He, therefore, taking him with him, brought him unto the captain, and saith - The prisoner Paul, calling me unto him, requested me to bring this young man unto thee, as having somewhat to tell thee.

And the captain, taking him by the hand, and going aside, began, privately, to ask - What is it which thou hast to report unto me?

And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

And he called unto him two of the centurions, and said, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night:

He further told them to provide horses to mount Paul on, so as to bring him safely to Felix the Governor.

To him he wrote a letter, somewhat as follows--

As this man was seized by the Jews,

This man was seized [as a prisoner] by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon him with the troops and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.

As I wanted to learn what charge they made against him, I had him brought before their council,

And as I was informed that a plot was about to be laid against the man by the Jews, I immediately sent him to you, and commanded his accusers to say in your presence what they had against him. Farewell.

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

As soon as Felix had read the letter, he enquired to what province Paul belonged, and, learning that he came from Cilicia, he said:

"I will hear all you have to say as soon as your accusers have arrived." And he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod's Government House.

Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down [from Jerusalem to Caesarea] with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus [acting as spokesman and counsel]. They presented to the governor their [formal] charges against Paul.

So Paul was sent for, and Tertullus began to impeach him as follows: "Indebted as we are," he said, "to you, most noble Felix, for the perfect peace which we enjoy, and for reforms which your wisdom has introduced to this nation,

But so as not to detain you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.

You, however, by examining him, will yourself be able to learn the truth as to all this which we allege against him."

Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

As thou mayest know that there are not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem,

This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Cause which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets;

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.

They found me in the Temple doing these things just as I had completed the purification ceremony. No crowd or noisy mob was present.

Or let these men themselves tell what they found wrong in me when I appeared before the council??21 unless it was the one thing I shouted out as I stood among them??It is on the question of the resurrection of the dead that I am here on trial before you today!' "

other than for this one statement which I had shouted out as I stood among them, ‘For the resurrection of the dead I am on trial before you today.’”

And Felix deferred them, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, - saying - As soon as, Lysias the captain, hath come down, I will give judgment as to your affairs, -

Felix then order'd a centurion to take Paul into his custody, without confining him so as to hinder his friends from waiting upon him.

Not long after this, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and sending for Paul, listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible [and] talked with him.

But when two years were completed, Felix was relieved by Porcius Festus as his successor; and Felix, desirous to oblige the Jews, to acquire their favour, left Paul bound.

Festus, having entered on his duties as governor of the province, two days later went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.

After staying not more than eight or ten [more] days [there in Jerusalem], Festus went down to Caesarea and the following day he ordered Paul to appear before him as he sat in his court of justice.

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.

But, as Festus wished to gain popularity with the Jews, he interrupted Paul with the question: "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges before me there?"

Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

If, however, I have done wrong and have committed any offence for which I deserve to die, I do not ask to be excused that penalty. But if there is no truth in what these men allege against me, no one has the right to give me up to them as a favour. I appeal to Caesar."

And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

and when I was in Jerusalem, the Jewish high priests and elders presented their case against him, and continued to ask for a judgment against him.

unto whom made answer - That it is not a custom with Romans, to grant as a favour any man, before the accused, face to face, should have his accusers, and, opportunity of defence, should receive, concerning the charge.

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

And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?

But, as Paul appealed to be held for the decision of Augustus, I ordered, that he be held, until I should send him up to Caesar."

But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

and as I have nothing certain to write about him to the emperor, I have brought him forward before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that when the examination hath been made, I may have something to write.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are [now] permitted to speak on your own behalf.” At that, Paul stretched out his hand [as an orator] and made his defense [as follows]:

"As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,

especially, as thou art, well-versed, in all the Jewish customs and questions. Wherefore, I beseech thee, patiently, to hear me.

"The kind of life I have lived from my youth upwards, as exemplified in my early days among my nation and in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.

They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify to it, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I have lived as a Pharisee.

Which hope [of the Messiah and the resurrection] our twelve tribes [confidently] expect to realize as they serve and worship God in earnest night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews!

