Bible (Literal Standard Version)/Acts

For other versions of this work, see Acts (Bible).

Chapter 1

¹ The former account, indeed, I made concerning all things, O Theophilus, that Jesus began both to do and to teach, ² until the day in which, having given command through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom He chose out, He was taken up, ³ to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, in many certain proofs, being seen by them through forty days, and speaking the things concerning the Kingdom of God. ⁴ And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, "Which you heard from Me; ⁵ because John, indeed, immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit not many days after these." ⁶ They, therefore, indeed, having come together, were questioning Him, saying, "Lord, do You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" ⁷ And He said to them, "It is not yours to know times or seasons that the Father appointed in His own authority; ⁸ but you will receive power at the coming of the Holy Spirit on you, and you will be witnesses for Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." ⁹ And having said these things—they beholding—He was taken up, and a cloud received Him up from their sight; ¹⁰ and as they were looking steadfastly to the sky in His going on, then, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, ¹¹ who also said, "Men, Galileans, why do you stand gazing into the sky? This Jesus who was received up from you into Heaven, will so come in what manner you saw Him going on to Heaven." ¹² Then they returned to Jerusalem from [that] called the Mount of Olives, that is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath's journey; ¹³ and when they came in, they went up into the upper room, where were abiding both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James, of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas, of James; ¹⁴ these were all continuing with one accord in prayer and supplication, with women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. ¹⁵ And in these days, Peter having risen up in the midst of the disciples, said (also the multitude of the names at the same place was, as it were, one hundred and twenty), ¹⁶ "Men, brothers, it was necessary [for] this Writing to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who became guide to those who took Jesus, ¹⁷ because he was numbered among us, and received the share in this ministry. ¹⁸ (This one, indeed, then, purchased a field out of the reward of unrighteousness, and falling headlong, burst apart in the midst, and all his bowels gushed forth, ¹⁹ and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, insomuch that this place is called, in their proper dialect, Aceldama, that is, Field of Blood.) ²⁰ For it has been written in [the] Scroll of Psalms: Let his lodging-place become desolate, and let no one be dwelling in it, and let another take his oversight. ²¹ It is necessary, therefore, of the men who went with us during all the time in which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, ²² beginning from the immersion of John, to the day in which He was received up from us, one of these to become with us a witness of His resurrection." ²³ And they set two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias, ²⁴ and having prayed, they said, "You, LORD, who are knowing the heart of all, show which one You chose of these two, ²⁵ to receive the share of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas, by transgression, fell, to go on to his proper place"; ²⁶ and they gave their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Chapter 2

¹ And in the day of the Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all with one accord at the same place, ² and there came suddenly out of the sky a sound as of a violent rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting, ³ and there appeared to them divided tongues, as it were of fire; it also sat on each one of them, ⁴ and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, according as the Spirit was giving them to declare. ⁵ And there were Jews dwelling in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation of those under the heaven, ⁶ and the rumor of this having come, the multitude came together, and was confounded, because they were, each one, hearing them speaking in his proper dialect, ⁷ and they were all amazed, and wondered, saying to one another, "Behold, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸ And how do we hear, each in our proper dialect, in which we were born? ⁹ Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those dwelling in Mesopotamia, in Judea also, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia also, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Libya that [are] along Cyrene, and the strangers of Rome, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹ Cretes and Arabians, we heard them speaking the great things of God in our tongues." ¹² And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying to one another, "What would this wish to be?" ¹³ And others mocking said, "They are full of sweet wine"; ¹⁴ and Peter having stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice and declared to them: "Men—Jews, and all those dwelling in Jerusalem! Let this be known to you, and listen to my sayings, ¹⁵ for these are not drunken, as you take it up, for it is the third hour of the day. ¹⁶ But this is that which has been spoken through the prophet Joel: ¹⁷ And it will be in the last days, says God, || I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh, || And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, || And your young men will see visions, || And your old men will dream dreams; ¹⁸ And also on My menservants, and on My maidservants, || In those days, I will pour out of My Spirit, || And they will prophesy; ¹⁹ And I will give wonders in the sky above, || And signs on the earth beneath—Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke, ²⁰ The sun will be turned to darkness, || And the moon to blood, || Before the coming of the Day of the LORD—the great and conspicuous; ²¹ And it will be, everyone who, if he may have called on the Name of the LORD, will be saved. ²² Men, Israelites! Hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man approved of God among you by mighty works, and wonders, and signs, that God did through Him in the midst of you, according as also you yourselves have known, ²³ this One, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, being given out, having been taken by lawless hands, having been crucified—you slew, ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the travails of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it; ²⁵ for David says in regard to Him: I foresaw the LORD always before me—Because He is on my right hand—That I may not be moved; ²⁶ Because of this was my heart cheered, || And my tongue was glad, || And yet—my flesh will also rest on hope, ²⁷ Because You will not leave my soul to Hades, || Nor will You give Your Holy One to see corruption; ²⁸ You made known to me ways of life, || You will fill me with joy with Your countenance. ²⁹ Men, brothers! It is permitted to speak with freedom to you concerning the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this day; ³⁰ therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God swore to him with an oath, out of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, to raise up the Christ, to sit on his throne, ³¹ having foreseen, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left to Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³² God raised up this Jesus, of which we are all witnesses; ³³ then having been exalted at the right hand of God—also having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father—He poured forth this which you now see and hear; ³⁴ for David did not go up into the heavens, and he says himself: The LORD says to my Lord, || Sit at My right hand, ³⁵ Until I make Your enemies Your footstool; ³⁶ assuredly, therefore, let all the house of Israel know that God made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified." ³⁷ And having heard, they were pricked to the heart; they also say to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "What will we do, men, brothers?" ³⁸ And Peter said to them, "Convert, and each of you be immersed on the Name of Jesus Christ, for forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, ³⁹ for the promise is to you and to your children, and to all those far off, as many as the LORD our God will call." ⁴⁰ Also with many more other words he was testifying and exhorting, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation"; ⁴¹ then those, indeed, who gladly received his word were immersed, and there were added on that day, as it were, three thousand souls, ⁴² and they were continuing steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles, and the fellowship, and the breaking of the bread, and the prayers. ⁴³ And fear came on every soul, also many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles, ⁴⁴ and all those believing were at the same place, and had all things common, ⁴⁵ and they were selling the possessions and the goods, and were parting them to all, according as anyone had need. ⁴⁶ Also continuing daily with one accord in the temple, also breaking bread at every house, they were partaking of food in gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God, and having favor with all the people, and the LORD was adding those being saved every day to the Assembly.

Chapter 3

¹ And Peter and John were going up at the same time into the temple, at the hour of the prayer, the ninth [hour], ² and a certain man, being lame from the womb of his mother, was being carried, whom they were laying every day at the gate of the temple, called Beautiful, to ask a kindness from those entering into the temple, ³ who, having seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, was begging to receive a kindness. ⁴ And Peter, having looked steadfastly toward him with John, said, "Look toward us"; ⁵ and he was giving heed to them, looking to receive something from them; ⁶ and Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I have, that I give to you; in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and be walking." ⁷ And having seized him by the right hand, he raised [him] up, and instantly his feet and ankles were strengthened, ⁸ and springing up, he stood, and was walking, and entered with them into the temple, walking and springing, and praising God; ⁹ and all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and they knew him, that this it was who for a kindness was sitting at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what has happened to him. ¹¹ And at the lame man who was healed holding Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch called Solomon's—greatly amazed, ¹² and Peter having seen, answered to the people, "Men, Israelites! Why do you wonder at this? Or why do you look on us so earnestly, as if by our own power or piety we have made him to walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His child Jesus, whom you delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate, he having given judgment to release [Him], ¹⁴ and you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and desired a man—a murderer—to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and the Prince of life you killed, whom God raised out of the dead, of which we are witnesses; ¹⁶ and on the faith of His Name, this one whom you see and have known, His Name made strong, even the faith that [is] through Him gave to him this perfect soundness before you all. ¹⁷ And now, brothers, I have known that through ignorance you did [it], as also your rulers; ¹⁸ and God, what things He had declared before through the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ should suffer, He thus fulfilled; ¹⁹ convert, therefore, and turn back, for your sins being blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the LORD, ²⁰ and He may send Jesus Christ who before has been preached to you, ²¹ whom Heaven required, indeed, to receive until times of a restitution of all things, of which God spoke through the mouth of all His holy prophets from the age. ²² For Moses, indeed, said to the fathers—The LORD your God will raise up a Prophet to you out of your brothers, like to me; you will hear Him in all things, as many as He may speak to you; ²³ and it will be, every soul that may not hear that Prophet will be utterly destroyed out of the people; ²⁴ and also all the prophets from Samuel and those following in order, as many as spoke, also foretold of these days. ²⁵ You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made to our fathers, saying to Abraham: And in your Seed will all the families of the earth be blessed; ²⁶ to you first, God, having raised up His child Jesus, sent Him, blessing you, in the turning away of each one from your evil ways."

Chapter 4

¹ And as they are speaking to the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees— ² being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the resurrection out of the dead— ³ and they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was evening already; ⁴ and many of those hearing the word believed, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand. ⁵ And it came to pass the next day, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem, ⁶ and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the chief priest, ⁷ and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, "In what power, or in what name did you do this?" ⁸ Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹ if we are examined today concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he has been saved, ¹⁰ be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised out of the dead, in Him has this one stood by before you whole. ¹¹ This is the stone that was set at nothing by you—the builders, that became head of a corner; ¹² and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men, in which it is required of us to be saved." ¹³ And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are illiterate men and commoners, they were wondering—they were also taking knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus— ¹⁴ and seeing the man standing with them who has been healed, they had nothing to say against [it], ¹⁵ and having commanded them to go away out of the Sanhedrin, they took counsel with one another, ¹⁶ saying, "What will we do to these men? Because that, indeed, a notable sign has been done through them [is] apparent to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny [it]; ¹⁷ but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them to no longer speak in this Name to any man." ¹⁸ And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the Name of Jesus, ¹⁹ and Peter and John answering to them said, "Whether it is righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge; ²⁰ for we cannot but speak what we saw and heard." ²¹ And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding no way how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which has been done, ²² for above forty years of age was the man on whom had been done this sign of the healing. ²³ And being let go, they went to their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said to them, ²⁴ and they having heard, lifted up the voice to God with one accord and said, "LORD, You [are] God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them, ²⁵ who, through the mouth of Your servant David, said, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things? ²⁶ The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ; ²⁷ for gathered together of a truth against Your holy child Jesus, whom You anointed, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel, ²⁸ to do whatever Your hand and Your counsel determined before to come to pass. ²⁹ And now, LORD, look on their threatenings, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all freedom, ³⁰ in the stretching forth of Your hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the Name of Your holy child Jesus." ³¹ And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom, ³² and of the multitude of those who believed, the heart and the soul were one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were in common to them. ³³ And with great power the apostles were giving the testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, great grace was also on them all, ³⁴ for there was not anyone among them who lacked, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold, ³⁵ and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as anyone had need. ³⁶ And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas—which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort—a Levite, of Cyprus by birth, ³⁷ a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.

