁵⁵  of Crete ¹⁹⁵⁶  and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. ¹⁹⁵⁷ 

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous ¹⁹⁵⁸  because the fast ¹⁹⁵⁹  was already over, ¹⁹⁶⁰  Paul advised them, ¹⁹⁶¹  27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end ¹⁹⁶²  in disaster ¹⁹⁶³  and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹⁹⁶⁴  27:11 But the centurion ¹⁹⁶⁵  was more convinced ¹⁹⁶⁶  by the captain ¹⁹⁶⁷  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ¹⁹⁶⁸  27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ¹⁹⁶⁹  to put out to sea ¹⁹⁷⁰  from there. They hoped that ¹⁹⁷¹  somehow they could reach ¹⁹⁷²  Phoenix, ¹⁹⁷³  a harbor of Crete facing ¹⁹⁷⁴  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought ¹⁹⁷⁵  they could carry out ¹⁹⁷⁶  their purpose, so they weighed anchor ¹⁹⁷⁷  and sailed close along the coast ¹⁹⁷⁸  of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force ¹⁹⁷⁹  wind called the northeaster ¹⁹⁸⁰  blew down from the island. ¹⁹⁸¹  27:15 When the ship was caught in it ¹⁹⁸²  and could not head into ¹⁹⁸³  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ¹⁹⁸⁴  along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of ¹⁹⁸⁵  a small island called Cauda, ¹⁹⁸⁶  we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat ¹⁹⁸⁷  under control. 27:17 After the crew ¹⁹⁸⁸  had hoisted it aboard, ¹⁹⁸⁹  they used supports ¹⁹⁹⁰  to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground ¹⁹⁹¹  on the Syrtis, ¹⁹⁹²  they lowered the sea anchor, ¹⁹⁹³  thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, ¹⁹⁹⁴  they began throwing the cargo overboard, ¹⁹⁹⁵  27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear ¹⁹⁹⁶  overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent ¹⁹⁹⁷  storm continued to batter us, ¹⁹⁹⁸  we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. ¹⁹⁹⁹ 

27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, ²⁰⁰⁰  Paul ²⁰⁰¹  stood up ²⁰⁰²  among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me ²⁰⁰³  and not put out to sea ²⁰⁰⁴  from Crete, thus avoiding ²⁰⁰⁵  this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise ²⁰⁰⁶  you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. ²⁰⁰⁷  27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong ²⁰⁰⁸  and whom I serve ²⁰⁰⁹  came to me ²⁰¹⁰  27:24 and said, ²⁰¹¹  ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before ²⁰¹²  Caesar, ²⁰¹³  and God has graciously granted you the safety ²⁰¹⁴  of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God ²⁰¹⁵  that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must ²⁰¹⁶  run aground on some island.”

27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven ²⁰¹⁷  across the Adriatic Sea, ²⁰¹⁸  about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. ²⁰¹⁹  27:28 They took soundings ²⁰²⁰  and found the water was twenty fathoms ²⁰²¹  deep; when they had sailed a little farther ²⁰²²  they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms ²⁰²³  deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid ²⁰²⁴  that we would run aground on the rocky coast, ²⁰²⁵  they threw out ²⁰²⁶  four anchors from the stern and wished ²⁰²⁷  for day to appear. ²⁰²⁸  27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending ²⁰²⁹  that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion ²⁰³⁰  and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you ²⁰³¹  cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes ²⁰³²  of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. ²⁰³³ 

27:33 As day was about to dawn, ²⁰³⁴  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ²⁰³⁵  and have gone ²⁰³⁶  without food; you have eaten nothing. ²⁰³⁷  27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important ²⁰³⁸  for your survival. ²⁰³⁹  For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul ²⁰⁴⁰  took bread ²⁰⁴¹  and gave thanks to God in front of them all, ²⁰⁴²  broke ²⁰⁴³  it, and began to eat. 27:36 So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves. 27:37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six ²⁰⁴⁴  persons on the ship.) ²⁰⁴⁵  27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, ²⁰⁴⁶  they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat ²⁰⁴⁷  into the sea.

27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed ²⁰⁴⁸  a bay ²⁰⁴⁹  with a beach, ²⁰⁵⁰  where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped ²⁰⁵¹  the anchors ²⁰⁵²  and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage ²⁰⁵³  that bound the steering oars ²⁰⁵⁴  together. Then they hoisted ²⁰⁵⁵  the foresail ²⁰⁵⁶  to the wind and steered toward ²⁰⁵⁷  the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents ²⁰⁵⁸  and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force ²⁰⁵⁹  of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners ²⁰⁶⁰  so that none of them would escape by swimming away. ²⁰⁶¹  27:43 But the centurion, ²⁰⁶²  wanting to save Paul’s life, ²⁰⁶³  prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, ²⁰⁶⁴  27:44 and the rest were to follow, ²⁰⁶⁵  some on planks ²⁰⁶⁶  and some on pieces of the ship. ²⁰⁶⁷  And in this way ²⁰⁶⁸  all were brought safely to land.

