13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ¹  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ²  Lucius the Cyrenian, ³  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁴  the tetrarch ⁵  from childhood ⁶ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ⁷  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ⁸  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ⁹  and ¹⁰  prayed and placed their hands ¹¹  on them, they sent them off.

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ¹²  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ¹³  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ¹⁴  13:5 When ¹⁵  they arrived ¹⁶  in Salamis, ¹⁷  they began to proclaim ¹⁸  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ¹⁹  (Now they also had John ²⁰  as their assistant.) ²¹  13:6 When they had crossed over ²²  the whole island as far as Paphos, ²³  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ²⁴  13:7 who was with the proconsul ²⁵  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ²⁶  summoned ²⁷  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ²⁸  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ²⁹  (for that is the way his name is translated) ³⁰  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ³¹  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ³²  filled with the Holy Spirit, ³³  stared straight ³⁴  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ³⁵  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ³⁶  13:11 Now ³⁷  look, the hand of the Lord is against ³⁸  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ³⁹  and darkness came over ⁴⁰  him, and he went around seeking people ⁴¹  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ⁴²  saw what had happened, he believed, ⁴³  because he was greatly astounded ⁴⁴  at the teaching about ⁴⁵  the Lord.

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ⁴⁶  from Paphos ⁴⁷  and came to Perga ⁴⁸  in Pamphylia, ⁴⁹  but John ⁵⁰  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ⁵¹  13:14 Moving on from ⁵²  Perga, ⁵³  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ⁵⁴  and on the Sabbath day they went into ⁵⁵  the synagogue ⁵⁶  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ⁵⁷  the leaders of the synagogue ⁵⁸  sent them a message, ⁵⁹  saying, “Brothers, ⁶⁰  if you have any message ⁶¹  of exhortation ⁶²  for the people, speak it.” ⁶³  13:16 So Paul stood up, ⁶⁴  gestured ⁶⁵  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ⁶⁶  and you Gentiles who fear God, ⁶⁷  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ⁶⁸  chose our ancestors ⁶⁹  and made the people great ⁷⁰  during their stay as foreigners ⁷¹  in the country ⁷²  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ⁷³  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ⁷⁴  a period of about forty years he put up with ⁷⁵  them in the wilderness. ⁷⁶  13:19 After ⁷⁷  he had destroyed ⁷⁸  seven nations ⁷⁹  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ⁸⁰  13:20 All this took ⁸¹  about four hundred fifty years. After this ⁸²  he gave them judges until the time of ⁸³  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 ⁸⁴  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ⁸⁵  raised up ⁸⁶  David their king. He testified about him: ⁸⁷  ‘I have found David ⁸⁸  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ⁸⁹  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ⁹⁰  13:23 From the descendants ⁹¹  of this man ⁹²  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ⁹³  13:24 Before ⁹⁴  Jesus ⁹⁵  arrived, John ⁹⁶  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ⁹⁷  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ⁹⁸  he said repeatedly, ⁹⁹  ‘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!’ ¹⁰⁰  13:26 Brothers, ¹⁰¹  descendants ¹⁰²  of Abraham’s family, ¹⁰³  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ¹⁰⁴  the message ¹⁰⁵  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ¹⁰⁶  him, ¹⁰⁷  and they fulfilled the sayings ¹⁰⁸  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ¹⁰⁹  him. ¹¹⁰  13:28 Though ¹¹¹  they found ¹¹²  no basis ¹¹³  for a death sentence, ¹¹⁴  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ¹¹⁵  everything that was written ¹¹⁶  about him, they took him down ¹¹⁷  from the cross ¹¹⁸  and placed him ¹¹⁹  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ¹²⁰  him from the dead, 13:31 and ¹²¹  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ¹²²  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ¹²³  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹²⁴  13:33 that this promise ¹²⁵  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ¹²⁶  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ¹²⁷  today I have fathered you.’ ¹²⁸  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ¹²⁹  from the dead, never ¹³⁰  again to be ¹³¹  in a state of decay, God ¹³²  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ¹³³  the holy and trustworthy promises ¹³⁴  made to David.’ ¹³⁵  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ¹³⁶  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ¹³⁷  to experience ¹³⁸  decay.’ ¹³⁹  13:36 For David, after he had served ¹⁴⁰  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ¹⁴¹  was buried with his ancestors, ¹⁴²  and experienced ¹⁴³  decay, 13:37 but the one ¹⁴⁴  whom God raised up did not experience ¹⁴⁵  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ¹⁴⁶  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ¹⁴⁷  everyone who believes is justified ¹⁴⁸  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ¹⁴⁹  you. ¹⁵⁰  13:40 Watch out, ¹⁵¹  then, that what is spoken about by ¹⁵²  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ¹⁵³ 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ¹⁵⁴ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ¹⁵⁵  were going out, ¹⁵⁶  the people ¹⁵⁷  were urging ¹⁵⁸  them to speak about these things ¹⁵⁹  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ¹⁶⁰  had broken up, ¹⁶¹  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ¹⁶²  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ¹⁶³  them ¹⁶⁴  to continue ¹⁶⁵  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ¹⁶⁶  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹⁶⁷  and they began to contradict ¹⁶⁸  what Paul was saying ¹⁶⁹  by reviling him. ¹⁷⁰  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ¹⁷¹  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ¹⁷²  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ¹⁷³  of eternal life, we ¹⁷⁴  are turning to the Gentiles. ¹⁷⁵  13:47 For this ¹⁷⁶  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ¹⁷⁷  you to be a light ¹⁷⁸  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ¹⁷⁹  to the ends of the earth.’” ¹⁸⁰  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹⁸¹  and praise ¹⁸²  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ¹⁸³  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ¹⁸⁴  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ¹⁸⁵  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 ¹⁸⁶  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ¹⁸⁷  the dust off their feet ¹⁸⁸  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ¹⁸⁹  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ¹⁹⁰  and with the Holy Spirit.

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ¹⁹¹  when Paul and Barnabas ¹⁹²  went into the Jewish synagogue ¹⁹³  and spoke in such a way that a large group ¹⁹⁴  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ¹⁹⁵  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ¹⁹⁶  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ¹⁹⁷  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ¹⁹⁸  to the message ¹⁹⁹  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ²⁰⁰  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ²⁰¹  of the city was divided; some ²⁰²  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ²⁰³  an attempt to mistreat ²⁰⁴  them and stone them, ²⁰⁵  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ²⁰⁶  learned about it ²⁰⁷  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ²⁰⁸  and Derbe ²⁰⁹  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ²¹⁰  they continued to proclaim ²¹¹  the good news.

14:8 In ²¹²  Lystra ²¹³  sat a man who could not use his feet, ²¹⁴  lame from birth, ²¹⁵  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ²¹⁶  stared ²¹⁷  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ²¹⁸  And the man ²¹⁹  leaped up and began walking. ²²⁰  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ²²¹  in the Lycaonian language, ²²²  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ²²³  14:12 They began to call ²²⁴  Barnabas Zeus ²²⁵  and Paul Hermes, ²²⁶  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ²²⁷  of Zeus, ²²⁸  located just outside the city, brought bulls ²²⁹  and garlands ²³⁰  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ²³¹  14:14 But when the apostles ²³²  Barnabas and Paul heard about ²³³  it, they tore ²³⁴  their clothes and rushed out ²³⁵  into the crowd, shouting, ²³⁶  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ²³⁷  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ²³⁸  from these worthless ²³⁹  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ²⁴⁰  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ²⁴¹  past ²⁴²  generations he allowed all the nations ²⁴³  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ²⁴⁴  by giving you rain from heaven ²⁴⁵  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ²⁴⁶  with food and your hearts with joy.” ²⁴⁷  14:18 Even by saying ²⁴⁸  these things, they scarcely persuaded ²⁴⁹  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ²⁵⁰  and Iconium, ²⁵¹  and after winning ²⁵²  the crowds over, they stoned ²⁵³  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 ²⁵⁴  into the city. On ²⁵⁵  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ²⁵⁶ 

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, ²⁵⁷  to Iconium, ²⁵⁸  and to Antioch. ²⁵⁹  14:22 They strengthened ²⁶⁰  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ²⁶¹  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ²⁶²  of God through many persecutions.” ²⁶³  14:23 When they had appointed elders ²⁶⁴  for them in the various churches, ²⁶⁵  with prayer and fasting ²⁶⁶  they entrusted them to the protection ²⁶⁷  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ²⁶⁸  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ²⁶⁹  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ²⁷⁰  in Perga, ²⁷¹  they went down to Attalia. ²⁷²  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ²⁷³  where they had been commended ²⁷⁴  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁷⁵  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ²⁷⁶  all the things God ²⁷⁷  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ²⁷⁸  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ²⁷⁹  considerable ²⁸⁰  time with the disciples.