Chapter 5

¹ And a certain man, Ananias by name, with his wife Sapphira, sold a possession, ² and kept back of the price—his wife also knowing—and having brought a certain part, he laid [it] at the feet of the apostles. ³ And Peter said, "Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart, for you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back of the price of the place? ⁴ While it remained, did it not remain yours? And having been sold, was it not in your authority? Why [is] it that you put this thing in your heart? You did not lie to men, but to God"; ⁵ and Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, expired, and great fear came on all who heard these things, ⁶ and having risen, the younger men wound him up, and having carried forth, they buried [him]. ⁷ And it came to pass, about three hours after, that his wife, not knowing what has happened, came in, ⁸ and Peter answered her, "Tell me if for so much you sold the place"; and she said, "Yes, for so much." ⁹ And Peter said to her, "How was it agreed by you to tempt the Spirit of the LORD? Behold, the feet of those who buried your husband [are] at the door, and they will carry you forth"; ¹⁰ and immediately she fell down at his feet, and expired, and the young men having come in, found her dead, and having carried forth, they buried [her] by her husband; ¹¹ and great fear came on all the Assembly, and on all who heard these things. ¹² And through the hands of the apostles came many signs and wonders among the people, and they were all with one accord in the porch of Solomon; ¹³ and of the rest no one was daring to join himself to them, but the people were magnifying them, ¹⁴ (and the more were believers added to the LORD, multitudes of both men and women), ¹⁵ so as to bring forth the ailing into the broad places, and to lay [them] on beds and pallets, that at the coming of Peter, even [his] shadow might overshadow someone of them; ¹⁶ and there were also coming together the people of the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, carrying ailing persons, and those harassed by unclean spirits—who were all healed. ¹⁷ And having risen, the chief priest, and all those with him—being the sect of the Sadducees—were filled with zeal, ¹⁸ and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in a public prison; ¹⁹ but through the night a messenger of the LORD opened the doors of the prison, having also brought them forth, he said, ²⁰ "Go on, and standing, speak in the temple to the people all the sayings of this life"; ²¹ and having heard, they entered into the temple at the dawn, and were teaching. And the chief priest having come, and those with him, they called together the Sanhedrin and all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and they sent to the prison to have them brought, ²² and the officers having come, did not find them in the prison, and having turned back, they told, ²³ saying, "We indeed found the prison shut in all safety, and the keepers standing outside before the doors, and having opened—we found no one within." ²⁴ And as the priest, and the magistrate of the temple, and the chief priests, heard these words, they were doubting concerning them to what this would come; ²⁵ and coming near, a certain one told them, saying, "Behold, the men whom you put in the prison are in the temple standing and teaching the people"; ²⁶ then the magistrate having gone away with officers, brought them without violence, for they were fearing the people, lest they should be stoned; ²⁷ and having brought them, they set [them] in the Sanhedrin, and the chief priest questioned them, ²⁸ saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this Name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring on us the blood of this Man." ²⁹ And Peter and the apostles answering, said, "It is required to obey God, rather than men; ³⁰ and the God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, having hanged on a tree; ³¹ this One, God, a Prince and a Savior, has exalted with His right hand, to give conversion to Israel, and forgiveness of sins; ³² and we are His witnesses of these sayings, and the Holy Spirit also, whom God gave to those obeying Him." ³³ And they having heard, were cut [to the heart], and were intending to slay them, ³⁴ but a certain one, having risen up in the Sanhedrin—a Pharisee, by name Gamaliel, a teacher of law honored by all the people—commanded to put the apostles forth a little, ³⁵ and said to them, "Men, Israelites, take heed to yourselves about these men, what you are about to do, ³⁶ for before these days Theudas rose up, saying that he was someone, to whom a number of men joined themselves, as it were four hundred, who was slain, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered, and came to nothing. ³⁷ After this one, Judas the Galilean rose up, in the days of the census, and drew away people after him, and that one perished, and all, as many as were obeying him, were scattered; ³⁸ and now I say to you, refrain from these men, and leave them alone, because if this counsel or this work may be of men, it will be overthrown, ³⁹ and if it be of God, you are not able to overthrow it, lest perhaps you are also found fighting against God." ⁴⁰ And to him they agreed, and having called near the apostles, having beaten [them], they commanded [them] not to speak in the Name of Jesus, and let them go; ⁴¹ they, indeed, then, departed from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that for His Name they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor, ⁴² also every day in the temple, and in every house, they were not ceasing teaching and proclaiming good news—Jesus the Christ.

Chapter 6

¹ And in these days, the disciples multiplying, there came a murmuring of the Hellenists at the Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily ministry, ² and the Twelve, having called near the multitude of the disciples, said, "It is not pleasing that we, having left the word of God, minister at tables; ³ look out, therefore, brothers, seven men of you who are testified well of, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may set over this necessity, ⁴ and we to prayer, and to the ministry of the word, will give ourselves continually." ⁵ And the thing was pleasing before all the multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch, ⁶ whom they set before the apostles, and they, having prayed, laid [their] hands on them. ⁷ And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; a great multitude of the priests were also obedient to the faith. ⁸ And Stephen, full of faith and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people, ⁹ and there arose certain of those of the synagogue, the [one] called Libertines (and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia, and Asia), disputing with Stephen, ¹⁰ and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking; ¹¹ then they suborned men, saying, "We have heard him speaking slanderous sayings in regard to Moses and God." ¹² They also stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and having come on [him], they caught him, and brought [him] to the Sanhedrin; ¹³ they also set up false witnesses, saying, "This one does not cease to speak evil sayings against this holy place and the Law, ¹⁴ for we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarean will overthrow this place, and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us"; ¹⁵ and gazing at him, all those sitting in the Sanhedrin saw his face as it were the face of a messenger.

Chapter 7

¹ And the chief priest said, "Are then these things so?" ² And he said, "Men, brothers, and fathers, listen! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, being in Mesopotamia, before his dwelling in Haran, ³ and He said to him, Go forth out of your land, and out of your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you. ⁴ Then having come forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, he dwelt in Haran, and from there, after the death of his father, He removed him to this land wherein you now dwell, ⁵ and He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a footstep, and promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him—he having no child. ⁶ And God spoke thus, that his seed will be sojourning in a strange land, and they will cause it to serve, and will do it evil [for] four hundred years. ⁷ And the nation whom they will serve I will judge, said God; And after these things they will come forth and will do Me service in this place. ⁸ And He gave to him a covenant of circumcision, and so he begot Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac [begot] Jacob, and Jacob—the twelve patriarchs; ⁹ and the patriarchs, having been moved with jealousy, sold Joseph to Egypt, and God was with him, ¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his tribulations, and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he set him—governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ And there came a scarcity on all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation, and our fathers were not finding sustenance, ¹² and Jacob having heard that there was grain in Egypt, sent forth our fathers a first time; ¹³ and at the second time was Joseph made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became disclosed to Pharaoh, ¹⁴ and Joseph having sent, called for his father Jacob, and all his relatives—with seventy-five souls— ¹⁵ and Jacob went down to Egypt, and died, himself and our fathers, ¹⁶ and they were carried over into Shechem, and were laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in money from the sons of Emmor, of Shechem. ¹⁷ And according as the time of the promise was drawing near, which God swore to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸ until another king rose, who had not known Joseph; ¹⁹ this one, having dealt subtly with our family, did evil to our fathers, causing to expose their babies, that they might not live; ²⁰ in which time Moses was born, and he was fair to God, and he was brought up [for] three months in the house of his father; ²¹ and he having been set outside, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up, and reared him to herself for a son; ²² and Moses was taught in all wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in words and in works. ²³ And when forty years were fulfilled to him, it came on his heart to look after his brothers, the sons of Israel; ²⁴ and having seen a certain one suffering injustice, he defended, and did justice to the oppressed, having struck the Egyptian; ²⁵ and he was supposing his brothers to understand that God gives salvation through his hand; and they did not understand. ²⁶ On the succeeding day, also, he showed himself to them as they are striving, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, you are brothers, why do you do injustice to one another? ²⁷ And he who is doing injustice to the neighbor, thrusted him away, saying, Who set you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you wish to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? ²⁹ And Moses fled at this word, and became a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons, ³⁰ and forty years having been fulfilled, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai [the] Messenger of the LORD, in a flame of fire of a bush, ³¹ and Moses having seen, wondered at the sight; and he drawing near to behold, there came a voice of the LORD to him, ³² I [am] the God of your fathers; the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses having become terrified, did not dare behold, ³³ and the LORD said to him, Loose the sandal of your feet, for the place in which you have stood is holy ground; ³⁴ seeing I have seen the affliction of My people that [is] in Egypt, and I heard their groaning, and came down to deliver them; and now come, I will send you to Egypt. ³⁵ This Moses, whom they refused, saying, Who set you a ruler and a judge? This one God sent [as] a ruler and a redeemer, by the hand of [the] Messenger who appeared to him in the bush; ³⁶ this one brought them forth, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years; ³⁷ this is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel: The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet out of your brothers, like to me, Him will you hear. ³⁸ This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the Messenger who is speaking to him in Mount Sinai, and with our fathers who received the living oracles to give to us; ³⁹ to whom our fathers did not wish to become obedient, but thrusted away, and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, Make to us gods who will go on before us, for this Moses, who brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, we have not known what has happened to him. ⁴¹ And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands, ⁴² and God turned, and gave them up to do service to the host of Heaven, according as it has been written in the scroll of the Prophets: Did you offer slain beasts and sacrifices to Me forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³ And you took up the dwelling place of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan—the figures that you made to worship them, and I will remove your dwelling beyond Babylon. ⁴⁴ The Dwelling Place of the Testimony was among our fathers in the wilderness, according as He directed, who is speaking to Moses, to make it according to the figure that he had seen; ⁴⁵ which also our fathers having in succession received, brought in with Joshua, into the possession of the nations whom God drove out from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David, ⁴⁶ who found favor before God, and requested to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob; ⁴⁷ and Solomon built Him a house. ⁴⁸ But the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, according as the prophet says: ⁴⁹ Heaven [is] My throne, || And the earth My footstool, || What house will you build to Me? Says the LORD; Or what [is] the place of My rest? ⁵⁰ Has My hand not made all these things? ⁵¹ You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers—also you; ⁵² which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who declared before about the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you have now become betrayers and murderers, ⁵³ who received the Law by arrangement of messengers, and did not keep [it]." ⁵⁴ And hearing these things, they were cut to the hearts, and gnashed the teeth at him; ⁵⁵ and being full of the Holy Spirit, having looked steadfastly to the sky, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens having been opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God." ⁵⁷ And they, having cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and rushed with one accord on him, ⁵⁸ and having cast him forth outside of the city, they were stoning [him]—and the witnesses put down their garments at the feet of a young man called Saul— ⁵⁹ and they were stoning Stephen, [as he was] calling and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit"; ⁶⁰ and having bowed the knees, he cried with a loud voice, "LORD, may You not lay to them this sin"; and having said this, he fell asleep.

Chapter 8

¹ And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution on the Assembly in Jerusalem, all were also scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles; ² and devout men carried Stephen away, and made great lamentation over him; ³ and Saul was making havoc of the Assembly, entering into every house, and dragging away men and women, giving them up to prison; ⁴ they then indeed, having been scattered, went abroad proclaiming good news—the word. ⁵ And Philip having gone down to a city of Samaria, was preaching the Christ to them; ⁶ the multitudes were also giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, with one accord, in their hearing and seeing the signs that he was doing, ⁷ for unclean spirits came forth from many who were possessed, crying with a loud voice, and many who have been paralytic and lame were healed, ⁸ and there was great joy in that city. ⁹ And a certain man, by name Simon, was previously in the city using magic, and amazing the nation of Samaria, saying himself to be a certain great one, ¹⁰ to whom they were all giving heed, from small to great, saying, "This one is the great power of God"; ¹¹ and they were giving heed to him, because of his having amazed them for a long time with deeds of magic. ¹² And when they believed Philip, proclaiming good news, the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed—both men and women; ¹³ and Simon himself also believed, and having been immersed, he was continuing with Philip, beholding also signs and mighty acts being done, he was amazed. ¹⁴ And the apostles in Jerusalem having heard that Samaria has received the word of God, sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵ who having come down prayed concerning them, that they may receive the Holy Spirit— ¹⁶ for as yet He was fallen on none of them, and only they have been immersed—into the Name of the Lord Jesus; ¹⁷ then they were laying hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ And Simon, having beheld that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Holy Spirit is given, brought money before them, ¹⁹ saying, "Give also to me this authority, that on whomsoever I may lay the hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit." ²⁰ And Peter said to him, "Your silver with you—may it be to destruction! Because you thought to possess the gift of God through money; ²¹ you have neither part nor lot in this thing, for your heart is not right before God; ²² convert, therefore, from this your wickedness, and implore God, if then the purpose of your heart may be forgiven you, ²³ for in the gall of bitterness, and bond of unrighteousness, I perceive you being." ²⁴ And Simon answering, said, "Implore for me to the LORD, that nothing may come on me of the things you have spoken." ²⁵ They indeed, therefore, having testified fully, and spoken the word of the LORD, turned back to Jerusalem; they also proclaimed good news in many villages of the Samaritans. ²⁶ And a messenger of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise, and go on toward the south, on the way that is going down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is desolate.) ²⁷ And having arisen, he went on, and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch, a man of rank, of Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship; ²⁸ he was also returning, and is sitting on his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and be joined to this chariot"; ³⁰ and Philip having run near, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, "Do you then know what you read?" ³¹ And he said, "Why, how am I able, if someone may not guide me?" He called Philip also, having come up, to sit with him. ³² And the passage of the Writing that he was reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to slaughter, || And as a lamb before his shearer is silent, || So He does not open His mouth; ³³ In His humiliation His judgment was taken away, || And His generation—who will declare? Because His life is taken from the earth." ³⁴ And the eunuch answering Philip said, "I beg you, about whom does the prophet say this? About himself, or about some other one?" ³⁵ And Philip having opened his mouth, and having begun from this Writing, proclaimed good news to him—Jesus. ³⁶ And as they were going on the way, they came on some water, and the eunuch said, "Behold, water; what hinders me to be immersed?" ³⁷ [[And Philip said, "If you believe out of all the heart, it is lawful"; and he answering said, "I believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God";]] ³⁸ and he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he immersed him; ³⁹ and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the LORD snatched up Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more, for he was going on his way rejoicing; ⁴⁰ and Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he was proclaiming good news to all the cities, until his coming to Caesarea.

