And I persecuted this 'Way' [even to the point of] putting people to death. [I had] both men and women bound [in chains] and locked up in prisons.

as the high priest and the whole council will bear me witness. Indeed, I had received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on the way there to bind those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

And it came to pass, that as I was passing on my journey, and had come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me.

but as I had lost the use of my eyes by the splendor of that light, I was led by the hand to Damascus, by those who were with me.

there one Ananias a religious observer of the law, who had the good word of all the Jews in that place, came to see me,

And it came to pass, when had returned unto Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I came to be in a trance,

“But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten.

Till that word, the Jews had given their attention, but then they broke out into a full cry, "out of the world with such a fellow: for it is not fit he should live."

But, when they had stretched him out with straps, Paul said unto the by-standing centurion - A Roman, and uncondemned, is it allowed you to be scourging?

he answer'd, yes. the officer rejoin'd, my freedom cost me a considerable sum. but I had it, said Paul, by right of birth.

Straightway, therefore, they who were about to put him to the test, withdrew from him; and, even the captain, was struck with fear, when he found out he was, a Roman, and because, him, he had bound.

But on the next day, [because he] wanted to know the true [reason] why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble, and he brought down Paul [and] had [him] stand before them.

And Paul said, I had not known, brothers, that he is high priest, for it is written, Thou shall not speak ill of a ruler of thy people.

And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

And there was a great outcry: and some of the scribes on the side of the Pharisees got up and took part in the discussion, saying, We see no evil in this man: what if he has had a revelation from an angel or a spirit?

And, when it became day, the Jews, forming a conspiracy, bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had slain Paul.

And they were, more than forty, who, this sworn-confederacy, had formed.

But Paul's sister's son had word of their design, and he came into the army building and gave news of it to Paul.

Paul called one of the Captains of the garrison and asked him to take the lad to the Commanding Officer, as he had something to tell him.

then the tribune taking him by the hand, retir'd with him in private, and ask'd, what he had to say.

So the colonel sent the young man away, with strict directions not to tell anybody that he had notified him of this plot.

{He wrote} a letter that had this form:

When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.

having been informed he was a Roman, I had him brought before their Sanhedrim, to hear what crime they laid to his charge.

I found out that he was being accused over questions regarding their law, but that they had no charges against him deserving of the death penalty, or [even] of being kept in prison.

And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

So the soldiers took Paul, as they had been ordered to do, and brought him by night as far as Antipatris.

And when they had come to Caesarea and had delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul before him also.

And, when he had read it, and asked out of what province he was, and learned that he was from Cilicia,

And [when] he had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse [him], saying, "We have experienced much peace through you, and reforms are taking place in this nation through your foresight.

who also attempted to profane the temple; whom we also had seized, and would have judged according to our law;

And Paul answered, when the governor had motioned him to be speaking, - Well knowing thee to have been, for many years, judge unto his nation, cheerfully, as to the things concerning myself, do I make defence;

After an absence of several years, I had come to bring charitable donations for my nation, and to offer sacrifice.

While I was performing these duties they found me just as I had completed the rites of my purification in the temple; however, there was no crowd with me and no disturbance at all.

who ought, before thee, to have presented themselves, and to have been laying accusation, if, anything, they might have had against me: -

Then Felix, who had a fairly clear conception of the principles involved in The Way, adjourned the trial, saying to the Jews, "When Lysias, the colonel, comes down here, I will carefully look into your case."

And he gave orders to the captain to keep Paul under his control, and to let him have everything he had need of; and not to keep his friends from coming to see him.

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and sent for Paul and heard what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus.

And while he was talking about righteousness and self-control and the judging which was to come, Felix had great fear and said, Go away for the present, and when the right time comes I will send for you.

For he was hoping that Paul would give him money: so he sent for him more frequently and had talk with him.

After two years had passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and because he wished to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.

Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Cesarea to Jerusalem.

When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge’s bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in.

And, when he presented himself, the Jews who, from Jerusalem, had come down, stood round about him, many and grievous charges, bringing against him , which they were not able to prove, -

as long as he answered for himself, that he had neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar offended anything at all.

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

After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus.

