Acts 2:1--28:31

Context

2:1 Now ¹  when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2:2 Suddenly ²  a sound ³  like a violent wind blowing ⁴  came from heaven ⁵  and filled the entire house where they were sitting. 2:3 And tongues spreading out like a fire ⁶  appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. 2:4 All ⁷  of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages ⁸  as the Spirit enabled them. ⁹ 

2:5 Now there were devout Jews ¹⁰  from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem. ¹¹  2:6 When this sound ¹²  occurred, a crowd gathered and was in confusion, ¹³  because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 2:7 Completely baffled, they said, ¹⁴  “Aren’t ¹⁵  all these who are speaking Galileans? 2:8 And how is it that each one of us hears them ¹⁶  in our own native language? ¹⁷  2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and the province of Asia, ¹⁸  2:10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, ¹⁹  and visitors from Rome, ²⁰  2:11 both Jews and proselytes, ²¹  Cretans and Arabs – we hear them speaking in our own languages about the great deeds God has done!” ²²  2:12 All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 2:13 But others jeered at the speakers, ²³  saying, “They are drunk on new wine!” ²⁴ 

2:14 But Peter stood up ²⁵  with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: “You men of Judea ²⁶  and all you who live in Jerusalem, ²⁷  know this ²⁸  and listen carefully to what I say. 2:15 In spite of what you think, these men are not drunk, ²⁹  for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. ³⁰  2:16 But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel: ³¹ 

2:17 ‘And in the last days ³²  it will be,’ God says,

‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, ³³ 

and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

and your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams.

2:18 Even on my servants, ³⁴  both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. ³⁵ 

2:19 And I will perform wonders in the sky ³⁶  above

and miraculous signs ³⁷  on the earth below,

blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

2:20 The sun will be changed to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the great and glorious ³⁸  day of the Lord comes.

2:21 And then ³⁹  everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ⁴⁰ 

2:22 “Men of Israel, ⁴¹  listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, ⁴²  wonders, and miraculous signs ⁴³  that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know – 2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed ⁴⁴  by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. ⁴⁵  2:24 But God raised him up, ⁴⁶  having released ⁴⁷  him from the pains ⁴⁸  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ⁴⁹  2:25 For David says about him,

‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, ⁵⁰ 

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;

my body ⁵¹  also will live in hope,

2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, ⁵² 

nor permit your Holy One to experience ⁵³  decay.

2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ ⁵⁴ 

2:29 “Brothers, ⁵⁵  I can speak confidently ⁵⁶  to you about our forefather ⁵⁷  David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 2:30 So then, because ⁵⁸  he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants ⁵⁹  on his throne, ⁶⁰  2:31 David by foreseeing this ⁶¹  spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, ⁶²  that he was neither abandoned to Hades, ⁶³  nor did his body ⁶⁴  experience ⁶⁵  decay. ⁶⁶  2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. ⁶⁷  2:33 So then, exalted ⁶⁸  to the right hand ⁶⁹  of God, and having received ⁷⁰  the promise of the Holy Spirit ⁷¹  from the Father, he has poured out ⁷²  what you both see and hear. 2:34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my lord,

“Sit ⁷³  at my right hand

2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool ⁷⁴  for your feet.”’ ⁷⁵ 

2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt ⁷⁶  that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified ⁷⁷  both Lord ⁷⁸  and Christ.” ⁷⁹ 

2:37 Now when they heard this, ⁸⁰  they were acutely distressed ⁸¹  and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ⁸²  in the name of Jesus Christ ⁸³  for ⁸⁴  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁸⁵  2:39 For the promise ⁸⁶  is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 2:40 With many other words he testified ⁸⁷  and exhorted them saying, “Save yourselves from this perverse ⁸⁸  generation!” 2:41 So those who accepted ⁸⁹  his message ⁹⁰  were baptized, and that day about three thousand people ⁹¹  were added. ⁹² 

2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, ⁹³  to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁹⁴  2:43 Reverential awe ⁹⁵  came over everyone, ⁹⁶  and many wonders and miraculous signs ⁹⁷  came about by the apostles. 2:44 All who believed were together and held ⁹⁸  everything in common, 2:45 and they began selling ⁹⁹  their property ¹⁰⁰  and possessions and distributing the proceeds ¹⁰¹  to everyone, as anyone had need. 2:46 Every day ¹⁰²  they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, ¹⁰³  breaking bread from ¹⁰⁴  house to house, sharing their food with glad ¹⁰⁵  and humble hearts, ¹⁰⁶  2:47 praising God and having the good will ¹⁰⁷  of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day ¹⁰⁸  those who were being saved.

3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time ¹⁰⁹  for prayer, ¹¹⁰  at three o’clock in the afternoon. ¹¹¹  3:2 And a man lame ¹¹²  from birth ¹¹³  was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day ¹¹⁴  so he could beg for money ¹¹⁵  from those going into the temple courts. ¹¹⁶  3:3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, ¹¹⁷  he asked them for money. ¹¹⁸  3:4 Peter looked directly ¹¹⁹  at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 3:5 So the lame man ¹²⁰  paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 3:6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, ¹²¹  but what I do have I give you. In the name ¹²²  of Jesus Christ ¹²³  the Nazarene, stand up and ¹²⁴  walk!” 3:7 Then ¹²⁵  Peter ¹²⁶  took hold ¹²⁷  of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s ¹²⁸  feet and ankles were made strong. ¹²⁹  3:8 He ¹³⁰  jumped up, ¹³¹  stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts ¹³²  with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 3:9 All ¹³³  the people saw him walking and praising God, 3:10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations ¹³⁴  at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement ¹³⁵  at what had happened to him.

3:11 While the man ¹³⁶  was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway ¹³⁷  called Solomon’s Portico. ¹³⁸  3:12 When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, ¹³⁹  why are you amazed at this? Why ¹⁴⁰  do you stare at us as if we had made this man ¹⁴¹  walk by our own power or piety? 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ¹⁴²  the God of our forefathers, ¹⁴³  has glorified ¹⁴⁴  his servant ¹⁴⁵  Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected ¹⁴⁶  in the presence of Pilate after he had decided ¹⁴⁷  to release him. 3:14 But you rejected ¹⁴⁸  the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. 3:15 You killed ¹⁴⁹  the Originator ¹⁵⁰  of life, whom God raised ¹⁵¹  from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! ¹⁵²  3:16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ ¹⁵³  name, ¹⁵⁴  his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The ¹⁵⁵  faith that is through Jesus ¹⁵⁶  has given him this complete health in the presence ¹⁵⁷  of you all. 3:17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, ¹⁵⁸  as your rulers did too. 3:18 But the things God foretold ¹⁵⁹  long ago through ¹⁶⁰  all the prophets – that his Christ ¹⁶¹  would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way. 3:19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, 3:20 so that times of refreshing ¹⁶²  may come from the presence of the Lord, ¹⁶³  and so that he may send the Messiah ¹⁶⁴  appointed ¹⁶⁵  for you – that is, Jesus. 3:21 This one ¹⁶⁶  heaven must ¹⁶⁷  receive until the time all things are restored, ¹⁶⁸  which God declared ¹⁶⁹  from times long ago ¹⁷⁰  through his holy prophets. 3:22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey ¹⁷¹  him in everything he tells you. ¹⁷²  3:23 Every person ¹⁷³  who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed ¹⁷⁴  from the people.’ ¹⁷⁵  3:24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced ¹⁷⁶  these days. 3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, ¹⁷⁷  saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants ¹⁷⁸  all the nations ¹⁷⁹  of the earth will be blessed.’ ¹⁸⁰  3:26 God raised up ¹⁸¹  his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning ¹⁸²  each one of you from your iniquities.” ¹⁸³ 

4:1 While Peter and John ¹⁸⁴  were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander ¹⁸⁵  of the temple guard ¹⁸⁶  and the Sadducees ¹⁸⁷  came up ¹⁸⁸  to them, 4:2 angry ¹⁸⁹  because they were teaching the people and announcing ¹⁹⁰  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:3 So ¹⁹¹  they seized ¹⁹²  them and put them in jail ¹⁹³  until the next day (for it was already evening). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to ¹⁹⁴  the message ¹⁹⁵  believed, and the number of the men ¹⁹⁶  came to about five thousand.

4:5 On the next day, ¹⁹⁷  their rulers, elders, and experts in the law ¹⁹⁸  came together ¹⁹⁹  in Jerusalem. ²⁰⁰  4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. ²⁰¹  4:7 After ²⁰²  making Peter and John ²⁰³  stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name ²⁰⁴  did you do this?” 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ²⁰⁵  replied, ²⁰⁶  “Rulers of the people and elders, ²⁰⁷  4:9 if ²⁰⁸  we are being examined ²⁰⁹  today for a good deed ²¹⁰  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ²¹¹  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ²¹²  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus ²¹³  is the stone that was rejected by you, ²¹⁴  the builders, that has become the cornerstone. ²¹⁵  4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people ²¹⁶  by which we must ²¹⁷  be saved.”

4:13 When they saw the boldness ²¹⁸  of Peter and John, and discovered ²¹⁹  that they were uneducated ²²⁰  and ordinary ²²¹  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. 4:14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. ²²²  4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, ²²³  they began to confer with one another, 4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ²²⁴  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ²²⁵  has come about through them, ²²⁶  and we cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more ²²⁷  to anyone in this name.” 4:18 And they called them in and ordered ²²⁸  them not to speak or teach at all in the name ²²⁹  of Jesus. 4:19 But Peter and John replied, ²³⁰  “Whether it is right before God to obey ²³¹  you rather than God, you decide, 4:20 for it is impossible ²³²  for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ²³³  God for what had happened. 4:22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign ²³⁴  of healing had been performed, ²³⁵  was over forty years old.

4:23 When they were released, Peter and John ²³⁶  went to their fellow believers ²³⁷  and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind ²³⁸  and said, “Master of all, ²³⁹  you who made the heaven, the earth, ²⁴⁰  the sea, and everything that is in them, 4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through ²⁴¹  your servant David our forefather, ²⁴² 

‘Why do the nations ²⁴³  rage, ²⁴⁴ 

and the peoples plot foolish ²⁴⁵  things?

4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, ²⁴⁶ 

and the rulers assembled together,

against the Lord and against his ²⁴⁷  Christ.’ ²⁴⁸ 

4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against ²⁴⁹  your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, ²⁵⁰  4:28 to do as much as your power ²⁵¹  and your plan ²⁵²  had decided beforehand ²⁵³  would happen. 4:29 And now, Lord, pay attention to ²⁵⁴  their threats, and grant ²⁵⁵  to your servants ²⁵⁶  to speak your message ²⁵⁷  with great courage, ²⁵⁸  4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs ²⁵⁹  and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 4:31 When ²⁶⁰  they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, ²⁶¹  and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak ²⁶²  the word of God ²⁶³  courageously. ²⁶⁴ 

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ²⁶⁵  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ²⁶⁶  4:33 With ²⁶⁷  great power the apostles were giving testimony ²⁶⁸  to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 4:34 For there was no one needy ²⁶⁹  among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling ²⁷⁰  them ²⁷¹  and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds ²⁷²  were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), ²⁷³  4:37 sold ²⁷⁴  a field ²⁷⁵  that belonged to him and brought the money ²⁷⁶  and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He ²⁷⁷  kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought ²⁷⁸  only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled ²⁷⁹  your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of ²⁸⁰  the land? 5:4 Before it was sold, ²⁸¹  did it not ²⁸²  belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money ²⁸³  not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? ²⁸⁴  You have not lied to people ²⁸⁵  but to God!”

5:5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped ²⁸⁶  all who heard about it. 5:6 So the young men came, ²⁸⁷  wrapped him up, ²⁸⁸  carried him out, and buried ²⁸⁹  him. 5:7 After an interval of about three hours, ²⁹⁰  his wife came in, but she did not know ²⁹¹  what had happened. 5:8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you ²⁹²  paid this amount ²⁹³  for the land?” Sapphira ²⁹⁴  said, “Yes, that much.” 5:9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” 5:10 At once ²⁹⁵  she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 5:11 Great ²⁹⁶  fear gripped ²⁹⁷  the whole church ²⁹⁸  and all who heard about these things.

5:12 Now many miraculous signs ²⁹⁹  and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By ³⁰⁰  common consent ³⁰¹  they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. ³⁰²  5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, ³⁰³  but the people held them in high honor. ³⁰⁴  5:14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, ³⁰⁵  crowds of both men and women. 5:15 Thus ³⁰⁶  they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 5:16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem ³⁰⁷  also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. ³⁰⁸  They ³⁰⁹  were all ³¹⁰  being healed.

5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees ³¹¹ ), ³¹²  and they were filled with jealousy. ³¹³  5:18 They ³¹⁴  laid hands on ³¹⁵  the apostles and put them in a public jail. 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord ³¹⁶  opened ³¹⁷  the doors of the prison, ³¹⁸  led them out, ³¹⁹  and said, 5:20 “Go and stand in the temple courts ³²⁰  and proclaim ³²¹  to the people all the words of this life.” 5:21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts ³²²  at daybreak and began teaching. ³²³ 

Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin ³²⁴  – that is, the whole high council ³²⁵  of the Israelites ³²⁶  – and sent to the jail to have the apostles ³²⁷  brought before them. ³²⁸  5:22 But the officers ³²⁹  who came for them ³³⁰  did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, ³³¹  5:23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, ³³²  we found no one inside.” 5:24 Now when the commander ³³³  of the temple guard ³³⁴  and the chief priests heard this report, ³³⁵  they were greatly puzzled concerning it, ³³⁶  wondering what this could ³³⁷  be. 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts ³³⁸  and teaching ³³⁹  the people!” 5:26 Then the commander ³⁴⁰  of the temple guard ³⁴¹  went with the officers ³⁴²  and brought the apostles ³⁴³  without the use of force ³⁴⁴  (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). ³⁴⁵ 

5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, ³⁴⁶  and the high priest questioned ³⁴⁷  them, 5:28 saying, “We gave ³⁴⁸  you strict orders ³⁴⁹  not to teach in this name. ³⁵⁰  Look, ³⁵¹  you have filled Jerusalem ³⁵²  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ³⁵³  on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, ³⁵⁴  “We must obey ³⁵⁵  God rather than people. ³⁵⁶  5:30 The God of our forefathers ³⁵⁷  raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. ³⁵⁸  5:31 God exalted him ³⁵⁹  to his right hand as Leader ³⁶⁰  and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³⁶¹  5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, ³⁶²  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ³⁶³  him.”

5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious ³⁶⁴  and wanted to execute them. ³⁶⁵  5:34 But a Pharisee ³⁶⁶  whose name was Gamaliel, ³⁶⁷  a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up ³⁶⁸  in the council ³⁶⁹  and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 5:35 Then he said to the council, ³⁷⁰  “Men of Israel, ³⁷¹  pay close attention to ³⁷²  what you are about to do to these men. 5:36 For some time ago ³⁷³  Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He ³⁷⁴  was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. ³⁷⁵  5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, ³⁷⁶  and incited people to follow him in revolt. ³⁷⁷  He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 5:38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, ³⁷⁸  it will come to nothing, ³⁷⁹  5:39 but if ³⁸⁰  it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found ³⁸¹  fighting against God.” He convinced them, ³⁸²  5:40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. ³⁸³  Then ³⁸⁴  they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy ³⁸⁵  to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. ³⁸⁶  5:42 And every day both in the temple courts ³⁸⁷  and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news ³⁸⁸  that Jesus was the Christ. ³⁸⁹ 

6:1 Now in those ³⁹⁰  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ³⁹¹  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ³⁹²  against the native Hebraic Jews, ³⁹³  because their widows ³⁹⁴  were being overlooked ³⁹⁵  in the daily distribution of food. ³⁹⁶  6:2 So the twelve ³⁹⁷  called ³⁹⁸  the whole group ³⁹⁹  of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. ⁴⁰⁰  6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, ⁴⁰¹  seven ⁴⁰²  men who are well-attested, ⁴⁰³  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge ⁴⁰⁴  of this necessary task. ⁴⁰⁵  6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 6:5 The ⁴⁰⁶  proposal pleased the entire group, so ⁴⁰⁷  they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with ⁴⁰⁸  Philip, ⁴⁰⁹  Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism ⁴¹⁰  from Antioch. ⁴¹¹  6:6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed ⁴¹²  and placed ⁴¹³  their hands on them. 6:7 The word of God continued to spread, ⁴¹⁴  the number of disciples in Jerusalem ⁴¹⁵  increased greatly, and a large group ⁴¹⁶  of priests became obedient to the faith.