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ²⁸¹  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ²⁸²  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ²⁸³  with them, the church ²⁸⁴  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ²⁸⁵  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ²⁸⁶  about this point of disagreement. ²⁸⁷  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ²⁸⁸  and Samaria, they were relating at length ²⁸⁹  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ²⁹⁰  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ²⁹¹  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ²⁹²  all the things God had done with them. ²⁹³  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ²⁹⁴  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ²⁹⁵  to circumcise the Gentiles ²⁹⁶  and to order them to observe ²⁹⁷  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ²⁹⁸  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ²⁹⁹  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ³⁰⁰  God chose ³⁰¹  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ³⁰²  of the gospel ³⁰³  and believe. ³⁰⁴  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ³⁰⁵  has testified ³⁰⁶  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ³⁰⁷  15:9 and he made no distinction ³⁰⁸  between them and us, cleansing ³⁰⁹  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ³¹⁰  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ³¹¹  that neither our ancestors ³¹²  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ³¹³  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ³¹⁴ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ³¹⁵  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ³¹⁶  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ³¹⁷  James replied, ³¹⁸  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ³¹⁹  has explained ³²⁰  how God first concerned himself ³²¹  to select ³²²  from among the Gentiles ³²³  a people for his name. 15:15 The ³²⁴  words of the prophets agree ³²⁵  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ³²⁶  I ³²⁷  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ³²⁸  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ³²⁹  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ³³⁰  may seek the Lord,

namely, ³³¹  all the Gentiles ³³²  I have called to be my own,’ ³³³  says the Lord, ³³⁴  who makes these things 15:18 known ³³⁵  from long ago. ³³⁶ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ³³⁷  that we should not cause extra difficulty ³³⁸  for those among the Gentiles ³³⁹  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ³⁴⁰  telling them to abstain ³⁴¹  from things defiled ³⁴²  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ³⁴³  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ³⁴⁴  because he is read aloud ³⁴⁵  in the synagogues ³⁴⁶  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ³⁴⁷  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ³⁴⁸  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ³⁴⁹  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ³⁵⁰ 

From the apostles ³⁵¹  and elders, your brothers, ³⁵²  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ³⁵³  in Antioch, ³⁵⁴  Syria, ³⁵⁵  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 ³⁵⁶  you, upsetting ³⁵⁷  your minds ³⁵⁸  by what they said, ³⁵⁹  15:25 we have unanimously ³⁶⁰  decided ³⁶¹  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ³⁶²  have risked their lives ³⁶³  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ³⁶⁴  15:27 Therefore we are sending ³⁶⁵  Judas and Silas ³⁶⁶  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ³⁶⁷  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ³⁶⁸  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ³⁶⁹  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ³⁷⁰  and from blood and from what has been strangled ³⁷¹  and from sexual immorality. ³⁷²  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ³⁷³  you will do well. Farewell. ³⁷⁴ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ³⁷⁵  they went down to Antioch, ³⁷⁶  and after gathering the entire group ³⁷⁷  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ³⁷⁸  the people ³⁷⁹  rejoiced at its encouragement. ³⁸⁰  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ³⁸¹  15:33 After ³⁸²  they had spent some time there, ³⁸³  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ³⁸⁴  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ³⁸⁵  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ³⁸⁶  the word of the Lord. ³⁸⁷ 

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ³⁸⁸  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ³⁸⁹  to see how they are doing.” ³⁹⁰  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ³⁹¹  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ³⁹²  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ³⁹³  a sharp disagreement, ³⁹⁴  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ³⁹⁵  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ³⁹⁶  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ³⁹⁷  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ³⁹⁸  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ³⁹⁹  the churches.

16:1 He also came to Derbe ⁴⁰⁰  and to Lystra. ⁴⁰¹  A disciple ⁴⁰²  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ⁴⁰³  but whose father was a Greek. ⁴⁰⁴  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ⁴⁰⁵  and Iconium ⁴⁰⁶  spoke well ⁴⁰⁷  of him. ⁴⁰⁸  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ⁴⁰⁹  to accompany him, and he took ⁴¹⁰  him and circumcised ⁴¹¹  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ⁴¹²  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ⁴¹³  16:4 As they went through the towns, ⁴¹⁴  they passed on ⁴¹⁵  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁴¹⁶  for the Gentile believers ⁴¹⁷  to obey. ⁴¹⁸  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ⁴¹⁹ 

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ⁴²⁰  and Galatia, ⁴²¹  having been prevented ⁴²²  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ⁴²³  in the province of Asia. ⁴²⁴  16:7 When they came to ⁴²⁵  Mysia, ⁴²⁶  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ⁴²⁷  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ⁴²⁸  them to do this, ⁴²⁹  16:8 so they passed through ⁴³⁰  Mysia ⁴³¹  and went down to Troas. ⁴³²  16:9 A ⁴³³  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁴³⁴  urging him, ⁴³⁵  “Come over ⁴³⁶  to Macedonia ⁴³⁷  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ⁴³⁸  saw the vision, we attempted ⁴³⁹  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ⁴⁴⁰  concluding that God had called ⁴⁴¹  us to proclaim the good news to them.

16:11 We put out to sea ⁴⁴²  from Troas ⁴⁴³  and sailed a straight course ⁴⁴⁴  to Samothrace, ⁴⁴⁵  the next day to Neapolis, ⁴⁴⁶  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ⁴⁴⁷  which is a leading city of that district ⁴⁴⁸  of Macedonia, ⁴⁴⁹  a Roman colony. ⁴⁵⁰  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 ⁴⁵¹  and began to speak ⁴⁵²  to the women ⁴⁵³  who had assembled there. ⁴⁵⁴  16:14 A ⁴⁵⁵  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ⁴⁵⁶  from the city of Thyatira, ⁴⁵⁷  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁴⁵⁸  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁴⁵⁹  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁴⁶⁰  “If ⁴⁶¹  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁴⁶²  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁴⁶³  us.

16:16 Now ⁴⁶⁴  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. ⁴⁶⁵  She ⁴⁶⁶  brought her owners ⁴⁶⁷  a great profit by fortune-telling. ⁴⁶⁸  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁴⁶⁹  “These men are servants ⁴⁷⁰  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁴⁷¹  of salvation.” ⁴⁷²  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ⁴⁷³  and turned ⁴⁷⁴  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ⁴⁷⁵  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ⁴⁷⁶  16:19 But when her owners ⁴⁷⁷  saw their hope of profit ⁴⁷⁸  was gone, they seized ⁴⁷⁹  Paul and Silas and dragged ⁴⁸⁰  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ⁴⁸¹  they had brought them ⁴⁸²  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ⁴⁸³  They are ⁴⁸⁴  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ⁴⁸⁵  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ⁴⁸⁶  or practice, ⁴⁸⁷  since we are ⁴⁸⁸  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ⁴⁸⁹  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ⁴⁹⁰  off Paul and Silas ⁴⁹¹  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ⁴⁹²  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ⁴⁹³  they threw them into prison and commanded ⁴⁹⁴  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ⁴⁹⁵  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ⁴⁹⁶ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ⁴⁹⁷  and singing hymns to God, ⁴⁹⁸  and the rest of ⁴⁹⁹  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 ⁵⁰⁰  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ⁵⁰¹  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ⁵⁰²  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ⁵⁰³  because he assumed ⁵⁰⁴  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ⁵⁰⁵  “Do not harm yourself, ⁵⁰⁶  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ⁵⁰⁷  rushed in and fell down ⁵⁰⁸  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ⁵⁰⁹  and asked, “Sirs, what must ⁵¹⁰  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ⁵¹¹  “Believe ⁵¹²  in the Lord Jesus ⁵¹³  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ⁵¹⁴  they spoke the word of the Lord ⁵¹⁵  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ⁵¹⁶  that hour of the night he took them ⁵¹⁷  and washed their wounds; ⁵¹⁸  then ⁵¹⁹  he and all his family ⁵²⁰  were baptized right away. ⁵²¹  16:34 The jailer ⁵²²  brought them into his house and set food ⁵²³  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ⁵²⁴  that he had come to believe ⁵²⁵  in God, together with his entire household. ⁵²⁶  16:35 At daybreak ⁵²⁷  the magistrates ⁵²⁸  sent their police officers, ⁵²⁹  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ⁵³⁰  “The magistrates have sent orders ⁵³¹  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ⁵³²  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ⁵³³  “They had us beaten in public ⁵³⁴  without a proper trial ⁵³⁵  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁵³⁶  – and they threw us ⁵³⁷  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁵³⁸  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁵³⁹  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁵⁴⁰  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ⁵⁴¹  were Roman citizens ⁵⁴²  16:39 and came ⁵⁴³  and apologized to them. After ⁵⁴⁴  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ⁵⁴⁵  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 ⁵⁴⁶  departed.

17:1 After they traveled through ⁵⁴⁷  Amphipolis ⁵⁴⁸  and Apollonia, ⁵⁴⁹  they came to Thessalonica, ⁵⁵⁰  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁵⁵¹  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ⁵⁵²  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ⁵⁵³  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ⁵⁵⁴  that the Christ ⁵⁵⁵  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ⁵⁵⁶  saying, ⁵⁵⁷  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ⁵⁵⁸  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁵⁵⁹  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁵⁶⁰  of God-fearing Greeks ⁵⁶¹  and quite a few ⁵⁶²  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁵⁶³  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁵⁶⁴  they formed a mob ⁵⁶⁵  and set the city in an uproar. ⁵⁶⁶  They attacked Jason’s house, ⁵⁶⁷  trying to find Paul and Silas ⁵⁶⁸  to bring them out to the assembly. ⁵⁶⁹  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁵⁷⁰  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ⁵⁷¹  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ⁵⁷²  throughout the world ⁵⁷³  have come here too, 17:7 and ⁵⁷⁴  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ⁵⁷⁵  are all acting against Caesar’s ⁵⁷⁶  decrees, saying there is another king named ⁵⁷⁷  Jesus!” ⁵⁷⁸  17:8 They caused confusion among ⁵⁷⁹  the crowd and the city officials ⁵⁸⁰  who heard these things. 17:9 After ⁵⁸¹  the city officials ⁵⁸²  had received bail ⁵⁸³  from Jason and the others, they released them.

