Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, "To the emperor you have appealed, to the emperor you shall go!"

About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

And I was perplexed as to how to proceed with the investigation, so I [finally] asked him if he would go to Jerusalem to have his case judged there.

But as Paul appealed to have his case kept for his Majesty's decision, I ordered him kept in custody until I could send him up to the emperor."

And Agrippa said to Festus, I have a desire to give the man a hearing myself. Tomorrow, he said, you may give him a hearing.

And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak in defense of yourself." So Paul with outstretched arm began to make his defense.

"I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa," said he, "that it is before you that I can defend myself today against all the charges which the Jews have preferred against me,

"The kind of life I have lived from my youth up, as spent in my early days among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is well known to all Jews,

for they have known all along from the first, if they would but testify to it, that I as a Pharisee have lived by the standard of the strictest sect of our religion.

and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

For the effecting of which our twelve tribes have been working and waiting night and day with all their hearts. And in connection with this hope I am attacked by the Jews, O king!

which also I did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints also did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the high priests; and, when they were being put to death, I have given a vote against them;

and, throughout all the synagogues, ofttimes punishing them, I would fain have compelled them to defame; and, being excessively maddened against them, I went on to pursue them as far as even the outlying cities.

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;

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

As I have gotten help from God clear down to this very day, I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a syllable to what Moses and the prophets said should take place,

As Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed loudly, "You have lost your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!"

But Paul replied, "I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words.

For the king knows of these things, before whom I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things have escaped his notice; for this was not done in a corner.

thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'

"At this rate," Agrippa remarked, "it won't be long before you believe you have made a Christian of me!"

and Paul said, 'I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am -- except these bonds.'

Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

After much time had passed, the voyage became more dangerous because it was [now] past the Day of Atonement [Note: This would have been around September or October, when a sea voyage involved rough sailing]. So, Paul began warning the people [aboard ship],

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

And a south wind blowing softly, thinking to have obtained their purpose, lifting anchor, they sailed along close beside Crete.

which they took up, and used help undergirding the ship, fearing lest we should have fallen into Syrtis, and we let down a vessel and so were carried.

But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

But now I urge you to have courage, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship.

Saying, Have no fear, Paul, for you will come before Caesar, and God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.

So keep up your courage, men, for I have confidence in my God that it will all come out just as I was told.

However, we will have to run aground on some island."

Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

And when it was day, they did not know the land near them: but they perceived a certain creek with a shore, into which they were desirous, if they could, to have thrust the ship.

Then the soldiers' design was to have murdered the prisoners, lest any of them should swim ashore and escape.

When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they told one another, "This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live."

Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

After three months we set sail on a ship that had spent the winter on the island [of Melita]. This ship had originated from Alexandria and was designated as "Twin Brothers" [Note: The ship may have been named this because of its prow containing the figures of the mythical twin gods of sailors, Castor and Pollux].

And the brothers, when they had news of us, came out from town as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns to have a meeting with us: and Paul, seeing them, gave praise to God and took heart.

And when we were come to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but he permitted Paul to have an apartment by himself, with a soldier only who guarded him.

And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me.

But the Jews objected and forced me to appeal to the emperor, even though I have no countercharge to bring against my own people.

For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

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.

But we have a desire to give hearing to your opinion: for as to this form of religion, we have knowledge that in all places it is attacked.

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, but will not understand,
You will keep on seeing, but will not perceive;

For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.