6:8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs ⁴¹⁷  among the people. 6:9 But some men from the Synagogue ⁴¹⁸  of the Freedmen (as it was called), ⁴¹⁹  both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, ⁴²⁰  stood up and argued with Stephen. 6:10 Yet ⁴²¹  they were not able to resist ⁴²²  the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 6:11 Then they secretly instigated ⁴²³  some men to say, “We have heard this man ⁴²⁴  speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 6:12 They incited the people, the ⁴²⁵  elders, and the experts in the law; ⁴²⁶  then they approached Stephen, ⁴²⁷  seized him, and brought him before the council. ⁴²⁸  6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place ⁴²⁹  and the law. ⁴³⁰  6:14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs ⁴³¹  that Moses handed down to us.” 6:15 All ⁴³²  who were sitting in the council ⁴³³  looked intently at Stephen ⁴³⁴  and saw his face was like the face of an angel. ⁴³⁵ 

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” ⁴³⁶  7:2 So he replied, ⁴³⁷  “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather ⁴³⁸  Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ ⁴³⁹  7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God ⁴⁴⁰  made him move ⁴⁴¹  to this country where you now live. 7:5 He ⁴⁴²  did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, ⁴⁴³  not even a foot of ground, ⁴⁴⁴  yet God ⁴⁴⁵  promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, ⁴⁴⁶  even though Abraham ⁴⁴⁷  as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your ⁴⁴⁸  descendants will be foreigners ⁴⁴⁹  in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. ⁴⁵⁰  7:7 But I will punish ⁴⁵¹  the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there ⁴⁵²  and worship ⁴⁵³  me in this place.’ ⁴⁵⁴  7:8 Then God ⁴⁵⁵  gave Abraham ⁴⁵⁶  the covenant ⁴⁵⁷  of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, ⁴⁵⁸  and Isaac became the father of ⁴⁵⁹  Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. ⁴⁶⁰  7:9 The ⁴⁶¹  patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold ⁴⁶²  him into Egypt. But ⁴⁶³  God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made ⁴⁶⁴  him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout ⁴⁶⁵  Egypt and Canaan, causing ⁴⁶⁶  great suffering, and our ⁴⁶⁷  ancestors ⁴⁶⁸  could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain ⁴⁶⁹  in Egypt, he sent our ancestors ⁴⁷⁰  there ⁴⁷¹  the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family ⁴⁷²  became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message ⁴⁷³  and invited ⁴⁷⁴  his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people ⁴⁷⁵  in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, ⁴⁷⁶  along with our ancestors, ⁴⁷⁷  7:16 and their bones ⁴⁷⁸  were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money ⁴⁷⁹  from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, ⁴⁸⁰  the people increased greatly in number ⁴⁸¹  in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about ⁴⁸²  Joseph ruled ⁴⁸³  over Egypt. ⁴⁸⁴  7:19 This was the one who exploited ⁴⁸⁵  our people ⁴⁸⁶  and was cruel to our ancestors, ⁴⁸⁷  forcing them to abandon ⁴⁸⁸  their infants so they would die. ⁴⁸⁹  7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful ⁴⁹⁰  to God. For ⁴⁹¹  three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, ⁴⁹²  Pharaoh’s daughter adopted ⁴⁹³  him and brought him up ⁴⁹⁴  as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained ⁴⁹⁵  in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful ⁴⁹⁶  in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind ⁴⁹⁷  to visit his fellow countrymen ⁴⁹⁸  the Israelites. ⁴⁹⁹  7:24 When ⁵⁰⁰  he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, ⁵⁰¹  Moses ⁵⁰²  came to his defense ⁵⁰³  and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people ⁵⁰⁴  would understand that God was delivering them ⁵⁰⁵  through him, ⁵⁰⁶  but they did not understand. ⁵⁰⁷  7:26 The next day Moses ⁵⁰⁸  saw two men ⁵⁰⁹  fighting, and tried to make peace between ⁵¹⁰  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed ⁵¹¹  Moses ⁵¹²  aside, saying, ‘Who made ⁵¹³  you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ ⁵¹⁴  7:29 When the man said this, ⁵¹⁵  Moses fled and became a foreigner ⁵¹⁶  in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

7:30 “After ⁵¹⁷  forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert ⁵¹⁸  of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ⁵¹⁹  7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, ⁵²⁰  the God of Abraham, Isaac, ⁵²¹  and Jacob.’ ⁵²²  Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. ⁵²³  7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ⁵²⁴  7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering ⁵²⁵  of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. ⁵²⁶  Now ⁵²⁷  come, I will send you to Egypt.’ ⁵²⁸  7:35 This same ⁵²⁹  Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ ⁵³⁰  God sent as both ruler and deliverer ⁵³¹  through the hand of the angel ⁵³²  who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs ⁵³³  in the land of Egypt, ⁵³⁴  at ⁵³⁵  the Red Sea, and in the wilderness ⁵³⁶  for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ⁵³⁷  ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ ⁵³⁸  7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation ⁵³⁹  in the wilderness ⁵⁴⁰  with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, ⁵⁴¹  and he ⁵⁴²  received living oracles ⁵⁴³  to give to you. ⁵⁴⁴  7:39 Our ⁵⁴⁵  ancestors ⁵⁴⁶  were unwilling to obey ⁵⁴⁷  him, but pushed him aside ⁵⁴⁸  and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt ⁵⁴⁹  – we do not know what has happened to him!’ ⁵⁵⁰  7:41 At ⁵⁵¹  that time ⁵⁵²  they made an idol in the form of a calf, ⁵⁵³  brought ⁵⁵⁴  a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing ⁵⁵⁵  in the works of their hands. ⁵⁵⁶  7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over ⁵⁵⁷  to worship the host ⁵⁵⁸  of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices ⁵⁵⁹  forty years in the wilderness, was it, ⁵⁶⁰  house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle ⁵⁶¹  of Moloch ⁵⁶²  and the star of the ⁵⁶³  god Rephan, ⁵⁶⁴  the images you made to worship, but I will deport ⁵⁶⁵  you beyond Babylon.’ ⁵⁶⁶  7:44 Our ancestors ⁵⁶⁷  had the tabernacle ⁵⁶⁸  of testimony in the wilderness, ⁵⁶⁹  just as God ⁵⁷⁰  who spoke to Moses ordered him ⁵⁷¹  to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our ⁵⁷²  ancestors ⁵⁷³  received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, ⁵⁷⁴  until the time ⁵⁷⁵  of David. 7:46 He ⁵⁷⁶  found favor ⁵⁷⁷  with ⁵⁷⁸  God and asked that he could ⁵⁷⁹  find a dwelling place ⁵⁸⁰  for the house ⁵⁸¹  of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house ⁵⁸²  for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High ⁵⁸³  does not live in houses made by human hands, ⁵⁸⁴  as the prophet says,

7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is my resting place? ⁵⁸⁵ 

7:50 Did my hand ⁵⁸⁶  not make all these things?’ ⁵⁸⁷ 

7:51 “You stubborn ⁵⁸⁸  people, with uncircumcised ⁵⁸⁹  hearts and ears! ⁵⁹⁰  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ⁵⁹¹  did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ⁵⁹²  not persecute? ⁵⁹³  They ⁵⁹⁴  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ⁵⁹⁵  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ⁵⁹⁶  7:53 You ⁵⁹⁷  received the law by decrees given by angels, ⁵⁹⁸  but you did not obey ⁵⁹⁹  it.” ⁶⁰⁰ 

7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious ⁶⁰¹  and ground their teeth ⁶⁰²  at him. 7:55 But Stephen, ⁶⁰³  full ⁶⁰⁴  of the Holy Spirit, looked intently ⁶⁰⁵  toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing ⁶⁰⁶  at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. ⁶⁰⁷  “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, ⁶⁰⁸  shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When ⁶⁰⁹  they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, ⁶¹⁰  and the witnesses laid their cloaks ⁶¹¹  at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They ⁶¹²  continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell ⁶¹³  to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” ⁶¹⁴  When ⁶¹⁵  he had said this, he died. ⁶¹⁶  8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ⁶¹⁷  him.

Now on that day a great ⁶¹⁸  persecution began ⁶¹⁹  against the church in Jerusalem, ⁶²⁰  and all ⁶²¹  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ⁶²²  of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some ⁶²³  devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation ⁶²⁴  over him. ⁶²⁵  8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ⁶²⁶  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ⁶²⁷  both men and women and put them in prison. ⁶²⁸ 

8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria ⁶²⁹  and began proclaiming ⁶³⁰  the Christ ⁶³¹  to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, ⁶³²  as they heard and saw the miraculous signs ⁶³³  he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, ⁶³⁴  crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, ⁶³⁵  and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was ⁶³⁶  great joy ⁶³⁷  in that city.

8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic ⁶³⁸  and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, ⁶³⁹  from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” ⁶⁴⁰  8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God ⁶⁴¹  and the name of Jesus Christ, ⁶⁴²  they began to be baptized, ⁶⁴³  both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to ⁶⁴⁴  Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. ⁶⁴⁵ 

8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem ⁶⁴⁶  heard that Samaria had accepted the word ⁶⁴⁷  of God, they sent ⁶⁴⁸  Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two ⁶⁴⁹  went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit ⁶⁵⁰  had not yet come upon ⁶⁵¹  any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ⁶⁵²  8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, ⁶⁵³  and they received the Holy Spirit. ⁶⁵⁴ 

8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit ⁶⁵⁵  was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power ⁶⁵⁶  too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ⁶⁵⁷  because you thought you could acquire ⁶⁵⁸  God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part ⁶⁵⁹  in this matter ⁶⁶⁰  because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord ⁶⁶¹  that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. ⁶⁶²  8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious ⁶⁶³  and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, ⁶⁶⁴  “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to ⁶⁶⁵  me.”

8:25 So after Peter and John ⁶⁶⁶  had solemnly testified ⁶⁶⁷  and spoken the word of the Lord, ⁶⁶⁸  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ⁶⁶⁹  the good news to many Samaritan villages ⁶⁷⁰  as they went. ⁶⁷¹ 

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord ⁶⁷²  said to Philip, ⁶⁷³  “Get up and go south ⁶⁷⁴  on the road that goes down from Jerusalem ⁶⁷⁵  to Gaza.” (This is a desert ⁶⁷⁶  road.) ⁶⁷⁷  8:27 So ⁶⁷⁸  he got up ⁶⁷⁹  and went. There ⁶⁸⁰  he met ⁶⁸¹  an Ethiopian eunuch, ⁶⁸²  a court official of Candace, ⁶⁸³  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ⁶⁸⁴  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ⁶⁸⁵  8:28 and was returning home, sitting ⁶⁸⁶  in his chariot, reading ⁶⁸⁷  the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up ⁶⁸⁸  to it ⁶⁸⁹  and heard the man ⁶⁹⁰  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ⁶⁹¹  asked him, ⁶⁹²  “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man ⁶⁹³  replied, “How in the world can I, ⁶⁹⁴  unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man ⁶⁹⁵  was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did ⁶⁹⁶  not open his mouth.

8:33 In humiliation ⁶⁹⁷  justice was taken from him. ⁶⁹⁸ 

Who can describe his posterity? ⁶⁹⁹ 

For his life was taken away ⁷⁰⁰  from the earth.” ⁷⁰¹ 

8:34 Then the eunuch said ⁷⁰²  to Philip, “Please tell me, ⁷⁰³  who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” ⁷⁰⁴  8:35 So Philip started speaking, ⁷⁰⁵  and beginning with this scripture ⁷⁰⁶  proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ⁷⁰⁷  from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] ⁷⁰⁸  8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, ⁷⁰⁹  and Philip baptized ⁷¹⁰  him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ⁷¹¹  went on his way rejoicing. ⁷¹²  8:40 Philip, however, found himself ⁷¹³  at Azotus, ⁷¹⁴  and as he passed through the area, ⁷¹⁵  he proclaimed the good news ⁷¹⁶  to all the towns ⁷¹⁷  until he came to Caesarea. ⁷¹⁸ 

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ⁷¹⁹  to murder ⁷²⁰  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ⁷²¹  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁷²²  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁷²³  to Jerusalem. ⁷²⁴  9:3 As he was going along, approaching ⁷²⁵  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ⁷²⁶  around him. 9:4 He ⁷²⁷  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ⁷²⁸  why are you persecuting me?” ⁷²⁹  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up ⁷³⁰  and enter the city and you will be told ⁷³¹  what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men ⁷³²  who were traveling with him stood there speechless, ⁷³³  because they heard the voice but saw no one.) ⁷³⁴  9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ⁷³⁵  he could see nothing. ⁷³⁶  Leading him by the hand, his companions ⁷³⁷  brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For ⁷³⁸  three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. ⁷³⁹ 

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ⁷⁴⁰  Lord ⁷⁴¹  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ⁷⁴²  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ⁷⁴³  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision ⁷⁴⁴  a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, ⁷⁴⁵  “Lord, I have heard from many people ⁷⁴⁶  about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison ⁷⁴⁷  all who call on your name!” ⁷⁴⁸  9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ⁷⁴⁹  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ⁷⁵⁰  9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ⁷⁵¹  9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed ⁷⁵²  his hands on Saul ⁷⁵³  and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, ⁷⁵⁴  has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ⁷⁵⁵  9:18 Immediately ⁷⁵⁶  something like scales ⁷⁵⁷  fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He ⁷⁵⁸  got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days ⁷⁵⁹  he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, ⁷⁶⁰  saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ⁷⁶¹  9:21 All ⁷⁶²  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ⁷⁶³  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ⁷⁶⁴  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ⁷⁶⁵  to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ⁷⁶⁶  and was causing consternation ⁷⁶⁷  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ⁷⁶⁸  that Jesus ⁷⁶⁹  is the Christ. ⁷⁷⁰ 

9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted ⁷⁷¹  together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. ⁷⁷²  They were also watching ⁷⁷³  the city gates ⁷⁷⁴  day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening ⁷⁷⁵  in the wall by lowering him in a basket. ⁷⁷⁶ 

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ⁷⁷⁷  he attempted to associate ⁷⁷⁸  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ⁷⁷⁹  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ⁷⁸⁰  Saul, ⁷⁸¹  brought ⁷⁸²  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ⁷⁸³  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ⁷⁸⁴  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ⁷⁸⁵  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ⁷⁸⁶  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ⁷⁸⁷  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ⁷⁸⁸  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ⁷⁸⁹  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ⁷⁹⁰  and Samaria experienced ⁷⁹¹  peace and thus was strengthened. ⁷⁹²  Living ⁷⁹³  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ⁷⁹⁴  increased in numbers.

