concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against him no accusation of the things I was thinking of,

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

I was at a loss how to investigate such matters and so asked Paul if he would go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these matters.

And Agrippa said unto Festus, 'I was wishing also myself to hear the man;' and he said, 'To-morrow thou shalt hear him;'

And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

And Festus says, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that it was not proper that he should live any longer.

And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

And they are able to say, if they would give witness, that I was living as a Pharisee, in that division of our religion which is most regular in the keeping of the law.

And now I stand arraigned for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers:

Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many [things] opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,

That was what I did at Jerusalem; yes, I received authority from the high priests and shut behind the prison bars many of God's people. Yes, when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them, and often in all the synagogues

and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting them even unto strange cities.

While in this business I once was on my way to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests,

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.

But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for, for this was I sent to thee, to take thee in hand, a servant and witness both of what things thou sawest, and of what I shall be seen to thee;

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

"It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.

I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen:

if the Christ should suffer, and by being the first to rise from the dead was to proclaim the light to the Jewish people and to the heathen."

And as he was saying these things in his defence, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning turns thy brain.

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.

But Agrippa said to Festus, This man was able to have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they turned over Paul and some other prisoners to a colonel of the imperial regiment, named Julius.

After going on board an Adramyttian ship bound for the ports of Asia, we set sail. On board with us was Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

And on the day after, we came to Sidon; and Julius was kind to Paul, and let him go to see his friends and take a rest.

After setting sail from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the wind was against us,

We sailed slowly for a number of days and with difficulty arrived off Cnidus. Then, because the wind was against us, we sailed on the sheltered side of Crete off Cape Salome.

And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

But the colonel was influenced by the pilot and the captain of the ship rather than by what Paul said.

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.

When a light breeze from the south began to blow, thinking their purpose was about to be realized, they weighed anchor and coasted along by Crete, hugging the shore,

But it was not long before a violent wind, which is called a Northeaster, swept down from it.

And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

And running under a little island called Clauda, it was with difficulty we were able to come at the boat:

once it was hoisted aboard, they used ropes to undergird the ship, and in fear of being stranded on the Syrtis they lowered the sail and lay to.

But, as the storm was still violent, the next day they began to lighten the ship;

On the third day, they handed [the rest of] the ship's gear to each other, and threw it overboard [Note: This was perhaps furniture, rigging, sails, baggage, etc.].

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said: "My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

On taking soundings they found a depth of twenty fathoms; and a little later again taking soundings, they found it was fifteen.

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.

Everyone was encouraged and had something to eat.

(The total number of us aboard the ship was

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

And slipping the anchors, they left [them] in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the [wind] that was blowing, they held course for the beach.

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

and that the rest should make the attempt, some on planks, and some on the floating materials of the ship: and in this manner so it was that they all safely reached the shore.

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

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.

Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put it on the fire. A poisonous snake was forced out by the heat and attached itself to Paul's hand.

And when the local people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Doubtless this man is a murderer whom, [although he] was rescued from the sea, Justice has not permitted to live!"

But he shook the snake into the fire and wasn't harmed.

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.

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, the father of Publius with feverish heats and dysentery pressed, was laid, unto whom Paul having entered, and having prayed, having laid his hands on him, healed him;

So when this was done, others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed:

And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

The brothers there had had news of our coming, and came as far as Appius' Forum and Three Taverns to meet us, and when Paul saw them he thanked God and was greatly encouraged.

And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept 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 when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; not that I had ought to accuse my nation of.

It was for this reason that I requested to see you and talk with you, for I am wearing this chain because of the hope held by the Israelites."

"We," was their reply, "have not had any letter about you from Judea, nor have any of our fellow-Jews come and reported or said anything bad about you.

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.

And [some] were convinced [by] what was said, but [others] refused to believe.

They disagreed with one another as they were leaving, so Paul added this statement: "The Holy Spirit was so right when he spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah!

for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they may see with the eyes, and with the heart may understand, and be turned back, and I may heal them.

'Be it known, therefore, to you, that to the nations was sent the salvation of God, these also will hear it;'

and Paul remained an entire two years in his own hired house, and was receiving all those coming in unto him,

Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ without fear, and no orders were given that he was not to do so.