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ⁵⁸⁴  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ⁵⁸⁵  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ⁵⁸⁶  17:11 These Jews ⁵⁸⁷  were more open-minded ⁵⁸⁸  than those in Thessalonica, ⁵⁸⁹  for they eagerly ⁵⁹⁰  received ⁵⁹¹  the message, examining ⁵⁹²  the scriptures carefully every day ⁵⁹³  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ⁵⁹⁴  prominent ⁵⁹⁵  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ⁵⁹⁶  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ⁵⁹⁷  in Berea, ⁵⁹⁸  they came there too, inciting ⁵⁹⁹  and disturbing ⁶⁰⁰  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ⁶⁰¹  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ⁶⁰²  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁶⁰³  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁶⁰⁴ 

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁶⁰⁵  his spirit was greatly upset ⁶⁰⁶  because he saw ⁶⁰⁷  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁶⁰⁸  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁶⁰⁹  in the synagogue, ⁶¹⁰  and in the marketplace every day ⁶¹¹  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁶¹²  and Stoic ⁶¹³  philosophers were conversing ⁶¹⁴  with him, and some were asking, ⁶¹⁵  “What does this foolish babbler ⁶¹⁶  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁶¹⁷  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁶¹⁸  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁶¹⁹  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁶²⁰  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁶²¹  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁶²²  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ⁶²³  in nothing else than telling ⁶²⁴  or listening to something new.) ⁶²⁵ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁶²⁶  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁶²⁷  in all respects. ⁶²⁸  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁶²⁹  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁶³⁰  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁶³¹  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ⁶³²  who is ⁶³³  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ⁶³⁴  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ⁶³⁵  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ⁶³⁶  17:26 From one man ⁶³⁷  he made every nation of the human race ⁶³⁸  to inhabit the entire earth, ⁶³⁹  determining their set times ⁶⁴⁰  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ⁶⁴¹  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ⁶⁴²  for him and find him, ⁶⁴³  though he is ⁶⁴⁴  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ⁶⁴⁵  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ⁶⁴⁶  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ⁶⁴⁷  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ⁶⁴⁸  made by human ⁶⁴⁹  skill ⁶⁵⁰  and imagination. ⁶⁵¹  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ⁶⁵²  such times of ignorance, ⁶⁵³  he now commands all people ⁶⁵⁴  everywhere to repent, ⁶⁵⁵  17:31 because he has set ⁶⁵⁶  a day on which he is going to judge the world ⁶⁵⁷  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ⁶⁵⁸  having provided proof to everyone by raising ⁶⁵⁹  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ⁶⁶⁰  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ⁶⁶¹  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ⁶⁶²  17:34 But some people ⁶⁶³  joined him ⁶⁶⁴  and believed. Among them ⁶⁶⁵  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ⁶⁶⁶  a woman ⁶⁶⁷  named Damaris, and others with them.

18:1 After this ⁶⁶⁸  Paul ⁶⁶⁹  departed from ⁶⁷⁰  Athens ⁶⁷¹  and went to Corinth. ⁶⁷²  18:2 There he ⁶⁷³  found ⁶⁷⁴  a Jew named Aquila, ⁶⁷⁵  a native of Pontus, ⁶⁷⁶  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ⁶⁷⁷  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ⁶⁷⁸  Rome. ⁶⁷⁹  Paul approached ⁶⁸⁰  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ⁶⁸¹  (for they were tentmakers ⁶⁸²  by trade). ⁶⁸³  18:4 He addressed ⁶⁸⁴  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ⁶⁸⁵  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ⁶⁸⁶  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ⁶⁸⁷  from Macedonia, ⁶⁸⁸  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ⁶⁸⁹  the word, testifying ⁶⁹⁰  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ⁶⁹¹  18:6 When they opposed him ⁶⁹²  and reviled him, ⁶⁹³  he protested by shaking out his clothes ⁶⁹⁴  and said to them, “Your blood ⁶⁹⁵  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ⁶⁹⁶  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ⁶⁹⁷  left ⁶⁹⁸  the synagogue ⁶⁹⁹  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ⁷⁰⁰  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ⁷⁰¹  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ⁷⁰²  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ⁷⁰³  in the night, ⁷⁰⁴  “Do not be afraid, ⁷⁰⁵  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ⁷⁰⁶  you to harm ⁷⁰⁷  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ⁷⁰⁸  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ⁷⁰⁹ 

18:12 Now while Gallio ⁷¹⁰  was proconsul ⁷¹¹  of Achaia, ⁷¹²  the Jews attacked Paul together ⁷¹³  and brought him before the judgment seat, ⁷¹⁴  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ⁷¹⁵  people to worship God in a way contrary to ⁷¹⁶  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ⁷¹⁷  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ⁷¹⁸  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ⁷¹⁹  of you Jews, ⁷²⁰  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ⁷²¹  about words and names and your own law, settle ⁷²²  it yourselves. I will not be ⁷²³  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ⁷²⁴  from the judgment seat. ⁷²⁵  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ⁷²⁶  and began to beat ⁷²⁷  him in front of the judgment seat. ⁷²⁸  Yet none of these things were of any concern ⁷²⁹  to Gallio.

18:18 Paul, after staying ⁷³⁰  many more days in Corinth, ⁷³¹  said farewell to ⁷³²  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ⁷³³  Priscilla and Aquila. ⁷³⁴  He ⁷³⁵  had his hair cut off ⁷³⁶  at Cenchrea ⁷³⁷  because he had made a vow. ⁷³⁸  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ⁷³⁹  Paul ⁷⁴⁰  left Priscilla and Aquila ⁷⁴¹  behind there, but he himself went ⁷⁴²  into the synagogue ⁷⁴³  and addressed ⁷⁴⁴  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ⁷⁴⁵  18:21 but said farewell to ⁷⁴⁶  them and added, ⁷⁴⁷  “I will come back ⁷⁴⁸  to you again if God wills.” ⁷⁴⁹  Then ⁷⁵⁰  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ⁷⁵¹  at Caesarea, ⁷⁵²  he went up and greeted ⁷⁵³  the church at Jerusalem ⁷⁵⁴  and then went down to Antioch. ⁷⁵⁵  18:23 After he spent ⁷⁵⁶  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ⁷⁵⁷  and Phrygia, ⁷⁵⁸  strengthening all the disciples.

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ⁷⁵⁹  He was an eloquent speaker, ⁷⁶⁰  well-versed ⁷⁶¹  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ⁷⁶²  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ⁷⁶³  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ⁷⁶⁴  about Jesus, although he knew ⁷⁶⁵  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ⁷⁶⁶  in the synagogue, ⁷⁶⁷  but when Priscilla and Aquila ⁷⁶⁸  heard him, they took him aside ⁷⁶⁹  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ⁷⁷⁰  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ⁷⁷¹  the brothers encouraged ⁷⁷²  him ⁷⁷³  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ⁷⁷⁴  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ⁷⁷⁵  in public debate, ⁷⁷⁶  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ⁷⁷⁷  was Jesus. ⁷⁷⁸ 

19:1 While ⁷⁷⁹  Apollos was in Corinth, ⁷⁸⁰  Paul went through the inland ⁷⁸¹  regions ⁷⁸²  and came to Ephesus. ⁷⁸³  He ⁷⁸⁴  found some disciples there ⁷⁸⁵  19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ⁷⁸⁶  They replied, ⁷⁸⁷  “No, we have not even ⁷⁸⁸  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul ⁷⁸⁹  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ⁷⁹⁰  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, ⁷⁹¹  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 ⁷⁹²  his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came ⁷⁹³  upon them, and they began to speak ⁷⁹⁴  in tongues and to prophesy. ⁷⁹⁵  19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) ⁷⁹⁶ 

19:8 So Paul ⁷⁹⁷  entered ⁷⁹⁸  the synagogue ⁷⁹⁹  and spoke out fearlessly ⁸⁰⁰  for three months, addressing ⁸⁰¹  and convincing ⁸⁰²  them about the kingdom of God. ⁸⁰³  19:9 But when ⁸⁰⁴  some were stubborn ⁸⁰⁵  and refused to believe, reviling ⁸⁰⁶  the Way ⁸⁰⁷  before the congregation, he left ⁸⁰⁸  them and took the disciples with him, ⁸⁰⁹  addressing ⁸¹⁰  them every day ⁸¹¹  in the lecture hall ⁸¹²  of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ⁸¹³  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ⁸¹⁴ 

19:11 God was performing extraordinary ⁸¹⁵  miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ⁸¹⁶  were brought ⁸¹⁷  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ⁸¹⁸  19:13 But some itinerant ⁸¹⁹  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ⁸²⁰  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ⁸²¹  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ⁸²²  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ⁸²³  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ⁸²⁴  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ⁸²⁵  “I know about Jesus ⁸²⁶  and I am acquainted with ⁸²⁷  Paul, but who are you?” ⁸²⁸  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ⁸²⁹  the evil spirit jumped on ⁸³⁰  them and beat them all into submission. ⁸³¹  He prevailed ⁸³²  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ⁸³³  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ⁸³⁴  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ⁸³⁵  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ⁸³⁶  confessing and making their deeds known. ⁸³⁷  19:19 Large numbers ⁸³⁸  of those who had practiced magic ⁸³⁹  collected their books ⁸⁴⁰  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ⁸⁴¹  When ⁸⁴²  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ⁸⁴³  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ⁸⁴⁴  continued to grow in power ⁸⁴⁵  and to prevail. ⁸⁴⁶ 

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ⁸⁴⁷  Paul resolved ⁸⁴⁸  to go to Jerusalem, ⁸⁴⁹  passing through Macedonia ⁸⁵⁰  and Achaia. ⁸⁵¹  He said, ⁸⁵²  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ⁸⁵³  19:22 So after sending ⁸⁵⁴  two of his assistants, ⁸⁵⁵  Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, ⁸⁵⁶  he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. ⁸⁵⁷ 

19:23 At ⁸⁵⁸  that time ⁸⁵⁹  a great disturbance ⁸⁶⁰  took place concerning the Way. ⁸⁶¹  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ⁸⁶²  of Artemis, ⁸⁶³  brought a great deal ⁸⁶⁴  of business ⁸⁶⁵  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered ⁸⁶⁶  these ⁸⁶⁷  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ⁸⁶⁸  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ⁸⁶⁹  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ⁸⁷⁰  and turned away ⁸⁷¹  a large crowd, ⁸⁷²  not only in Ephesus ⁸⁷³  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ⁸⁷⁴  by saying ⁸⁷⁵  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ⁸⁷⁶  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ⁸⁷⁷  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ⁸⁷⁸  will be regarded as nothing, ⁸⁷⁹  and she whom all the province of Asia ⁸⁸⁰  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ⁸⁸¹ 