9:32 Now ⁷⁹⁵  as Peter was traveling around from place to place, ⁷⁹⁶  he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ⁷⁹⁷  9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because ⁷⁹⁸  he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter ⁷⁹⁹  said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ ⁸⁰⁰  heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” ⁸⁰¹  And immediately he got up. 9:35 All ⁸⁰²  those who lived in Lydda ⁸⁰³  and Sharon ⁸⁰⁴  saw him, and they ⁸⁰⁵  turned ⁸⁰⁶  to the Lord.

9:36 Now in Joppa ⁸⁰⁷  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ⁸⁰⁸  Dorcas). ⁸⁰⁹  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ⁸¹⁰  9:37 At that time ⁸¹¹  she became sick ⁸¹²  and died. When they had washed ⁸¹³  her body, ⁸¹⁴  they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda ⁸¹⁵  was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” ⁸¹⁶  9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ⁸¹⁷  when he arrived ⁸¹⁸  they brought him to the upper room. All ⁸¹⁹  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ⁸²⁰  the tunics ⁸²¹  and other clothing ⁸²²  Dorcas used to make ⁸²³  while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, ⁸²⁴  knelt down, ⁸²⁵  and prayed. Turning ⁸²⁶  to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁸²⁷  9:41 He gave ⁸²⁸  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ⁸²⁹  the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all ⁸³⁰  Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁸³¹  9:43 So ⁸³²  Peter ⁸³³  stayed many days in Joppa with a man named ⁸³⁴  Simon, a tanner. ⁸³⁵ 

10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ⁸³⁶  named Cornelius, a centurion ⁸³⁷  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ⁸³⁸  10:2 He ⁸³⁹  was a devout, God-fearing man, ⁸⁴⁰  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ⁸⁴¹  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ⁸⁴²  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ⁸⁴³  who came in ⁸⁴⁴  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ⁸⁴⁵  replied, ⁸⁴⁶  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ⁸⁴⁷  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ⁸⁴⁸  have gone up as a memorial ⁸⁴⁹  before God. 10:5 Now ⁸⁵⁰  send men to Joppa ⁸⁵¹  and summon a man named Simon, ⁸⁵²  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ⁸⁵³  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ⁸⁵⁴  called two of his personal servants ⁸⁵⁵  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ⁸⁵⁶  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ⁸⁵⁷  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ⁸⁵⁸  the city, Peter went up on the roof ⁸⁵⁹  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ⁸⁶⁰  10:11 He ⁸⁶¹  saw heaven ⁸⁶²  opened ⁸⁶³  and an object something like a large sheet ⁸⁶⁴  descending, ⁸⁶⁵  being let down to earth ⁸⁶⁶  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ⁸⁶⁷  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ⁸⁶⁸  of the earth and wild birds. ⁸⁶⁹  10:13 Then ⁸⁷⁰  a voice said ⁸⁷¹  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁸⁷²  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ⁸⁷³  10:15 The voice ⁸⁷⁴  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁸⁷⁵  ritually unclean!” ⁸⁷⁶  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ⁸⁷⁷ 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ⁸⁷⁸  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ⁸⁷⁹  and approached ⁸⁸⁰  the gate. 10:18 They ⁸⁸¹  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ⁸⁸²  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ⁸⁸³  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ⁸⁸⁴  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ⁸⁸⁵  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ⁸⁸⁶  to the men and said, “Here I am, ⁸⁸⁷  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ⁸⁸⁸  a righteous ⁸⁸⁹  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ⁸⁹⁰  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ⁸⁹¹  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ⁸⁹²  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ⁸⁹³  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ⁸⁹⁴  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ⁸⁹⁵  he entered Caesarea. ⁸⁹⁶  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ⁸⁹⁷  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ⁸⁹⁸  Peter came in, Cornelius met ⁸⁹⁹  him, fell ⁹⁰⁰  at his feet, and worshiped ⁹⁰¹  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ⁹⁰²  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ⁹⁰³  10:27 Peter ⁹⁰⁴  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ⁹⁰⁵  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ⁹⁰⁶  it is unlawful ⁹⁰⁷  for a Jew ⁹⁰⁸  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ⁹⁰⁹  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ⁹¹⁰  defiled or ritually unclean. ⁹¹¹  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ⁹¹²  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ⁹¹³  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ⁹¹⁴  replied, ⁹¹⁵  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ⁹¹⁶  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ⁹¹⁷  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ⁹¹⁸  have been remembered before God. ⁹¹⁹  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ⁹²⁰  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ⁹²¹  So now we are all here in the presence of God ⁹²²  to listen ⁹²³  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ⁹²⁴ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ⁹²⁵  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ⁹²⁶  10:35 but in every nation ⁹²⁷  the person who fears him ⁹²⁸  and does what is right ⁹²⁹  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ⁹³⁰  the message ⁹³¹  he sent to the people ⁹³²  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ⁹³³  through ⁹³⁴  Jesus Christ ⁹³⁵  (he is Lord ⁹³⁶  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ⁹³⁷  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ⁹³⁸  that ⁹³⁹  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ⁹⁴⁰  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ⁹⁴¹  because God was with him. ⁹⁴²  10:39 We ⁹⁴³  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ⁹⁴⁴  and in Jerusalem. ⁹⁴⁵  They ⁹⁴⁶  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁹⁴⁷  10:40 but ⁹⁴⁸  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ⁹⁴⁹  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ⁹⁵⁰  who ate and drank ⁹⁵¹  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ⁹⁵²  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ⁹⁵³  them ⁹⁵⁴  that he is the one ⁹⁵⁵  appointed ⁹⁵⁶  by God as judge ⁹⁵⁷  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ⁹⁵⁸  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ⁹⁵⁹  through his name.”

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁹⁶⁰  all those who heard the message. ⁹⁶¹  10:45 The ⁹⁶²  circumcised believers ⁹⁶³  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ⁹⁶⁴  that ⁹⁶⁵  the gift of the Holy Spirit ⁹⁶⁶  had been poured out ⁹⁶⁷  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ⁹⁶⁸  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ⁹⁶⁹  can he?” ⁹⁷⁰  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ⁹⁷¹  in the name of Jesus Christ. ⁹⁷²  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ⁹⁷³  the word of God. ⁹⁷⁴  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ⁹⁷⁵  the circumcised believers ⁹⁷⁶  took issue with ⁹⁷⁷  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ⁹⁷⁸  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ⁹⁷⁹  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ⁹⁸⁰  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ⁹⁸¹  an object something like a large sheet descending, ⁹⁸²  being let down from heaven ⁹⁸³  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ⁹⁸⁴  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ⁹⁸⁵  and wild birds. ⁹⁸⁶  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁹⁸⁷  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ⁹⁸⁸  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁹⁸⁹  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ⁹⁹⁰  three men sent to me from Caesarea ⁹⁹¹  approached ⁹⁹²  the house where we were staying. ⁹⁹³  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ⁹⁹⁴  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ⁹⁹⁵  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁹⁹⁶  them just as he did ⁹⁹⁷  on us at the beginning. ⁹⁹⁸  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ⁹⁹⁹  as he used to say, ¹⁰⁰⁰  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁰⁰¹  11:17 Therefore if God ¹⁰⁰²  gave them the same gift ¹⁰⁰³  as he also gave us after believing ¹⁰⁰⁴  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰⁰⁵  who was I to hinder ¹⁰⁰⁶  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ¹⁰⁰⁷  they ceased their objections ¹⁰⁰⁸  and praised ¹⁰⁰⁹  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ¹⁰¹⁰  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ¹⁰¹¹ 

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ¹⁰¹²  went as far as ¹⁰¹³  Phoenicia, ¹⁰¹⁴  Cyprus, ¹⁰¹⁵  and Antioch, ¹⁰¹⁶  speaking the message ¹⁰¹⁷  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ¹⁰¹⁸  and Cyrene ¹⁰¹⁹  among them who came ¹⁰²⁰  to Antioch ¹⁰²¹  and began to speak to the Greeks ¹⁰²²  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ¹⁰²³  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ¹⁰²⁴  turned ¹⁰²⁵  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ¹⁰²⁶  about them came to the attention ¹⁰²⁷  of the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁰²⁸  and they sent Barnabas ¹⁰²⁹  to Antioch. ¹⁰³⁰  11:23 When ¹⁰³¹  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ¹⁰³²  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ¹⁰³³  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ¹⁰³⁴  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. ¹⁰³⁵  So ¹⁰³⁶  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ¹⁰³⁷  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ¹⁰³⁸  Now it was in Antioch ¹⁰³⁹  that the disciples were first called Christians. ¹⁰⁴⁰ 

11:27 At that time ¹⁰⁴¹  some ¹⁰⁴²  prophets ¹⁰⁴³  came down ¹⁰⁴⁴  from Jerusalem ¹⁰⁴⁵  to Antioch. ¹⁰⁴⁶  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ¹⁰⁴⁷  and predicted ¹⁰⁴⁸  by the Spirit that a severe ¹⁰⁴⁹  famine ¹⁰⁵⁰  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ¹⁰⁵¹  (This ¹⁰⁵²  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ¹⁰⁵³  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ¹⁰⁵⁴  decided ¹⁰⁵⁵  to send relief ¹⁰⁵⁶  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ¹⁰⁵⁷  sending their financial aid ¹⁰⁵⁸  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

12:1 About that time King Herod ¹⁰⁵⁹  laid hands on ¹⁰⁶⁰  some from the church to harm them. ¹⁰⁶¹  12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ¹⁰⁶²  12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ¹⁰⁶³  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ¹⁰⁶⁴  12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ¹⁰⁶⁵  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ¹⁰⁶⁶  planned ¹⁰⁶⁷  to bring him out for public trial ¹⁰⁶⁸  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ¹⁰⁶⁹  praying to God for him. ¹⁰⁷⁰  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ¹⁰⁷¹  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ¹⁰⁷²  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ¹⁰⁷³  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ¹⁰⁷⁴  an angel of the Lord ¹⁰⁷⁵  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ¹⁰⁷⁶  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ¹⁰⁷⁷  wrists. ¹⁰⁷⁸  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ¹⁰⁷⁹  and put on your sandals.” Peter ¹⁰⁸⁰  did so. Then the angel ¹⁰⁸¹  said to him, “Put on your cloak ¹⁰⁸²  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ¹⁰⁸³  went out ¹⁰⁸⁴  and followed him; ¹⁰⁸⁵  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ¹⁰⁸⁶  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ¹⁰⁸⁷  they came to the iron ¹⁰⁸⁸  gate leading into the city. It ¹⁰⁸⁹  opened for them by itself, ¹⁰⁹⁰  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ¹⁰⁹¹  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ¹⁰⁹²  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ¹⁰⁹³  me from the hand ¹⁰⁹⁴  of Herod ¹⁰⁹⁵  and from everything the Jewish people ¹⁰⁹⁶  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ¹⁰⁹⁷  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ¹⁰⁹⁸  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. ¹⁰⁹⁹  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ¹¹⁰⁰  them ¹¹⁰¹  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ¹¹⁰²  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ¹¹⁰³  and they kept saying, ¹¹⁰⁴  “It is his angel!” ¹¹⁰⁵  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ¹¹⁰⁶  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ¹¹⁰⁷  12:17 He motioned to them ¹¹⁰⁸  with his hand to be quiet and then related ¹¹⁰⁹  how the Lord had brought ¹¹¹⁰  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ¹¹¹¹ 

12:18 At daybreak ¹¹¹²  there was great consternation ¹¹¹³  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ¹¹¹⁴  had searched ¹¹¹⁵  for him and did not find him, he questioned ¹¹¹⁶  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ¹¹¹⁷  Then ¹¹¹⁸  Herod ¹¹¹⁹  went down from Judea to Caesarea ¹¹²⁰  and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod ¹¹²¹  was having an angry quarrel ¹¹²²  with the people of Tyre ¹¹²³  and Sidon. ¹¹²⁴  So they joined together ¹¹²⁵  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ¹¹²⁶  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ¹¹²⁷  to help them, ¹¹²⁸  they asked for peace, ¹¹²⁹  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ¹¹³⁰  put on his royal robes, ¹¹³¹  sat down on the judgment seat, ¹¹³²  and made a speech ¹¹³³  to them. 12:22 But the crowd ¹¹³⁴  began to shout, ¹¹³⁵  “The voice of a god, ¹¹³⁶  and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord ¹¹³⁷  struck ¹¹³⁸  Herod ¹¹³⁹  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ¹¹⁴⁰  12:24 But the word of God ¹¹⁴¹  kept on increasing ¹¹⁴²  and multiplying.

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ¹¹⁴³  Jerusalem ¹¹⁴⁴  when they had completed ¹¹⁴⁵  their mission, ¹¹⁴⁶  bringing along with them John Mark. ¹¹⁴⁷ 

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ¹¹⁴⁸  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ¹¹⁴⁹  Lucius the Cyrenian, ¹¹⁵⁰  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ¹¹⁵¹  the tetrarch ¹¹⁵²  from childhood ¹¹⁵³ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ¹¹⁵⁴  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ¹¹⁵⁵  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ¹¹⁵⁶  and ¹¹⁵⁷  prayed and placed their hands ¹¹⁵⁸  on them, they sent them off.

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ¹¹⁵⁹  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ¹¹⁶⁰  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ¹¹⁶¹  13:5 When ¹¹⁶²  they arrived ¹¹⁶³  in Salamis, ¹¹⁶⁴  they began to proclaim ¹¹⁶⁵  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ¹¹⁶⁶  (Now they also had John ¹¹⁶⁷  as their assistant.) ¹¹⁶⁸  13:6 When they had crossed over ¹¹⁶⁹  the whole island as far as Paphos, ¹¹⁷⁰  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ¹¹⁷¹  13:7 who was with the proconsul ¹¹⁷²  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ¹¹⁷³  summoned ¹¹⁷⁴  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ¹¹⁷⁵  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ¹¹⁷⁶  (for that is the way his name is translated) ¹¹⁷⁷  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ¹¹⁷⁸  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ¹¹⁷⁹  filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹¹⁸⁰  stared straight ¹¹⁸¹  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ¹¹⁸²  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹⁸³  13:11 Now ¹¹⁸⁴  look, the hand of the Lord is against ¹¹⁸⁵  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ¹¹⁸⁶  and darkness came over ¹¹⁸⁷  him, and he went around seeking people ¹¹⁸⁸  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ¹¹⁸⁹  saw what had happened, he believed, ¹¹⁹⁰  because he was greatly astounded ¹¹⁹¹  at the teaching about ¹¹⁹²  the Lord.