Chapter 9

¹ And Saul, yet breathing of threatening and slaughter to the disciples of the LORD, having gone to the chief priest, ² asked from him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he may find any being of The Way, both men and women, he may bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³ And in the going, he came near to Damascus, and suddenly there shone around him a light from Heaven, ⁴ and having fallen on the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" ⁵ And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" And the LORD said, "I am Jesus whom you persecute; [[hard for you to kick at the goads"; ⁶ trembling also, and astonished, he said, "Lord, what do You wish me to do?" And the LORD [said] to him,]] "Arise, and enter into the city, and it will be told [to] you what you must do." ⁷ And the men who are journeying with him stood speechless, indeed hearing the voice but seeing no one, ⁸ and Saul arose from the earth, and his eyes having been opened, he beheld no one, and leading him by the hand they brought him to Damascus, ⁹ and he was three days without seeing, and he neither ate nor drank. ¹⁰ And there was a certain disciple in Damascus, by name Ananias, and the LORD said to him in a vision, "Ananias"; and he said, "Behold me, Lord"; ¹¹ and the LORD [says] to him, "Having risen, go on to the street that is called Straight, and seek in the house of Judas, [one] by name Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he prays, ¹² and he saw in a vision a man, by name Ananias, coming in, and putting a hand on him, that he may see again." ¹³ And Ananias answered, "LORD, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he did to Your holy ones in Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and here he has authority from the chief priests, to bind all those calling on Your Name." ¹⁵ And the LORD said to him, "Go, because this one is a chosen vessel to Me, to carry My Name before nations and kings—also the sons of Israel; ¹⁶ for I will show him how many things he must suffer for My Name." ¹⁷ And Ananias went away, and entered into the house, and having put on him [his] hands, said, "Saul, brother, the LORD has sent me—Jesus who appeared to you in the way in which you were coming—that you may see again, and may be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸ And immediately there fell from his eyes as it were scales, he also saw again instantly, and having risen, was immersed, ¹⁹ and having received nourishment, was strengthened, and Saul was with the disciples in Damascus certain days, ²⁰ and immediately he was preaching the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. ²¹ And all those hearing were amazed and said, "Is this not he who laid waste in Jerusalem those calling on this Name, and here to this intent had come, that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?" ²² And Saul was still more strengthened, and he was confounding the Jews dwelling in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. ²³ And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him, ²⁴ and their counsel against [him] was known to Saul; they were also watching the gates both day and night, that they may kill him, ²⁵ and the disciples having taken him, by night let him down by the wall, letting down in a basket. ²⁶ And Saul, having come to Jerusalem, tried to join himself to the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he is a disciple, ²⁷ and Barnabas having taken him, brought [him] to the apostles, and declared to them how he saw the LORD in the way, and that He spoke to him, and how in Damascus he was speaking boldly in the Name of Jesus. ²⁸ And he was with them, coming in and going out in Jerusalem, ²⁹ and speaking boldly in the Name of the Lord Jesus; he was both speaking and disputing with the Hellenists, and they were taking in hand to kill him, ³⁰ and the brothers having known, brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. ³¹ Then, indeed, the assemblies throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up, and going on in the fear of the LORD, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. ³² And it came to pass that Peter, passing throughout all [quarters], also came down to the holy ones who were dwelling at Lydda, ³³ and he found there a certain man, Aeneas by name—for eight years laid on a pallet—who was paralytic, ³⁴ and Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Christ heals you; arise and spread for yourself"; and immediately he rose, ³⁵ and all those dwelling at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the LORD. ³⁶ And in Joppa there was a certain female disciple, by name Tabitha (which interpreted, is called Dorcas); this woman was full of good works and kind acts that she was doing; ³⁷ and it came to pass in those days she, having ailed, died, and having bathed her, they laid her in an upper chamber, ³⁸ and Lydda being near to Joppa, the disciples having heard that Peter is in that [place], sent two men to him, calling on him not to delay to come through to them. ³⁹ And Peter having risen, went with them, whom having come, they brought into the upper chamber, and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing coats and garments, as many as Dorcas was making while she was with them. ⁴⁰ And Peter having put them all forth outside, having bowed the knees, prayed, and having turned to the body, said, "Tabitha, arise"; and she opened her eyes, and having seen Peter, she sat up, ⁴¹ and having given her [his] hand, he lifted her up, and having called the holy ones and the widows, he presented her alive, ⁴² and it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the LORD; ⁴³ and it came to pass, that he remained many days in Joppa, with a certain one, Simon a tanner.

Chapter 10

¹ And there was a certain man in Caesarea, by name Cornelius, a centurion from a cohort that is called Italian, ² pious, and fearing God with all his house, also doing many kind acts to the people, and always imploring God; ³ he saw in a vision openly, as it were the ninth hour of the day, a messenger of God coming in to him, and saying to him, "Cornelius"; ⁴ and he having looked earnestly on him, and becoming afraid, said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your kind acts came up for a memorial before God, ⁵ and now send men to Joppa, and send for a certain one Simon, who is surnamed Peter; ⁶ this one lodges with a certain Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea; this one will speak to you what you must do." ⁷ And when the messenger who is speaking to Cornelius went away, having called two of his servants, and a pious soldier of those waiting on him continually, ⁸ and having expounded all things to them, he sent them to Joppa. ⁹ And on the next day, as these are proceeding on the way, and are drawing near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour, ¹⁰ and he became very hungry, and wished to eat; and they making ready, there fell on him a trance, ¹¹ and he beholds Heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending to him, as a great sheet, bound at the four corners, and let down on the earth, ¹² in which were all the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky, ¹³ and there came a voice to him: "Having risen, Peter, slay and eat." ¹⁴ And Peter said, "Not so, Lord; because at no time did I eat anything common or unclean"; ¹⁵ and [there is] a voice again a second time to him: "What God cleansed, you do not declare common"; ¹⁶ and this was done three times, and again was the vessel received up to Heaven. ¹⁷ And as Peter was perplexed in himself what the vision that he saw might be, then, behold, the men who have been sent from Cornelius, having made inquiry for the house of Simon, stood at the gate, ¹⁸ and having called, they were asking if Simon, who is surnamed Peter, lodges here. ¹⁹ And Peter thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men seek you; ²⁰ but having risen, go down and go on with them, doubting nothing, because I have sent them"; ²¹ and Peter having come down to the men who have been sent from Cornelius to him, said, "Behold, I am he whom you seek, what [is] the cause for which you are present?" ²² And they said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a man righteous and fearing God, well testified to, also, by all the nation of the Jews, was divinely warned by a holy messenger to send for you, to his house, and to hear sayings from you." ²³ Having called them in, therefore, he lodged them, and on the next day Peter went forth with them, and certain of the brothers from Joppa went with him, ²⁴ and on the next day they entered into Caesarea; and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and near friends, ²⁵ and as it came that Peter entered in, Cornelius having met him, having fallen at [his] feet, worshiped [him]; ²⁶ and Peter raised him, saying, "Stand up; I am also a man myself"; ²⁷ and talking with him he went in, and finds many having come together. ²⁸ And he said to them, "You know how it is unlawful for a man, a Jew, to keep company with, or to come to, one of another race, but God showed to me to call no man common or unclean; ²⁹ therefore also without contradicting I came, having been sent for; I ask, therefore, for what matter you sent for me?" ³⁰ And Cornelius said, "Four days ago until this hour, I was fasting, and [at] the ninth hour praying in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in radiant clothing, ³¹ and he said, Cornelius, your prayer was heard, and your kind acts were remembered before God; ³² send, therefore, to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter; this one lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea, who having come, will speak to you; ³³ at once, therefore, I sent to you; you also did well, having come; now, therefore, we are all present before God to hear all things that have been commanded you by God." ³⁴ And Peter having opened his mouth, said, "Of a truth, I perceive that God is not favoring by appearance, ³⁵ but in every nation he who is fearing Him, and is working righteousness, is acceptable to Him; ³⁶ the word that He sent to the sons of Israel, proclaiming good news—peace through Jesus Christ (this One is Lord of all), ³⁷ you have known the word that came throughout all Judea, having begun from Galilee, after the immersion that John preached; ³⁸ Jesus who [is] from Nazareth—how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and power; who went through, doing good, and healing all those oppressed by the Devil, because God was with Him; ³⁹ and we are witnesses of all things that He did, both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem—whom they slew, having hanged [Him] on a tree. ⁴⁰ This One God raised up [on] the third day, and gave Him to become visible, ⁴¹ not to all the people, but to witnesses, to those having been chosen before by God—to us who ate with [Him], and drank with Him, after His rising out of the dead; ⁴² and He commanded us to preach to the people, and to fully testify that it is He who has been ordained judge of living and dead by God— ⁴³ to this One do all the Prophets testify, that through His Name everyone that is believing in Him receives forgiveness of sins." ⁴⁴ While Peter is yet speaking these sayings, the Holy Spirit fell on all those hearing the word, ⁴⁵ and those of circumcision [who were] believing were astonished—as many as came with Peter—because the gift of the Holy Spirit has also been poured out on the nations, ⁴⁶ for they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. ⁴⁷ Then Peter answered, "Is anyone able to forbid the water, that these may not be immersed, who received the Holy Spirit—even as us also?" ⁴⁸ He commanded them to also be immersed in the Name of the LORD; then they implored him to remain certain days.