19:28 When ⁸⁸²  they heard ⁸⁸³  this they became enraged ⁸⁸⁴  and began to shout, ⁸⁸⁵  “Great is Artemis ⁸⁸⁶  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The ⁸⁸⁷  city was filled with the uproar, ⁸⁸⁸  and the crowd ⁸⁸⁹  rushed to the theater ⁸⁹⁰  together, ⁸⁹¹  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, ⁸⁹²  the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities ⁸⁹³  who were his friends sent ⁸⁹⁴  a message ⁸⁹⁵  to him, urging him not to venture ⁸⁹⁶  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. ⁸⁹⁷  19:33 Some of the crowd concluded ⁸⁹⁸  it was about ⁸⁹⁹  Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. ⁹⁰⁰  Alexander, gesturing ⁹⁰¹  with his hand, was wanting to make a defense ⁹⁰²  before the public assembly. ⁹⁰³  19:34 But when they recognized ⁹⁰⁴  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ⁹⁰⁵  “Great is Artemis ⁹⁰⁶  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ⁹⁰⁷  19:35 After the city secretary ⁹⁰⁸  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ⁹⁰⁹  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ⁹¹⁰  of the temple of the great Artemis ⁹¹¹  and of her image that fell from heaven? ⁹¹²  19:36 So because these facts ⁹¹³  are indisputable, ⁹¹⁴  you must keep quiet ⁹¹⁵  and not do anything reckless. ⁹¹⁶  19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ⁹¹⁷  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ⁹¹⁸  19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ⁹¹⁹  against someone, the courts are open ⁹²⁰  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ⁹²¹  19:39 But if you want anything in addition, ⁹²²  it will have to be settled ⁹²³  in a legal assembly. ⁹²⁴  19:40 For ⁹²⁵  we are in danger of being charged with rioting ⁹²⁶  today, since there is no cause we can give to explain ⁹²⁷  this disorderly gathering.” ⁹²⁸  19:41 After ⁹²⁹  he had said ⁹³⁰  this, ⁹³¹  he dismissed the assembly. ⁹³² 

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging ⁹³³  them and saying farewell, ⁹³⁴  he left to go to Macedonia. ⁹³⁵  20:2 After he had gone through those regions ⁹³⁶  and spoken many words of encouragement ⁹³⁷  to the believers there, ⁹³⁸  he came to Greece, ⁹³⁹  20:3 where he stayed ⁹⁴⁰  for three months. Because the Jews had made ⁹⁴¹  a plot ⁹⁴²  against him as he was intending ⁹⁴³  to sail ⁹⁴⁴  for Syria, he decided ⁹⁴⁵  to return through Macedonia. ⁹⁴⁶  20:4 Paul ⁹⁴⁷  was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, ⁹⁴⁸  Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, ⁹⁴⁹  Gaius ⁹⁵⁰  from Derbe, ⁹⁵¹  and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁹⁵²  20:5 These had gone on ahead ⁹⁵³  and were waiting for us in Troas. ⁹⁵⁴  20:6 We ⁹⁵⁵  sailed away from Philippi ⁹⁵⁶  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ⁹⁵⁷  and within five days ⁹⁵⁸  we came to the others ⁹⁵⁹  in Troas, ⁹⁶⁰  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ⁹⁶¹  of the week, when we met ⁹⁶²  to break bread, Paul began to speak ⁹⁶³  to the people, and because he intended ⁹⁶⁴  to leave the next day, he extended ⁹⁶⁵  his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps ⁹⁶⁶  in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) ⁹⁶⁷  20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, ⁹⁶⁸  was sinking ⁹⁶⁹  into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak ⁹⁷⁰  for a long time. Fast asleep, ⁹⁷¹  he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down, ⁹⁷²  threw himself ⁹⁷³  on the young man, ⁹⁷⁴  put his arms around him, ⁹⁷⁵  and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” ⁹⁷⁶  20:11 Then Paul ⁹⁷⁷  went back upstairs, ⁹⁷⁸  and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them ⁹⁷⁹  a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly ⁹⁸⁰  comforted.

20:13 We went on ahead ⁹⁸¹  to the ship and put out to sea ⁹⁸²  for Assos, ⁹⁸³  intending ⁹⁸⁴  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ⁹⁸⁵  He ⁹⁸⁶  himself was intending ⁹⁸⁷  to go there by land. ⁹⁸⁸  20:14 When he met us in Assos, ⁹⁸⁹  we took him aboard ⁹⁹⁰  and went to Mitylene. ⁹⁹¹  20:15 We set sail ⁹⁹²  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ⁹⁹³  The next day we approached ⁹⁹⁴  Samos, ⁹⁹⁵  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ⁹⁹⁶  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ⁹⁹⁷  so as not to spend time ⁹⁹⁸  in the province of Asia, ⁹⁹⁹  for he was hurrying ¹⁰⁰⁰  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹⁰⁰¹  if possible, ¹⁰⁰²  by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus ¹⁰⁰³  he sent a message ¹⁰⁰⁴  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁰⁰⁵ 

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived ¹⁰⁰⁶  the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot ¹⁰⁰⁷  in the province of Asia, ¹⁰⁰⁸  20:19 serving the Lord with all humility ¹⁰⁰⁹  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ¹⁰¹⁰  of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ¹⁰¹¹  to you anything that would be helpful, ¹⁰¹²  and from teaching you publicly ¹⁰¹³  and from house to house, 20:21 testifying ¹⁰¹⁴  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ¹⁰¹⁵  20:22 And now, ¹⁰¹⁶  compelled ¹⁰¹⁷  by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem ¹⁰¹⁸  without knowing what will happen to me there, ¹⁰¹⁹  20:23 except ¹⁰²⁰  that the Holy Spirit warns ¹⁰²¹  me in town after town ¹⁰²²  that ¹⁰²³  imprisonment ¹⁰²⁴  and persecutions ¹⁰²⁵  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ¹⁰²⁶  worth anything ¹⁰²⁷  to myself, so that ¹⁰²⁸  I may finish my task ¹⁰²⁹  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹⁰³⁰  of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now ¹⁰³¹  I know that none ¹⁰³²  of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom ¹⁰³³  will see me ¹⁰³⁴  again. 20:26 Therefore I declare ¹⁰³⁵  to you today that I am innocent ¹⁰³⁶  of the blood of you all. ¹⁰³⁷  20:27 For I did not hold back from ¹⁰³⁸  announcing ¹⁰³⁹  to you the whole purpose ¹⁰⁴⁰  of God. 20:28 Watch out for ¹⁰⁴¹  yourselves and for all the flock of which ¹⁰⁴²  the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ¹⁰⁴³  to shepherd the church of God ¹⁰⁴⁴  that he obtained ¹⁰⁴⁵  with the blood of his own Son. ¹⁰⁴⁶  20:29 I know that after I am gone ¹⁰⁴⁷  fierce wolves ¹⁰⁴⁸  will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group ¹⁰⁴⁹  men ¹⁰⁵⁰  will arise, teaching perversions of the truth ¹⁰⁵¹  to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, ¹⁰⁵²  remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning ¹⁰⁵³  each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust ¹⁰⁵⁴  you to God and to the message ¹⁰⁵⁵  of his grace. This message ¹⁰⁵⁶  is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired ¹⁰⁵⁷  no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine ¹⁰⁵⁸  provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things, ¹⁰⁵⁹  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ¹⁰⁶⁰  the weak, ¹⁰⁶¹  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ¹⁰⁶² 

20:36 When ¹⁰⁶³  he had said these things, he knelt down ¹⁰⁶⁴  with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly, ¹⁰⁶⁵  and hugged ¹⁰⁶⁶  Paul and kissed him, ¹⁰⁶⁷  20:38 especially saddened ¹⁰⁶⁸  by what ¹⁰⁶⁹  he had said, that they were not going to see him ¹⁰⁷⁰  again. Then they accompanied ¹⁰⁷¹  him to the ship.

21:1 After ¹⁰⁷²  we ¹⁰⁷³  tore ourselves away ¹⁰⁷⁴  from them, we put out to sea, ¹⁰⁷⁵  and sailing a straight course, ¹⁰⁷⁶  we came to Cos, ¹⁰⁷⁷  on the next day to Rhodes, ¹⁰⁷⁸  and from there to Patara. ¹⁰⁷⁹  21:2 We found ¹⁰⁸⁰  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹⁰⁸¹  went aboard, ¹⁰⁸²  and put out to sea. ¹⁰⁸³  21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹⁰⁸⁴  and left it behind on our port side, ¹⁰⁸⁵  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹⁰⁸⁶  at Tyre, ¹⁰⁸⁷  because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located ¹⁰⁸⁸  the disciples, we stayed there ¹⁰⁸⁹  seven days. They repeatedly told ¹⁰⁹⁰  Paul through the Spirit ¹⁰⁹¹  not to set foot ¹⁰⁹²  in Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁹³  21:5 When ¹⁰⁹⁴  our time was over, ¹⁰⁹⁵  we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ¹⁰⁹⁶  us outside of the city. After ¹⁰⁹⁷  kneeling down on the beach and praying, ¹⁰⁹⁸  21:6 we said farewell ¹⁰⁹⁹  to one another. ¹¹⁰⁰  Then ¹¹⁰¹  we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ¹¹⁰²  21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ¹¹⁰³  and arrived at Ptolemais, ¹¹⁰⁴  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left ¹¹⁰⁵  and came to Caesarea, ¹¹⁰⁶  and entered ¹¹⁰⁷  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ¹¹⁰⁸  and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried ¹¹⁰⁹  daughters who prophesied.) ¹¹¹⁰ 

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days, ¹¹¹¹  a prophet named Agabus ¹¹¹²  came down from Judea. 21:11 He came ¹¹¹³  to us, took ¹¹¹⁴  Paul’s belt, ¹¹¹⁵  tied ¹¹¹⁶  his own hands and feet with it, ¹¹¹⁷  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 ¹¹¹⁸  to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ¹¹¹⁹  begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ¹¹²⁰  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ¹¹²¹  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ¹¹²²  we said no more except, ¹¹²³  “The Lord’s will be done.” ¹¹²⁴ 