And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:

I told them, it was not the custom of the Romans to deliver up any man, till he was accus'd and confronted by his accusers, and had an opportunity of pleading to the charge.

When, therefore, they had come together here, no delay whatever, making, on the next day, taking my place upon the judgment-seat, I ordered the man to be brought:

Concerning whom, taking their stand, his accusers, no accusation at all, were bringing, of the evil things which, I, had been suspecting;

but, certain questions concerning their own demon-worship, had they against him, and concerning one Jesus, who had died, whom Paul was affirming to be alive.

And as I had not enough knowledge for the discussion of these things, I made the suggestion to him to go to Jerusalem and be judged there.

But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

Agrippa said to Festus, "I had been wanting to hear this man's testimony myself." [Festus replied], "Tomorrow you will [have the opportunity to] hear him."

On the morrow, therefore, when Agrippa had come, and Bernice, with great display, and they had entered into the audience-chamber, with the captains of thousands and men of distinction of the city, - and Festus had given orders, Paul was brought.

But, I, gathered, that, nothing worthy of death, had he committed; and, this man himself, having appealed unto the Emperor, I decided to send him: -

Concerning whom, anything certain to write unto my lord, I have not; wherefore, I have brought him forth before you, - and especially before thee, King Agrippa! in order that, after examination had, I might have something I could write;

"Now all the Jews know my manner of life from [my] youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my [own] people and in Jerusalem,

They had previously known me for quite some time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

I had them punished and tried to force them to use abusive language; in my extreme fury against them I continued to pursue them even into distant towns.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

But get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I shall yet appear to you,

To this day I have had God's help and I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a thing to what Moses and the prophets declared would happen,

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

And the king rose up, and the governor, Bernice also, and they who had been sitting with them;

and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or chains.”

And, Agrippa, unto Festus, said - This man might have been released, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

But when it had been determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered up Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion, by name Julius, of Augustus' company.

So when we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;

And, when a considerable time had passed, and sailing was already dangerous, because, even the Fast, had already gone by, Paul began to advise,

But the officer was more influenced by the pilot and the captain than by what Paul had to say,

And, a south wind blowing softly, supposing they had secured their purpose, weighing anchor, they began to sail close in shore along Crete.

and when the ship was caught [by it], we were not able to face the wind, so had to give in and allow the ship to drift.

And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:

Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

As we were being terribly battered by the storm, they had to jettison the cargo next day,

For several days, we had not seen either sun or stars: the tempest still bore hard: all our hopes of escape quite sunk,

But, when they had been, long without food, then, Paul, standing in the midst of them, said - Ye ought, indeed, Sir! yielding to me, not to have sailed away from Crete, to get this damage and loss. --

And, when, the fourteenth night, had come, and we were being driven to and fro in the Adriatic, about midnight, the sailors suspected that some country was, nearing, them;

They took a sounding and found it to be 120 feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be 90 feet deep.

But, when, the sailors, were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, by pretext, as though out of the prow they had been about to reach anchors,

After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and when he broke it, he began to eat.

Everyone was encouraged and had something to eat.

And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

When day broke, they could not recognize the land, but they spied a bay that had a beach, and determined, if possible, to run the ship ashore.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

But they chanced on a place, which had the sea on both the sides, and thrust in the ship. And the fore part stuck fast, and moved not, but the hinder part brake with the violence of the waves.

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners: lest any of them, when he had swum out, should flee away.

who had a mind to save Paul, prevented their design: and order'd all that could swim immediately to get off to shore,

After we had been rescued, we learned that the island was called Malta.

And, the natives, began to shew us no common philanthropy; for, kindling a fire, they received us all, because of the rain that had set in, and because of the cold.

But, when Paul had gathered a certain lot of firewood into a bundle, and laid it on the fire, a viper, by reason of the heat, coming forth, fastened on his hand.

whereas, they, were expecting, that he was about to become inflamed, or to fall down suddenly dead; - but, when they had been long expecting, and had observed, nothing unusual, happening unto him, they changed their minds, and began to say he was a god.

The chief of the island, one Publius, had his estate in that quarter: he entertain'd us with diet and lodging for three days with great civility.