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ²⁰⁶⁹  we learned that the island was called Malta. ²⁰⁷⁰  28:2 The local inhabitants ²⁰⁷¹  showed us extraordinary ²⁰⁷²  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ²⁰⁷³  and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood ²⁰⁷⁴  and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 28:4 When the local people ²⁰⁷⁵  saw the creature hanging from Paul’s ²⁰⁷⁶  hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself ²⁰⁷⁷  has not allowed him to live!” ²⁰⁷⁸  28:5 However, ²⁰⁷⁹  Paul ²⁰⁸⁰  shook ²⁰⁸¹  the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up ²⁰⁸²  or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited ²⁰⁸³  a long time and had seen ²⁰⁸⁴  nothing unusual happen ²⁰⁸⁵  to him, they changed their minds ²⁰⁸⁶  and said he was a god. ²⁰⁸⁷ 

28:7 Now in the region around that place ²⁰⁸⁸  were fields belonging to the chief official ²⁰⁸⁹  of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father ²⁰⁹⁰  of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him ²⁰⁹¹  and after praying, placed ²⁰⁹²  his hands on him and healed ²⁰⁹³  him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick ²⁰⁹⁴  also came and were healed. ²⁰⁹⁵  28:10 They also bestowed many honors, ²⁰⁹⁶  and when we were preparing to sail, ²⁰⁹⁷  they gave ²⁰⁹⁸  us all the supplies we needed. ²⁰⁹⁹ 

28:11 After three months we put out to sea ²¹⁰⁰  in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” ²¹⁰¹  as its figurehead. ²¹⁰²  28:12 We put in ²¹⁰³  at Syracuse ²¹⁰⁴  and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off ²¹⁰⁵  and arrived at Rhegium, ²¹⁰⁶  and after one day a south wind sprang up ²¹⁰⁷  and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ²¹⁰⁸  28:14 There ²¹⁰⁹  we found ²¹¹⁰  some brothers ²¹¹¹  and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. ²¹¹²  28:15 The brothers from there, ²¹¹³  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ²¹¹⁴  and Three Taverns ²¹¹⁵  to meet us. When he saw them, ²¹¹⁶  Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live ²¹¹⁷  by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

28:17 After three days ²¹¹⁸  Paul ²¹¹⁹  called the local Jewish leaders ²¹²⁰  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ²¹²¹  although I had done ²¹²²  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ²¹²³  from Jerusalem ²¹²⁴  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ²¹²⁵  28:18 When ²¹²⁶  they had heard my case, ²¹²⁷  they wanted to release me, ²¹²⁸  because there was no basis for a death sentence ²¹²⁹  against me. 28:19 But when the Jews objected, ²¹³⁰  I was forced to appeal to Caesar ²¹³¹  – not that I had some charge to bring ²¹³²  against my own people. ²¹³³  28:20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.” ²¹³⁴  28:21 They replied, ²¹³⁵  “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there ²¹³⁶  and reported or said anything bad about you. 28:22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know ²¹³⁷  that people ²¹³⁸  everywhere speak against ²¹³⁹  it.”

28:23 They set ²¹⁴⁰  a day to meet with him, ²¹⁴¹  and they came to him where he was staying ²¹⁴²  in even greater numbers. ²¹⁴³  From morning until evening he explained things ²¹⁴⁴  to them, ²¹⁴⁵  testifying ²¹⁴⁶  about the kingdom of God ²¹⁴⁷  and trying to convince ²¹⁴⁸  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced ²¹⁴⁹  by what he said, ²¹⁵⁰  but others refused ²¹⁵¹  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ²¹⁵²  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ²¹⁵³  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ²¹⁵⁴  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ²¹⁵⁵  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ²¹⁵⁶ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ²¹⁵⁷ 

and they have closed their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, ²¹⁵⁸  and I would heal them.”’ ²¹⁵⁹ 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ²¹⁶⁰  that this salvation from God ²¹⁶¹  has been sent to the Gentiles; ²¹⁶²  they ²¹⁶³  will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]] ²¹⁶⁴ 

28:30 Paul ²¹⁶⁵  lived ²¹⁶⁶  there two whole years in his own rented quarters ²¹⁶⁷  and welcomed ²¹⁶⁸  all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ²¹⁶⁹  with complete boldness ²¹⁷⁰  and without restriction. ²¹⁷¹