21:15 After these days we got ready ¹¹²⁵  and started up ¹¹²⁶  to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ¹¹²⁷  came along with us too, and brought us to the house ¹¹²⁸  of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ¹¹²⁹  with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹¹³⁰  21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ¹¹³¹  21:19 When Paul ¹¹³²  had greeted them, he began to explain ¹¹³³  in detail ¹¹³⁴  what God ¹¹³⁵  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised ¹¹³⁶  God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews ¹¹³⁷  there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers ¹¹³⁸  of the law. ¹¹³⁹  21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ¹¹⁴⁰  among the Gentiles to abandon ¹¹⁴¹  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ¹¹⁴²  or live ¹¹⁴³  according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt ¹¹⁴⁴  hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what ¹¹⁴⁵  we tell you: We have four men ¹¹⁴⁶  who have taken ¹¹⁴⁷  a vow; ¹¹⁴⁸  21:24 take them and purify ¹¹⁴⁹  yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ¹¹⁵⁰  so that they may have their heads shaved. ¹¹⁵¹  Then ¹¹⁵²  everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told ¹¹⁵³  about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with ¹¹⁵⁴  the law. ¹¹⁵⁵  21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹¹⁵⁶  that they should avoid ¹¹⁵⁷  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹¹⁵⁸  and blood and what has been strangled ¹¹⁵⁹  and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, ¹¹⁶⁰  and after he had purified himself ¹¹⁶¹  along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice ¹¹⁶²  of the completion of the days of purification, ¹¹⁶³  when ¹¹⁶⁴  the sacrifice would be offered for each ¹¹⁶⁵  of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over, ¹¹⁶⁶  the Jews from the province of Asia ¹¹⁶⁷  who had seen him in the temple area ¹¹⁶⁸  stirred up the whole crowd ¹¹⁶⁹  and seized ¹¹⁷⁰  him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel, ¹¹⁷¹  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ¹¹⁷²  and this sanctuary! ¹¹⁷³  Furthermore ¹¹⁷⁴  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ¹¹⁷⁵  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ¹¹⁷⁶  21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and ¹¹⁷⁷  they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) ¹¹⁷⁸  21:30 The whole city was stirred up, ¹¹⁷⁹  and the people rushed together. ¹¹⁸⁰  They seized ¹¹⁸¹  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ¹¹⁸²  and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying ¹¹⁸³  to kill him, a report ¹¹⁸⁴  was sent up ¹¹⁸⁵  to the commanding officer ¹¹⁸⁶  of the cohort ¹¹⁸⁷  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ¹¹⁸⁸  21:32 He ¹¹⁸⁹  immediately took ¹¹⁹⁰  soldiers and centurions ¹¹⁹¹  and ran down to the crowd. ¹¹⁹²  When they saw ¹¹⁹³  the commanding officer ¹¹⁹⁴  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ¹¹⁹⁵  Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer ¹¹⁹⁶  came up and arrested ¹¹⁹⁷  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ¹¹⁹⁸  he ¹¹⁹⁹  then asked who he was and what ¹²⁰⁰  he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, ¹²⁰¹  and when the commanding officer ¹²⁰²  was unable ¹²⁰³  to find out the truth ¹²⁰⁴  because of the disturbance, ¹²⁰⁵  he ordered Paul ¹²⁰⁶  to be brought into the barracks. ¹²⁰⁷  21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul ¹²⁰⁸  had to be carried ¹²⁰⁹  by the soldiers because of the violence ¹²¹⁰  of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people ¹²¹¹  followed them, ¹²¹²  screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ¹²¹³  he said ¹²¹⁴  to the commanding officer, ¹²¹⁵  “May I say ¹²¹⁶  something to you?” The officer ¹²¹⁷  replied, ¹²¹⁸  “Do you know Greek? ¹²¹⁹  21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion ¹²²⁰  and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ ¹²²¹  into the wilderness ¹²²²  some time ago?” ¹²²³  21:39 Paul answered, ¹²²⁴  “I am a Jew ¹²²⁵  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ¹²²⁶  Please ¹²²⁷  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ¹²²⁸  had given him permission, ¹²²⁹  Paul stood ¹²³⁰  on the steps and gestured ¹²³¹  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ¹²³²  he addressed ¹²³³  them in Aramaic, ¹²³⁴ 

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ¹²³⁵  that I now ¹²³⁶  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ¹²³⁷  that he was addressing ¹²³⁸  them in Aramaic, ¹²³⁹  they became even ¹²⁴⁰  quieter.) ¹²⁴¹  Then ¹²⁴²  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ¹²⁴³  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ¹²⁴⁴  in this city, educated with strictness ¹²⁴⁵  under ¹²⁴⁶  Gamaliel ¹²⁴⁷  according to the law of our ancestors, ¹²⁴⁸  and was ¹²⁴⁹  zealous ¹²⁵⁰  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ¹²⁵¹  persecuted this Way ¹²⁵²  even to the point of death, ¹²⁵³  tying up ¹²⁵⁴  both men and women and putting ¹²⁵⁵  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹²⁵⁶  can testify about me. From them ¹²⁵⁷  I also received ¹²⁵⁸  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹²⁵⁹  to make arrests there and bring ¹²⁶⁰  the prisoners ¹²⁶¹  to Jerusalem ¹²⁶²  to be punished. 22:6 As ¹²⁶³  I was en route and near Damascus, ¹²⁶⁴  about noon a very bright ¹²⁶⁵  light from heaven ¹²⁶⁶  suddenly flashed ¹²⁶⁷  around me. 22:7 Then I ¹²⁶⁸  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 ¹²⁶⁹  the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked, ¹²⁷⁰  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ¹²⁷¹  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ¹²⁷²  that you have been designated ¹²⁷³  to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of ¹²⁷⁴  the brilliance ¹²⁷⁵  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ¹²⁷⁶  those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias, ¹²⁷⁷  a devout man according to the law, ¹²⁷⁸  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ¹²⁷⁹  22:13 came ¹²⁸⁰  to me and stood beside me ¹²⁸¹  and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ ¹²⁸²  And at that very moment ¹²⁸³  I looked up and saw him. ¹²⁸⁴  22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ¹²⁸⁵  has already chosen ¹²⁸⁶  you to know his will, to see ¹²⁸⁷  the Righteous One, ¹²⁸⁸  and to hear a command ¹²⁸⁹  from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness ¹²⁹⁰  to all people ¹²⁹¹  of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? ¹²⁹²  Get up, ¹²⁹³  be baptized, and have your sins washed away, ¹²⁹⁴  calling on his name.’ ¹²⁹⁵  22:17 When ¹²⁹⁶  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹²⁹⁷  22:18 and saw the Lord ¹²⁹⁸  saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied, ¹²⁹⁹  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ¹³⁰⁰  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ¹³⁰¹  Stephen was shed, ¹³⁰²  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ¹³⁰³  and guarding the cloaks ¹³⁰⁴  of those who were killing him.’ ¹³⁰⁵  22:21 Then ¹³⁰⁶  he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22:22 The crowd ¹³⁰⁷  was listening to him until he said this. ¹³⁰⁸  Then ¹³⁰⁹  they raised their voices and shouted, ¹³¹⁰  “Away with this man ¹³¹¹  from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” ¹³¹²  22:23 While they were screaming ¹³¹³  and throwing off their cloaks ¹³¹⁴  and tossing dust ¹³¹⁵  in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer ¹³¹⁶  ordered Paul ¹³¹⁷  to be brought back into the barracks. ¹³¹⁸  He told them ¹³¹⁹  to interrogate Paul ¹³²⁰  by beating him with a lash ¹³²¹  so that he could find out the reason the crowd ¹³²²  was shouting at Paul ¹³²³  in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹³²⁴  Paul said to the centurion ¹³²⁵  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ¹³²⁶  without a proper trial?” ¹³²⁷  22:26 When the centurion ¹³²⁸  heard this, ¹³²⁹  he went to the commanding officer ¹³³⁰  and reported it, ¹³³¹  saying, “What are you about to do? ¹³³²  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ¹³³³  22:27 So the commanding officer ¹³³⁴  came and asked ¹³³⁵  Paul, ¹³³⁶  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ¹³³⁷  He replied, ¹³³⁸  “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer ¹³³⁹  answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” ¹³⁴⁰  “But I was even ¹³⁴¹  born a citizen,” ¹³⁴²  Paul replied. ¹³⁴³  22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ¹³⁴⁴  from him, and the commanding officer ¹³⁴⁵  was frightened when he realized that Paul ¹³⁴⁶  was ¹³⁴⁷  a Roman citizen ¹³⁴⁸  and that he had had him tied up. ¹³⁴⁹ 

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ¹³⁵⁰  wanted to know the true reason ¹³⁵¹  Paul ¹³⁵²  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ¹³⁵³  to assemble. He then brought ¹³⁵⁴  Paul down and had him stand before them.