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ¹¹⁹³  from Paphos ¹¹⁹⁴  and came to Perga ¹¹⁹⁵  in Pamphylia, ¹¹⁹⁶  but John ¹¹⁹⁷  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹¹⁹⁸  13:14 Moving on from ¹¹⁹⁹  Perga, ¹²⁰⁰  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ¹²⁰¹  and on the Sabbath day they went into ¹²⁰²  the synagogue ¹²⁰³  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ¹²⁰⁴  the leaders of the synagogue ¹²⁰⁵  sent them a message, ¹²⁰⁶  saying, “Brothers, ¹²⁰⁷  if you have any message ¹²⁰⁸  of exhortation ¹²⁰⁹  for the people, speak it.” ¹²¹⁰  13:16 So Paul stood up, ¹²¹¹  gestured ¹²¹²  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ¹²¹³  and you Gentiles who fear God, ¹²¹⁴  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ¹²¹⁵  chose our ancestors ¹²¹⁶  and made the people great ¹²¹⁷  during their stay as foreigners ¹²¹⁸  in the country ¹²¹⁹  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ¹²²⁰  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ¹²²¹  a period of about forty years he put up with ¹²²²  them in the wilderness. ¹²²³  13:19 After ¹²²⁴  he had destroyed ¹²²⁵  seven nations ¹²²⁶  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ¹²²⁷  13:20 All this took ¹²²⁸  about four hundred fifty years. After this ¹²²⁹  he gave them judges until the time of ¹²³⁰  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 ¹²³¹  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ¹²³²  raised up ¹²³³  David their king. He testified about him: ¹²³⁴  ‘I have found David ¹²³⁵  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ¹²³⁶  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ¹²³⁷  13:23 From the descendants ¹²³⁸  of this man ¹²³⁹  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ¹²⁴⁰  13:24 Before ¹²⁴¹  Jesus ¹²⁴²  arrived, John ¹²⁴³  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ¹²⁴⁴  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ¹²⁴⁵  he said repeatedly, ¹²⁴⁶  ‘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!’ ¹²⁴⁷  13:26 Brothers, ¹²⁴⁸  descendants ¹²⁴⁹  of Abraham’s family, ¹²⁵⁰  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ¹²⁵¹  the message ¹²⁵²  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ¹²⁵³  him, ¹²⁵⁴  and they fulfilled the sayings ¹²⁵⁵  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ¹²⁵⁶  him. ¹²⁵⁷  13:28 Though ¹²⁵⁸  they found ¹²⁵⁹  no basis ¹²⁶⁰  for a death sentence, ¹²⁶¹  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ¹²⁶²  everything that was written ¹²⁶³  about him, they took him down ¹²⁶⁴  from the cross ¹²⁶⁵  and placed him ¹²⁶⁶  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ¹²⁶⁷  him from the dead, 13:31 and ¹²⁶⁸  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ¹²⁶⁹  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ¹²⁷⁰  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹²⁷¹  13:33 that this promise ¹²⁷²  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ¹²⁷³  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ¹²⁷⁴  today I have fathered you.’ ¹²⁷⁵  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ¹²⁷⁶  from the dead, never ¹²⁷⁷  again to be ¹²⁷⁸  in a state of decay, God ¹²⁷⁹  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ¹²⁸⁰  the holy and trustworthy promises ¹²⁸¹  made to David.’ ¹²⁸²  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ¹²⁸³  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ¹²⁸⁴  to experience ¹²⁸⁵  decay.’ ¹²⁸⁶  13:36 For David, after he had served ¹²⁸⁷  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ¹²⁸⁸  was buried with his ancestors, ¹²⁸⁹  and experienced ¹²⁹⁰  decay, 13:37 but the one ¹²⁹¹  whom God raised up did not experience ¹²⁹²  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ¹²⁹³  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ¹²⁹⁴  everyone who believes is justified ¹²⁹⁵  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ¹²⁹⁶  you. ¹²⁹⁷  13:40 Watch out, ¹²⁹⁸  then, that what is spoken about by ¹²⁹⁹  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ¹³⁰⁰ 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ¹³⁰¹ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ¹³⁰²  were going out, ¹³⁰³  the people ¹³⁰⁴  were urging ¹³⁰⁵  them to speak about these things ¹³⁰⁶  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ¹³⁰⁷  had broken up, ¹³⁰⁸  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ¹³⁰⁹  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ¹³¹⁰  them ¹³¹¹  to continue ¹³¹²  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ¹³¹³  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹³¹⁴  and they began to contradict ¹³¹⁵  what Paul was saying ¹³¹⁶  by reviling him. ¹³¹⁷  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ¹³¹⁸  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ¹³¹⁹  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ¹³²⁰  of eternal life, we ¹³²¹  are turning to the Gentiles. ¹³²²  13:47 For this ¹³²³  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ¹³²⁴  you to be a light ¹³²⁵  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ¹³²⁶  to the ends of the earth.’” ¹³²⁷  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹³²⁸  and praise ¹³²⁹  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ¹³³⁰  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ¹³³¹  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ¹³³²  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 ¹³³³  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ¹³³⁴  the dust off their feet ¹³³⁵  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ¹³³⁶  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ¹³³⁷  and with the Holy Spirit.

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ¹³³⁸  when Paul and Barnabas ¹³³⁹  went into the Jewish synagogue ¹³⁴⁰  and spoke in such a way that a large group ¹³⁴¹  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ¹³⁴²  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ¹³⁴³  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ¹³⁴⁴  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ¹³⁴⁵  to the message ¹³⁴⁶  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ¹³⁴⁷  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ¹³⁴⁸  of the city was divided; some ¹³⁴⁹  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ¹³⁵⁰  an attempt to mistreat ¹³⁵¹  them and stone them, ¹³⁵²  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ¹³⁵³  learned about it ¹³⁵⁴  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ¹³⁵⁵  and Derbe ¹³⁵⁶  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ¹³⁵⁷  they continued to proclaim ¹³⁵⁸  the good news.

14:8 In ¹³⁵⁹  Lystra ¹³⁶⁰  sat a man who could not use his feet, ¹³⁶¹  lame from birth, ¹³⁶²  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ¹³⁶³  stared ¹³⁶⁴  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ¹³⁶⁵  And the man ¹³⁶⁶  leaped up and began walking. ¹³⁶⁷  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ¹³⁶⁸  in the Lycaonian language, ¹³⁶⁹  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ¹³⁷⁰  14:12 They began to call ¹³⁷¹  Barnabas Zeus ¹³⁷²  and Paul Hermes, ¹³⁷³  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ¹³⁷⁴  of Zeus, ¹³⁷⁵  located just outside the city, brought bulls ¹³⁷⁶  and garlands ¹³⁷⁷  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ¹³⁷⁸  14:14 But when the apostles ¹³⁷⁹  Barnabas and Paul heard about ¹³⁸⁰  it, they tore ¹³⁸¹  their clothes and rushed out ¹³⁸²  into the crowd, shouting, ¹³⁸³  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ¹³⁸⁴  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ¹³⁸⁵  from these worthless ¹³⁸⁶  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ¹³⁸⁷  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ¹³⁸⁸  past ¹³⁸⁹  generations he allowed all the nations ¹³⁹⁰  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ¹³⁹¹  by giving you rain from heaven ¹³⁹²  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ¹³⁹³  with food and your hearts with joy.” ¹³⁹⁴  14:18 Even by saying ¹³⁹⁵  these things, they scarcely persuaded ¹³⁹⁶  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ¹³⁹⁷  and Iconium, ¹³⁹⁸  and after winning ¹³⁹⁹  the crowds over, they stoned ¹⁴⁰⁰  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 ¹⁴⁰¹  into the city. On ¹⁴⁰²  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ¹⁴⁰³ 

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, ¹⁴⁰⁴  to Iconium, ¹⁴⁰⁵  and to Antioch. ¹⁴⁰⁶  14:22 They strengthened ¹⁴⁰⁷  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ¹⁴⁰⁸  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ¹⁴⁰⁹  of God through many persecutions.” ¹⁴¹⁰  14:23 When they had appointed elders ¹⁴¹¹  for them in the various churches, ¹⁴¹²  with prayer and fasting ¹⁴¹³  they entrusted them to the protection ¹⁴¹⁴  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ¹⁴¹⁵  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ¹⁴¹⁶  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ¹⁴¹⁷  in Perga, ¹⁴¹⁸  they went down to Attalia. ¹⁴¹⁹  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ¹⁴²⁰  where they had been commended ¹⁴²¹  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ¹⁴²²  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ¹⁴²³  all the things God ¹⁴²⁴  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ¹⁴²⁵  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ¹⁴²⁶  considerable ¹⁴²⁷  time with the disciples.

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ¹⁴²⁸  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ¹⁴²⁹  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ¹⁴³⁰  with them, the church ¹⁴³¹  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ¹⁴³²  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ¹⁴³³  about this point of disagreement. ¹⁴³⁴  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ¹⁴³⁵  and Samaria, they were relating at length ¹⁴³⁶  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ¹⁴³⁷  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ¹⁴³⁸  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ¹⁴³⁹  all the things God had done with them. ¹⁴⁴⁰  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ¹⁴⁴¹  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ¹⁴⁴²  to circumcise the Gentiles ¹⁴⁴³  and to order them to observe ¹⁴⁴⁴  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ¹⁴⁴⁵  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ¹⁴⁴⁶  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ¹⁴⁴⁷  God chose ¹⁴⁴⁸  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ¹⁴⁴⁹  of the gospel ¹⁴⁵⁰  and believe. ¹⁴⁵¹  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ¹⁴⁵²  has testified ¹⁴⁵³  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ¹⁴⁵⁴  15:9 and he made no distinction ¹⁴⁵⁵  between them and us, cleansing ¹⁴⁵⁶  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ¹⁴⁵⁷  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ¹⁴⁵⁸  that neither our ancestors ¹⁴⁵⁹  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ¹⁴⁶⁰  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ¹⁴⁶¹ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ¹⁴⁶²  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ¹⁴⁶³  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ¹⁴⁶⁴  James replied, ¹⁴⁶⁵  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ¹⁴⁶⁶  has explained ¹⁴⁶⁷  how God first concerned himself ¹⁴⁶⁸  to select ¹⁴⁶⁹  from among the Gentiles ¹⁴⁷⁰  a people for his name. 15:15 The ¹⁴⁷¹  words of the prophets agree ¹⁴⁷²  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ¹⁴⁷³  I ¹⁴⁷⁴  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ¹⁴⁷⁵  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ¹⁴⁷⁶  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ¹⁴⁷⁷  may seek the Lord,

namely, ¹⁴⁷⁸  all the Gentiles ¹⁴⁷⁹  I have called to be my own,’ ¹⁴⁸⁰  says the Lord, ¹⁴⁸¹  who makes these things 15:18 known ¹⁴⁸²  from long ago. ¹⁴⁸³ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ¹⁴⁸⁴  that we should not cause extra difficulty ¹⁴⁸⁵  for those among the Gentiles ¹⁴⁸⁶  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ¹⁴⁸⁷  telling them to abstain ¹⁴⁸⁸  from things defiled ¹⁴⁸⁹  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ¹⁴⁹⁰  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ¹⁴⁹¹  because he is read aloud ¹⁴⁹²  in the synagogues ¹⁴⁹³  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ¹⁴⁹⁴  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ¹⁴⁹⁵  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ¹⁴⁹⁶  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ¹⁴⁹⁷ 

From the apostles ¹⁴⁹⁸  and elders, your brothers, ¹⁴⁹⁹  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ¹⁵⁰⁰  in Antioch, ¹⁵⁰¹  Syria, ¹⁵⁰²  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 ¹⁵⁰³  you, upsetting ¹⁵⁰⁴  your minds ¹⁵⁰⁵  by what they said, ¹⁵⁰⁶  15:25 we have unanimously ¹⁵⁰⁷  decided ¹⁵⁰⁸  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ¹⁵⁰⁹  have risked their lives ¹⁵¹⁰  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁵¹¹  15:27 Therefore we are sending ¹⁵¹²  Judas and Silas ¹⁵¹³  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ¹⁵¹⁴  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ¹⁵¹⁵  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ¹⁵¹⁶  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹⁵¹⁷  and from blood and from what has been strangled ¹⁵¹⁸  and from sexual immorality. ¹⁵¹⁹  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ¹⁵²⁰  you will do well. Farewell. ¹⁵²¹ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ¹⁵²²  they went down to Antioch, ¹⁵²³  and after gathering the entire group ¹⁵²⁴  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ¹⁵²⁵  the people ¹⁵²⁶  rejoiced at its encouragement. ¹⁵²⁷  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ¹⁵²⁸  15:33 After ¹⁵²⁹  they had spent some time there, ¹⁵³⁰  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁵³¹  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ¹⁵³²  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ¹⁵³³  the word of the Lord. ¹⁵³⁴ 

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ¹⁵³⁵  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ¹⁵³⁶  to see how they are doing.” ¹⁵³⁷  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ¹⁵³⁸  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ¹⁵³⁹  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ¹⁵⁴⁰  a sharp disagreement, ¹⁵⁴¹  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ¹⁵⁴²  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ¹⁵⁴³  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ¹⁵⁴⁴  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ¹⁵⁴⁵  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ¹⁵⁴⁶  the churches.

16:1 He also came to Derbe ¹⁵⁴⁷  and to Lystra. ¹⁵⁴⁸  A disciple ¹⁵⁴⁹  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ¹⁵⁵⁰  but whose father was a Greek. ¹⁵⁵¹  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ¹⁵⁵²  and Iconium ¹⁵⁵³  spoke well ¹⁵⁵⁴  of him. ¹⁵⁵⁵  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ¹⁵⁵⁶  to accompany him, and he took ¹⁵⁵⁷  him and circumcised ¹⁵⁵⁸  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ¹⁵⁵⁹  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ¹⁵⁶⁰  16:4 As they went through the towns, ¹⁵⁶¹  they passed on ¹⁵⁶²  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ¹⁵⁶³  for the Gentile believers ¹⁵⁶⁴  to obey. ¹⁵⁶⁵  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ¹⁵⁶⁶ 

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ¹⁵⁶⁷  and Galatia, ¹⁵⁶⁸  having been prevented ¹⁵⁶⁹  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ¹⁵⁷⁰  in the province of Asia. ¹⁵⁷¹  16:7 When they came to ¹⁵⁷²  Mysia, ¹⁵⁷³  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ¹⁵⁷⁴  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ¹⁵⁷⁵  them to do this, ¹⁵⁷⁶  16:8 so they passed through ¹⁵⁷⁷  Mysia ¹⁵⁷⁸  and went down to Troas. ¹⁵⁷⁹  16:9 A ¹⁵⁸⁰  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ¹⁵⁸¹  urging him, ¹⁵⁸²  “Come over ¹⁵⁸³  to Macedonia ¹⁵⁸⁴  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ¹⁵⁸⁵  saw the vision, we attempted ¹⁵⁸⁶  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ¹⁵⁸⁷  concluding that God had called ¹⁵⁸⁸  us to proclaim the good news to them.

16:11 We put out to sea ¹⁵⁸⁹  from Troas ¹⁵⁹⁰  and sailed a straight course ¹⁵⁹¹  to Samothrace, ¹⁵⁹²  the next day to Neapolis, ¹⁵⁹³  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ¹⁵⁹⁴  which is a leading city of that district ¹⁵⁹⁵  of Macedonia, ¹⁵⁹⁶  a Roman colony. ¹⁵⁹⁷  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 ¹⁵⁹⁸  and began to speak ¹⁵⁹⁹  to the women ¹⁶⁰⁰  who had assembled there. ¹⁶⁰¹  16:14 A ¹⁶⁰²  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ¹⁶⁰³  from the city of Thyatira, ¹⁶⁰⁴  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ¹⁶⁰⁵  The Lord opened her heart to respond ¹⁶⁰⁶  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ¹⁶⁰⁷  “If ¹⁶⁰⁸  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ¹⁶⁰⁹  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ¹⁶¹⁰  us.

