After Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”

About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have 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.

And I was perplexed as to how to proceed with the investigation, so I [finally] asked him if he would go to Jerusalem to have his case judged there.

but Paul having made his appeal, insisting to have his cause refer'd to the cognizance of the emperor, I order'd him into custody, till I could send him to Cesar.

And Agrippa said to Festus, I have a desire to give the man a hearing myself. Tomorrow, he said, you may give him a hearing.

And Festus saith - King Agrippa! and all ye men, here present with us: Ye observe this person, concerning whom, one and all the throng of the Jews, have interceded with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying aloud that he ought not to be living any longer.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

Concerning whom, anything certain to write unto my lord, I have not; wherefore, I have brought him forth before you, - and especially before thee, King Agrippa! in order that, after examination had, I might have something I could write;

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak in defense of yourself." So Paul with outstretched arm began to make his defense.

Concerning all things of which I am accused by Jews, King Agrippa, I have been counting myself happy, that, before thee, am I about, this day, to be making my defence;

"The kind of life I have lived from my youth up, as spent in my early days among my own nation and in Jerusalem, is well known to all Jews,

for they have known all along from the first, if they would but testify to it, that I as a Pharisee have lived by the standard of the strictest sect of our religion.

and now for the hope of the promise made to the fathers by God, I have stood judged,

For the effecting of which our twelve tribes have been working and waiting night and day with all their hearts. And in connection with this hope I am attacked by the Jews, O king!

which also I did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints also did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the high priests; and, when they were being put to death, I have given a vote against them;

and, throughout all the synagogues, ofttimes punishing them, I would fain have compelled them to defame; and, being excessively maddened against them, I went on to pursue them as far as even the outlying cities.

But rise and stand upon thy feet; for, to this end, have I appeared unto thee, - To appoint thee an attendant and a witness, both of the things as to which thou hast seen me, and of those as to which I will appear unto thee:

To open their eyes; that they turn from darkness unto light, and the authority of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among them who have been made holy by the faith respecting me.

but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

To this very day, I have obtained help that comes from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place—

As Paul was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed loudly, "You have lost your mind, Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!"

But Paul replied, "I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking true and rational words.

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.

thou dost believe, king Agrippa, the prophets? I have known that thou dost believe!'

"At this rate," Agrippa remarked, "it won't be long before you believe you have made a Christian of me!"

and Paul said, 'I would have wished to God, both in a little, and in much, not only thee, but also all those hearing me to-day, to become such as I also am -- except these bonds.'

And, Agrippa, unto Festus, said - This man might have been released, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

After much time had passed, the voyage became more dangerous because it was [now] past the Day of Atonement [Note: This would have been around September or October, when a sea voyage involved rough sailing]. So, Paul began warning the people [aboard ship],

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.

And when a south wind blew gently, having presumed to have obtained their purpose, after taking up anchor, they sailed very near by Crete.

which they took up, and used help undergirding the ship, fearing lest we should have fallen into Syrtis, and we let down a vessel and so were carried.

But, when they had been, long without food, then, Paul, standing in the midst of them, said - Ye ought, indeed, Sir! yielding to me, not to have sailed away from Crete, to get this damage and loss. --

But now I urge you to have courage, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship.

Saying, Have no fear, Paul, for you will come before Caesar, and God has given to you all those who are sailing with you.

take courage then, my friends, for I have this confidence in God, that what has been told me, shall be effected,

However, we will have to run aground on some island."

Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

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,

When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing.

When it was day they knew not the land, but they spied a certain haven with a bank, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

Then the soldiers' design was to have murdered the prisoners, lest any of them should swim ashore and escape.

When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said among themselves, "This man must needs be a murderer: Whom, though he have escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live."

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.

After three months we set sail on a ship that had spent the winter on the island [of Melita]. This ship had originated from Alexandria and was designated as "Twin Brothers" [Note: The ship may have been named this because of its prow containing the figures of the mythical twin gods of sailors, Castor and Pollux].

And the brothers, when they had news of us, came out from town as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns to have a meeting with us: and Paul, seeing them, gave praise to God and took heart.

And when we came into Rome, they let Paul have a house for himself and the armed man who kept watch over him.

After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them: “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a 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 made protest against it, I had to put my cause into Caesar's hands; not because I have anything to say against my nation.

For this cause, therefore, have I called for you, to see and to speak with you; for, on account of the hope of Israel, this chain, have I about me!

And, they, said unto him - We, have neither received letters concerning thee from the Jews, nor hath anyone of the brethren who hath arrived reported or spoken concerning thee, anything ill.

But we will hear of thee what thou thinkest. For we have heard of this sect, that everywhere it is spoken against."