23:1 Paul looked directly ¹³⁵⁵  at the council ¹³⁵⁶  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ¹³⁵⁷  before God to this day.” 23:2 At that ¹³⁵⁸  the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near ¹³⁵⁹  Paul ¹³⁶⁰  to strike ¹³⁶¹  him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ¹³⁶²  Do ¹³⁶³  you sit there judging me according to the law, ¹³⁶⁴  and in violation of the law ¹³⁶⁵  you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him ¹³⁶⁶  said, “Do you dare insult ¹³⁶⁷  God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied, ¹³⁶⁸  “I did not realize, ¹³⁶⁹  brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’” ¹³⁷⁰ 

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ¹³⁷¹  that part of them were Sadducees ¹³⁷²  and the others Pharisees, ¹³⁷³  he shouted out in the council, ¹³⁷⁴  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ¹³⁷⁵  of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this, ¹³⁷⁶  an argument ¹³⁷⁷  began ¹³⁷⁸  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.) ¹³⁷⁹  23:9 There was a great commotion, ¹³⁸⁰  and some experts in the law ¹³⁸¹  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ¹³⁸²  and protested strongly, ¹³⁸³  “We find nothing wrong ¹³⁸⁴  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ¹³⁸⁵  so great the commanding officer ¹³⁸⁶  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ¹³⁸⁷  he ordered the detachment ¹³⁸⁸  to go down, take him away from them by force, ¹³⁸⁹  and bring him into the barracks. ¹³⁹⁰ 

23:11 The following night the Lord ¹³⁹¹  stood near ¹³⁹²  Paul ¹³⁹³  and said, “Have courage, ¹³⁹⁴  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ¹³⁹⁵  so you must also testify in Rome.” ¹³⁹⁶ 

23:12 When morning came, ¹³⁹⁷  the Jews formed ¹³⁹⁸  a conspiracy ¹³⁹⁹  and bound themselves with an oath ¹⁴⁰⁰  not to eat or drink anything ¹⁴⁰¹  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ¹⁴⁰²  23:14 They ¹⁴⁰³  went ¹⁴⁰⁴  to the chief priests ¹⁴⁰⁵  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ¹⁴⁰⁶  not to partake ¹⁴⁰⁷  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ¹⁴⁰⁸  request the commanding officer ¹⁴⁰⁹  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ¹⁴¹⁰  his case ¹⁴¹¹  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ¹⁴¹²  We are ready to kill him ¹⁴¹³  before he comes near this place.” ¹⁴¹⁴ 

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, ¹⁴¹⁵  he came and entered ¹⁴¹⁶  the barracks ¹⁴¹⁷  and told Paul. 23:17 Paul called ¹⁴¹⁸  one of the centurions ¹⁴¹⁹  and said, “Take this young man to the commanding officer, ¹⁴²⁰  for he has something to report to him.” 23:18 So the centurion ¹⁴²¹  took him and brought him to the commanding officer ¹⁴²²  and said, “The prisoner Paul called ¹⁴²³  me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 23:19 The commanding officer ¹⁴²⁴  took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, “What is it that you want ¹⁴²⁵  to report to me?” 23:20 He replied, ¹⁴²⁶  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ¹⁴²⁷  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. 23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ¹⁴²⁸  because more than forty of them ¹⁴²⁹  are lying in ambush ¹⁴³⁰  for him. They ¹⁴³¹  have bound themselves with an oath ¹⁴³²  not to eat or drink anything ¹⁴³³  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ¹⁴³⁴  23:22 Then the commanding officer ¹⁴³⁵  sent the young man away, directing him, ¹⁴³⁶  “Tell no one that you have reported ¹⁴³⁷  these things to me.” 23:23 Then ¹⁴³⁸  he summoned ¹⁴³⁹  two of the centurions ¹⁴⁴⁰  and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea ¹⁴⁴¹  along with seventy horsemen ¹⁴⁴²  and two hundred spearmen ¹⁴⁴³  by ¹⁴⁴⁴  nine o’clock tonight, ¹⁴⁴⁵  23:24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride ¹⁴⁴⁶  so that he may be brought safely to Felix ¹⁴⁴⁷  the governor.” ¹⁴⁴⁸  23:25 He wrote ¹⁴⁴⁹  a letter that went like this: ¹⁴⁵⁰ 

23:26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor ¹⁴⁵¹  Felix, ¹⁴⁵²  greetings. 23:27 This man was seized ¹⁴⁵³  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ¹⁴⁵⁴  when I came up ¹⁴⁵⁵  with the detachment ¹⁴⁵⁶  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ¹⁴⁵⁷  a Roman citizen. ¹⁴⁵⁸  23:28 Since I wanted to know ¹⁴⁵⁹  what charge they were accusing him of, ¹⁴⁶⁰  I brought him down to their council. ¹⁴⁶¹  23:29 I found he ¹⁴⁶²  was accused with reference to controversial questions ¹⁴⁶³  about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. ¹⁴⁶⁴  23:30 When I was informed ¹⁴⁶⁵  there would be a plot ¹⁴⁶⁶  against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges ¹⁴⁶⁷  against him before you.

23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, ¹⁴⁶⁸  took ¹⁴⁶⁹  Paul and brought him to Antipatris ¹⁴⁷⁰  during the night. 23:32 The next day they let ¹⁴⁷¹  the horsemen ¹⁴⁷²  go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. ¹⁴⁷³  23:33 When the horsemen ¹⁴⁷⁴  came to Caesarea ¹⁴⁷⁵  and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented ¹⁴⁷⁶  Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor ¹⁴⁷⁷  had read ¹⁴⁷⁸  the letter, ¹⁴⁷⁹  he asked ¹⁴⁸⁰  what province he was from. ¹⁴⁸¹  When he learned ¹⁴⁸²  that he was from Cilicia, ¹⁴⁸³  23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing ¹⁴⁸⁴  when your accusers arrive too.” Then ¹⁴⁸⁵  he ordered that Paul ¹⁴⁸⁶  be kept under guard in Herod’s palace. ¹⁴⁸⁷ 

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias ¹⁴⁸⁸  came down with some elders and an attorney ¹⁴⁸⁹  named ¹⁴⁹⁰  Tertullus, and they ¹⁴⁹¹  brought formal charges ¹⁴⁹²  against Paul to the governor. 24:2 When Paul ¹⁴⁹³  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ¹⁴⁹⁴  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ¹⁴⁹⁵  of peace through your rule, ¹⁴⁹⁶  and reforms ¹⁴⁹⁷  are being made in this nation ¹⁴⁹⁸  through your foresight. ¹⁴⁹⁹  24:3 Most excellent Felix, ¹⁵⁰⁰  we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way ¹⁵⁰¹  with all gratitude. ¹⁵⁰²  24:4 But so that I may not delay ¹⁵⁰³  you any further, I beg ¹⁵⁰⁴  you to hear us briefly ¹⁵⁰⁵  with your customary graciousness. ¹⁵⁰⁶  24:5 For we have found ¹⁵⁰⁷  this man to be a troublemaker, ¹⁵⁰⁸  one who stirs up riots ¹⁵⁰⁹  among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader ¹⁵¹⁰  of the sect of the Nazarenes. ¹⁵¹¹  24:6 He ¹⁵¹²  even tried to desecrate ¹⁵¹³  the temple, so we arrested ¹⁵¹⁴  him. 24:7 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁵¹⁵  24:8 When you examine ¹⁵¹⁶  him yourself, you will be able to learn from him ¹⁵¹⁷  about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” ¹⁵¹⁸  24:9 The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, ¹⁵¹⁹  claiming ¹⁵²⁰  that these things were true.

24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know ¹⁵²¹  that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. ¹⁵²²  24:11 As you can verify ¹⁵²³  for yourself, not more than twelve days ago ¹⁵²⁴  I went up to Jerusalem ¹⁵²⁵  to worship. 24:12 They did not find me arguing ¹⁵²⁶  with anyone or stirring up a crowd ¹⁵²⁷  in the temple courts ¹⁵²⁸  or in the synagogues ¹⁵²⁹  or throughout the city, ¹⁵³⁰  24:13 nor can they prove ¹⁵³¹  to you the things ¹⁵³²  they are accusing me of doing. ¹⁵³³  24:14 But I confess this to you, that I worship ¹⁵³⁴  the God of our ancestors ¹⁵³⁵  according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law ¹⁵³⁶  and that is written in the prophets. 24:15 I have ¹⁵³⁷  a hope in God (a hope ¹⁵³⁸  that ¹⁵³⁹  these men ¹⁵⁴⁰  themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁵⁴¹  24:16 This is the reason ¹⁵⁴²  I do my best to always ¹⁵⁴³  have a clear ¹⁵⁴⁴  conscience toward God and toward people. ¹⁵⁴⁵  24:17 After several years ¹⁵⁴⁶  I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor ¹⁵⁴⁷  and to present offerings, ¹⁵⁴⁸  24:18 which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, ¹⁵⁴⁹  without a crowd or a disturbance. ¹⁵⁵⁰  24:19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ¹⁵⁵¹  who should be here before you and bring charges, ¹⁵⁵²  if they have anything against me. 24:20 Or these men here ¹⁵⁵³  should tell what crime ¹⁵⁵⁴  they found me guilty of ¹⁵⁵⁵  when I stood before the council, ¹⁵⁵⁶  24:21 other than ¹⁵⁵⁷  this one thing ¹⁵⁵⁸  I shouted out while I stood before ¹⁵⁵⁹  them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’” ¹⁵⁶⁰ 

24:22 Then Felix, ¹⁵⁶¹  who understood the facts ¹⁵⁶²  concerning the Way ¹⁵⁶³  more accurately, ¹⁵⁶⁴  adjourned their hearing, ¹⁵⁶⁵  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ¹⁵⁶⁶  24:23 He ordered the centurion ¹⁵⁶⁷  to guard Paul, ¹⁵⁶⁸  but to let him have some freedom, ¹⁵⁶⁹  and not to prevent any of his friends ¹⁵⁷⁰  from meeting his needs. ¹⁵⁷¹ 

24:24 Some days later, when Felix ¹⁵⁷²  arrived with his wife Drusilla, ¹⁵⁷³  who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak ¹⁵⁷⁴  about faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵⁷⁵  24:25 While Paul ¹⁵⁷⁶  was discussing ¹⁵⁷⁷  righteousness, self-control, ¹⁵⁷⁸  and the coming judgment, Felix ¹⁵⁷⁹  became ¹⁵⁸⁰  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ¹⁵⁸¹  I will send for you.” 24:26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹⁵⁸²  and for this reason he sent for Paul ¹⁵⁸³  as often as possible ¹⁵⁸⁴  and talked ¹⁵⁸⁵  with him. 24:27 After two years ¹⁵⁸⁶  had passed, Porcius Festus ¹⁵⁸⁷  succeeded Felix, ¹⁵⁸⁸  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ¹⁵⁸⁹ 

25:1 Now ¹⁵⁹⁰  three days after Festus ¹⁵⁹¹  arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem ¹⁵⁹²  from Caesarea. ¹⁵⁹³  25:2 So the chief priests and the most prominent men ¹⁵⁹⁴  of the Jews brought formal charges ¹⁵⁹⁵  against Paul to him. 25:3 Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, ¹⁵⁹⁶  they urged Festus ¹⁵⁹⁷  to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush ¹⁵⁹⁸  to kill him along the way. 25:4 Then Festus ¹⁵⁹⁹  replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, ¹⁶⁰⁰  and he himself intended to go there ¹⁶⁰¹  shortly. 25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ¹⁶⁰²  go down there ¹⁶⁰³  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ¹⁶⁰⁴  they may bring charges ¹⁶⁰⁵  against him.”