16:16 Now ¹⁶¹¹  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. ¹⁶¹²  She ¹⁶¹³  brought her owners ¹⁶¹⁴  a great profit by fortune-telling. ¹⁶¹⁵  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ¹⁶¹⁶  “These men are servants ¹⁶¹⁷  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ¹⁶¹⁸  of salvation.” ¹⁶¹⁹  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ¹⁶²⁰  and turned ¹⁶²¹  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ¹⁶²²  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ¹⁶²³  16:19 But when her owners ¹⁶²⁴  saw their hope of profit ¹⁶²⁵  was gone, they seized ¹⁶²⁶  Paul and Silas and dragged ¹⁶²⁷  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ¹⁶²⁸  they had brought them ¹⁶²⁹  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ¹⁶³⁰  They are ¹⁶³¹  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ¹⁶³²  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ¹⁶³³  or practice, ¹⁶³⁴  since we are ¹⁶³⁵  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ¹⁶³⁶  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ¹⁶³⁷  off Paul and Silas ¹⁶³⁸  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ¹⁶³⁹  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ¹⁶⁴⁰  they threw them into prison and commanded ¹⁶⁴¹  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ¹⁶⁴²  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ¹⁶⁴³ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ¹⁶⁴⁴  and singing hymns to God, ¹⁶⁴⁵  and the rest of ¹⁶⁴⁶  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 ¹⁶⁴⁷  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ¹⁶⁴⁸  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ¹⁶⁴⁹  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ¹⁶⁵⁰  because he assumed ¹⁶⁵¹  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ¹⁶⁵²  “Do not harm yourself, ¹⁶⁵³  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ¹⁶⁵⁴  rushed in and fell down ¹⁶⁵⁵  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ¹⁶⁵⁶  and asked, “Sirs, what must ¹⁶⁵⁷  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ¹⁶⁵⁸  “Believe ¹⁶⁵⁹  in the Lord Jesus ¹⁶⁶⁰  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ¹⁶⁶¹  they spoke the word of the Lord ¹⁶⁶²  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ¹⁶⁶³  that hour of the night he took them ¹⁶⁶⁴  and washed their wounds; ¹⁶⁶⁵  then ¹⁶⁶⁶  he and all his family ¹⁶⁶⁷  were baptized right away. ¹⁶⁶⁸  16:34 The jailer ¹⁶⁶⁹  brought them into his house and set food ¹⁶⁷⁰  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ¹⁶⁷¹  that he had come to believe ¹⁶⁷²  in God, together with his entire household. ¹⁶⁷³  16:35 At daybreak ¹⁶⁷⁴  the magistrates ¹⁶⁷⁵  sent their police officers, ¹⁶⁷⁶  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ¹⁶⁷⁷  “The magistrates have sent orders ¹⁶⁷⁸  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ¹⁶⁷⁹  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ¹⁶⁸⁰  “They had us beaten in public ¹⁶⁸¹  without a proper trial ¹⁶⁸²  – even though we are Roman citizens ¹⁶⁸³  – and they threw us ¹⁶⁸⁴  in prison. And now they want to send us away ¹⁶⁸⁵  secretly? Absolutely not! They ¹⁶⁸⁶  themselves must come and escort us out!” ¹⁶⁸⁷  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹⁶⁸⁸  were Roman citizens ¹⁶⁸⁹  16:39 and came ¹⁶⁹⁰  and apologized to them. After ¹⁶⁹¹  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ¹⁶⁹²  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 ¹⁶⁹³  departed.

17:1 After they traveled through ¹⁶⁹⁴  Amphipolis ¹⁶⁹⁵  and Apollonia, ¹⁶⁹⁶  they came to Thessalonica, ¹⁶⁹⁷  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ¹⁶⁹⁸  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹⁶⁹⁹  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ¹⁷⁰⁰  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ¹⁷⁰¹  that the Christ ¹⁷⁰²  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ¹⁷⁰³  saying, ¹⁷⁰⁴  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ¹⁷⁰⁵  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ¹⁷⁰⁶  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ¹⁷⁰⁷  of God-fearing Greeks ¹⁷⁰⁸  and quite a few ¹⁷⁰⁹  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ¹⁷¹⁰  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ¹⁷¹¹  they formed a mob ¹⁷¹²  and set the city in an uproar. ¹⁷¹³  They attacked Jason’s house, ¹⁷¹⁴  trying to find Paul and Silas ¹⁷¹⁵  to bring them out to the assembly. ¹⁷¹⁶  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ¹⁷¹⁷  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ¹⁷¹⁸  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ¹⁷¹⁹  throughout the world ¹⁷²⁰  have come here too, 17:7 and ¹⁷²¹  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ¹⁷²²  are all acting against Caesar’s ¹⁷²³  decrees, saying there is another king named ¹⁷²⁴  Jesus!” ¹⁷²⁵  17:8 They caused confusion among ¹⁷²⁶  the crowd and the city officials ¹⁷²⁷  who heard these things. 17:9 After ¹⁷²⁸  the city officials ¹⁷²⁹  had received bail ¹⁷³⁰  from Jason and the others, they released them.

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ¹⁷³¹  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ¹⁷³²  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹⁷³³  17:11 These Jews ¹⁷³⁴  were more open-minded ¹⁷³⁵  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁷³⁶  for they eagerly ¹⁷³⁷  received ¹⁷³⁸  the message, examining ¹⁷³⁹  the scriptures carefully every day ¹⁷⁴⁰  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ¹⁷⁴¹  prominent ¹⁷⁴²  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ¹⁷⁴³  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ¹⁷⁴⁴  in Berea, ¹⁷⁴⁵  they came there too, inciting ¹⁷⁴⁶  and disturbing ¹⁷⁴⁷  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ¹⁷⁴⁸  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ¹⁷⁴⁹  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ¹⁷⁵⁰  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ¹⁷⁵¹ 

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ¹⁷⁵²  his spirit was greatly upset ¹⁷⁵³  because he saw ¹⁷⁵⁴  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ¹⁷⁵⁵  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ¹⁷⁵⁶  in the synagogue, ¹⁷⁵⁷  and in the marketplace every day ¹⁷⁵⁸  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ¹⁷⁵⁹  and Stoic ¹⁷⁶⁰  philosophers were conversing ¹⁷⁶¹  with him, and some were asking, ¹⁷⁶²  “What does this foolish babbler ¹⁷⁶³  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ¹⁷⁶⁴  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ¹⁷⁶⁵  17:19 So they took Paul and ¹⁷⁶⁶  brought him to the Areopagus, ¹⁷⁶⁷  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ¹⁷⁶⁸  to our ears, so we want to know what they ¹⁷⁶⁹  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ¹⁷⁷⁰  in nothing else than telling ¹⁷⁷¹  or listening to something new.) ¹⁷⁷² 

17:22 So Paul stood ¹⁷⁷³  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ¹⁷⁷⁴  in all respects. ¹⁷⁷⁵  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ¹⁷⁷⁶  I even found an altar with this inscription: ¹⁷⁷⁷  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ¹⁷⁷⁸  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ¹⁷⁷⁹  who is ¹⁷⁸⁰  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ¹⁷⁸¹  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ¹⁷⁸²  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ¹⁷⁸³  17:26 From one man ¹⁷⁸⁴  he made every nation of the human race ¹⁷⁸⁵  to inhabit the entire earth, ¹⁷⁸⁶  determining their set times ¹⁷⁸⁷  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ¹⁷⁸⁸  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ¹⁷⁸⁹  for him and find him, ¹⁷⁹⁰  though he is ¹⁷⁹¹  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ¹⁷⁹²  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ¹⁷⁹³  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹⁷⁹⁴  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ¹⁷⁹⁵  made by human ¹⁷⁹⁶  skill ¹⁷⁹⁷  and imagination. ¹⁷⁹⁸  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ¹⁷⁹⁹  such times of ignorance, ¹⁸⁰⁰  he now commands all people ¹⁸⁰¹  everywhere to repent, ¹⁸⁰²  17:31 because he has set ¹⁸⁰³  a day on which he is going to judge the world ¹⁸⁰⁴  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ¹⁸⁰⁵  having provided proof to everyone by raising ¹⁸⁰⁶  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ¹⁸⁰⁷  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ¹⁸⁰⁸  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ¹⁸⁰⁹  17:34 But some people ¹⁸¹⁰  joined him ¹⁸¹¹  and believed. Among them ¹⁸¹²  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ¹⁸¹³  a woman ¹⁸¹⁴  named Damaris, and others with them.

18:1 After this ¹⁸¹⁵  Paul ¹⁸¹⁶  departed from ¹⁸¹⁷  Athens ¹⁸¹⁸  and went to Corinth. ¹⁸¹⁹  18:2 There he ¹⁸²⁰  found ¹⁸²¹  a Jew named Aquila, ¹⁸²²  a native of Pontus, ¹⁸²³  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ¹⁸²⁴  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ¹⁸²⁵  Rome. ¹⁸²⁶  Paul approached ¹⁸²⁷  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ¹⁸²⁸  (for they were tentmakers ¹⁸²⁹  by trade). ¹⁸³⁰  18:4 He addressed ¹⁸³¹  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ¹⁸³²  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ¹⁸³³  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ¹⁸³⁴  from Macedonia, ¹⁸³⁵  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ¹⁸³⁶  the word, testifying ¹⁸³⁷  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ¹⁸³⁸  18:6 When they opposed him ¹⁸³⁹  and reviled him, ¹⁸⁴⁰  he protested by shaking out his clothes ¹⁸⁴¹  and said to them, “Your blood ¹⁸⁴²  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ¹⁸⁴³  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ¹⁸⁴⁴  left ¹⁸⁴⁵  the synagogue ¹⁸⁴⁶  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ¹⁸⁴⁷  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ¹⁸⁴⁸  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ¹⁸⁴⁹  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ¹⁸⁵⁰  in the night, ¹⁸⁵¹  “Do not be afraid, ¹⁸⁵²  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ¹⁸⁵³  you to harm ¹⁸⁵⁴  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ¹⁸⁵⁵  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹⁸⁵⁶ 

18:12 Now while Gallio ¹⁸⁵⁷  was proconsul ¹⁸⁵⁸  of Achaia, ¹⁸⁵⁹  the Jews attacked Paul together ¹⁸⁶⁰  and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹⁸⁶¹  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ¹⁸⁶²  people to worship God in a way contrary to ¹⁸⁶³  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ¹⁸⁶⁴  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ¹⁸⁶⁵  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ¹⁸⁶⁶  of you Jews, ¹⁸⁶⁷  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ¹⁸⁶⁸  about words and names and your own law, settle ¹⁸⁶⁹  it yourselves. I will not be ¹⁸⁷⁰  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ¹⁸⁷¹  from the judgment seat. ¹⁸⁷²  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ¹⁸⁷³  and began to beat ¹⁸⁷⁴  him in front of the judgment seat. ¹⁸⁷⁵  Yet none of these things were of any concern ¹⁸⁷⁶  to Gallio.

18:18 Paul, after staying ¹⁸⁷⁷  many more days in Corinth, ¹⁸⁷⁸  said farewell to ¹⁸⁷⁹  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ¹⁸⁸⁰  Priscilla and Aquila. ¹⁸⁸¹  He ¹⁸⁸²  had his hair cut off ¹⁸⁸³  at Cenchrea ¹⁸⁸⁴  because he had made a vow. ¹⁸⁸⁵  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ¹⁸⁸⁶  Paul ¹⁸⁸⁷  left Priscilla and Aquila ¹⁸⁸⁸  behind there, but he himself went ¹⁸⁸⁹  into the synagogue ¹⁸⁹⁰  and addressed ¹⁸⁹¹  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ¹⁸⁹²  18:21 but said farewell to ¹⁸⁹³  them and added, ¹⁸⁹⁴  “I will come back ¹⁸⁹⁵  to you again if God wills.” ¹⁸⁹⁶  Then ¹⁸⁹⁷  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ¹⁸⁹⁸  at Caesarea, ¹⁸⁹⁹  he went up and greeted ¹⁹⁰⁰  the church at Jerusalem ¹⁹⁰¹  and then went down to Antioch. ¹⁹⁰²  18:23 After he spent ¹⁹⁰³  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ¹⁹⁰⁴  and Phrygia, ¹⁹⁰⁵  strengthening all the disciples.

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ¹⁹⁰⁶  He was an eloquent speaker, ¹⁹⁰⁷  well-versed ¹⁹⁰⁸  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ¹⁹⁰⁹  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ¹⁹¹⁰  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ¹⁹¹¹  about Jesus, although he knew ¹⁹¹²  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ¹⁹¹³  in the synagogue, ¹⁹¹⁴  but when Priscilla and Aquila ¹⁹¹⁵  heard him, they took him aside ¹⁹¹⁶  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ¹⁹¹⁷  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ¹⁹¹⁸  the brothers encouraged ¹⁹¹⁹  him ¹⁹²⁰  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ¹⁹²¹  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ¹⁹²²  in public debate, ¹⁹²³  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ¹⁹²⁴  was Jesus. ¹⁹²⁵ 

19:1 While ¹⁹²⁶  Apollos was in Corinth, ¹⁹²⁷  Paul went through the inland ¹⁹²⁸  regions ¹⁹²⁹  and came to Ephesus. ¹⁹³⁰  He ¹⁹³¹  found some disciples there ¹⁹³²  19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ¹⁹³³  They replied, ¹⁹³⁴  “No, we have not even ¹⁹³⁵  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul ¹⁹³⁶  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ¹⁹³⁷  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, ¹⁹³⁸  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 ¹⁹³⁹  his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came ¹⁹⁴⁰  upon them, and they began to speak ¹⁹⁴¹  in tongues and to prophesy. ¹⁹⁴²  19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) ¹⁹⁴³ 

19:8 So Paul ¹⁹⁴⁴  entered ¹⁹⁴⁵  the synagogue ¹⁹⁴⁶  and spoke out fearlessly ¹⁹⁴⁷  for three months, addressing ¹⁹⁴⁸  and convincing ¹⁹⁴⁹  them about the kingdom of God. ¹⁹⁵⁰  19:9 But when ¹⁹⁵¹  some were stubborn ¹⁹⁵²  and refused to believe, reviling ¹⁹⁵³  the Way ¹⁹⁵⁴  before the congregation, he left ¹⁹⁵⁵  them and took the disciples with him, ¹⁹⁵⁶  addressing ¹⁹⁵⁷  them every day ¹⁹⁵⁸  in the lecture hall ¹⁹⁵⁹  of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ¹⁹⁶⁰  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ¹⁹⁶¹ 

19:11 God was performing extraordinary ¹⁹⁶²  miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ¹⁹⁶³  were brought ¹⁹⁶⁴  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹⁹⁶⁵  19:13 But some itinerant ¹⁹⁶⁶  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ¹⁹⁶⁷  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ¹⁹⁶⁸  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ¹⁹⁶⁹  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ¹⁹⁷⁰  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ¹⁹⁷¹  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ¹⁹⁷²  “I know about Jesus ¹⁹⁷³  and I am acquainted with ¹⁹⁷⁴  Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁹⁷⁵  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ¹⁹⁷⁶  the evil spirit jumped on ¹⁹⁷⁷  them and beat them all into submission. ¹⁹⁷⁸  He prevailed ¹⁹⁷⁹  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ¹⁹⁸⁰  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ¹⁹⁸¹  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ¹⁹⁸²  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ¹⁹⁸³  confessing and making their deeds known. ¹⁹⁸⁴  19:19 Large numbers ¹⁹⁸⁵  of those who had practiced magic ¹⁹⁸⁶  collected their books ¹⁹⁸⁷  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ¹⁹⁸⁸  When ¹⁹⁸⁹  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ¹⁹⁹⁰  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ¹⁹⁹¹  continued to grow in power ¹⁹⁹²  and to prevail. ¹⁹⁹³ 

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ¹⁹⁹⁴  Paul resolved ¹⁹⁹⁵  to go to Jerusalem, ¹⁹⁹⁶  passing through Macedonia ¹⁹⁹⁷  and Achaia. ¹⁹⁹⁸  He said, ¹⁹⁹⁹  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ²⁰⁰⁰  19:22 So after sending ²⁰⁰¹  two of his assistants, ²⁰⁰²  Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, ²⁰⁰³  he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. ²⁰⁰⁴ 

19:23 At ²⁰⁰⁵  that time ²⁰⁰⁶  a great disturbance ²⁰⁰⁷  took place concerning the Way. ²⁰⁰⁸  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ²⁰⁰⁹  of Artemis, ²⁰¹⁰  brought a great deal ²⁰¹¹  of business ²⁰¹²  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered ²⁰¹³  these ²⁰¹⁴  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ²⁰¹⁵  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ²⁰¹⁶  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ²⁰¹⁷  and turned away ²⁰¹⁸  a large crowd, ²⁰¹⁹  not only in Ephesus ²⁰²⁰  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ²⁰²¹  by saying ²⁰²²  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ²⁰²³  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ²⁰²⁴  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ²⁰²⁵  will be regarded as nothing, ²⁰²⁶  and she whom all the province of Asia ²⁰²⁷  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ²⁰²⁸ 

