Therefore it is necessary for [one] of the men who have accompanied us during all the time [in] which the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

And they prayed [and] said, "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show clearly which one of these two you have chosen

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with gladness with your presence.'

But Peter said, "Silver and gold {I do not possess}, but what I have, this I give to you--in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, walk!"

And [when he] saw [it], Peter replied to the people, "Men [and] Israelites, why are you astonished at this? Or why are you staring at us, as [if] by our own power or godliness we have made him walk?

And indeed, all the prophets from Samuel and all those who followed [him] have spoken [about] and proclaimed these days.

For we are not able to refrain from speaking about [the things] that we have seen and heard."

[When it] remained to you, did it not remain [yours]? And [when it] was sold, was it at your disposal? How [is it] that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God!"

And [when they] heard [this], they entered at daybreak into the temple [courts] and began teaching. Now [when] the high priest and those with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin--even the whole council of elders of the sons of Israel--and sent to the prison to have them brought.

saying, "{We strictly commanded} you not to teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching! And you are intending to bring upon us the blood of this man!"

Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God!"

For we have heard him saying that this Nazarene Jesus will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

And he did not give him an inheritance in it--not even a footstep--and he promised to give [it] to him for his possession, and to his descendants after him, {although he did not have} a child.

{I have certainly seen} the mistreatment of my people [who are] in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,

[you] who received the law by directions of angels and have not observed [it]!"

{You have no} part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

But Simon answered [and] said, "You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me."

But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many [people] about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,

And he stared at him and became terrified [and] said, "What is [it], Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your charitable deeds have gone up for a memorial offering before God.

But Peter said, "Certainly not, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!"

But get up, go down, and go with them--not hesitating at all, because I have sent them."

So Peter went down to the men [and] said, "Behold, I am [he] whom you are looking for! What [is] the reason for which you have come?"

and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charitable deeds have been remembered before God.

Therefore I sent for you at once, and you {were kind enough to come}. So now we all are present before God to hear all the things that have been commanded to you by the Lord."

"Surely no one can withhold the water for these [people] to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as we also did!"

And [while] they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart now for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

And [after] removing him, he raised up David for their king, about whom he also said, testifying, 'I have found David the [son] of Jesse [to be] a man in accordance with my heart, who will carry out all my will.'

this [promise] God has fulfilled to our children [by] raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have fathered you.'

For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have appointed you {to be} a light for the Gentiles, {that you would bring} salvation to the end of the earth.'

And [when] the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices in the Lycaonian language, saying, "The gods have become like men [and] have come down to us!"

So now why are you putting God to the test [by] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us--to whom we gave no orders--[and] have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your {minds},

men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same [things] by word of mouth.

And the jailer reported these words to Paul: "The chief magistrates have sent [an order] that you should be released. So come out now [and] go in peace!"

And [when they] did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These [people] who have stirred up trouble [throughout] the world have come here also,

for in him we live and move and exist, as even some of {your own} poets have said: 'For we also are {his} offspring.'

But [when] Paul was about to open [his] mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, {I would have been justified in accepting} your complaint.

And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit [when you] believed?" And they [said] to him, "But we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit!"

Now when these [things] were completed, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, "After I have been there, it is necessary [for] me to see Rome also."

For you have brought these men [here] [who are] neither temple robbers nor blasphemers of our goddess.

If then Demetrius and the craftsmen [who are] with him have a complaint against anyone, the court days are observed and there are proconsuls--let them bring charges against one another!

I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing!

I have shown you [with respect to] all [things] that [by] working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

And [when] they heard [this], they began to glorify God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law.

And they have been informed about you that you are teaching all the Jews [who are] among the Gentiles [the] abandonment of Moses, telling them not to circumcise [their] children or to live according to [our] customs.

What then {is to be done}? Doubtless they will all hear that you have come!

Therefore do this that we tell you: {we have} four men who have [taken] a vow upon themselves.

But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter [after] deciding they should avoid food sacrificed to idols and blood and [what has been] strangled and sexual immorality."

So I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up [and] proceed to Damascus, and there it will be told to you about all [the things] that have been appointed for you to do.'

because you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.

And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men [and] brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day."

And the next night the Lord stood by him [and] said, "Have courage, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

who went to the chief priests and the elders [and] said, "We have bound ourselves under a curse to partake of nothing until we have killed Paul

And the military tribune, taking hold of his hand and withdrawing privately, asked, "What is it that you have to report to me?

And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you that you bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as [if they] were going to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

You therefore do not be persuaded by them, because more [than] forty men of {their number} are lying in wait [for] him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have done away with him. And now they are ready, waiting for {you to agree}."

So the military tribune sent the young man away, directing [him], "Tell no one that you have revealed these [things] to me."

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.

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,

And [when] the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, "[Because I] know you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I defend myself cheerfully [with respect to] the things concerning myself.

{For this reason} also myself {always} do my best to have a clear conscience toward God and people.

But [there are] some Jews from Asia who ought to be present before you and bring charges against [me], if they have anything against me,

[He] ordered the centurion [for] him to be guarded and to have some freedom, and in no way to prevent any of his own [people] [from] serving him.

And [while] he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid [and] replied, "Go away for the present, and [when I] have an opportunity, I will summon you."

[while] Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!"

But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

If then I am doing wrong and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid dying. But if there is nothing [true] of [the things] which these [people] are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!"

Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"

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.

But get up and stand on your feet, because for this [reason] I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and witness both [to the things] in which you saw me and [to the things] in which I will appear to you,

Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, [and] I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen,

For the king knows about these [things], to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am not convinced [that] these [things] in any way have escaped his notice, because this {was} not {done} in a corner.

And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

And [because] many were experiencing lack of appetite, at that time Paul stood up in their midst [and] said, "Men, [you] ought to have followed my [advice] not to put out to sea from Crete, and [thus] avoided this damage and loss!

And until the day was about to come, Paul was urging [them] all to take [some] food, saying, "Today [is the] fourteenth day you have waited [anxiously], [and] you have continued without eating, having taken nothing.

Therefore for this reason I have requested to see you and to speak with [you], for because of the hope of Israel I am wearing this chain!"

And they said to him, "We have received no letters about you from Judea, nor has any of the brothers come [and] reported or spoken anything evil about you.

For the heart of this people has become dull, and with [their] ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, lest they see with [their] eyes, and hear with [their] ears, and understand with [their] heart, and turn, and I would heal them." '