1 After we had been rescued, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2 Now the natives showed us remarkable kindness, for they made us a fire and welcomed us to it because of the downpouring rain and the cold.
3 Paul, too, gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he put them on the fire, because of the heat, a viper crawled out of them and fastened itself upon his hand.
4 When the natives saw the reptile hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Beyond a doubt this man is a murderer, for though he has been rescued from the sea, justice will not let him live."
5 But he simply shook the reptile off into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 The natives kept on looking for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual take place on him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
7 The governor of the island, whose name was Publius, owned estates in that part of the island, and he welcomed us and entertained us with hearty hospitality for three days.
8 Publius' father chanced to be sick in bed with fever and dysentery, and Paul went to see him and after praying laid his hands upon him and cured him.
9 Because this cure was performed, the rest of the sick people on the island kept coming to him and by degrees were cured.
10 They also honored us with many presents, and when we set sail, they supplied us with everything that we needed.
11 Three months later, we set sail in an Alexandrian ship named The Twin Brothers, which had wintered at the island.
12 We landed at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
13 After weighing anchor and leaving there, we arrived at Rhegium. The next day, a south wind began to blow, and the following day we got to Puteoli.
14 There we found some brothers, and they begged us to spend a week with them. In this way we finally reached Rome.
15 Because the brothers at Rome had heard of our coming, they came as far as Appius' Market and the Three Taverns to meet us, and as soon as Paul caught sight of them, he thanked God and took courage.
16 When we did arrive at Rome, Paul was granted permission to live by himself -- excepting a soldier to guard him.
17 Three days later, he invited the leading men of the Jews to come to see him, and when they came, he said to them, "Brothers, I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our forefathers; yet at Jerusalem I was turned over to the Romans as a prisoner.
18 After examining me the Romans wanted to set me free, because I was innocent of any crime that deserved the death penalty.
19 But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to the Emperor; yet it was not because I had any charge to make against my own nation.
20 Now it is for this reason that I invited you to come, namely, to see you and speak with you, for it is on account of Israel's hope that I am wearing this chain."
21 They answered him, "We have not received any letters from Judea about you, and not one of our Jewish brothers has come and reported or stated anything wicked about you.
22 But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced."
23 So they set a day for him, and came in large numbers to see him at the place where he was lodging, and from morning till night he continued to explain to them the kingdom of God, at the same time giving them his own testimony and trying from the law of Moses and the prophets to convince them about Jesus.
24 Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.
25 Because they could not agree among themselves, they started to leave, when Paul had spoken one word more: "The Holy Spirit beautifully expressed it in speaking to your forefathers through the prophet Isaiah:
26 'Go to this people and say to them, "You will listen, and listen, and never understand, and you will look, and look, and never see!
27 For this people's soul has grown dull, and they scarcely hear with their ears, and they have shut tight their eyes, so that they may never see with their eyes, and understand with their souls, and turn to me, that I may cure them."'