19:28 When ²⁰²⁹  they heard ²⁰³⁰  this they became enraged ²⁰³¹  and began to shout, ²⁰³²  “Great is Artemis ²⁰³³  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The ²⁰³⁴  city was filled with the uproar, ²⁰³⁵  and the crowd ²⁰³⁶  rushed to the theater ²⁰³⁷  together, ²⁰³⁸  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, ²⁰³⁹  the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities ²⁰⁴⁰  who were his friends sent ²⁰⁴¹  a message ²⁰⁴²  to him, urging him not to venture ²⁰⁴³  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. ²⁰⁴⁴  19:33 Some of the crowd concluded ²⁰⁴⁵  it was about ²⁰⁴⁶  Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. ²⁰⁴⁷  Alexander, gesturing ²⁰⁴⁸  with his hand, was wanting to make a defense ²⁰⁴⁹  before the public assembly. ²⁰⁵⁰  19:34 But when they recognized ²⁰⁵¹  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ²⁰⁵²  “Great is Artemis ²⁰⁵³  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ²⁰⁵⁴  19:35 After the city secretary ²⁰⁵⁵  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ²⁰⁵⁶  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ²⁰⁵⁷  of the temple of the great Artemis ²⁰⁵⁸  and of her image that fell from heaven? ²⁰⁵⁹  19:36 So because these facts ²⁰⁶⁰  are indisputable, ²⁰⁶¹  you must keep quiet ²⁰⁶²  and not do anything reckless. ²⁰⁶³  19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ²⁰⁶⁴  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ²⁰⁶⁵  19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ²⁰⁶⁶  against someone, the courts are open ²⁰⁶⁷  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ²⁰⁶⁸  19:39 But if you want anything in addition, ²⁰⁶⁹  it will have to be settled ²⁰⁷⁰  in a legal assembly. ²⁰⁷¹  19:40 For ²⁰⁷²  we are in danger of being charged with rioting ²⁰⁷³  today, since there is no cause we can give to explain ²⁰⁷⁴  this disorderly gathering.” ²⁰⁷⁵  19:41 After ²⁰⁷⁶  he had said ²⁰⁷⁷  this, ²⁰⁷⁸  he dismissed the assembly. ²⁰⁷⁹ 

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging ²⁰⁸⁰  them and saying farewell, ²⁰⁸¹  he left to go to Macedonia. ²⁰⁸²  20:2 After he had gone through those regions ²⁰⁸³  and spoken many words of encouragement ²⁰⁸⁴  to the believers there, ²⁰⁸⁵  he came to Greece, ²⁰⁸⁶  20:3 where he stayed ²⁰⁸⁷  for three months. Because the Jews had made ²⁰⁸⁸  a plot ²⁰⁸⁹  against him as he was intending ²⁰⁹⁰  to sail ²⁰⁹¹  for Syria, he decided ²⁰⁹²  to return through Macedonia. ²⁰⁹³  20:4 Paul ²⁰⁹⁴  was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, ²⁰⁹⁵  Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, ²⁰⁹⁶  Gaius ²⁰⁹⁷  from Derbe, ²⁰⁹⁸  and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ²⁰⁹⁹  20:5 These had gone on ahead ²¹⁰⁰  and were waiting for us in Troas. ²¹⁰¹  20:6 We ²¹⁰²  sailed away from Philippi ²¹⁰³  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ²¹⁰⁴  and within five days ²¹⁰⁵  we came to the others ²¹⁰⁶  in Troas, ²¹⁰⁷  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ²¹⁰⁸  of the week, when we met ²¹⁰⁹  to break bread, Paul began to speak ²¹¹⁰  to the people, and because he intended ²¹¹¹  to leave the next day, he extended ²¹¹²  his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps ²¹¹³  in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) ²¹¹⁴  20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, ²¹¹⁵  was sinking ²¹¹⁶  into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak ²¹¹⁷  for a long time. Fast asleep, ²¹¹⁸  he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down, ²¹¹⁹  threw himself ²¹²⁰  on the young man, ²¹²¹  put his arms around him, ²¹²²  and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” ²¹²³  20:11 Then Paul ²¹²⁴  went back upstairs, ²¹²⁵  and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them ²¹²⁶  a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly ²¹²⁷  comforted.

20:13 We went on ahead ²¹²⁸  to the ship and put out to sea ²¹²⁹  for Assos, ²¹³⁰  intending ²¹³¹  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ²¹³²  He ²¹³³  himself was intending ²¹³⁴  to go there by land. ²¹³⁵  20:14 When he met us in Assos, ²¹³⁶  we took him aboard ²¹³⁷  and went to Mitylene. ²¹³⁸  20:15 We set sail ²¹³⁹  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ²¹⁴⁰  The next day we approached ²¹⁴¹  Samos, ²¹⁴²  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ²¹⁴³  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ²¹⁴⁴  so as not to spend time ²¹⁴⁵  in the province of Asia, ²¹⁴⁶  for he was hurrying ²¹⁴⁷  to arrive in Jerusalem, ²¹⁴⁸  if possible, ²¹⁴⁹  by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus ²¹⁵⁰  he sent a message ²¹⁵¹  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ²¹⁵² 

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived ²¹⁵³  the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot ²¹⁵⁴  in the province of Asia, ²¹⁵⁵  20:19 serving the Lord with all humility ²¹⁵⁶  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ²¹⁵⁷  of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ²¹⁵⁸  to you anything that would be helpful, ²¹⁵⁹  and from teaching you publicly ²¹⁶⁰  and from house to house, 20:21 testifying ²¹⁶¹  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ²¹⁶²  20:22 And now, ²¹⁶³  compelled ²¹⁶⁴  by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem ²¹⁶⁵  without knowing what will happen to me there, ²¹⁶⁶  20:23 except ²¹⁶⁷  that the Holy Spirit warns ²¹⁶⁸  me in town after town ²¹⁶⁹  that ²¹⁷⁰  imprisonment ²¹⁷¹  and persecutions ²¹⁷²  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ²¹⁷³  worth anything ²¹⁷⁴  to myself, so that ²¹⁷⁵  I may finish my task ²¹⁷⁶  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ²¹⁷⁷  of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now ²¹⁷⁸  I know that none ²¹⁷⁹  of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom ²¹⁸⁰  will see me ²¹⁸¹  again. 20:26 Therefore I declare ²¹⁸²  to you today that I am innocent ²¹⁸³  of the blood of you all. ²¹⁸⁴  20:27 For I did not hold back from ²¹⁸⁵  announcing ²¹⁸⁶  to you the whole purpose ²¹⁸⁷  of God. 20:28 Watch out for ²¹⁸⁸  yourselves and for all the flock of which ²¹⁸⁹  the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ²¹⁹⁰  to shepherd the church of God ²¹⁹¹  that he obtained ²¹⁹²  with the blood of his own Son. ²¹⁹³  20:29 I know that after I am gone ²¹⁹⁴  fierce wolves ²¹⁹⁵  will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group ²¹⁹⁶  men ²¹⁹⁷  will arise, teaching perversions of the truth ²¹⁹⁸  to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, ²¹⁹⁹  remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning ²²⁰⁰  each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust ²²⁰¹  you to God and to the message ²²⁰²  of his grace. This message ²²⁰³  is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired ²²⁰⁴  no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine ²²⁰⁵  provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things, ²²⁰⁶  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ²²⁰⁷  the weak, ²²⁰⁸  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ²²⁰⁹ 

20:36 When ²²¹⁰  he had said these things, he knelt down ²²¹¹  with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly, ²²¹²  and hugged ²²¹³  Paul and kissed him, ²²¹⁴  20:38 especially saddened ²²¹⁵  by what ²²¹⁶  he had said, that they were not going to see him ²²¹⁷  again. Then they accompanied ²²¹⁸  him to the ship.

21:1 After ²²¹⁹  we ²²²⁰  tore ourselves away ²²²¹  from them, we put out to sea, ²²²²  and sailing a straight course, ²²²³  we came to Cos, ²²²⁴  on the next day to Rhodes, ²²²⁵  and from there to Patara. ²²²⁶  21:2 We found ²²²⁷  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ²²²⁸  went aboard, ²²²⁹  and put out to sea. ²²³⁰  21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ²²³¹  and left it behind on our port side, ²²³²  we sailed on to Syria and put in ²²³³  at Tyre, ²²³⁴  because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located ²²³⁵  the disciples, we stayed there ²²³⁶  seven days. They repeatedly told ²²³⁷  Paul through the Spirit ²²³⁸  not to set foot ²²³⁹  in Jerusalem. ²²⁴⁰  21:5 When ²²⁴¹  our time was over, ²²⁴²  we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ²²⁴³  us outside of the city. After ²²⁴⁴  kneeling down on the beach and praying, ²²⁴⁵  21:6 we said farewell ²²⁴⁶  to one another. ²²⁴⁷  Then ²²⁴⁸  we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ²²⁴⁹  21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ²²⁵⁰  and arrived at Ptolemais, ²²⁵¹  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left ²²⁵²  and came to Caesarea, ²²⁵³  and entered ²²⁵⁴  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ²²⁵⁵  and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried ²²⁵⁶  daughters who prophesied.) ²²⁵⁷ 

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days, ²²⁵⁸  a prophet named Agabus ²²⁵⁹  came down from Judea. 21:11 He came ²²⁶⁰  to us, took ²²⁶¹  Paul’s belt, ²²⁶²  tied ²²⁶³  his own hands and feet with it, ²²⁶⁴  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 ²²⁶⁵  to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ²²⁶⁶  begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ²²⁶⁷  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ²²⁶⁸  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ²²⁶⁹  we said no more except, ²²⁷⁰  “The Lord’s will be done.” ²²⁷¹ 

21:15 After these days we got ready ²²⁷²  and started up ²²⁷³  to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ²²⁷⁴  came along with us too, and brought us to the house ²²⁷⁵  of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ²²⁷⁶  with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ²²⁷⁷  21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ²²⁷⁸  21:19 When Paul ²²⁷⁹  had greeted them, he began to explain ²²⁸⁰  in detail ²²⁸¹  what God ²²⁸²  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised ²²⁸³  God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews ²²⁸⁴  there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers ²²⁸⁵  of the law. ²²⁸⁶  21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ²²⁸⁷  among the Gentiles to abandon ²²⁸⁸  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ²²⁸⁹  or live ²²⁹⁰  according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt ²²⁹¹  hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what ²²⁹²  we tell you: We have four men ²²⁹³  who have taken ²²⁹⁴  a vow; ²²⁹⁵  21:24 take them and purify ²²⁹⁶  yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ²²⁹⁷  so that they may have their heads shaved. ²²⁹⁸  Then ²²⁹⁹  everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told ²³⁰⁰  about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with ²³⁰¹  the law. ²³⁰²  21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ²³⁰³  that they should avoid ²³⁰⁴  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ²³⁰⁵  and blood and what has been strangled ²³⁰⁶  and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, ²³⁰⁷  and after he had purified himself ²³⁰⁸  along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice ²³⁰⁹  of the completion of the days of purification, ²³¹⁰  when ²³¹¹  the sacrifice would be offered for each ²³¹²  of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over, ²³¹³  the Jews from the province of Asia ²³¹⁴  who had seen him in the temple area ²³¹⁵  stirred up the whole crowd ²³¹⁶  and seized ²³¹⁷  him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel, ²³¹⁸  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ²³¹⁹  and this sanctuary! ²³²⁰  Furthermore ²³²¹  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ²³²²  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ²³²³  21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and ²³²⁴  they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) ²³²⁵  21:30 The whole city was stirred up, ²³²⁶  and the people rushed together. ²³²⁷  They seized ²³²⁸  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ²³²⁹  and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying ²³³⁰  to kill him, a report ²³³¹  was sent up ²³³²  to the commanding officer ²³³³  of the cohort ²³³⁴  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ²³³⁵  21:32 He ²³³⁶  immediately took ²³³⁷  soldiers and centurions ²³³⁸  and ran down to the crowd. ²³³⁹  When they saw ²³⁴⁰  the commanding officer ²³⁴¹  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ²³⁴²  Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer ²³⁴³  came up and arrested ²³⁴⁴  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ²³⁴⁵  he ²³⁴⁶  then asked who he was and what ²³⁴⁷  he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, ²³⁴⁸  and when the commanding officer ²³⁴⁹  was unable ²³⁵⁰  to find out the truth ²³⁵¹  because of the disturbance, ²³⁵²  he ordered Paul ²³⁵³  to be brought into the barracks. ²³⁵⁴  21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul ²³⁵⁵  had to be carried ²³⁵⁶  by the soldiers because of the violence ²³⁵⁷  of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people ²³⁵⁸  followed them, ²³⁵⁹  screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ²³⁶⁰  he said ²³⁶¹  to the commanding officer, ²³⁶²  “May I say ²³⁶³  something to you?” The officer ²³⁶⁴  replied, ²³⁶⁵  “Do you know Greek? ²³⁶⁶  21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion ²³⁶⁷  and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ ²³⁶⁸  into the wilderness ²³⁶⁹  some time ago?” ²³⁷⁰  21:39 Paul answered, ²³⁷¹  “I am a Jew ²³⁷²  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ²³⁷³  Please ²³⁷⁴  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ²³⁷⁵  had given him permission, ²³⁷⁶  Paul stood ²³⁷⁷  on the steps and gestured ²³⁷⁸  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ²³⁷⁹  he addressed ²³⁸⁰  them in Aramaic, ²³⁸¹ 

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ²³⁸²  that I now ²³⁸³  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ²³⁸⁴  that he was addressing ²³⁸⁵  them in Aramaic, ²³⁸⁶  they became even ²³⁸⁷  quieter.) ²³⁸⁸  Then ²³⁸⁹  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ²³⁹⁰  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ²³⁹¹  in this city, educated with strictness ²³⁹²  under ²³⁹³  Gamaliel ²³⁹⁴  according to the law of our ancestors, ²³⁹⁵  and was ²³⁹⁶  zealous ²³⁹⁷  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ²³⁹⁸  persecuted this Way ²³⁹⁹  even to the point of death, ²⁴⁰⁰  tying up ²⁴⁰¹  both men and women and putting ²⁴⁰²  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ²⁴⁰³  can testify about me. From them ²⁴⁰⁴  I also received ²⁴⁰⁵  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ²⁴⁰⁶  to make arrests there and bring ²⁴⁰⁷  the prisoners ²⁴⁰⁸  to Jerusalem ²⁴⁰⁹  to be punished. 22:6 As ²⁴¹⁰  I was en route and near Damascus, ²⁴¹¹  about noon a very bright ²⁴¹²  light from heaven ²⁴¹³  suddenly flashed ²⁴¹⁴  around me. 22:7 Then I ²⁴¹⁵  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 ²⁴¹⁶  the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked, ²⁴¹⁷  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ²⁴¹⁸  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ²⁴¹⁹  that you have been designated ²⁴²⁰  to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of ²⁴²¹  the brilliance ²⁴²²  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ²⁴²³  those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias, ²⁴²⁴  a devout man according to the law, ²⁴²⁵  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ²⁴²⁶  22:13 came ²⁴²⁷  to me and stood beside me ²⁴²⁸  and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ ²⁴²⁹  And at that very moment ²⁴³⁰  I looked up and saw him. ²⁴³¹  22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ²⁴³²  has already chosen ²⁴³³  you to know his will, to see ²⁴³⁴  the Righteous One, ²⁴³⁵  and to hear a command ²⁴³⁶  from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness ²⁴³⁷  to all people ²⁴³⁸  of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? ²⁴³⁹  Get up, ²⁴⁴⁰  be baptized, and have your sins washed away, ²⁴⁴¹  calling on his name.’ ²⁴⁴²  22:17 When ²⁴⁴³  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ²⁴⁴⁴  22:18 and saw the Lord ²⁴⁴⁵  saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied, ²⁴⁴⁶  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ²⁴⁴⁷  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ²⁴⁴⁸  Stephen was shed, ²⁴⁴⁹  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ²⁴⁵⁰  and guarding the cloaks ²⁴⁵¹  of those who were killing him.’ ²⁴⁵²  22:21 Then ²⁴⁵³  he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

22:22 The crowd ²⁴⁵⁴  was listening to him until he said this. ²⁴⁵⁵  Then ²⁴⁵⁶  they raised their voices and shouted, ²⁴⁵⁷  “Away with this man ²⁴⁵⁸  from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” ²⁴⁵⁹  22:23 While they were screaming ²⁴⁶⁰  and throwing off their cloaks ²⁴⁶¹  and tossing dust ²⁴⁶²  in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer ²⁴⁶³  ordered Paul ²⁴⁶⁴  to be brought back into the barracks. ²⁴⁶⁵  He told them ²⁴⁶⁶  to interrogate Paul ²⁴⁶⁷  by beating him with a lash ²⁴⁶⁸  so that he could find out the reason the crowd ²⁴⁶⁹  was shouting at Paul ²⁴⁷⁰  in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ²⁴⁷¹  Paul said to the centurion ²⁴⁷²  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ²⁴⁷³  without a proper trial?” ²⁴⁷⁴  22:26 When the centurion ²⁴⁷⁵  heard this, ²⁴⁷⁶  he went to the commanding officer ²⁴⁷⁷  and reported it, ²⁴⁷⁸  saying, “What are you about to do? ²⁴⁷⁹  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁴⁸⁰  22:27 So the commanding officer ²⁴⁸¹  came and asked ²⁴⁸²  Paul, ²⁴⁸³  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ²⁴⁸⁴  He replied, ²⁴⁸⁵  “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer ²⁴⁸⁶  answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” ²⁴⁸⁷  “But I was even ²⁴⁸⁸  born a citizen,” ²⁴⁸⁹  Paul replied. ²⁴⁹⁰  22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ²⁴⁹¹  from him, and the commanding officer ²⁴⁹²  was frightened when he realized that Paul ²⁴⁹³  was ²⁴⁹⁴  a Roman citizen ²⁴⁹⁵  and that he had had him tied up. ²⁴⁹⁶ 

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ²⁴⁹⁷  wanted to know the true reason ²⁴⁹⁸  Paul ²⁴⁹⁹  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ²⁵⁰⁰  to assemble. He then brought ²⁵⁰¹  Paul down and had him stand before them.