25:6 After Festus ¹⁶⁰⁶  had stayed ¹⁶⁰⁷  not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, ¹⁶⁰⁸  and the next day he sat ¹⁶⁰⁹  on the judgment seat ¹⁶¹⁰  and ordered Paul to be brought. 25:7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, ¹⁶¹¹  bringing many serious ¹⁶¹²  charges that they were not able to prove. ¹⁶¹³  25:8 Paul said in his defense, ¹⁶¹⁴  “I have committed no offense ¹⁶¹⁵  against the Jewish law ¹⁶¹⁶  or against the temple or against Caesar.” ¹⁶¹⁷  25:9 But Festus, ¹⁶¹⁸  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁶¹⁹  before me there on these charges?” ¹⁶²⁰  25:10 Paul replied, ¹⁶²¹  “I am standing before Caesar’s ¹⁶²²  judgment seat, ¹⁶²³  where I should be tried. ¹⁶²⁴  I have done nothing wrong ¹⁶²⁵  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹⁶²⁶  25:11 If then I am in the wrong ¹⁶²⁷  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ¹⁶²⁸  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ¹⁶²⁹  no one can hand me over to them. ¹⁶³⁰  I appeal to Caesar!” ¹⁶³¹  25:12 Then, after conferring with his council, ¹⁶³²  Festus ¹⁶³³  replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; ¹⁶³⁴  to Caesar ¹⁶³⁵  you will go!” ¹⁶³⁶ 

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa ¹⁶³⁷  and Bernice arrived at Caesarea ¹⁶³⁸  to pay their respects ¹⁶³⁹  to Festus. ¹⁶⁴⁰  25:14 While ¹⁶⁴¹  they were staying there many days, Festus ¹⁶⁴²  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ¹⁶⁴³  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ¹⁶⁴⁴  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ¹⁶⁴⁵  me about him, ¹⁶⁴⁶  asking for a sentence of condemnation ¹⁶⁴⁷  against him. 25:16 I answered them ¹⁶⁴⁸  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ¹⁶⁴⁹  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ¹⁶⁵⁰  and had been given ¹⁶⁵¹  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ¹⁶⁵²  25:17 So after they came back here with me, ¹⁶⁵³  I did not postpone the case, ¹⁶⁵⁴  but the next day I sat ¹⁶⁵⁵  on the judgment seat ¹⁶⁵⁶  and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ¹⁶⁵⁷  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ¹⁶⁵⁸  25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement ¹⁶⁵⁹  with him about their own religion ¹⁶⁶⁰  and about a man named Jesus ¹⁶⁶¹  who was dead, whom Paul claimed ¹⁶⁶²  to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss ¹⁶⁶³  how I could investigate these matters, ¹⁶⁶⁴  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁶⁶⁵  there on these charges. ¹⁶⁶⁶  25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁶⁶⁷  I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” ¹⁶⁶⁸  25:22 Agrippa ¹⁶⁶⁹  said to Festus, ¹⁶⁷⁰  “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, ¹⁶⁷¹  “you will hear him.”

25:23 So the next day Agrippa ¹⁶⁷²  and Bernice came with great pomp ¹⁶⁷³  and entered the audience hall, ¹⁶⁷⁴  along with the senior military officers ¹⁶⁷⁵  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ¹⁶⁷⁶  gave the order, ¹⁶⁷⁷  Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus ¹⁶⁷⁸  said, “King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁷⁹  and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace ¹⁶⁸⁰  petitioned ¹⁶⁸¹  me both in Jerusalem ¹⁶⁸²  and here, ¹⁶⁸³  shouting loudly ¹⁶⁸⁴  that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, ¹⁶⁸⁵  and when he appealed ¹⁶⁸⁶  to His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁶⁸⁷  I decided to send him. ¹⁶⁸⁸  25:26 But I have nothing definite ¹⁶⁸⁹  to write to my lord ¹⁶⁹⁰  about him. ¹⁶⁹¹  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁹²  so that after this preliminary hearing ¹⁶⁹³  I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating ¹⁶⁹⁴  the charges against him.”

26:1 So Agrippa ¹⁶⁹⁵  said to Paul, “You have permission ¹⁶⁹⁶  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ¹⁶⁹⁷  and began his defense: ¹⁶⁹⁸ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁹⁹  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially ¹⁷⁰⁰  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ¹⁷⁰¹  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ¹⁷⁰²  you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived ¹⁷⁰³  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ¹⁷⁰⁴  and in Jerusalem. ¹⁷⁰⁵  26:5 They know, ¹⁷⁰⁶  because they have known ¹⁷⁰⁷  me from time past, ¹⁷⁰⁸  if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party ¹⁷⁰⁹  of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ¹⁷¹⁰  26:6 And now I stand here on trial ¹⁷¹¹  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ¹⁷¹²  26:7 a promise ¹⁷¹³  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ¹⁷¹⁴  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ¹⁷¹⁵  Your Majesty! ¹⁷¹⁶  26:8 Why do you people ¹⁷¹⁷  think ¹⁷¹⁸  it is unbelievable ¹⁷¹⁹  that ¹⁷²⁰  God raises the dead? 26:9 Of course, ¹⁷²¹  I myself was convinced ¹⁷²²  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 ¹⁷²³  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ¹⁷²⁴  against them when they were sentenced to death. ¹⁷²⁵  26:11 I punished ¹⁷²⁶  them often in all the synagogues ¹⁷²⁷  and tried to force ¹⁷²⁸  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ¹⁷²⁹  at them, I went to persecute ¹⁷³⁰  them even in foreign cities.

26:12 “While doing this very thing, ¹⁷³¹  as I was going ¹⁷³²  to Damascus with authority and complete power ¹⁷³³  from the chief priests, 26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ¹⁷³⁴  I saw a light from heaven, ¹⁷³⁵  brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ¹⁷³⁶  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, ¹⁷³⁷  ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ¹⁷³⁸  by kicking against the goads.’ ¹⁷³⁹  26:15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ¹⁷⁴⁰  ‘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 ¹⁷⁴¹  as a servant and witness ¹⁷⁴²  to the things ¹⁷⁴³  you have seen ¹⁷⁴⁴  and to the things in which I will appear to you. 26:17 I will rescue ¹⁷⁴⁵  you from your own people ¹⁷⁴⁶  and from the Gentiles, to whom ¹⁷⁴⁷  I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ¹⁷⁴⁸  from darkness to light and from the power ¹⁷⁴⁹  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ¹⁷⁵⁰  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ¹⁷⁵¹  I was not disobedient ¹⁷⁵²  to the heavenly ¹⁷⁵³  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ¹⁷⁵⁴  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ¹⁷⁵⁵  performing deeds consistent with ¹⁷⁵⁶  repentance. 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts ¹⁷⁵⁷  and were trying to kill me. 26:22 I have experienced ¹⁷⁵⁸  help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except ¹⁷⁵⁹  what the prophets and Moses said ¹⁷⁶⁰  was going to happen: 26:23 that ¹⁷⁶¹  the Christ ¹⁷⁶²  was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people ¹⁷⁶³  and to the Gentiles.” ¹⁷⁶⁴ 

26:24 As Paul ¹⁷⁶⁵  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ¹⁷⁶⁶  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ¹⁷⁶⁷  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ¹⁷⁶⁸  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ¹⁷⁶⁹  but am speaking ¹⁷⁷⁰  true and rational ¹⁷⁷¹  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹⁷⁷²  to him, ¹⁷⁷³  because I cannot believe ¹⁷⁷⁴  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ¹⁷⁷⁵  for this was not done in a corner. ¹⁷⁷⁶  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ¹⁷⁷⁷  King Agrippa? ¹⁷⁷⁸  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ¹⁷⁷⁹  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ¹⁷⁸⁰  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ¹⁷⁸¹  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ¹⁷⁸² 

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, ¹⁷⁸³  “This man is not doing anything deserving ¹⁷⁸⁴  death or imprisonment.” 26:32 Agrippa ¹⁷⁸⁵  said to Festus, ¹⁷⁸⁶  “This man could have been released ¹⁷⁸⁷  if he had not appealed to Caesar.” ¹⁷⁸⁸ 

27:1 When it was decided we ¹⁷⁸⁹  would sail to Italy, ¹⁷⁹⁰  they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion ¹⁷⁹¹  of the Augustan Cohort ¹⁷⁹²  named Julius. 27:2 We went on board ¹⁷⁹³  a ship from Adramyttium ¹⁷⁹⁴  that was about to sail to various ports ¹⁷⁹⁵  along the coast of the province of Asia ¹⁷⁹⁶  and put out to sea, ¹⁷⁹⁷  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ¹⁷⁹⁸  from Thessalonica. ¹⁷⁹⁹  27:3 The next day we put in ¹⁸⁰⁰  at Sidon, ¹⁸⁰¹  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ¹⁸⁰²  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ¹⁸⁰³  27:4 From there we put out to sea ¹⁸⁰⁴  and sailed under the lee ¹⁸⁰⁵  of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea ¹⁸⁰⁶  off Cilicia and Pamphylia, ¹⁸⁰⁷  we put in ¹⁸⁰⁸  at Myra ¹⁸⁰⁹  in Lycia. ¹⁸¹⁰  27:6 There the centurion ¹⁸¹¹  found ¹⁸¹²  a ship from Alexandria ¹⁸¹³  sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly ¹⁸¹⁴  for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. ¹⁸¹⁵  Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, ¹⁸¹⁶  we sailed under the lee ¹⁸¹⁷  of Crete off Salmone. ¹⁸¹⁸  27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast ¹⁸¹⁹  of Crete ¹⁸²⁰  and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. ¹⁸²¹ 