Chapter 11

¹ And the apostles and the brothers who are in Judea heard that the nations also received the word of God, ² and when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of circumcision were contending with him, ³ saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men, and ate with them!" ⁴ And Peter having begun, set [it] forth to them in order, saying, ⁵ "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel coming down, as a great sheet by four corners being let down out of Heaven, and it came to me; ⁶ at which having looked steadfastly, I was considering, and I saw the four-footed beasts of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the sky; ⁷ and I heard a voice saying to me, Having risen, Peter, slay and eat; ⁸ and I said, Not so, Lord, because anything common or unclean has at no time entered into my mouth; ⁹ and a voice answered me a second time out of Heaven, What God cleansed, you do not declare common. ¹⁰ And this happened three times, and again was all drawn up to Heaven, ¹¹ and behold, immediately, three men stood at the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me, ¹² and the Spirit said to me to go with them, doubting nothing, and these six brothers also went with me, and we entered into the house of the man, ¹³ he also declared to us how he saw the messenger standing in his house, and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter, ¹⁴ who will speak sayings by which you will be saved, you and all your house. ¹⁵ And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as also on us in the beginning, ¹⁶ and I remembered the saying of the LORD, how He said, John indeed immersed in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit; ¹⁷ if then God gave to them the equal gift as also to us, having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, I—how was I able to withstand God?" ¹⁸ And they, having heard these things, were silent, and were glorifying God, saying, "Then, indeed, God also gave conversion to life to the nations." ¹⁹ Those, indeed, therefore, having been scattered abroad, from the tribulation that came after Stephen, went through to Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none except to Jews only; ²⁰ and there were certain of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who having entered into Antioch, were speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming good news—the Lord Jesus, ²¹ and the hand of the LORD was with them, a great number also, having believed, turned to the LORD. ²² And the account was heard in the ears of the assembly that [is] in Jerusalem concerning them, and they sent forth Barnabas to go through to Antioch, ²³ who, having come, and having seen the grace of God, was glad, and was exhorting all with purpose of heart to cleave to the LORD, ²⁴ because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of faith, and a great multitude was added to the LORD. ²⁵ And Barnabas went forth to Tarsus, to seek for Saul, ²⁶ and having found him, he brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that they assembled together a whole year in the assembly, and taught a great multitude, and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. ²⁷ And in those days there came from Jerusalem prophets to Antioch, ²⁸ and one of them, by name Agabus, having stood up, signified through the Spirit a great scarcity is about to be throughout all the world—which also came to pass in the time of Claudius Caesar— ²⁹ and the disciples, according as anyone was prospering, determined each of them to send for ministry to the brothers dwelling in Judea, ³⁰ which also they did, having sent to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Chapter 12

¹ And about that time, Herod the king put forth his hands to do evil to certain of those of the Assembly, ² and he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword, ³ and having seen that it is pleasing to the Jews, he added to lay hold of Peter also—and they were the days of the Unleavened [Bread]— ⁴ whom also having seized, he put in prison, having delivered [him] to four squads of four soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him forth to the people after the Passover. ⁵ Peter, therefore, indeed, was kept in the prison, and fervent prayer was being made by the Assembly to God for him, ⁶ and when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night was Peter sleeping between two soldiers, having been bound with two chains, guards were also keeping the prison before the door, ⁷ and behold, a messenger of the LORD stood by, and a light shone in the buildings, and having struck Peter on the side, he raised him up, saying, "Rise in haste," and his chains fell from off [his] hands. ⁸ The messenger also said to him, "Gird yourself, and bind on your sandals"; and he did so; and he says to him, "Cast your garment around and follow me"; ⁹ and having gone forth, he was following him, and he did not know that it is true that which is done through the messenger, and was thinking he saw a vision, ¹⁰ and having passed through a first ward, and a second, they came to the iron gate that is leading into the city, which opened to them of its own accord, and having gone forth, they went on through one street, and immediately the messenger departed from him. ¹¹ And Peter having come to himself, said, "Now I have known of a truth that the LORD sent forth His messenger, and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and all the expectation of the people of the Jews"; ¹² also, having considered, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark, where there were many thronged together and praying. ¹³ And Peter having knocked at the door of the porch, there came a girl to listen, by name Rhoda, ¹⁴ and having known the voice of Peter, from the joy she did not open the porch, but having run in, told of the standing of Peter before the porch, ¹⁵ and they said to her, "You are mad"; and she was confidently affirming [it] to be so, and they said, "It is his messenger"; ¹⁶ and Peter was continuing knocking, and having opened, they saw him, and were astonished, ¹⁷ and having beckoned to them with the hand to be silent, he declared to them how the LORD brought him out of the prison, and he said, "Declare these things to James and to the brothers"; and having gone forth, he went on to another place. ¹⁸ And day having come, there was not a little stir among the soldiers what then was become of Peter, ¹⁹ and Herod having sought for him, and having not found, having examined the guards, commanded [them] to be led away to punishment, and having gone down from Judea to Caesarea, he was abiding [there]. ²⁰ And Herod was highly displeased with the Tyrians and Sidonians, and with one accord they came to him, and having made a friend of Blastus, who [is] over the bed-chambers of the king, they were asking peace, because of their country being nourished from the king's; ²¹ and on a set day, Herod having clothed himself in kingly clothing, and having sat down on the judgment seat, was making an oration to them, ²² and the populace were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" ²³ And immediately a messenger of the LORD struck him in return for that he did not give the glory to God, and having been eaten of worms, he expired. ²⁴ And the word of God grew and multiplied, ²⁵ and Barnabas and Saul turned back out of Jerusalem, having fulfilled the ministry, having also taken John with [them], who was surnamed Mark.

Chapter 13

¹ And there were certain in Antioch, in the assembly there, prophets and teachers: both Barnabas, and Simeon who is called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen also—Herod the tetrarch's foster-brother—and Saul; ² and in their ministering to the LORD and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate to Me both Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them," ³ then having fasted, and having prayed, and having laid the hands on them, they sent [them] away. ⁴ These, indeed, then, having been sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus, ⁵ and having come to Salamis, they declared the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John [as] a servant; ⁶ and having gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain magus, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name [is] Bar-Jesus; ⁷ who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; this one having called for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of God, ⁸ and there withstood them Elymas the magus—for so is his name interpreted—seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith. ⁹ And Saul—who also [is] Paul—having been filled with the Holy Spirit, and having looked steadfastly on him, ¹⁰ said, "O full of all guile, and all recklessness, son of a devil, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the right ways of the LORD? ¹¹ And now, behold, a hand of the LORD [is] on you, and you will be blind, not seeing the sun for a season"; and instantly there fell on him a mist and darkness, and he, going around, was seeking some to lead [him] by the hand; ¹² then the proconsul having seen what has come to pass, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the LORD. ¹³ And those around Paul having set sail from Paphos, came to Perga of Pamphylia, and John having departed from them, turned back to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and they having gone through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia, and having gone into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbaths, they sat down, ¹⁵ and after the reading of the Law and of the Prophets, the chief men of the synagogue sent to them, saying, "Men, brothers, if there be a word in you of exhortation to the people—say on." ¹⁶ And Paul having risen, and having beckoned with the hand, said, "Men, Israelites, and those fearing God, listen: ¹⁷ the God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and He exalted the people in their sojourning in the land of Egypt, and He brought them out of it with a high arm; ¹⁸ and about a period of forty years He endured their conduct in the wilderness, ¹⁹ and having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He divided their land to them by lot. ²⁰ And after these things, about four hundred and fifty years, He gave judges—until Samuel the prophet; ²¹ and thereafter they asked for a king, and God gave to them Saul, son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years; ²² and having removed him, He raised up to them David for king, to whom also having testified, He said, I found David, the [son] of Jesse, a man according to My heart, who will do all My will. ²³ Of this one's seed, God, according to promise, raised to Israel a Savior—Jesus, ²⁴ John having first preached, before His coming, an immersion of conversion to all the people of Israel; ²⁵ and as John was fulfilling the course, he said, Whom do you suppose I am? I am not [He], but behold, He comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to loose the sandal of [His] feet. ²⁶ Men, brothers, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among you fearing God, to you was the word of this salvation sent, ²⁷ for those dwelling in Jerusalem, and their chiefs, having not known this One, also the voices of the Prophets, which are being read every Sabbath—having judged [Him]—fulfilled, ²⁸ and having found no cause of death, they asked of Pilate that He should be slain, ²⁹ and when they fulfilled all the things written about Him, having taken [Him] down from the tree, they laid Him in a tomb; ³⁰ and God raised Him out of the dead, ³¹ and He was seen for many days of those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses to the people. ³² And we proclaim good news to you—that the promise made to the fathers, ³³ God has completed this in full to us their children, having raised up Jesus, as also in the second Psalm it has been written: You are My Son—I have begotten You today. ³⁴ And that He raised Him up out of the dead, to no longer return to corruption, He has said this: I will give to You the holy [blessings] of David [that are] faithful; ³⁵ for what reason He also says in another [place]: You will not give Your Holy One to see corruption; ³⁶ for David, indeed, having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption, ³⁷ but He whom God raised up, did not see corruption. ³⁸ Let it therefore be known to you, men, brothers, that the forgiveness of sins is declared to you through this One, ³⁹ and from all things in the Law of Moses from which you were not able to be declared righteous, everyone who is believing in this One is declared righteous; ⁴⁰ see, therefore, it may not come on you that has been spoken in the Prophets: ⁴¹ See, you despisers, and wonder, and perish, because I work a work in your days, a work in which you may not believe, though anyone may declare [it] to you." ⁴² And having gone forth out of the synagogue of the Jews, the nations were calling on [them] that on the next Sabbath these sayings may be spoken to them, ⁴³ and the synagogue having been dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were persuading them to remain in the grace of God. ⁴⁴ And on the coming Sabbath, almost all the city was gathered together to hear the word of God, ⁴⁵ and the Jews having seen the multitudes, were filled with zeal, and contradicted the things spoken by Paul—contradicting and slandering. ⁴⁶ And speaking boldly, Paul and Barnabas said, "It was necessary that the word of God be first spoken to you, and seeing you thrust it away, and do not judge yourselves worthy of the continuous life, behold, we turn to the nations; ⁴⁷ for so the LORD has commanded us: I have set you for a light of nations—for your being for salvation to the end of the earth." ⁴⁸ And the nations hearing were glad, and were glorifying the word of the LORD, and believed—as many as were appointed to continuous life; ⁴⁹ and the word of the LORD was spread abroad through all the region. ⁵⁰ And the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the first men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and put them out from their borders; ⁵¹ and having shaken off the dust of their feet against them, they came to Iconium, ⁵² and the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 14

¹ And it came to pass in Iconium, that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spoke, so that there believed a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks; ² and the unbelieving Jews stirred up and made the souls of the nations evil against the brothers; ³ [for a] long time, indeed, therefore, they abided speaking boldly in the LORD, who is testifying to the word of His grace, and granting signs and wonders to come to pass through their hands. ⁴ And the multitude of the city was divided, and some were with the Jews, and some with the apostles, ⁵ and when there was a purpose both of the nations and of the Jews with their rulers to mistreat [them], and to stone them, ⁶ they having become aware, fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe, and the surrounding region, ⁷ and there they were proclaiming good news. ⁸ And a certain man in Lystra, impotent in the feet, was sitting, being lame from the womb of his mother—who never had walked; ⁹ this one was hearing Paul speaking, who, having steadfastly beheld him, and having seen that he has faith to be saved, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, "Stand up on your feet upright"; and he was springing and walking, ¹¹ and the multitudes having seen what Paul did, lifted up their voice in the speech of Lycaonia, saying, "The gods, having become like men, came down to us"; ¹² they were also calling Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes, since he was the leader in speaking. ¹³ And the priest of the Zeus that is before their city, having brought oxen and garlands to the porches, wished to sacrifice with the multitudes, ¹⁴ and having heard, the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having torn their garments, sprung into the multitude, crying ¹⁵ and saying, "Men, why do you do these things? And we are similar-feeling men with you, proclaiming good news to you, to turn to the living God from these vanities, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them; ¹⁶ who in the past generations permitted all the nations to go on in their ways, ¹⁷ though, indeed, He did not leave Himself without witness, doing good—giving rains to us from Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness"; ¹⁸ and saying these things, they scarcely restrained the multitudes from sacrificing to them. ¹⁹ And there came there, from Antioch and Iconium, Jews, and they having persuaded the multitudes, and having stoned Paul, drew him outside of the city, having supposed him to be dead; ²⁰ and the disciples having surrounded him, having risen he entered into the city, and on the next day he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ Having also proclaimed good news to that city, and having discipled many, they turned back to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch, ²² confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting to remain in the faith, and that it is required of us to enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations, ²³ and having appointed to them elders in every assembly by vote, having prayed with fastings, they commended them to the LORD in whom they had believed. ²⁴ And having passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia, ²⁵ and having spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ²⁶ and [from] there sailed to Antioch, from where they had been given by the grace of God for the work that they fulfilled; ²⁷ and having come and gathered the assembly together, they declared as many things as God did with them, and that He opened a door of faith to the nations; ²⁸ and they abided there with the disciples [for] not a short time.