I myself too once thought myself oblig'd strenuously to oppose the professors of Jesus the Nazarene, as I actually did at Jerusalem,

And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often [and] tried to force [them] to blaspheme, and [because I] was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing [them] even as far as to foreign cities.

Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

"when at noon, as I journeyed, O King, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and around those who journeyed with me.

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.

Get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you [to serve] as a minister and as a witness [to testify, with authority,] not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

"As a result of this, O King, I did not disobey [the mandate of] this vision from heaven

but, [instead] declared to the people of Damascus first, [then] to the people of Jerusalem, and [finally to those] throughout all of the district of Judea, as well as to the Gentiles [everywhere] that they should repent [i.e., change their hearts and lives] and turn to God, doing deeds which demonstrate their repentance.

'Having obtained, therefore, help from God, till this day, I have stood witnessing both to small and to great, saying nothing besides the things that both the prophets and Moses spake of as about to come,

that the Christ was to suffer [and] that [as] the first of the resurrection from the dead, he was going to proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles."

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

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

And as he said this, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them.

And [as they] were going out, they were talking to one another, saying, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment."

And as it was determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan band, named Julius.

Putting to sea from there, we had to sail under the lee of Cyprus, as the wind was against us;

For a number of days we sailed slowly and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus; then, because the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the leeward (sheltered) side of Crete, off Salmone;

And sailing down the side of it, as well as we were able, we came to a certain place named Fair Havens, near which was the town of Lasea.

Now much time had been lost, and navigation was dangerous, because even [the time for] the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them,

Because the harbor was not well situated for wintering, the majority [of the sailors] decided to put to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

And as the south wind blew gently, supposing they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor, and sailed on close by Crete.

But shortly afterwards a hurricane came down on us off the land--a north-easter, as it is called.

As we drifted to the sheltered side of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the ship's lifeboat.

and, after hoisting it on board, they used frapping-cables to undergird the ship, and, as they were afraid of being driven on the Syrtis quicksands, they lowered the gear and lay to.

And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw the the freight overboard;

And as we had not seen the sun or stars for a long time, and a great storm was on us, all hope of salvation was gone.

After they had gone a long time without food [because of seasickness and stress], Paul stood up before them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice and should not have set sail from Crete, and brought on this damage and loss.

Yet, even as things are, I urge you not to lose courage, for there will not be a single life lost among you--only the ship.

saying - Be not afraid, Paul! for, before Caesar, must thou needs stand. And lo! God hath granted to thee as a favour, all them who are sailing with thee.

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;

Then, as they were afraid of our being driven upon some rocky coast, they let go four anchors from the stern, and longed for daylight.

And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship,

As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense and have gone without food; you have eaten nothing.

So I urge you to eat something, for it will help you survive, since none of you will lose so much as a hair from his head."

When daylight came, they could not make out what land it was, but, observing a creek in which there was a beach, they consulted as to whether they could run the ship safely into it.

but, the centurion, being minded to bring Paul safely through, hindered them of their purpose, and ordered such as were able to swim, to cast themselves overboard and, get first to the land, -

The natives showed us uncommon kindness, for they lit a fire and welcomed us all to it, as the rain had come on and it was chilly.

As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself to his hand.

Now near that place there was some land, the property of the chief man of the island, who was named Publius; who very kindly took us into his house as his guests for three days.

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

At the end of three months we set sail on a ship which had wintered at the island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers [Castor and Pollux] as its figurehead.

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.

Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews; and when they had gathered, he said to them, “Kinsmen, though I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our fathers, yet I was turned over as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

They meant to release me after examination, as I was innocent of any crime that deserved death.

But the Jews speaking against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, not as having anything to accuse my nation of.

But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we know that every where it is spoken against.

And, having arranged with him a day, there came unto him, to the lodging, a larger number; unto whom he proceeded to expound, bearing full witness as to the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses, and from the prophets, - from morning till evening.