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous ¹⁸²²  because the fast ¹⁸²³  was already over, ¹⁸²⁴  Paul advised them, ¹⁸²⁵  27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end ¹⁸²⁶  in disaster ¹⁸²⁷  and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹⁸²⁸  27:11 But the centurion ¹⁸²⁹  was more convinced ¹⁸³⁰  by the captain ¹⁸³¹  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ¹⁸³²  27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ¹⁸³³  to put out to sea ¹⁸³⁴  from there. They hoped that ¹⁸³⁵  somehow they could reach ¹⁸³⁶  Phoenix, ¹⁸³⁷  a harbor of Crete facing ¹⁸³⁸  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought ¹⁸³⁹  they could carry out ¹⁸⁴⁰  their purpose, so they weighed anchor ¹⁸⁴¹  and sailed close along the coast ¹⁸⁴²  of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force ¹⁸⁴³  wind called the northeaster ¹⁸⁴⁴  blew down from the island. ¹⁸⁴⁵  27:15 When the ship was caught in it ¹⁸⁴⁶  and could not head into ¹⁸⁴⁷  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ¹⁸⁴⁸  along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of ¹⁸⁴⁹  a small island called Cauda, ¹⁸⁵⁰  we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat ¹⁸⁵¹  under control. 27:17 After the crew ¹⁸⁵²  had hoisted it aboard, ¹⁸⁵³  they used supports ¹⁸⁵⁴  to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground ¹⁸⁵⁵  on the Syrtis, ¹⁸⁵⁶  they lowered the sea anchor, ¹⁸⁵⁷  thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, ¹⁸⁵⁸  they began throwing the cargo overboard, ¹⁸⁵⁹  27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear ¹⁸⁶⁰  overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent ¹⁸⁶¹  storm continued to batter us, ¹⁸⁶²  we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. ¹⁸⁶³ 

27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, ¹⁸⁶⁴  Paul ¹⁸⁶⁵  stood up ¹⁸⁶⁶  among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me ¹⁸⁶⁷  and not put out to sea ¹⁸⁶⁸  from Crete, thus avoiding ¹⁸⁶⁹  this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise ¹⁸⁷⁰  you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. ¹⁸⁷¹  27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong ¹⁸⁷²  and whom I serve ¹⁸⁷³  came to me ¹⁸⁷⁴  27:24 and said, ¹⁸⁷⁵  ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before ¹⁸⁷⁶  Caesar, ¹⁸⁷⁷  and God has graciously granted you the safety ¹⁸⁷⁸  of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God ¹⁸⁷⁹  that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must ¹⁸⁸⁰  run aground on some island.”

27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven ¹⁸⁸¹  across the Adriatic Sea, ¹⁸⁸²  about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. ¹⁸⁸³  27:28 They took soundings ¹⁸⁸⁴  and found the water was twenty fathoms ¹⁸⁸⁵  deep; when they had sailed a little farther ¹⁸⁸⁶  they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms ¹⁸⁸⁷  deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid ¹⁸⁸⁸  that we would run aground on the rocky coast, ¹⁸⁸⁹  they threw out ¹⁸⁹⁰  four anchors from the stern and wished ¹⁸⁹¹  for day to appear. ¹⁸⁹²  27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending ¹⁸⁹³  that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion ¹⁸⁹⁴  and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you ¹⁸⁹⁵  cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes ¹⁸⁹⁶  of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. ¹⁸⁹⁷ 

27:33 As day was about to dawn, ¹⁸⁹⁸  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ¹⁸⁹⁹  and have gone ¹⁹⁰⁰  without food; you have eaten nothing. ¹⁹⁰¹  27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important ¹⁹⁰²  for your survival. ¹⁹⁰³  For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul ¹⁹⁰⁴  took bread ¹⁹⁰⁵  and gave thanks to God in front of them all, ¹⁹⁰⁶  broke ¹⁹⁰⁷  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 ¹⁹⁰⁸  persons on the ship.) ¹⁹⁰⁹  27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, ¹⁹¹⁰  they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat ¹⁹¹¹  into the sea.

27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed ¹⁹¹²  a bay ¹⁹¹³  with a beach, ¹⁹¹⁴  where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped ¹⁹¹⁵  the anchors ¹⁹¹⁶  and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage ¹⁹¹⁷  that bound the steering oars ¹⁹¹⁸  together. Then they hoisted ¹⁹¹⁹  the foresail ¹⁹²⁰  to the wind and steered toward ¹⁹²¹  the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents ¹⁹²²  and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force ¹⁹²³  of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners ¹⁹²⁴  so that none of them would escape by swimming away. ¹⁹²⁵  27:43 But the centurion, ¹⁹²⁶  wanting to save Paul’s life, ¹⁹²⁷  prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, ¹⁹²⁸  27:44 and the rest were to follow, ¹⁹²⁹  some on planks ¹⁹³⁰  and some on pieces of the ship. ¹⁹³¹  And in this way ¹⁹³²  all were brought safely to land.

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ¹⁹³³  we learned that the island was called Malta. ¹⁹³⁴  28:2 The local inhabitants ¹⁹³⁵  showed us extraordinary ¹⁹³⁶  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ¹⁹³⁷  and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood ¹⁹³⁸  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 ¹⁹³⁹  saw the creature hanging from Paul’s ¹⁹⁴⁰  hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself ¹⁹⁴¹  has not allowed him to live!” ¹⁹⁴²  28:5 However, ¹⁹⁴³  Paul ¹⁹⁴⁴  shook ¹⁹⁴⁵  the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up ¹⁹⁴⁶  or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited ¹⁹⁴⁷  a long time and had seen ¹⁹⁴⁸  nothing unusual happen ¹⁹⁴⁹  to him, they changed their minds ¹⁹⁵⁰  and said he was a god. ¹⁹⁵¹ 

28:7 Now in the region around that place ¹⁹⁵²  were fields belonging to the chief official ¹⁹⁵³  of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father ¹⁹⁵⁴  of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him ¹⁹⁵⁵  and after praying, placed ¹⁹⁵⁶  his hands on him and healed ¹⁹⁵⁷  him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick ¹⁹⁵⁸  also came and were healed. ¹⁹⁵⁹  28:10 They also bestowed many honors, ¹⁹⁶⁰  and when we were preparing to sail, ¹⁹⁶¹  they gave ¹⁹⁶²  us all the supplies we needed. ¹⁹⁶³ 

28:11 After three months we put out to sea ¹⁹⁶⁴  in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” ¹⁹⁶⁵  as its figurehead. ¹⁹⁶⁶  28:12 We put in ¹⁹⁶⁷  at Syracuse ¹⁹⁶⁸  and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off ¹⁹⁶⁹  and arrived at Rhegium, ¹⁹⁷⁰  and after one day a south wind sprang up ¹⁹⁷¹  and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁹⁷²  28:14 There ¹⁹⁷³  we found ¹⁹⁷⁴  some brothers ¹⁹⁷⁵  and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. ¹⁹⁷⁶  28:15 The brothers from there, ¹⁹⁷⁷  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ¹⁹⁷⁸  and Three Taverns ¹⁹⁷⁹  to meet us. When he saw them, ¹⁹⁸⁰  Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live ¹⁹⁸¹  by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

28:17 After three days ¹⁹⁸²  Paul ¹⁹⁸³  called the local Jewish leaders ¹⁹⁸⁴  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ¹⁹⁸⁵  although I had done ¹⁹⁸⁶  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ¹⁹⁸⁷  from Jerusalem ¹⁹⁸⁸  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ¹⁹⁸⁹  28:18 When ¹⁹⁹⁰  they had heard my case, ¹⁹⁹¹  they wanted to release me, ¹⁹⁹²  because there was no basis for a death sentence ¹⁹⁹³  against me. 28:19 But when the Jews objected, ¹⁹⁹⁴  I was forced to appeal to Caesar ¹⁹⁹⁵  – not that I had some charge to bring ¹⁹⁹⁶  against my own people. ¹⁹⁹⁷  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.” ¹⁹⁹⁸  28:21 They replied, ¹⁹⁹⁹  “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there ²⁰⁰⁰  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 ²⁰⁰¹  that people ²⁰⁰²  everywhere speak against ²⁰⁰³  it.”

28:23 They set ²⁰⁰⁴  a day to meet with him, ²⁰⁰⁵  and they came to him where he was staying ²⁰⁰⁶  in even greater numbers. ²⁰⁰⁷  From morning until evening he explained things ²⁰⁰⁸  to them, ²⁰⁰⁹  testifying ²⁰¹⁰  about the kingdom of God ²⁰¹¹  and trying to convince ²⁰¹²  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced ²⁰¹³  by what he said, ²⁰¹⁴  but others refused ²⁰¹⁵  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ²⁰¹⁶  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ²⁰¹⁷  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ²⁰¹⁸  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ²⁰¹⁹  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ²⁰²⁰ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ²⁰²¹ 

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, ²⁰²²  and I would heal them.”’ ²⁰²³ 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ²⁰²⁴  that this salvation from God ²⁰²⁵  has been sent to the Gentiles; ²⁰²⁶  they ²⁰²⁷  will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]] ²⁰²⁸ 

28:30 Paul ²⁰²⁹  lived ²⁰³⁰  there two whole years in his own rented quarters ²⁰³¹  and welcomed ²⁰³²  all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ²⁰³³  with complete boldness ²⁰³⁴  and without restriction. ²⁰³⁵