Chapter 15

¹ And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brothers, "If you are not circumcised after the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved"; ² there having been, therefore, not a little dissension and debate to Paul and Barnabas with them, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, to go up to the apostles and elders to Jerusalem about this question; ³ they indeed, then, having been sent forward by the assembly, were passing through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ And having come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders; they also declared as many things as God did with them; ⁵ and there rose up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, "It is required to circumcise them, to command them also to keep the Law of Moses." ⁶ And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter, ⁷ and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said to them, "Men, brothers, you know that from former days God made choice among us, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe; ⁸ and the heart-knowing God bore them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us, ⁹ and also put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith; ¹⁰ now, therefore, why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹ But through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they." ¹² And all the multitude kept silence and were listening to Barnabas and Paul expounding as many signs and wonders as God did among the nations through them; ¹³ and after they were silent, James answered, saying, "Men, brothers, listen to me: ¹⁴ Simeon expounded how at first God looked on [us] to take a people out of [the] nations for His Name, ¹⁵ and to this the words of the Prophets agree, as it has been written: ¹⁶ After these things I will return, || And I will rebuild the dwelling place of David that has fallen down, || And I will rebuild its ruins, || And will set it upright— ¹⁷ That the remnant of men may seek after the LORD, || And all the nations on whom My Name has been called, || Says the LORD, who is doing all these things. ¹⁸ Known from the ages to God are all His works. ¹⁹ For this reason I judge: not to trouble those who turn back to God from the nations, ²⁰ but to write to them to abstain from the defilements of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing, and the blood; ²¹ for Moses has those preaching him from former generations in every city—being read every Sabbath in the synagogues." ²² Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas chosen men out of themselves—Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers— ²³ having written through their hand thus: "The apostles, and the elders, and the brothers, to those in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, brothers, who [are] of the nations, greeting; ²⁴ seeing we have heard that some having gone forth from us troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying to be circumcised and to keep the Law, to whom we gave no charge, ²⁵ it seemed good to us, having come together with one accord, to send to you chosen men, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have given up their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ— ²⁷ we have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, and they are telling the same things by word. ²⁸ For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no more burden on you, except these necessary things: ²⁹ to abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom; keeping yourselves from which, you will do well; be strong!" ³⁰ They then, indeed, having been let go, went to Antioch, and having brought the multitude together, delivered the letter, ³¹ and having read [it] they rejoiced for the consolation; ³² Judas also and Silas, also being prophets themselves, through much discourse exhorted the brothers, and confirmed, ³³ and having passed some time, they were let go with peace from the brothers to the apostles; ³⁴ [[and it seemed good to Silas to remain there still.]] ³⁵ And Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming good news—with many others also—the word of the LORD; ³⁶ and after certain days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Having turned back again, we may look after our brothers, in every city in which we have preached the word of the LORD—how they are." ³⁷ And Barnabas resolved to take with [them] John called Mark, ³⁸ and Paul was not thinking it good to take him with them who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and did not go with them to the work; ³⁹ there came, therefore, a sharp contention, so that they were parted from one another, and Barnabas having taken Mark, sailed to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ and Paul having chosen Silas, went forth, having been given up to the grace of God by the brothers; ⁴¹ and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.

Chapter 16

¹ And he came to Derbe and Lystra, and behold, a certain disciple was there, by name Timotheus, son of a certain woman, a believing Jewess, but of a father, a Greek, ² who was well testified to by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium; ³ Paul wished this one to go forth with him, and having taken [him], he circumcised him, because of the Jews who are in those places, for they all knew his father—that he was a Greek. ⁴ And as they were going on through the cities, they were delivering to them the decrees to keep, that have been judged by the apostles and the elders who [are] in Jerusalem, ⁵ then, indeed, were the assemblies established in the faith, and were abounding in number every day; ⁶ and having gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia, ⁷ having gone toward Mysia, they were trying to go on toward Bithynia, and the Spirit did not permit them, ⁸ and having passed by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision through the night appeared to Paul—a certain man of Macedonia was standing, calling on him, and saying, "Having passed through to Macedonia, help us." ¹⁰ And when he saw the vision, immediately we endeavored to go forth to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the LORD has called us to preach good news to them, ¹¹ having set sail, therefore, from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, on the next day also to Neapolis, ¹² there also to Philippi, which is a principal city of the part of Macedonia—a colony. And we were abiding in this city some days; ¹³ on the day of the Sabbaths we also went forth outside of the city, by a river, where there used to be prayer, and having sat down, we were speaking to the women who came together, ¹⁴ and a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, worshiping God, was hearing, whose heart the LORD opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul; ¹⁵ and when she was immersed, and her household, she called on us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the LORD, having entered into my house, remain"; and she constrained us. ¹⁶ And it came to pass in our going on to prayer, a certain maid, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much employment to her masters by soothsaying; ¹⁷ she having followed Paul and us, was crying, saying, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who declare to us [the] way of salvation!" ¹⁸ And this she was doing for many days, but Paul having been grieved, and having turned, said to the spirit, "I command you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, to come forth from her"; and it came forth the same hour. ¹⁹ And her masters having seen that the hope of their employment was gone, having caught Paul and Silas, drew [them] into the marketplace, to the rulers, ²⁰ and having brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men being Jews exceedingly trouble our city; ²¹ and they proclaim customs that are not lawful for us to receive nor to do, being Romans." ²² And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates having torn their garments from them, were commanding to beat [them] with rods, ²³ having also laid on them many blows, they cast them into prison, having given charge to the jailor to keep them safely, ²⁴ who having received such a charge, put them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks. ²⁵ And at midnight Paul and Silas praying, were singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were hearing them, ²⁶ and suddenly a great earthquake came, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, also all the doors were immediately opened, and of all—the bands were loosed; ²⁷ and the jailor having come out of sleep, and having seen the doors of the prison open, having drawn a sword, was about to kill himself, supposing the prisoners to have fled, ²⁸ and Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "You may not do yourself any harm, for we are all here!" ²⁹ And having asked for a light, he sprang in, and he fell down before Paul and Silas trembling, ³⁰ and having brought them forth, said, "Lords, what must I do that I may be saved?" ³¹ And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved—you and your household." ³² And they spoke to him the word of the LORD, and to all those in his household; ³³ and having taken them, in that hour of the night, he bathed [them] from the blows, and immediately he and all of his were immersed, ³⁴ having also brought them into his house, he set food before [them], and was glad with all the household, he having believed in God. ³⁵ And day having come, the magistrates sent the rod-bearers, saying, "Let those men go"; ³⁶ and the jailor told these words to Paul, "The magistrates have sent, that you may be let go; now, therefore, having gone forth go on in peace"; ³⁷ and Paul said to them, "Having beaten us publicly uncondemned—men, being Romans—they cast [us] to prison, and now privately they cast us forth! Why no! But having come themselves, let them bring us forth." ³⁸ And the rod-bearers told these sayings to the magistrates, and they were afraid, having heard that they are Romans, ³⁹ and having come, they implored them, and having brought [them] forth, they were asking [them] to go forth from the city; ⁴⁰ and they, having gone forth out of the prison, entered into [the house of] Lydia, and having seen the brothers, they comforted them, and went forth.

Chapter 17

¹ And having passed through Amphipolis, and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where the synagogue of the Jews was, ² and according to the custom of Paul, he went in to them, and for three Sabbaths he was reasoning with them from the Writings, ³ opening and alleging that it was necessary [for] the Christ to suffer, and to rise again out of the dead, and that "this is the Christ—Jesus whom I proclaim to you." ⁴ And certain of them believed, and attached themselves to Paul and to Silas, also a great multitude of the worshiping Greeks, also not a few of the principal women. ⁵ And the Jews, having been moved with envy, and having taken to themselves certain evil men of the agitators, and having made a crowd, were setting the city in an uproar; having also assailed the house of Jason, they were seeking them to bring [them] to the populace, ⁶ and having not found them, they drew Jason and certain brothers to the city rulers, calling aloud, "These, having put the world in commotion, are also present here, ⁷ whom Jason has received; and all these do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying another to be king—Jesus." ⁸ And they troubled the multitude and the city rulers, hearing these things, ⁹ and having taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. ¹⁰ And the brothers immediately, through the night, sent forth both Paul and Silas to Berea, who having come, went into the synagogue of the Jews; ¹¹ and these were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Writings every day [to see] whether those things were so; ¹² therefore, many of them, indeed, believed, and not a few of the honorable Greek women and men. ¹³ And when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that also in Berea was the word of God declared by Paul, they came there also, agitating the multitudes; ¹⁴ and then immediately the brothers sent forth Paul, to go on as it were to the sea, but both Silas and Timotheus were remaining there. ¹⁵ And those conducting Paul, brought him to Athens, and having received a command to Silas and Timotheus that with all speed they may come to him, they departed; ¹⁶ and Paul waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, beholding the city wholly given to idolatry, ¹⁷ therefore, indeed, he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the worshiping persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met with him. ¹⁸ And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, "What would this seed picker wish to say?" And others, "He seems to be an announcer of strange demons"; because he proclaimed to them Jesus and the resurrection as good news, ¹⁹ having also taken him, they brought [him] to the Areopagus, saying, "Are we able to know what this new teaching [is] that is spoken by you, ²⁰ for you bring certain strange things to our ears? We resolve, then, to know what these things would wish to be"; ²¹ and all Athenians, and the strangers sojourning, for nothing else were at leisure but to say something, and to hear some newer thing. ²² And Paul, having stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, "Men, Athenians, in all things I perceive you as over-religious; ²³ for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I also found an altar on which had been inscribed: To God—unknown; whom, therefore—not knowing—you worship, this One I announce to you. ²⁴ God, who made the world, and all things in it, this One, being Lord of Heaven and of earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, ²⁵ neither is He served by the hands of men—needing anything, He giving life to all, and breath, and all things; ²⁶ He also made every nation of man of one blood, to dwell on all the face of the earth—having ordained times before appointed, and the bounds of their dwellings— ²⁷ to seek the LORD, if perhaps they felt after Him and found, though, indeed, He is not far from each one of us, ²⁸ for in Him we live, and move, and are; as certain of your poets have also said: For we are also His offspring. ²⁹ Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, [an] engraving of art and imagination of man; ³⁰ therefore indeed God, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now commands all men everywhere to convert, ³¹ because He set a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness, by a Man whom He ordained, having given assurance to all, having raised Him out of the dead." ³² And having heard of a resurrection of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, "We will hear you again concerning this"; ³³ and so Paul went forth from the midst of them, ³⁴ and certain men having cleaved to him, believed, among whom [is] also Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman, by name Damaris, and others with them.

