who has been making this known from ages past.'

but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood.

For Moses from the ancient generations has had his preachers in every town, and on every sabbath has been read aloud in the synagogues."

it has been decided by us, having met together, to select men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from fornication: from which ye will do well to keep yourselves. Farewel.

and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to the Emperor's decrees, because they claim there is another king, Jesus."

But these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all willingness, examining the Scriptures daily, if it has these things this way.

A few of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him again and again. Some were saying, "What has this beggarly fellow to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

The God who has made the world and all things which are in it, he, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,

And he has made of one blood all the nations of men living on all the face of the earth, ordering their times and the limits of their lands,

since then we are the offspring of God, we should not imagine that the Deity bears any resemblance to the form which Gold, or Silver, or Stone has receiv'd from human art and industry.

Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent,

since He has set a day on which He will justly judge the world through a man whom He has appointed. He has made this credible to all by raising Him from the dead."

and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

for we are in danger of being charged with sedition for what has happened this day, there being no cause by which we can give a reason for this concourse.

And when they had come, he said to them, You yourselves have seen what my life has been like all the time from the day when I first came into Asia,

But even the sacrifice of my life I count as nothing, if only I may perfect my earthly course, and be faithful to the duty which the Lord Jesus has entrusted to me of proclaiming, as of supreme importance, the Good News of God's grace.

Take care of yourselves and of the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, so as to continue to be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood.

And now I commend you to the Lord and to the Message of his Love--a Message which has the power to build up your characters, and to give you your place among all those who have become Christ's People.

my constant example has shown you that the disabled should be assisted by your labours, remembring the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, "it is a greater happiness to give than to receive."

When he met with us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet [with it], and said, "The Holy Spirit has revealed [to me] that the man who owns this belt will be tied up like this by the Jews in Jerusalem and will be turned over to the Gentiles."

what then is it? certainly the multitude it behoveth to come together, for they will hear that thou hast come.

these take, and perform the rites of purification with them, contributing to the expence of having their heads shav'd: this will convince them, what has been reported of you, is all groundless, and that you stick to the observances of the law.

As for the gentiles who have become believers, we have sent a letter with our decision that they should keep away from food that has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from anything strangled, and from sexual immorality."

as they kept shouting, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the law and this place; yea, more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and desecrated this sacred place."

And while seeking to kill him, a report went up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem has been stirred up.

Then the tribune came up and seized him, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. "Who is he?" he began asking, "and what has he done?"

And being about to be brought into the camp, Paul says to the captain of a thousand, Is it lawful for me to speak anything to thee? and he said, Hast thou knowledge in Greek?

And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'

and he said, 'The God of our forefathers has appointed you to learn His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear Him speak,

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't been condemned?"

But the next day the commander released Paul [from the chains] because he wanted to know what specific charges the Jews has against him. So, he ordered the leading priests and the entire [Jewish] Council to assemble, then brought Paul down and placed him in front of them.

And Paul, looking fixedly at the Sanhedrin, said, My brothers, my life has been upright before God till this day.

And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people.

So there was a vociferous yelling until some of the scribes, belonging to the party of the Pharisees, got up and fiercely contended, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or angel has really spoken to him!"

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

So Paul called one of the captains and said, "Take this young man to the colonel, for he has something to tell him."

So he took him and brought him to the colonel and said, "The prisoner Paul called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you."

Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

Because a plot against the man has been reported to me as brewing, I at once am sending him on to you and have directed his accusers to present their charge against him before you."

So Paul was summoned, and then Tertullus proceeded to accuse him. "Your excellency," he said to Felix, "as it is owing to you that we enjoy unbroken peace, and as it is owing to your wise care that the state of this nation has been improved in every way and everywhere,

"owing to your wise care, has been improved in every respect and in every place, we accept it with profound thankfulness.

and has attempted to prophane the temple: we secur'd him, and would have try'd him by our law:

Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

You can ascertain that {it has not been more than} twelve days {since} I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

And having heard these things, Felix put them off, knowing more accurately of the Way, saying, When Lysias the chiliarch has come down, I will examine the things concerning you.

And as he preached of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come; Felix trembled, and answered, "Thou hast done enough at this time: depart. When I have a convenient time, I will send for thee."

Festus replied that Paul would be kept in custody at Caesarea, but that he himself meant to leave for Caesarea before long ??5 "when," he added, "your competent authorities can come down with me and charge the man with whatever crime he has committed."

"So," he said, "let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him."

If, however, I am breaking the law and have committed any offence deserving death, I do not ask to escape the penalty; but, if there is nothing in the accusations of these people, no one has the power to give me up to them. I appeal to the Emperor."

Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.

And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause to the king, saying, A certain man has been left in bonds by Felix,

to whom I answered, It is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the accused has the accusers face to face, and is allowed an opportunity to defend himself against the accusation.

but had certain issues against him about his own religion, and about a certain Jesus, who has died, whom Paul was claiming to be alive.

Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.

But I found that he had not done anything for which he deserved to die; however, as he has himself appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him up.

I do not have anything definite to write to [my] lord about {him}. Therefore I have brought him before you [all]--and especially before you, King Agrippa--so that [after] this preliminary hearing has taken place, I may have something to write.

My manner of life then from my youth, as it has been from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews are acquainted with,

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

And when Paul had said these words, Festus said with a loud voice, You are mad, Paul; much learning has driven you to madness.

Indeed, the king knows about these things, and I can speak to him freely. For I'm certain that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this wasn't done in a corner.

and after leaving the room, as they continued to talk the matter over together, they said, "This man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment."

and said, "Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before the Emperor; and listen! God has graciously given to you the lives of all who are sailing with you.'

Wherefore, men, be of good courage; for I believe God, that it will be as he has told me;

Wherefore I exhort you to partake of food, for this has to do with your safety; for not a hair from the head of any one of you shall perish.

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."

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.

And when they could not agree among themselves they left, after hearing Paul make this one [important] statement: "The Holy Spirit has spoken truthfully to your forefathers through Isaiah the prophet,

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."'

"So you must understand that this message of God's salvation has been sent to the heathen; and they will listen to it!"