They then accordingly assembling together, asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reestablish the kingdom of Israel?

And joining in prayer, they said, Do thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, point out the one of these two which thou hast chosen,

that thou wilt not leave my soul in the mansion of the dead, nor permit that Holy One of thine to see corruption.

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt fill me with delight by thy countenance."

Now when they heard it, they lifted up their united voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God which made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things which are in them:

For they have been in truth collected together against thy holy Son Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, even Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen, and the people of Israel,

But Peter said, O Ananias! why hath Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Ghost, and secrete something from the price of the estate?

it remained unsold, was it not vested in thee? and when sold, was it not in thine own power? why then hast thou determined in thine heart to do this deed? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Wilt thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?

Then the Lord said unto him, "Loose the sandal from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

But Peter said unto him, May thy silver with thyself go into perdition, because thou hast imagined that the gift of God can be purchased with money.

For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity.

Then Philip running up to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah; and he said, Well! but dost thou understand what thou art reading?

And Philip said, If thou believest with the whole heart, it is allowable. Then he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Then said he, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting: It is difficult for thee to kick against the goads.

And trembling and amazed he said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Then went Ananias, and entered into the house; and laying his hands upon him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who was seen by thee in the way that thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest recover thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is near the sea: this man will tell thee what thou must do.

And the voice again a second time came to him, What God hath cleansed, call not thou unclean.

Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast done well in coming. Now therefore are all we here present before God, to hear all things that are given in charge to thee from God.

saying, Thou hast gone in to men holding uncircumcision, and hast eaten with them.

But the voice replied the second time from heaven, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common.

who will speak words to thee, by which thou mayest be saved, and thy house.

But they said, Thou art raving. But she confidently persisted that it was so. Then they said, It is his angel.

said, O thou full of all guile and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the strait ways of the Lord?

And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand.

for this hath God fulfilled to their children, even to us, in raising up Jesus: as it is also written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee."

Wherefore also he saith in another place, "Thou wilt not permit thy Holy One to see corruption."

For so hath the Lord enjoined us, "I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mightest be for salvation unto the extremity of the earth."

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou, and thy house.

For thou bringest some strange stories to our ears; we wish therefore to know what these things mean.

And they, when they heard it, glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed; and they are all zealots for the law:

And they have been informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews, who are among the Gentiles, apostacy from Moses, saying, That they should not circumcise the children, nor walk after the usual practices.

What then is to be done? The multitude must certainly be assembled; for they will hear that thou art come.

them take with thee, be purified with them, and be at the same expence as they, that they may shave their heads: and all men will know that there is no truth in the things reported of thee, but that thou thyself walkest orderly and observest the law.

And when he was just ready to be carried into the fortress, Paul said to the military tribune, May I be permitted to speak a word to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?

Art not thou certainly that Egyptian who some time since raised a sedition, and led out into the desert four thousand cutthroats?

And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest.

For thou shalt be a witness for him to all men, of the things which thou hast seen and heard.

Then the tribune came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes.

Then said Paul unto him, God is ready to smite thee, thou whited wall: for art thou sitting to judge me according to the law, and violating that law, commandest me to be smitten?

Then they who stood by, said, Revilest thou God's high-priest?

And Paul said, I had not observed, brethren, that he was high-priest: for it is written, "Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people."

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage, Paul: for as thou hast borne testimony of the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear a testimony at Rome also.

Hereupon the tribune taking him by the hand, and leading him aside, inquired, What is it that thou hast to communicate to me?

And he said, The Jews have agreed together to entreat thee that to-morrow thou wouldest bring down Paul into the sanhedrim, as about to make some more accurate inquiry concerning him.

But do not thou consent to them: for more than forty men of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under an anathema, neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now they are in readiness, waiting only to procure the promise from thee.

Hereupon the tribune dismissed the youth, with an injunction, not to mention it to any body that thou hast discovered these things to me.

commanding his accusers to appear before thee: whereby thou mayest thyself be able after examination to know the certainty of those things whereof we accuse him.

But Paul (the governor having made him a sign to speak) replied, Knowing that for so many years thou hast been the judge of this nation, I with the more confidence offer my defence respecting the matters which concern me:

as thou mayest be ascertained, that it is not more than twelve days ago since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.

Then Festus, desirous of ingratiating himself with the Jews, replying to Paul, said, Wilt thou go up unto Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

Then said Paul, I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar, where I have a right to be judged: against the Jews I have committed no offence, as thou also clearly perceivest.

I appeal unto Caesar. Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed to Caesar? to Caesar shalt thou go.

Then Agrippa said to Festus, I wish also myself to hear the man. He said, To-morrow thou shalt hear him.

THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand, began his defence:

especially as thou art skilled both in all the customs, and questions which respect the Jews: wherefore I beg the favour of thee to hear me patiently.

And as we were all fallen prostrate on the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saving in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is difficult for thee to kick against the goads.

Then I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he replied, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting.

Notwithstanding, arise, and stand on thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, to ordain thee both a minister and a witness of the things which thou hast seen, and of those which I will shew thee;

As thus he was proceeding in his defence, Festus with a loud voice said, Paul, thou art raving; much reading hath driven thee to madness.

King Agrippa! believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.

And Paul replied, would to God, that not only thou, but also that all who are hearing me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these chains.

saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and behold! God hath graciously given thee all who are sailing with thee.