Chapter 18

¹ And after these things, Paul having departed out of Athens, came to Corinth, ² and having found a certain Jew, by name Aquilas, of Pontus by birth, lately come from Italy, and his wife Priscilla—because of Claudius having directed all the Jews to depart out of Rome—he came to them, ³ and because of being of the same craft, he remained with them, and was working, for they were tentmakers as to craft; ⁴ and he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, persuading both Jews and Greeks. ⁵ And when both Silas and Timotheus came down from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the Spirit, testifying fully to the Jews Jesus the Christ; ⁶ and on their resisting and slandering, having shaken [his] garments, he said to them, "Your blood [is] on your head—I am clean; from now on I will go on to the nations." ⁷ And having departed from there, he went to the house of a certain one, by name Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was adjoining the synagogue, ⁸ and Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue believed in the LORD with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing were believing, and they were being immersed. ⁹ And the LORD said through a vision in the night to Paul, "Do not be afraid, but be speaking and you may not be silent; ¹⁰ because I am with you, and no one will set on you to do evil [to] you, because I have many people in this city"; ¹¹ and he continued a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹² And Gallio being proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a rush with one accord on Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³ saying, "This one persuades men to worship God against the Law"; ¹⁴ and Paul being about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If, indeed, then, it was anything unrighteous, or an act of wicked recklessness, O Jews, according to reason I had borne with you, ¹⁵ but if it is a question concerning words and names, and of your law, look [to it] yourselves, for I do not intend to be a judge of these things," ¹⁶ and he drives them from the judgment seat; ¹⁷ and all the Greeks having taken Sosthenes, the chief man of the synagogue, were beating [him] before the judgment seat, and Gallio was not even caring for these things. ¹⁸ And Paul having remained yet a good many days, having taken leave of the brothers, was sailing to Syria—and with him [are] Priscilla and Aquilas—having shorn [his] head in Cenchera, for he had a vow; ¹⁹ and he came down to Ephesus, and left them there, and he himself having entered into the synagogue reasoned with the Jews: ²⁰ and they having requested [him] to remain a longer time with them, he did not consent, ²¹ but took leave of them, saying, "It is necessary for me by all means to keep the coming celebration at Jerusalem, and again I will return to you—God willing." And he sailed from Ephesus, ²² and having come down to Caesarea, having gone up, and having greeted the assembly, he went down to Antioch. ²³ And having stayed some time, he went forth, going successively through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. ²⁴ And a certain Jew, Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by birth, a man of eloquence, being mighty in the Writings, came to Ephesus; ²⁵ this one was instructed in the way of the LORD, and being fervent in the Spirit, was speaking and teaching exactly the things about the LORD, knowing only the immersion of John; ²⁶ this one also began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Aquilas and Priscilla having heard of him, took him to [them], and more exactly set forth to him The Way of God, ²⁷ and he resolving to go through into Achaia, the brothers wrote to the disciples, having exhorted them to receive him, who having come, helped them much who have believed through grace, ²⁸ for he was powerfully refuting the Jews publicly, showing through the Writings Jesus to be the Christ.

Chapter 19

¹ And it came to pass, in Apollos being in Corinth, Paul having gone through the upper parts, came to Ephesus, and having found certain disciples, ² he said to them, "Having believed, did you receive the Holy Spirit?" And they said to him, "But we did not even hear whether there is any Holy Spirit"; ³ and he said to them, "Into what, then, were you immersed?" And they said, "Into John's immersion." ⁴ And Paul said, "John, indeed, immersed with an immersion of conversion, saying to the people that they should believe in Him who is coming after him—that is, in the Christ—Jesus"; ⁵ and they, having heard, were immersed into the Name of the Lord Jesus, ⁶ and Paul having laid [his] hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, they were also speaking with tongues, and prophesying, ⁷ and all the men were, as it were, twelve. ⁸ And having gone into the synagogue, he was speaking boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the Kingdom of God, ⁹ and when certain were hardened and were disbelieving, speaking evil of The Way before the multitude, having departed from them, he separated the disciples, reasoning every day in the school of a certain Tyrannus. ¹⁰ And this happened for two years so that all those dwelling in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks, ¹¹ also mighty works—not common—God was working through the hands of Paul, ¹² so that even to the ailing were brought from his body handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them; the evil spirits also went forth from them. ¹³ And certain of the wandering exorcist Jews, took on [them] to name over those having the evil spirits the Name of the Lord Jesus, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches"; ¹⁴ and there were certain—seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest—who are doing this thing; ¹⁵ and the evil spirit, answering, said, "I know Jesus, and I am acquainted with Paul; and you—who are you?" ¹⁶ And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaping on them, and having overcome them, prevailed against them, so that they fled naked and wounded out of that house, ¹⁷ and this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who are dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified; ¹⁸ many also of those who believed were coming, confessing and declaring their acts, ¹⁹ and many of those who had practiced the superfluous arts, having brought the scrolls together, were burning [them] before all; and they reckoned together the prices of them, and found [it] fifty thousand pieces of silver, ²⁰ so powerfully was the word of God increasing and prevailing. ²¹ And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in the Spirit, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, to go on to Jerusalem, saying, "After my being there, it is also necessary for me to see Rome"; ²² and having sent to Macedonia two of those ministering to him—Timotheus and Erastus—he himself stayed a time in Asia. ²³ And there came, at that time, not a little stir about The Way, ²⁴ for a certain one, Demetrius by name, a worker in silver, making silver sanctuaries of Artemis, was bringing to the craftsmen not a little gain, ²⁵ whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who worked around such things, he said, "Men, you know that by this work we have our wealth; ²⁶ and you see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, turned away a great multitude, saying that they who are made by hands are not gods; ²⁷ and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis, the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world worships." ²⁸ And having heard, and having become full of wrath, they were crying out, saying, "Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!" ²⁹ And the whole city was filled with confusion; they rushed also with one accord into the theater, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travelers. ³⁰ And on Paul's resolving to enter in to the populace, the disciples were not permitting him, ³¹ and also some of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent to him, were pleading [with] him not to venture into the theater himself. ³² Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they had come together; ³³ and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander—the Jews thrusting him forward—and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defense to the populace, ³⁴ and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, "Great [is] the Artemis of the Ephesians!" ³⁵ And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, says, "Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus? ³⁶ These things, then, being undeniable, it is necessary for you to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. ³⁷ For you brought these men, who are neither temple-robbers nor slandering of your goddess; ³⁸ if indeed, therefore, Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a matter with anyone, court [days] are held, and there are proconsuls; let them accuse one another. ³⁹ And if you seek after anything concerning other matters, it will be determined in the legal assembly; ⁴⁰ for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we will be able to give an account of this concourse"; ⁴¹ and having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.

Chapter 20

¹ And after the ceasing of the tumult, Paul having called near the disciples, and having embraced [them], went forth to go on to Macedonia; ² and having gone through those parts, and having exhorted them with many words, he came to Greece; ³ and having continued three months—a counsel of the Jews having been against him—being about to set forth to Syria, there came [to him] a resolution of returning through Macedonia. ⁴ And there were accompanying him to Asia, Sopater of Pyrrhus from Berea, and of Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus, and of Asians Tychicus and Trophimus; ⁵ these, having gone before, remained for us in Troas, ⁶ and we sailed, after the days of the Unleavened [Bread], from Philippi, and came to them to Troas in five days, where we abided seven days. ⁷ And on the first [day] of the weeks, the disciples having been gathered together to break bread, Paul was discoursing to them, about to depart on the next day, he was also continuing the discourse until midnight, ⁸ and there were many lamps in the upper chamber where they were gathered together, ⁹ and there a certain youth was sitting, by name Eutychus, on the window—being borne down by a deep sleep, Paul discoursing long—he having sunk down from the sleep, fell down from the third story, and was lifted up dead. ¹⁰ And Paul, having gone down, fell on him, and having embraced [him], said, "Make no tumult, for his life is in him"; ¹¹ and having come up, and having broken bread, and having tasted, for a long time also having talked—until daylight, so he went forth, ¹² and they brought up the boy alive, and were comforted in no ordinary measure. ¹³ And we having gone before to the ship, sailed to Assos, there intending to take in Paul, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go on foot; ¹⁴ and when he met with us at Assos, having taken him up, we came to Mitylene, ¹⁵ and there having sailed, on the next day we came opposite Chios, and the next day we arrived at Samos, and having remained in Trogyllium, on the following day we came to Miletus, ¹⁶ for Paul decided to sail past Ephesus, that there may not be to him a loss of time in Asia, for he was hurrying, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of the Pentecost. ¹⁷ And from Miletus, having sent to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the assembly, ¹⁸ and when they were come to him, he said to them, "You know from the first day in which I came to Asia, how I was with you at all times; ¹⁹ serving the LORD with all humility, and many tears, and temptations, that befell me in the counsels of the Jews against [me]; ²⁰ how I kept back nothing of what things are profitable, not to declare to you, and to teach you publicly, and in every house, ²¹ testifying fully both to Jews and Greeks, conversion toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²² And now, behold, I—bound in the Spirit—go on to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will befall me in it, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit fully testifies in every city, saying that bonds and tribulations remain for me; ²⁴ but I make account of none of these, neither do I count my life precious to myself, so that I finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify [to] the good news of the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, I have known that you will no longer see my face, among all you [to] whom I went preaching the Kingdom of God; ²⁶ for this reason I take you to witness this day, that I [am] clear from the blood of all, ²⁷ for I did not keep back from declaring to you all the counsel of God. ²⁸ Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit made you overseers, to feed the Assembly of God that He acquired through His own blood, ²⁹ for I have known this, that there will enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves to you, not sparing the flock, ³⁰ and there will arise men of your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore, watch, remembering that three years, night and day, I did not cease with tears warning each one; ³² and now, I commend you, brothers, to God, and to the word of His grace, that is able to build up, and to give you an inheritance among all those sanctified. ³³ I coveted the silver or gold or clothing of no one; ³⁴ and you yourselves know that to my necessities, and to those who were with me, these hands ministered; ³⁵ I showed you all things, that, thus laboring, it is necessary to partake with the ailing, to also be mindful of the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said: It is more blessed to give than to receive." ³⁶ And having said these things, having bowed his knees, with them all, he prayed, ³⁷ and there came a great weeping to all, and having fallen on the neck of Paul, they were kissing him, ³⁸ sorrowing most of all for the word that he had said—that they are about to see his face no longer; and they were accompanying him to the ship.

Chapter 21

¹ And it came to pass, at our sailing, having been parted from them, having run direct, we came to Coos, and the succeeding [day] to Rhodes, and there to Patara, ² and having found a ship passing over to Phoenicia, having gone on board, we sailed, ³ and having discovered Cyprus, and having left it on the left, we were sailing to Syria, and landed at Tyre, for there was the ship discharging the cargo. ⁴ And having found out the disciples, we tarried there seven days, and they said to Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem; ⁵ but when it came that we completed the days, having gone forth, we went on, all bringing us on the way, with women and children, to the outside of the city, and having bowed the knees on the shore, we prayed, ⁶ and having embraced one another, we embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own friends. ⁷ And we, having finished the course, from Tyre came down to Ptolemais, and having greeted the brothers, we remained one day with them; ⁸ and on the next day Paul and his company having gone forth, we came to Caesarea, and having entered into the house of Philip the evangelist—who is of the seven—we remained with him, ⁹ and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying. ¹⁰ And we remaining many more days, there came down a certain one from Judea, a prophet, by name Agabus, ¹¹ and he having come to us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having also bound his own hands and feet, said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man whose is this girdle—so will the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they will deliver [him] up into the hands of nations." ¹² And when we heard these things, we called on [him]—both we, and those of that place—not to go up to Jerusalem, ¹³ and Paul answered, "Why are you weeping, and crushing my heart? For I am ready, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus"; ¹⁴ and he not being persuaded, we were silent, saying, "The will of the LORD be done." ¹⁵ And after these days, having taken [our] vessels, we were going up to Jerusalem, ¹⁶ and there went also of the disciples from Caesarea with us, bringing with them him with whom we may lodge, a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an aged disciple. ¹⁷ And we having come to Jerusalem, the brothers gladly received us, ¹⁸ and on the next day Paul was going in with us to James, all the elders also came, ¹⁹ and having greeted them, he was expounding, one by one, each of the things God did among the nations through his ministry, ²⁰ and they having heard, were glorifying the LORD. They also said to him, "You see, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the Law, ²¹ and they are instructed concerning you, that you teach departure from Moses to all Jews among the nations, saying not to circumcise the children, nor to walk after the customs; ²² what then is it? Certainly the multitude must come together, for they will hear that you have come. ²³ This, therefore, that we say to you, do. We have four men having a vow on themselves, ²⁴ having taken these, be purified with them, and be at expense with them, that they may shave the head, and all may know that the things of which they have been instructed concerning you are nothing, but you walk—yourself also—keeping the Law. ²⁵ And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom." ²⁶ Then Paul, having taken the men, on the following day, having purified himself with them, was entering into the temple, announcing the fulfilment of the days of the purification, until the offering was offered for each one of them. ²⁷ And as the seven days were about to be fully ended, the Jews from Asia having beheld him in the temple, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid hands on him, ²⁸ crying out, "Men, Israelites, help! This is the man who, against the people, and the Law, and this place, is teaching all everywhere; and further, also, he brought Greeks into the temple, and has defiled this holy place"; ²⁹ for they had seen before Trophimus, the Ephesian, in the city with him, whom they were supposing that Paul brought into the temple. ³⁰ All the city was also moved and there was a running together of the people, and having laid hold on Paul, they were drawing him out of the temple, and immediately were the doors shut, ³¹ and they seeking to kill him, a rumor came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem has been thrown into confusion, ³² who, at once, having taken soldiers and centurions, ran down on them, and they having seen the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul. ³³ Then the chief captain, having come near, took him, and commanded [him] to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he has been doing, ³⁴ and some were crying out one thing, and some another, among the multitude, and not being able to know the certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the stronghold, ³⁵ and when he came on the steps, it happened he was carried by the soldiers, because of the violence of the multitude, ³⁶ for the crowd of the people was following after, crying, "Away with him." ³⁷ And Paul being about to be led into the stronghold, says to the chief captain, "Is it permitted to me to say anything to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek? ³⁸ Are you not, then, the Egyptian who made an uprising before these days, and led the four thousand men of the assassins into the desert?" ³⁹ And Paul said, "I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people." ⁴⁰ And he having given him leave, Paul having stood on the stairs, beckoned with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

