and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was being shed, I stood by and approved it, and held the clothes of those who killed him.'

But when they had tied him for the flogging, Paul asked the captain who was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman, and one who is uncondemned at that?"

So the men who were going to examine him left him at once, and the colonel himself was frightened when he learned that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.

Then the high-priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

And those who stood by said, 'The chief priest of God dost thou revile?'

There was a great deal of shouting until some of the scribes who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and argued forcefully, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy.

who having come near to the chief priests and to the elders said, 'With an anathema we did anathematize ourselves -- to taste nothing till we have killed Paul;

who having sent for one of the centurions, said, introduce this young man to the tribune, for he has something to communicate to him.

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

thou, therefore, mayest thou not yield to them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, who did anathematize themselves -- not to eat nor to drink till they kill him, and now they are ready, waiting for the promise from thee.'

He further told them to provide horses for Paul to ride, so as to bring him in safety to Felix, the governor, to whom

to whom he wrote a letter to this effect:

This man who was seized by the Jews, and was going to be killed by them, having stood by with the soldiers, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman.

And desiring to know the crime of which they accused him, I brought him before their council: Whom I found to be accused concerning questions of their law,

Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

And when news was given to me that a secret design was being made against the man, I sent him straight away to you, giving orders to those who are against him to make their statements before you.

Who, when they came to Caesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

I will give hearing to your cause, he said, when those who are against you have come. And he gave orders for him to be kept in Herod's Praetorium.

And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

For we have found this man [to be] a public menace and one who causes riots among all the Jews throughout the Roman Empire and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

Commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

Then the governour sign'd to Paul to reply; who said, I enter upon my defence with the greater confidence, by considering you have govern'd this nation several years:

I have a hope in God that there will be a resurrection both for those who have done right and those who have done wrong, just as the Jews themselves also expect.

But there were some Jews from Asia who ought to be here before you and to present their charges, if they have any, 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."

Some days later, Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him talk about faith in Christ Jesus.

But after two years Porcius Festus took the place of Felix, who, desiring to have the approval of the Jews, kept Paul in chains.

Therefore, said he, let those of you who are able, go down with me, and if there be any thing bad in this man, let them accuse him.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, and continued to bring a number of serious charges against him, none of which they could prove.

Then Festus, after conferring with [the men who formed] his council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

and as they stayed for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix,

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.

Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed:

They merely had a quarrel with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died, but who Paul kept saying was still alive.

Therefore on the morrow, Agrippa and Bernice having come with great pomp, and having entered into the courtroom, and with the chief captains and the men of prominence who were of the city, and Festus who commanded, Paul was brought

Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you now see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, continuously clamoring that he ought not to live any longer.

but finding he had done nothing that deserv'd death, I have resolved to send him to the emperor, to whom he had appealed.

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.

Who art accurately acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews, wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

who knew me from the first, if they would testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

This is the promise our twelve tribes [i.e., family groups], who earnestly serve God night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is because [I advocate] this hope, O King, that I am being charged [with wrongdoing] by the Jews.

On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

'Who are you, Sir?' said I. 'I am Jesus,' the Lord said, 'whom you are persecuting.

"The Lord answered, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

I will continue to rescue you from the Jewish people and from the heathen to whom I am going to send you,

You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

but first to the people of Damascus and Jerusalem and then all over Judea, and even to the heathen I preached that they must repent and turn to God and live as men who have repented should.

that the Messiah should suffer, [and] that he being the first who should rise from the dead, should display light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

And Paul said, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

Then the king rose, with the governor and Bernice and those who had been seated with them,

When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were transferred to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the emperor's division.

the next day we touch'd at Sidon, where the centurion, who was very civil to Paul, gave him leave to go, and refresh himself at his friends.

And being long without food, then Paul, who stood in the midst of them, said, Ye truly ought, O men, to have complied with me, not to launch from Crete, and gain this damage and loss.

For just last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by my side

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.'

but the colonel wanted to save Paul, and so he prevented them from carrying out this plan, and ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest to follow,

and [then] the rest, [some] of whom [floated] on planks and [some] of whom on anything [that was] from the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to the land.

The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they started a bonfire and invited us to join them around it.

And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

Who truly then, having shaken off the beast into the fire, suffered nothing evil.

In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

And this being done, the rest also who had sicknesses in the island came and were cured,

Who also honoured us with many honours; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

Where we came across some of the brothers, who kept us with them for seven days; and so we came to Rome.

And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.

When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.

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 unto them: 'Men, brethren, I -- having done nothing contrary to the people, or to the customs of the fathers -- a prisoner from Jerusalem, was delivered up to 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.

For these reasons, then, I have invited you here, that I might see you and speak to you; for it is for the sake of Him who is the hope of Israel that this chain hangs upon me."

And they said unto him, 'We did neither receive letters concerning thee from Judea, nor did any one who came of the brethren declare or speak any evil concerning thee,

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.

30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,

So Paul for two whole years lived in a rented house of his own; he continued to welcome everybody who came to see him;