'Go to this nation and say--"You will hear with your ears without ever understanding, and, though you have eyes, you will see without ever perceiving."

For the heart of this people, hath become dense, and, with their ears, heavily, have they heard, and, their eyes, have they closed, - lest once they should see with their eyes, and, with their ears, should hear, and, with their hearts, should understand, and return, - when I would certainly heal them.

To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ's People, From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, who has been called to become an Apostle, and has been set apart to tell God's Good News.

declared to be the Son of God in power as to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead,??esus Christ our Lord,??5 through whom we have received grace and an apostleship for the obedience of the faith in all nations in behalf of his name,

Through whom we have received favour and apostleship, for obedience of faith among all the nations, in behalf of his name,

Among whom you in the same way have been marked out to be disciples of Jesus Christ:

All of you there in Rome [i.e., the church there] are also among such obedient believers. You are called Jesus Christ's [people], loved by God and called to be His holy people. May you have unearned favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

At all times in my prayers, - making supplication - if, by some means, even now, at any time, I may have a way opened, in the will of God, to come unto you;

For I have a strong desire to see you, and to give you some grace of the spirit, so that you may be made strong;

or indeed that we may have mutual consolation from the faith which is in common to you and to me.

I do not wish however that ye should be ignorant, brethren, that, many times, have I purposed to come unto you, but have been hindered, until the present, - in order that, some fruit, I might have among you also, even as among the other nations,

I have a debt to Greeks and to the nations outside; to the wise and to those who have no learning.

For which reason I have the desire, as far as I am able, to give the knowledge of the good news to you who are in Rome.

For I have no feeling of shame about the good news, because it is the power of God giving salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first, and then to the Greek.

In it God's way of uprightness is disclosed through faith and for faith, just as the Scripture says, "The upright will have life because of his faith."

For whatever is to be known of God is plain to them; God himself has made it plain ??20 for ever since the world was created, his invisible nature, his everlasting power and divine being, have been quite perceptible in what he has made. So they have no excuse.

For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

because, although they once knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give Him thanks, but became silly in their senseless speculations, and so their insensible hearts have been shrouded in darkness.

They called themselves wise, but they have turned into fools,

and have transformed the splendor of the immortal God into images in the form of mortal man, birds, beasts, and reptiles.

So, God allowed [or, abandoned] them to have the impure desires of their hearts, and to [practice] degrading behavior with their bodies among themselves.

This is why God has given them up to degrading passions. For their females have exchanged their natural function for one that is unnatural,

and males too have forsaken the natural function of females and been consumed by flaming passion for one another, males practicing shameful vice with other males, and continuing to suffer in their persons the inevitable penalty for doing what is improper.

And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong.

They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and viciousness. They are gossips,

they do not have any sense; they do not keep their promises; they fail to show natural affection; and they are merciless.

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Therefore, you have no excuse, whoever you are, who pose as a judge of others, for when you pass judgment on another, you condemn yourself, for you who pose as a judge are practicing the very same sins yourself.

and we have known that the judgment of God is according to truth, upon those practising such things.

Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God's kindness leads you to repentance?

Those who by persistently doing right strive for glory, honor, and immortality will have eternal life,

but to those of self-interest, and who indeed disobey the truth but have confidence in unrighteousness--anger and wrath,

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

For, whensoever the nations which have not law, by nature, the things of the law, may be doing, the same, not having law, unto themselves, are a law, -

For when the Gentiles, who have not a law, do, by nature, the things of the law, these who have not a law, are a law to themselves,

on the day when God judges what people have kept secret, according to my gospel through Christ Jesus.

But as for you who have the name of Jew, and are resting on the law, and take pride in God,

And have knowledge of his desires, and are a judge of the things which are different, having the learning of the law,

And thou have confidence in thyself to be a guide of the blind, a light of those in darkness,

an instructer of the ignorant, a teacher to the weak, because you have a clear view of the true meaning of the law.

Now the practice of circumcision [i.e., the Jewish rite of identity, signifying the responsibility to observe the law of Moses] is worthwhile, providing you obey [the rest of] the law of Moses. But if you disobey the law, you might as well have never been circumcised.

If those who have not circumcision keep the rules of the law, will it not be credited to them as circumcision?

And shall not the heathen man who is physically uncircumcised, and yet observes the law, condemn you who have the letter of the law and are physically circumcised, and yet break the law?

but it is the Jew, who is so inwardly, and it is the circumcision of the heart, according to the spiritual, not the literal sense, which have the approbation, I do not say of men, but of God.

So what advantage does the Jew have? Or what is the benefit of circumcision?

There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.

For what? if some have not believed, shall their unbelief make the faith of God of none effect?