Chapter 22

¹ "Men, brothers, and fathers, hear my defense now to you." ² and they having heard that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even more silent, and he says, ³ "I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactness of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all you are today. ⁴ And this Way I persecuted to death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women, ⁵ as also the chief priest testifies to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters to the brothers, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished, ⁶ and it came to pass, in my going on and coming near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of Heaven there shone a great light around me; ⁷ I also fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? ⁸ And I answered, Who are You, Lord? And He said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you persecute— ⁹ and they who are with me saw the light, and became afraid, and they did not hear the voice of Him who is speaking to me— ¹⁰ and I said, What will I do, Lord? And the LORD said to me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it will be told you concerning all things that have been appointed for you to do. ¹¹ And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus, ¹² and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the Law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling [there], ¹³ having come to me and stood by [me], said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and the same hour I looked up to him; ¹⁴ and he said, The God of our fathers chose you beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of His mouth, ¹⁵ because you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard; ¹⁶ and now, why do you linger? Having risen, immerse yourself, and wash away your sins, calling on the Name of the LORD. ¹⁷ And it came to pass, when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance, ¹⁸ and I saw Him saying to me, Hurry and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive your testimony concerning Me; ¹⁹ and I said, LORD, they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging those believing on You in every synagogue; ²⁰ and when the blood of your witness Stephen was being poured forth, I was also standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death; ²¹ and He said to me, Go, because I will send you to far-off nations." ²² And they were hearing him to this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, "Away from the earth with such a one; for it is not fit for him to live." ²³ And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air, ²⁴ the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the stronghold, saying, "Let him be examined by scourges," that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him. ²⁵ And as he was stretching him with the straps, Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, "Is it lawful to you to scourge a man, a Roman, uncondemned?" ²⁶ And the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, "Take heed what you are about to do, for this man is a Roman"; ²⁷ and the chief captain having come near, said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" And he said, "Yes"; ²⁸ and the chief captain answered, "I, with a great sum, obtained this citizenship"; but Paul said, "But I have even been born [so]." ²⁹ Immediately, therefore, they departed from him, those being about to examine him, and the chief captain was also afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him, ³⁰ and the next day, intending to know the certainty for what reason he is accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their Sanhedrin to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.

Chapter 23

¹ And Paul having earnestly beheld the Sanhedrin, said, "Men, brothers, I have lived to God in all good conscience to this day"; ² and the chief priest Ananias commanded those standing by him to strike him on the mouth, ³ then Paul said to him, "God is about to strike you, you whitewashed wall, and you sit judging me according to the Law, and violating law, order me to be struck!" ⁴ And those who stood by said, "Do you revile the chief priest of God?" ⁵ And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he is chief priest, for it has been written: You will not speak evil of the ruler of your people"; ⁶ and Paul having known that one part are Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, cried out in the Sanhedrin, "Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee—son of a Pharisee—concerning [the] hope and resurrection of [the] dead I am judged." ⁷ And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided, ⁸ for Sadducees, indeed, say there is no resurrection, nor messenger, nor spirit, but Pharisees confess both. ⁹ And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, "We find no evil in this man; and if a spirit spoke to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God"; ¹⁰ and a great dissension having come, the chief captain having been afraid lest Paul may be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the army, having gone down, to seize him out of their midst, and to bring [him] into the stronghold. ¹¹ And on the following night, the LORD having stood by him, said, "Take courage, Paul, for as you fully testified [to] the things concerning Me at Jerusalem, so you must also testify at Rome." ¹² And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, cursed themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink until they may kill Paul; ¹³ and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath, ¹⁴ who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, "With a curse we accursed ourselves—to taste nothing until we have killed Paul; ¹⁵ now, therefore, you, signify to the chief captain, with the Sanhedrin, that tomorrow he may bring him down to you, as being about to know more exactly the things concerning him; and we, before his coming near, are ready to put him to death." ¹⁶ And the son of Paul's sister having heard of the lying in wait, having gone and entered into the stronghold, told Paul, ¹⁷ and Paul having called near one of the centurions, said, "Lead this young man to the chief captain, for he has something to tell him." ¹⁸ He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him to the chief captain and says, "The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked [me] to bring to you this young man, having something to say to you." ¹⁹ And the chief captain having taken him by the hand, and having withdrawn by themselves, inquired, "What is that which you have to tell me?" ²⁰ And he said, "The Jews agreed to request you, that tomorrow you may bring down Paul to the Sanhedrin, as being about to inquire something more exactly concerning him; ²¹ you, therefore, may you not yield to them, for there more than forty men of them lie in wait for him, who cursed themselves—not to eat nor to drink until they kill him, and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you." ²² The chief captain, then, indeed, let the young man go, having charged [him], "Tell no one that you have shown these things to me"; ²³ and having called a certain two of the centurions near, he said, "Make ready two hundred soldiers, that they may go on to Caesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, from the third hour of the night; ²⁴ also provide beasts, that, having set Paul on, they may bring him safe to Felix the governor"; ²⁵ he having written a letter after this description: ²⁶ "Claudius Lysias, to the most noble governor Felix, greetings: ²⁷ This man having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them—having come with the army, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman; ²⁸ and intending to know the cause for which they were accusing him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin, ²⁹ whom I found accused concerning questions of their law, and having no accusation worthy of death or bonds; ³⁰ and a plot having been intimated to me against this man—about to be of the Jews—I sent to you at once, having also given command to the accusers to say the things against him before you; be strong." ³¹ Then, indeed, the soldiers according to that directed them, having taken up Paul, brought him through the night to Antipatris, ³² and on the next day, having permitted the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the stronghold; ³³ those having entered into Caesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him. ³⁴ And the governor having read [it], and inquired of what province he is, and understood that [he is] from Cilicia; ³⁵ "I will hear you," he said, "when your accusers may also have come"; he also commanded him to be kept in the Praetorium of Herod.

Chapter 24

¹ And after five days the chief priest Ananias came down, with the elders, and a certain orator—Tertullus, and they disclosed to the governor [the things] against Paul; ² and he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse [him], saying, "Enjoying much peace through you, and worthy deeds being done to this nation through your forethought, ³ always, also, and everywhere we receive it, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness; ⁴ and that I may not be further tedious to you, I exhort you to hear us concisely in your gentleness; ⁵ for having found this man a pestilence, and moving a dissension to all the Jews through the world—also a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes— ⁶ who also tried to profane the temple, whom we also took, [[and wished to judge according to our law, ⁷ and Lysias the chief captain having come near, took away out of our hands with much violence, ⁸ having commanded his accusers to come to you,]] from whom you may be able, yourself having examined, to know concerning all these things of which we accuse him"; ⁹ and the Jews also agreed, professing these things to be so. ¹⁰ And Paul—the governor having beckoned to him to speak—answered, "Knowing [that] for many years you have been a judge to this nation, I answer more cheerfully the things concerning myself; ¹¹ you being able to know that it is not more than twelve days to me since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, ¹² and neither did they find me reasoning with anyone in the temple, or making a dissension of the multitude, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city; ¹³ nor are they able to prove against me the things concerning which they now accuse me. ¹⁴ And I confess this to you, that, according to The Way that they call a sect, so I serve the God of the fathers, believing all things that have been written in the Law and the Prophets, ¹⁵ having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, [that] there is about to be a resurrection of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous; ¹⁶ and in this I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God and men. ¹⁷ And after many years I came, about to do kind acts to my nation, and offerings, ¹⁸ in which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with multitude, nor with tumult, ¹⁹ whom it is necessary to be present before you, and to accuse, if they had anything against me, ²⁰ or let these same say if they found any unrighteousness in me in my standing before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ except concerning this one voice, in which I cried, standing among them—Concerning a resurrection of the dead I am judged by you today." ²² And having heard these things, Felix delayed them—having known more exactly of the things concerning The Way—saying, "When Lysias the chief captain may come down, I will know fully the things concerning you"; ²³ having also given a direction to the centurion to keep Paul, to let [him] also have liberty, and to forbid none of his own friends to minister or to come near to him. ²⁴ And after certain days, Felix having come with his wife Drusilla, being a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning faith toward Christ, ²⁵ and he reasoning concerning righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment that is about to be, Felix, having become afraid, answered, "For the present be going, and having time, I will call for you"; ²⁶ and at the same time also hoping that money will be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him often, he was conversing with him; ²⁷ and two years having been fulfilled, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus; Felix also willing to lay a favor on the Jews, left Paul bound.

Chapter 25

¹ Festus, therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea, ² and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews disclosed to him [the things] against Paul, and were calling on him, ³ asking favor against him, that he may send for him to Jerusalem, making an ambush to put him to death in the way. ⁴ Then, indeed, Festus answered that Paul is kept in Caesarea, and is himself about to go forth speedily, ⁵ "Therefore those able among you," he says, "having come down together, if there be anything in this man—let them accuse him"; ⁶ and having tarried among them more than ten days, having gone down to Caesarea, on the next day having sat on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought; ⁷ and he having come, there stood around the Jews who have come down from Jerusalem—many and weighty charges they are bringing against Paul, which they were not able to prove, ⁸ he making defense, [said,] "Neither in regard to the Law of the Jews, nor in regard to the temple, nor in regard to Caesar—did I commit any sin." ⁹ And Festus willing to lay on the Jews a favor, answering Paul, said, "Are you willing, having gone up to Jerusalem, to be judged before me there concerning these things?" ¹⁰ And Paul said, "At the judgment seat of Caesar I am standing, where it is necessary for me to be judged; I did no unrighteousness to Jews, as you also very well know; ¹¹ for if I am indeed unrighteous, and have done anything worthy of death, I do not deprecate to die; and if there is none of the things of which these accuse me, no one is able to make a favor of me to them; I appeal to Caesar!" ¹² Then Festus, having communed with the council, answered, "To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you will go." ¹³ And certain days having passed, Agrippa the king, and Bernice, came down to Caesarea greeting Festus, ¹⁴ and as they were continuing there more days, Festus submitted to the king the things concerning Paul, saying, "There is a certain man, left by Felix, a prisoner, ¹⁵ about whom, in my being at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid information, asking a decision against him, ¹⁶ to whom I answered, that it is not a custom of Romans to make a favor of any man to die, before that he who is accused may have the accusers face to face, and may receive place of defense in regard to the charge laid against [him]. ¹⁷ They, therefore, having come together—I, making no delay, on the succeeding [day] having sat on the judgment seat, commanded the man to be brought, ¹⁸ concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against [him] no accusation of the things I was thinking of, ¹⁹ but certain questions concerning their own religion they had against him, and concerning a certain Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive; ²⁰ and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, asked if he was willing to go on to Jerusalem, and to be judged there concerning these things— ²¹ but Paul having appealed to be kept to the hearing of Sebastus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar." ²² And Agrippa said to Festus, "I was also intending to hear the man myself"; and he said, "Tomorrow you will hear him"; ²³ on the next day, therefore—on the coming of Agrippa and Bernice with much display, and they having entered into the audience chamber, with the chief captains also, and the principal men of the city, and Festus having ordered—Paul was brought forth. ²⁴ And Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, you see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews dealt with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, He ought not to live any longer; ²⁵ and I, having found him to have done nothing worthy of death, and he also himself having appealed to Sebastus, I decided to send him, ²⁶ concerning whom I have no certain thing to write to [my] lord, for what reason I brought him forth before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that the examination having been made, I may have something to write; ²⁷ for it seems to me irrational, sending a prisoner, not to also signify the charges against him."

