And a great number of those that had used inquisitive arts, brought the books, and burned them before them all: and they computed the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.

and with them the workmen they employed about such things, and said, My friends, ye know that by this employment we get our wealth.

And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands.

Hearing this and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

And the whole city was filled with confusion: and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus two Macedonians, fellow-travellers with Paul.

Some therefore cried one thing, and some another; for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together.

And they brought Alexander forward out of the multitude, the Jews urging him on. And Alexander beckoning with the hand, would have made a defence to the people.

But when they knew that he was a Jew, they all cried out with one voice, for near two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

And there were many lamps in the upper room where they were assembled.

And they brought in the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know in what manner I behaved among you all the time, from the first day that I came into Asia.

And they were all much grieved, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him: sorrowing most of all at the word which he spake,

that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

And having taken leave of each other, we went into the ship, and they returned home.

And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of the believing Jews, and they are all zealous for the law.

And they have heard of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews, who are among the Gentiles, to forsake the law of Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk after our customs.

What then is to be done? The people must necessarily meet together; for they will hear that thou art come.

and join in their expences, that they may shave their head: and that all may know, that there is nothing in what they have heard of thee; but thou thyself walkest according to the law.

But as to the believing Gentiles, we have written and determined, that they need observe no such thing; only to keep themselves from what is offered to idols, and from blood, and from any thing strangled, and from fornication.

(For they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they thought Paul had brought into the temple.)

And the whole city was moved, and there was a concourse of the people: and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the gates were shut.

And as they were going to kill him, a report came to the tribune of the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar:

who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the chiliarch and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.

---(and when they heard that he spake to them in the Hebrew dialect, they the more readily kept silence, and he said,)

And they that were with me saw the light indeed, and were affrighted; but they did not hear the voice of Him that spake to me.

And I saw Him saying unto me, Make haste and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and scourged in the synagogues them that believed on Thee.

And they heard him to this word, and then they exalted their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.

And as they were bawling out, and throwing off their clothes, and casting up dust into the air,

the tribune commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered him to be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what reason they so cried out against him.

And as they were binding him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, uncondemned?

But they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high-priest?

And when it was day, some of the Jews, having formed a conspiracy, bound themselves with a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

And they were more than forty that had made this oath:

And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow to the council, as if they would inquire something more strictly concerning him.

But do not thou comply with them: for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves with a curse neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him: and they are now ready, waiting for an order from thee.

And provide beasts, that they may set Paul on and bring him safe to Felix the governor.

But desiring to know the cause for which they accused him, I brought him down into their council:

But an ambush, which was going to be laid for the man by the Jews, being discovered to me, immediately I sent him to thee, telling his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

And the next day they returned to the castle, leaving the horsemen to go with him;

who, when they came into Cesarea, and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

and they neither found me disputing with any one in the temple, or making sedition among the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way, which they call heresy, so do I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law, and the prophets:

having hope in God, (which they themselves also expect) that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

who ought to have been here before thee, and make good their charge, if they had any thing against me.

Or let these themselves say, if they found any crime in me, when I stood before the sanhedrim;

begging the favor of him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; for they were preparing an ambush to kill him by the way.

And when he was come, the Jews that came down from Jerusalem, stood round about, bringing many heavy charges against Paul, which they were not able to prove:

And as they spent several days there, Festus related Paul's case to the king, saying, There is a man left in custody by Felix: concerning whom,

Therefore when they were come hither, making no delay, I sat on the tribunal the next day, and ordered the man to be brought before me.

Against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed they would:

knowing me before, (if they would testify it,) that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a pharisee.

which I also did in Jerusalem; and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority for it from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them.

to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God; that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.

but declared first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, and turn unto God, performing works suitable to repentance.

And when they were retired, they spake to each other, saying, this man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

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

And the haven not being commodious to winter in, the greater part advised to sail from thence, if they could possibly reach to Phenice to winter at that haven of Crete, which looks both to the south-west and north-west.

And as the south wind blew gently, thinking they were secure of their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed close by Crete.

Which when they had hoisted up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and fearing least they should fall into the quick-sands, they struck fail, and so were driven.

And as we were exceedingly tossed by the storm, the next day they lightened the ship:

And when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in the Adriatic sea, about the middle of the night the mariners thought they drew near to some land:

and sounding they found it twenty fathoms; and when they had gone a little farther, and sounded again, they found it fifteen fathoms.

Then fearing least they should fall upon some rocky places, they cast four anchors out of the stern and wished for day.

But the mariners endeavouring to flee out of the ship, and having let down the boat into the sea, under pretence that they were going to stretch out anchors from the head of the ship,

And being all encouraged they also took some food.

And when they were satisfied with food, they lightened the ship and cast out the corn into the sea.

And when it was day, they did not know the land near them: but they perceived a certain creek with a shore, into which they were desirous, if they could, to have thrust the ship.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they trusted the ship to the sea, at the same time, loosing the rudder-bands; and hoisting up the main-sail to the wind, they made to the shore.

But falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship a-ground; and the fore-part stuck fast, and remained immoveable, but the hinder part was dashed in pieces by the violence of the waves.

and the rest, some on planks, and others on some other things out of the ship. And so it came to pass that they all got safe to land.

And when they were safe on shore, they understood, that the island was called Melita.

And the barbarians shewed us uncommon humanity: for they kindled a fire and took us all in, because of the present rain, and of the cold.

And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging on his hand, they said to one another, This man is certainly a murderer, whom, though he hath been saved from the sea, yet justice suffereth not to live.

They however were expecting that he would swell, or suddenly fall down dead: but when they had waited a good while, and saw no hurt come to him, they changed their opinion and said that he was a god.

And when the brethren heard of us, they came from thence to meet us, some as far as Appii-forum, and others to the Three-taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage.

And after three days Paul called together the chief of the Jews. And when they were come together, he said unto them, Brethren, though I have done nothing against the people of the Jews, or the customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans:

who when they had examined me, would have set me at liberty, because there was no crime worthy of death found in me:

And they said to him, We have neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor has any of the brethren, that is come hither, related or spoken any ill of thee.

And so disagreeing one with another they separated, when Paul had said one word, to wit, that the holy Spirit spake rightly by Esaias the prophet to our fathers,

and they hear heavily with their ears, and have closed their eyes; least they should see at all with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it.

so that they are inexcusable; because having thus known God they glorified Him not as God, neither were they thankful; but were infatuated by their own reasonings, and their heart being void of understanding was darkened.

Pretending to be wise they Became fools:

and the men likewise, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust to one another, men with men committing shame, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their error which they deserved.

And as they were not careful to acknowledge God, God gave them up to an undiscerning mind to do things that were not fit to be done:

who though they knew the just judgement of God, (that they who commit such practises are worthy of death) yet not only do these very things, but also countenance and encourage others in the practice of them.

for when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the duties of the law, these though they have not the law, are a law to themselves,

Much, every way: chiefly, because they were intrusted with the oracles of God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are become unprofitable, there is none that practiseth goodness, no not one.

Their throat is an open sepulchre: with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:

and the way of peace they have not known; and the fear of God is not before their eyes."

"Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered:

for if they only that are of the law be heirs, faith is made useless, and the promise is become of no effect.

(as it is written, "I have made thee a father of many nations,") in the sight of Him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not as if they were:

For if, by the offence of one, death reigned through one, much more they who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life through one, even Jesus Christ.

For they who are after the flesh, mind the things of the flesh; but they who are led by the Spirit, do mind spiritual things.

and they who are carnal, cannot please God.

in hope that they also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.