23:1 Paul looked directly ²⁵⁰²  at the council ²⁵⁰³  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ²⁵⁰⁴  before God to this day.” 23:2 At that ²⁵⁰⁵  the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near ²⁵⁰⁶  Paul ²⁵⁰⁷  to strike ²⁵⁰⁸  him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ²⁵⁰⁹  Do ²⁵¹⁰  you sit there judging me according to the law, ²⁵¹¹  and in violation of the law ²⁵¹²  you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him ²⁵¹³  said, “Do you dare insult ²⁵¹⁴  God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied, ²⁵¹⁵  “I did not realize, ²⁵¹⁶  brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’” ²⁵¹⁷ 

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ²⁵¹⁸  that part of them were Sadducees ²⁵¹⁹  and the others Pharisees, ²⁵²⁰  he shouted out in the council, ²⁵²¹  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ²⁵²²  of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this, ²⁵²³  an argument ²⁵²⁴  began ²⁵²⁵  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.) ²⁵²⁶  23:9 There was a great commotion, ²⁵²⁷  and some experts in the law ²⁵²⁸  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ²⁵²⁹  and protested strongly, ²⁵³⁰  “We find nothing wrong ²⁵³¹  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ²⁵³²  so great the commanding officer ²⁵³³  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ²⁵³⁴  he ordered the detachment ²⁵³⁵  to go down, take him away from them by force, ²⁵³⁶  and bring him into the barracks. ²⁵³⁷ 

23:11 The following night the Lord ²⁵³⁸  stood near ²⁵³⁹  Paul ²⁵⁴⁰  and said, “Have courage, ²⁵⁴¹  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ²⁵⁴²  so you must also testify in Rome.” ²⁵⁴³ 

23:12 When morning came, ²⁵⁴⁴  the Jews formed ²⁵⁴⁵  a conspiracy ²⁵⁴⁶  and bound themselves with an oath ²⁵⁴⁷  not to eat or drink anything ²⁵⁴⁸  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ²⁵⁴⁹  23:14 They ²⁵⁵⁰  went ²⁵⁵¹  to the chief priests ²⁵⁵²  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ²⁵⁵³  not to partake ²⁵⁵⁴  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ²⁵⁵⁵  request the commanding officer ²⁵⁵⁶  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ²⁵⁵⁷  his case ²⁵⁵⁸  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ²⁵⁵⁹  We are ready to kill him ²⁵⁶⁰  before he comes near this place.” ²⁵⁶¹ 

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, ²⁵⁶²  he came and entered ²⁵⁶³  the barracks ²⁵⁶⁴  and told Paul. 23:17 Paul called ²⁵⁶⁵  one of the centurions ²⁵⁶⁶  and said, “Take this young man to the commanding officer, ²⁵⁶⁷  for he has something to report to him.” 23:18 So the centurion ²⁵⁶⁸  took him and brought him to the commanding officer ²⁵⁶⁹  and said, “The prisoner Paul called ²⁵⁷⁰  me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 23:19 The commanding officer ²⁵⁷¹  took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, “What is it that you want ²⁵⁷²  to report to me?” 23:20 He replied, ²⁵⁷³  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ²⁵⁷⁴  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. 23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ²⁵⁷⁵  because more than forty of them ²⁵⁷⁶  are lying in ambush ²⁵⁷⁷  for him. They ²⁵⁷⁸  have bound themselves with an oath ²⁵⁷⁹  not to eat or drink anything ²⁵⁸⁰  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ²⁵⁸¹  23:22 Then the commanding officer ²⁵⁸²  sent the young man away, directing him, ²⁵⁸³  “Tell no one that you have reported ²⁵⁸⁴  these things to me.” 23:23 Then ²⁵⁸⁵  he summoned ²⁵⁸⁶  two of the centurions ²⁵⁸⁷  and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea ²⁵⁸⁸  along with seventy horsemen ²⁵⁸⁹  and two hundred spearmen ²⁵⁹⁰  by ²⁵⁹¹  nine o’clock tonight, ²⁵⁹²  23:24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride ²⁵⁹³  so that he may be brought safely to Felix ²⁵⁹⁴  the governor.” ²⁵⁹⁵  23:25 He wrote ²⁵⁹⁶  a letter that went like this: ²⁵⁹⁷ 

23:26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor ²⁵⁹⁸  Felix, ²⁵⁹⁹  greetings. 23:27 This man was seized ²⁶⁰⁰  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ²⁶⁰¹  when I came up ²⁶⁰²  with the detachment ²⁶⁰³  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ²⁶⁰⁴  a Roman citizen. ²⁶⁰⁵  23:28 Since I wanted to know ²⁶⁰⁶  what charge they were accusing him of, ²⁶⁰⁷  I brought him down to their council. ²⁶⁰⁸  23:29 I found he ²⁶⁰⁹  was accused with reference to controversial questions ²⁶¹⁰  about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. ²⁶¹¹  23:30 When I was informed ²⁶¹²  there would be a plot ²⁶¹³  against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges ²⁶¹⁴  against him before you.

23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, ²⁶¹⁵  took ²⁶¹⁶  Paul and brought him to Antipatris ²⁶¹⁷  during the night. 23:32 The next day they let ²⁶¹⁸  the horsemen ²⁶¹⁹  go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. ²⁶²⁰  23:33 When the horsemen ²⁶²¹  came to Caesarea ²⁶²²  and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented ²⁶²³  Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor ²⁶²⁴  had read ²⁶²⁵  the letter, ²⁶²⁶  he asked ²⁶²⁷  what province he was from. ²⁶²⁸  When he learned ²⁶²⁹  that he was from Cilicia, ²⁶³⁰  23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing ²⁶³¹  when your accusers arrive too.” Then ²⁶³²  he ordered that Paul ²⁶³³  be kept under guard in Herod’s palace. ²⁶³⁴ 

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias ²⁶³⁵  came down with some elders and an attorney ²⁶³⁶  named ²⁶³⁷  Tertullus, and they ²⁶³⁸  brought formal charges ²⁶³⁹  against Paul to the governor. 24:2 When Paul ²⁶⁴⁰  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ²⁶⁴¹  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ²⁶⁴²  of peace through your rule, ²⁶⁴³  and reforms ²⁶⁴⁴  are being made in this nation ²⁶⁴⁵  through your foresight. ²⁶⁴⁶  24:3 Most excellent Felix, ²⁶⁴⁷  we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way ²⁶⁴⁸  with all gratitude. ²⁶⁴⁹  24:4 But so that I may not delay ²⁶⁵⁰  you any further, I beg ²⁶⁵¹  you to hear us briefly ²⁶⁵²  with your customary graciousness. ²⁶⁵³  24:5 For we have found ²⁶⁵⁴  this man to be a troublemaker, ²⁶⁵⁵  one who stirs up riots ²⁶⁵⁶  among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader ²⁶⁵⁷  of the sect of the Nazarenes. ²⁶⁵⁸  24:6 He ²⁶⁵⁹  even tried to desecrate ²⁶⁶⁰  the temple, so we arrested ²⁶⁶¹  him. 24:7 [[EMPTY]] ²⁶⁶²  24:8 When you examine ²⁶⁶³  him yourself, you will be able to learn from him ²⁶⁶⁴  about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” ²⁶⁶⁵  24:9 The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, ²⁶⁶⁶  claiming ²⁶⁶⁷  that these things were true.

24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know ²⁶⁶⁸  that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. ²⁶⁶⁹  24:11 As you can verify ²⁶⁷⁰  for yourself, not more than twelve days ago ²⁶⁷¹  I went up to Jerusalem ²⁶⁷²  to worship. 24:12 They did not find me arguing ²⁶⁷³  with anyone or stirring up a crowd ²⁶⁷⁴  in the temple courts ²⁶⁷⁵  or in the synagogues ²⁶⁷⁶  or throughout the city, ²⁶⁷⁷  24:13 nor can they prove ²⁶⁷⁸  to you the things ²⁶⁷⁹  they are accusing me of doing. ²⁶⁸⁰  24:14 But I confess this to you, that I worship ²⁶⁸¹  the God of our ancestors ²⁶⁸²  according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law ²⁶⁸³  and that is written in the prophets. 24:15 I have ²⁶⁸⁴  a hope in God (a hope ²⁶⁸⁵  that ²⁶⁸⁶  these men ²⁶⁸⁷  themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ²⁶⁸⁸  24:16 This is the reason ²⁶⁸⁹  I do my best to always ²⁶⁹⁰  have a clear ²⁶⁹¹  conscience toward God and toward people. ²⁶⁹²  24:17 After several years ²⁶⁹³  I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor ²⁶⁹⁴  and to present offerings, ²⁶⁹⁵  24:18 which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, ²⁶⁹⁶  without a crowd or a disturbance. ²⁶⁹⁷  24:19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ²⁶⁹⁸  who should be here before you and bring charges, ²⁶⁹⁹  if they have anything against me. 24:20 Or these men here ²⁷⁰⁰  should tell what crime ²⁷⁰¹  they found me guilty of ²⁷⁰²  when I stood before the council, ²⁷⁰³  24:21 other than ²⁷⁰⁴  this one thing ²⁷⁰⁵  I shouted out while I stood before ²⁷⁰⁶  them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’” ²⁷⁰⁷ 

24:22 Then Felix, ²⁷⁰⁸  who understood the facts ²⁷⁰⁹  concerning the Way ²⁷¹⁰  more accurately, ²⁷¹¹  adjourned their hearing, ²⁷¹²  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ²⁷¹³  24:23 He ordered the centurion ²⁷¹⁴  to guard Paul, ²⁷¹⁵  but to let him have some freedom, ²⁷¹⁶  and not to prevent any of his friends ²⁷¹⁷  from meeting his needs. ²⁷¹⁸ 

24:24 Some days later, when Felix ²⁷¹⁹  arrived with his wife Drusilla, ²⁷²⁰  who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak ²⁷²¹  about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷²²  24:25 While Paul ²⁷²³  was discussing ²⁷²⁴  righteousness, self-control, ²⁷²⁵  and the coming judgment, Felix ²⁷²⁶  became ²⁷²⁷  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ²⁷²⁸  I will send for you.” 24:26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ²⁷²⁹  and for this reason he sent for Paul ²⁷³⁰  as often as possible ²⁷³¹  and talked ²⁷³²  with him. 24:27 After two years ²⁷³³  had passed, Porcius Festus ²⁷³⁴  succeeded Felix, ²⁷³⁵  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ²⁷³⁶ 

25:1 Now ²⁷³⁷  three days after Festus ²⁷³⁸  arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem ²⁷³⁹  from Caesarea. ²⁷⁴⁰  25:2 So the chief priests and the most prominent men ²⁷⁴¹  of the Jews brought formal charges ²⁷⁴²  against Paul to him. 25:3 Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, ²⁷⁴³  they urged Festus ²⁷⁴⁴  to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush ²⁷⁴⁵  to kill him along the way. 25:4 Then Festus ²⁷⁴⁶  replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, ²⁷⁴⁷  and he himself intended to go there ²⁷⁴⁸  shortly. 25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ²⁷⁴⁹  go down there ²⁷⁵⁰  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ²⁷⁵¹  they may bring charges ²⁷⁵²  against him.”

25:6 After Festus ²⁷⁵³  had stayed ²⁷⁵⁴  not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, ²⁷⁵⁵  and the next day he sat ²⁷⁵⁶  on the judgment seat ²⁷⁵⁷  and ordered Paul to be brought. 25:7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, ²⁷⁵⁸  bringing many serious ²⁷⁵⁹  charges that they were not able to prove. ²⁷⁶⁰  25:8 Paul said in his defense, ²⁷⁶¹  “I have committed no offense ²⁷⁶²  against the Jewish law ²⁷⁶³  or against the temple or against Caesar.” ²⁷⁶⁴  25:9 But Festus, ²⁷⁶⁵  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ²⁷⁶⁶  before me there on these charges?” ²⁷⁶⁷  25:10 Paul replied, ²⁷⁶⁸  “I am standing before Caesar’s ²⁷⁶⁹  judgment seat, ²⁷⁷⁰  where I should be tried. ²⁷⁷¹  I have done nothing wrong ²⁷⁷²  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ²⁷⁷³  25:11 If then I am in the wrong ²⁷⁷⁴  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ²⁷⁷⁵  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ²⁷⁷⁶  no one can hand me over to them. ²⁷⁷⁷  I appeal to Caesar!” ²⁷⁷⁸  25:12 Then, after conferring with his council, ²⁷⁷⁹  Festus ²⁷⁸⁰  replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; ²⁷⁸¹  to Caesar ²⁷⁸²  you will go!” ²⁷⁸³ 

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa ²⁷⁸⁴  and Bernice arrived at Caesarea ²⁷⁸⁵  to pay their respects ²⁷⁸⁶  to Festus. ²⁷⁸⁷  25:14 While ²⁷⁸⁸  they were staying there many days, Festus ²⁷⁸⁹  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ²⁷⁹⁰  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ²⁷⁹¹  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ²⁷⁹²  me about him, ²⁷⁹³  asking for a sentence of condemnation ²⁷⁹⁴  against him. 25:16 I answered them ²⁷⁹⁵  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ²⁷⁹⁶  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ²⁷⁹⁷  and had been given ²⁷⁹⁸  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ²⁷⁹⁹  25:17 So after they came back here with me, ²⁸⁰⁰  I did not postpone the case, ²⁸⁰¹  but the next day I sat ²⁸⁰²  on the judgment seat ²⁸⁰³  and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ²⁸⁰⁴  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ²⁸⁰⁵  25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement ²⁸⁰⁶  with him about their own religion ²⁸⁰⁷  and about a man named Jesus ²⁸⁰⁸  who was dead, whom Paul claimed ²⁸⁰⁹  to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss ²⁸¹⁰  how I could investigate these matters, ²⁸¹¹  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ²⁸¹²  there on these charges. ²⁸¹³  25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, ²⁸¹⁴  I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” ²⁸¹⁵  25:22 Agrippa ²⁸¹⁶  said to Festus, ²⁸¹⁷  “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, ²⁸¹⁸  “you will hear him.”