Chapter 26

¹ And Agrippa said to Paul, "It is permitted to you to speak for yourself"; then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defense: ² "Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have thought myself blessed, being about to make a defense before you today, ³ especially knowing you to be acquainted with all things—both customs and questions—among Jews; for this reason, I implore you to hear me patiently. ⁴ The manner of my life then, indeed, from youth—which from the beginning was among my nation, in Jerusalem—all the Jews know, ⁵ knowing me before from the first (if they may be willing to testify), that after the most exact sect of our worship, I lived a Pharisee; ⁶ and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged, ⁷ to which our twelve tribes, intently serving night and day, hope to come, concerning which hope I am accused, King Agrippa, by the Jews; ⁸ why is it judged incredible with you if God raises the dead? ⁹ I indeed, therefore, thought with myself that it was necessary [for me] to do many things against the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, ¹⁰ which I also did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the holy ones in prison, having received the authority from the chief priests; they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them, ¹¹ and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining [them] to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting [them] even to strange cities. ¹² In which things, also, going on to Damascus—with authority and commission from the chief priests— ¹³ at midday, I saw in the way, O king, out of Heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining around me a light—and those going on with me; ¹⁴ and we all having fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me? [It is] hard for you to kick against goads! ¹⁵ And I said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute; ¹⁶ but rise, and stand on your feet, for this I appeared to you, to appoint you an officer and a witness both of the things you saw, and of the things [in which] I will appear to you, ¹⁷ delivering you from the people, and the nations, to whom I now send you, ¹⁸ to open their eyes, to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the authority of Satan to God, for their receiving forgiveness of sins, and a lot among those having been sanctified by faith that [is] toward Me. ¹⁹ After which, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, also to all the region of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to convert, and to turn back to God, doing works worthy of conversion; ²¹ because of these things the Jews—having caught me in the temple—were endeavoring to kill [me]. ²² Having obtained, therefore, help from God, until this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spoke of as about to come, ²³ that the Christ is to suffer, whether first by a resurrection from the dead, He is about to proclaim light to the people and to the nations." ²⁴ And he thus making a defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "You are mad, Paul; much learning turns you mad!" ²⁵ And he says, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but of truth and soberness I speak forth the sayings; ²⁶ for the king knows concerning these things, before whom I also speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing has not been done in a corner; ²⁷ do you believe, King Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that you believe!" ²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, "In [so] little you persuade me to become a Christian?" ²⁹ And Paul said, "I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only you, but also all those hearing me today, to become such as I also am—except these bonds." ³⁰ And he having spoken these things, the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and those sitting with them, ³¹ and having withdrawn, they were speaking to one another, saying, "This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds"; ³² and Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

Chapter 27

¹ And when our sailing to Italy was determined, they were delivering up both Paul and certain others, prisoners, to a centurion, by name Julius, of the band of Sebastus, ² and having embarked in a ship of Adramyttium, we, being about to sail by the coasts of Asia, set sail, there being with us Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, ³ on the next [day] also we touched at Sidon, and Julius, courteously treating Paul, permitted [him], having gone on to friends, to receive [their] care. ⁴ And there, having set sail, we sailed under Cyprus, because of the winds being contrary, ⁵ and having sailed over the sea down by Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myria of Lycia, ⁶ and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria, sailing to Italy, put us into it, ⁷ and having sailed slowly many days, and with difficulty coming down by Cnidus, the wind not permitting us, we sailed under Crete, down by Salmone, ⁸ and hardly passing it, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near to which was the city of Lasaea. ⁹ And much time being spent, and the sailing now being dangerous—because of the fast also being already past—Paul was admonishing, ¹⁰ saying to them, "Men, I perceive that with hurt, and much damage, not only of the load and of the ship, but also of our lives—the voyage is about to be"; ¹¹ but the centurion gave more credence to the pilot and to the shipowner than to the things spoken by Paul; ¹² and the haven being not well placed to winter in, the greater part gave counsel to sail from there, if somehow they might be able, having attained to Phoenix, to winter [there], [which is] a haven of Crete, looking to the southwest and northwest, ¹³ and a south wind blowing softly, having thought they had obtained [their] purpose, having lifted anchor, they sailed close by Crete, ¹⁴ and not long after, there came down from it a turbulent wind [that] is called the Euroclydon, ¹⁵ and the ship being caught, and not being able to bear up against the wind, having given [her] up, we were carried on, ¹⁶ and having run under a certain little island called Clauda, we were hardly able to become masters of the boat, ¹⁷ which having taken up, they were using helps, undergirding the ship, and fearing lest they may fall into the [sandbars of] Syrtis, having let down the mast—so were carried on. ¹⁸ And we, being exceedingly storm-tossed, the succeeding [day] they were making a clearing, ¹⁹ and on the third [day] we cast out the tackling of the ship with our own hands, ²⁰ and neither sun nor stars appearing for more days, and not a little storm lying on us, from then on all hope was taken away of our being saved. ²¹ And there having been long fasting, then Paul having stood in the midst of them, said, "It was necessary, indeed, O men—having listened to me—not to set sail from Crete, and to save this hurt and damage; ²² and now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there will be no loss of life among you—but of the ship; ²³ for this night there stood by me a messenger of God—whose I am, and whom I serve— ²⁴ saying, Do not be afraid Paul; it is necessary for you to stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted to you all those sailing with you; ²⁵ for this reason be of good cheer, men! For I believe God, that so it will be, even as it has been spoken to me, ²⁶ and on a certain island it is necessary for us to be cast." ²⁷ And when the fourteenth night came—we being carried up and down in the Adria—toward the middle of the night the sailors were supposing that some country drew near to them; ²⁸ and having sounded they found twenty fathoms, and having gone a little farther, and again having sounded, they found fifteen fathoms, ²⁹ and fearing lest we may fall on rough places, having cast four anchors out of the stern, they were wishing day to come. ³⁰ And the sailors seeking to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat to the sea, in pretense as [if] out of the prow they are about to cast anchors, ³¹ Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "If these do not remain in the ship—you are not able to be saved"; ³² then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and permitted it to fall off. ³³ And until the day was about to be, Paul was calling on all to partake of nourishment, saying, "Fourteen days today, waiting, you continue fasting, having taken nothing, ³⁴ for this reason I call on you to take nourishment, for this is for your safety, for of not one of you will a hair fall from the head"; ³⁵ and having said these things, and having taken bread, he gave thanks to God before all, and having broken [it], he began to eat; ³⁶ and all having become of good cheer, also took food themselves, ³⁷ (and we were—all the souls in the ship—two hundred, seventy-six), ³⁸ and having eaten sufficient nourishment, they were lightening the ship, casting forth the wheat into the sea. ³⁹ And when the day came, they were not discerning the land, but were perceiving a certain bay having a beach, into which they took counsel, if possible, to thrust forward the ship, ⁴⁰ and having taken up the anchors, they were committing [it] to the sea, at the same time—having loosed the bands of the rudders, and having hoisted up the foresail to the wind—they were making for the shore, ⁴¹ and having fallen into a place of two seas, they ran the ship aground, and the prow, indeed, having stuck fast, remained immoveable, but the stern was broken by the violence of the waves. ⁴² And the soldiers' counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest anyone having swam out should escape, ⁴³ but the centurion, resolving to save Paul, hindered them from the counsel, and commanded those able to swim, having cast themselves out first—to get to the land, ⁴⁴ and the rest, some indeed on boards, and some on certain things of the ship; and thus it came to pass that all came safe to the land.

Chapter 28

¹ And having been saved, then they knew that the island is called Malta, ² and the foreigners were showing us no ordinary kindness, for having kindled a fire, they received us all, because of the pressing rain, and because of the cold; ³ but Paul having gathered together a quantity of sticks, and having laid [them] on the fire, a viper—having come out of the heat—fastened on his hand. ⁴ And when the foreigners saw the beast hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Certainly this man is a murderer, whom, having been saved out of the sea, the justice did not permit to live"; ⁵ he then, indeed, having shaken off the beast into the fire, suffered no evil, ⁶ and they were expecting him to be about to be inflamed, or to suddenly fall down dead, and they, expecting [it] a long time, and seeing nothing uncommon happening to him, changing [their] minds, said he was a god. ⁷ And in the neighborhood of that place were lands of the principal man of the island, by name Publius, who, having received us, courteously lodged [us for] three days; ⁸ and it came to pass, the father of Publius was lying, oppressed with fevers and dysentery, to whom Paul, having entered and having prayed, having laid [his] hands on him, healed him; ⁹ this, therefore, being done, also the others in the island having sicknesses were coming and were healed; ¹⁰ who also honored us with many honors, and we setting sail—they were loading [us] with the things that were necessary. ¹¹ And after three months, we set sail in a ship (that had wintered in the island) of Alexandria, with the sign Dioscuri, ¹² and having landed at Syracuse, we remained three days, ¹³ there having gone around, we came to Rhegium, and after one day, a south wind having sprung up, the second [day] we came to Puteoli, ¹⁴ where, having found brothers, we were called on to remain with them seven days, and thus we came to Rome; ¹⁵ and there, the brothers having heard the things concerning us, came forth to meet us, as far as [the] Forum of Appius, and Three Taverns—whom Paul having seen, having given thanks to God, took courage. ¹⁶ And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered up the prisoners to the captain of the barracks, but Paul was permitted to remain by himself, with the soldier guarding him. ¹⁷ And it came to pass after three days, Paul called together those who are the principal men of the Jews, and they having come together, he said to them: "Men, brothers, I—having done nothing contrary to the people, or to the customs of the fathers—a prisoner from Jerusalem, was delivered up into the hands of the Romans; ¹⁸ who having examined me, were willing to release [me], because of there being no cause of death in me, ¹⁹ and the Jews having spoken against [it], I was constrained to appeal to Caesar—not as having anything to accuse my nation of; ²⁰ for this cause, therefore, I called for you to see and to speak with [you], for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain." ²¹ And they said to him, "We neither received letters concerning you from Judea, nor did anyone who came of the brothers declare or speak any evil concerning you, ²² and we think it good from you to hear what you think, for indeed, concerning this sect it is known to us that it is spoken against everywhere"; ²³ and having appointed him a day, more of them came to him, to the lodging, to whom he was setting [it] forth, testifying fully the Kingdom of God, persuading them also of the things concerning Jesus, both from the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, from morning until evening, ²⁴ and some, indeed, were believing the things spoken, and some were not believing. ²⁵ And not being agreed with one another, they were going away, Paul having spoken one word, "The Holy Spirit spoke well through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, ²⁶ saying, Go on to this people and say, With hearing you will hear, and you will not understand, and seeing you will see, and you will not perceive, ²⁷ for the heart of this people was made obtuse, and with the ears they barely heard, and they closed their eyes, lest they may see with the eyes, and may understand with the heart, and should turn, and I may heal them. ²⁸ Be it known, therefore, to you, that the salvation of God was sent to the nations, these also will hear it"; ²⁹ [[and he having said these things, the Jews went away, having much debate among themselves;]] ³⁰ and Paul remained an entire two years in his own hired [house], and was receiving all those coming in to him, ³¹ preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness—unforbidden.

Old Testament

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