25:23 So the next day Agrippa ²⁸¹⁹  and Bernice came with great pomp ²⁸²⁰  and entered the audience hall, ²⁸²¹  along with the senior military officers ²⁸²²  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ²⁸²³  gave the order, ²⁸²⁴  Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus ²⁸²⁵  said, “King Agrippa, ²⁸²⁶  and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace ²⁸²⁷  petitioned ²⁸²⁸  me both in Jerusalem ²⁸²⁹  and here, ²⁸³⁰  shouting loudly ²⁸³¹  that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, ²⁸³²  and when he appealed ²⁸³³  to His Majesty the Emperor, ²⁸³⁴  I decided to send him. ²⁸³⁵  25:26 But I have nothing definite ²⁸³⁶  to write to my lord ²⁸³⁷  about him. ²⁸³⁸  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ²⁸³⁹  so that after this preliminary hearing ²⁸⁴⁰  I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating ²⁸⁴¹  the charges against him.”

26:1 So Agrippa ²⁸⁴²  said to Paul, “You have permission ²⁸⁴³  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ²⁸⁴⁴  and began his defense: ²⁸⁴⁵ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ²⁸⁴⁶  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially ²⁸⁴⁷  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ²⁸⁴⁸  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ²⁸⁴⁹  you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived ²⁸⁵⁰  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ²⁸⁵¹  and in Jerusalem. ²⁸⁵²  26:5 They know, ²⁸⁵³  because they have known ²⁸⁵⁴  me from time past, ²⁸⁵⁵  if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party ²⁸⁵⁶  of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ²⁸⁵⁷  26:6 And now I stand here on trial ²⁸⁵⁸  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ²⁸⁵⁹  26:7 a promise ²⁸⁶⁰  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ²⁸⁶¹  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ²⁸⁶²  Your Majesty! ²⁸⁶³  26:8 Why do you people ²⁸⁶⁴  think ²⁸⁶⁵  it is unbelievable ²⁸⁶⁶  that ²⁸⁶⁷  God raises the dead? 26:9 Of course, ²⁸⁶⁸  I myself was convinced ²⁸⁶⁹  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 ²⁸⁷⁰  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ²⁸⁷¹  against them when they were sentenced to death. ²⁸⁷²  26:11 I punished ²⁸⁷³  them often in all the synagogues ²⁸⁷⁴  and tried to force ²⁸⁷⁵  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ²⁸⁷⁶  at them, I went to persecute ²⁸⁷⁷  them even in foreign cities.

26:12 “While doing this very thing, ²⁸⁷⁸  as I was going ²⁸⁷⁹  to Damascus with authority and complete power ²⁸⁸⁰  from the chief priests, 26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ²⁸⁸¹  I saw a light from heaven, ²⁸⁸²  brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ²⁸⁸³  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, ²⁸⁸⁴  ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ²⁸⁸⁵  by kicking against the goads.’ ²⁸⁸⁶  26:15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ²⁸⁸⁷  ‘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 ²⁸⁸⁸  as a servant and witness ²⁸⁸⁹  to the things ²⁸⁹⁰  you have seen ²⁸⁹¹  and to the things in which I will appear to you. 26:17 I will rescue ²⁸⁹²  you from your own people ²⁸⁹³  and from the Gentiles, to whom ²⁸⁹⁴  I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ²⁸⁹⁵  from darkness to light and from the power ²⁸⁹⁶  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ²⁸⁹⁷  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ²⁸⁹⁸  I was not disobedient ²⁸⁹⁹  to the heavenly ²⁹⁰⁰  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ²⁹⁰¹  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ²⁹⁰²  performing deeds consistent with ²⁹⁰³  repentance. 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts ²⁹⁰⁴  and were trying to kill me. 26:22 I have experienced ²⁹⁰⁵  help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except ²⁹⁰⁶  what the prophets and Moses said ²⁹⁰⁷  was going to happen: 26:23 that ²⁹⁰⁸  the Christ ²⁹⁰⁹  was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people ²⁹¹⁰  and to the Gentiles.” ²⁹¹¹ 

26:24 As Paul ²⁹¹²  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ²⁹¹³  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ²⁹¹⁴  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ²⁹¹⁵  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ²⁹¹⁶  but am speaking ²⁹¹⁷  true and rational ²⁹¹⁸  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ²⁹¹⁹  to him, ²⁹²⁰  because I cannot believe ²⁹²¹  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ²⁹²²  for this was not done in a corner. ²⁹²³  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ²⁹²⁴  King Agrippa? ²⁹²⁵  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ²⁹²⁶  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ²⁹²⁷  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ²⁹²⁸  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ²⁹²⁹ 

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, ²⁹³⁰  “This man is not doing anything deserving ²⁹³¹  death or imprisonment.” 26:32 Agrippa ²⁹³²  said to Festus, ²⁹³³  “This man could have been released ²⁹³⁴  if he had not appealed to Caesar.” ²⁹³⁵ 

27:1 When it was decided we ²⁹³⁶  would sail to Italy, ²⁹³⁷  they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion ²⁹³⁸  of the Augustan Cohort ²⁹³⁹  named Julius. 27:2 We went on board ²⁹⁴⁰  a ship from Adramyttium ²⁹⁴¹  that was about to sail to various ports ²⁹⁴²  along the coast of the province of Asia ²⁹⁴³  and put out to sea, ²⁹⁴⁴  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ²⁹⁴⁵  from Thessalonica. ²⁹⁴⁶  27:3 The next day we put in ²⁹⁴⁷  at Sidon, ²⁹⁴⁸  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ²⁹⁴⁹  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ²⁹⁵⁰  27:4 From there we put out to sea ²⁹⁵¹  and sailed under the lee ²⁹⁵²  of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea ²⁹⁵³  off Cilicia and Pamphylia, ²⁹⁵⁴  we put in ²⁹⁵⁵  at Myra ²⁹⁵⁶  in Lycia. ²⁹⁵⁷  27:6 There the centurion ²⁹⁵⁸  found ²⁹⁵⁹  a ship from Alexandria ²⁹⁶⁰  sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly ²⁹⁶¹  for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. ²⁹⁶²  Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, ²⁹⁶³  we sailed under the lee ²⁹⁶⁴  of Crete off Salmone. ²⁹⁶⁵  27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast ²⁹⁶⁶  of Crete ²⁹⁶⁷  and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. ²⁹⁶⁸ 

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous ²⁹⁶⁹  because the fast ²⁹⁷⁰  was already over, ²⁹⁷¹  Paul advised them, ²⁹⁷²  27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end ²⁹⁷³  in disaster ²⁹⁷⁴  and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ²⁹⁷⁵  27:11 But the centurion ²⁹⁷⁶  was more convinced ²⁹⁷⁷  by the captain ²⁹⁷⁸  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ²⁹⁷⁹  27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ²⁹⁸⁰  to put out to sea ²⁹⁸¹  from there. They hoped that ²⁹⁸²  somehow they could reach ²⁹⁸³  Phoenix, ²⁹⁸⁴  a harbor of Crete facing ²⁹⁸⁵  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought ²⁹⁸⁶  they could carry out ²⁹⁸⁷  their purpose, so they weighed anchor ²⁹⁸⁸  and sailed close along the coast ²⁹⁸⁹  of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force ²⁹⁹⁰  wind called the northeaster ²⁹⁹¹  blew down from the island. ²⁹⁹²  27:15 When the ship was caught in it ²⁹⁹³  and could not head into ²⁹⁹⁴  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ²⁹⁹⁵  along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of ²⁹⁹⁶  a small island called Cauda, ²⁹⁹⁷  we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat ²⁹⁹⁸  under control. 27:17 After the crew ²⁹⁹⁹  had hoisted it aboard, ³⁰⁰⁰  they used supports ³⁰⁰¹  to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground ³⁰⁰²  on the Syrtis, ³⁰⁰³  they lowered the sea anchor, ³⁰⁰⁴  thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, ³⁰⁰⁵  they began throwing the cargo overboard, ³⁰⁰⁶  27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear ³⁰⁰⁷  overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent ³⁰⁰⁸  storm continued to batter us, ³⁰⁰⁹  we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. ³⁰¹⁰ 

27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, ³⁰¹¹  Paul ³⁰¹²  stood up ³⁰¹³  among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me ³⁰¹⁴  and not put out to sea ³⁰¹⁵  from Crete, thus avoiding ³⁰¹⁶  this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise ³⁰¹⁷  you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. ³⁰¹⁸  27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong ³⁰¹⁹  and whom I serve ³⁰²⁰  came to me ³⁰²¹  27:24 and said, ³⁰²²  ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before ³⁰²³  Caesar, ³⁰²⁴  and God has graciously granted you the safety ³⁰²⁵  of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God ³⁰²⁶  that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must ³⁰²⁷  run aground on some island.”

27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven ³⁰²⁸  across the Adriatic Sea, ³⁰²⁹  about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. ³⁰³⁰  27:28 They took soundings ³⁰³¹  and found the water was twenty fathoms ³⁰³²  deep; when they had sailed a little farther ³⁰³³  they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms ³⁰³⁴  deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid ³⁰³⁵  that we would run aground on the rocky coast, ³⁰³⁶  they threw out ³⁰³⁷  four anchors from the stern and wished ³⁰³⁸  for day to appear. ³⁰³⁹  27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending ³⁰⁴⁰  that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion ³⁰⁴¹  and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you ³⁰⁴²  cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes ³⁰⁴³  of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. ³⁰⁴⁴ 

27:33 As day was about to dawn, ³⁰⁴⁵  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ³⁰⁴⁶  and have gone ³⁰⁴⁷  without food; you have eaten nothing. ³⁰⁴⁸  27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important ³⁰⁴⁹  for your survival. ³⁰⁵⁰  For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul ³⁰⁵¹  took bread ³⁰⁵²  and gave thanks to God in front of them all, ³⁰⁵³  broke ³⁰⁵⁴  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 ³⁰⁵⁵  persons on the ship.) ³⁰⁵⁶  27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, ³⁰⁵⁷  they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat ³⁰⁵⁸  into the sea.

27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed ³⁰⁵⁹  a bay ³⁰⁶⁰  with a beach, ³⁰⁶¹  where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped ³⁰⁶²  the anchors ³⁰⁶³  and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage ³⁰⁶⁴  that bound the steering oars ³⁰⁶⁵  together. Then they hoisted ³⁰⁶⁶  the foresail ³⁰⁶⁷  to the wind and steered toward ³⁰⁶⁸  the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents ³⁰⁶⁹  and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force ³⁰⁷⁰  of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners ³⁰⁷¹  so that none of them would escape by swimming away. ³⁰⁷²  27:43 But the centurion, ³⁰⁷³  wanting to save Paul’s life, ³⁰⁷⁴  prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, ³⁰⁷⁵  27:44 and the rest were to follow, ³⁰⁷⁶  some on planks ³⁰⁷⁷  and some on pieces of the ship. ³⁰⁷⁸  And in this way ³⁰⁷⁹  all were brought safely to land.

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ³⁰⁸⁰  we learned that the island was called Malta. ³⁰⁸¹  28:2 The local inhabitants ³⁰⁸²  showed us extraordinary ³⁰⁸³  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ³⁰⁸⁴  and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood ³⁰⁸⁵  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 ³⁰⁸⁶  saw the creature hanging from Paul’s ³⁰⁸⁷  hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself ³⁰⁸⁸  has not allowed him to live!” ³⁰⁸⁹  28:5 However, ³⁰⁹⁰  Paul ³⁰⁹¹  shook ³⁰⁹²  the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up ³⁰⁹³  or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited ³⁰⁹⁴  a long time and had seen ³⁰⁹⁵  nothing unusual happen ³⁰⁹⁶  to him, they changed their minds ³⁰⁹⁷  and said he was a god. ³⁰⁹⁸ 

28:7 Now in the region around that place ³⁰⁹⁹  were fields belonging to the chief official ³¹⁰⁰  of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father ³¹⁰¹  of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him ³¹⁰²  and after praying, placed ³¹⁰³  his hands on him and healed ³¹⁰⁴  him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick ³¹⁰⁵  also came and were healed. ³¹⁰⁶  28:10 They also bestowed many honors, ³¹⁰⁷  and when we were preparing to sail, ³¹⁰⁸  they gave ³¹⁰⁹  us all the supplies we needed. ³¹¹⁰ 

28:11 After three months we put out to sea ³¹¹¹  in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” ³¹¹²  as its figurehead. ³¹¹³  28:12 We put in ³¹¹⁴  at Syracuse ³¹¹⁵  and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off ³¹¹⁶  and arrived at Rhegium, ³¹¹⁷  and after one day a south wind sprang up ³¹¹⁸  and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ³¹¹⁹  28:14 There ³¹²⁰  we found ³¹²¹  some brothers ³¹²²  and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. ³¹²³  28:15 The brothers from there, ³¹²⁴  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ³¹²⁵  and Three Taverns ³¹²⁶  to meet us. When he saw them, ³¹²⁷  Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live ³¹²⁸  by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

28:17 After three days ³¹²⁹  Paul ³¹³⁰  called the local Jewish leaders ³¹³¹  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ³¹³²  although I had done ³¹³³  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ³¹³⁴  from Jerusalem ³¹³⁵  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ³¹³⁶  28:18 When ³¹³⁷  they had heard my case, ³¹³⁸  they wanted to release me, ³¹³⁹  because there was no basis for a death sentence ³¹⁴⁰  against me. 28:19 But when the Jews objected, ³¹⁴¹  I was forced to appeal to Caesar ³¹⁴²  – not that I had some charge to bring ³¹⁴³  against my own people. ³¹⁴⁴  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.” ³¹⁴⁵  28:21 They replied, ³¹⁴⁶  “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there ³¹⁴⁷  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 ³¹⁴⁸  that people ³¹⁴⁹  everywhere speak against ³¹⁵⁰  it.”

28:23 They set ³¹⁵¹  a day to meet with him, ³¹⁵²  and they came to him where he was staying ³¹⁵³  in even greater numbers. ³¹⁵⁴  From morning until evening he explained things ³¹⁵⁵  to them, ³¹⁵⁶  testifying ³¹⁵⁷  about the kingdom of God ³¹⁵⁸  and trying to convince ³¹⁵⁹  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced ³¹⁶⁰  by what he said, ³¹⁶¹  but others refused ³¹⁶²  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ³¹⁶³  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ³¹⁶⁴  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ³¹⁶⁵  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ³¹⁶⁶  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ³¹⁶⁷ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ³¹⁶⁸ 

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, ³¹⁶⁹  and I would heal them.”’ ³¹⁷⁰ 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ³¹⁷¹  that this salvation from God ³¹⁷²  has been sent to the Gentiles; ³¹⁷³  they ³¹⁷⁴  will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]] ³¹⁷⁵ 

28:30 Paul ³¹⁷⁶  lived ³¹⁷⁷  there two whole years in his own rented quarters ³¹⁷⁸  and welcomed ³¹⁷⁹  all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ³¹⁸⁰  with complete boldness ³¹⁸¹  and without restriction. ³¹⁸²