And, I, said - Lord! they themselves, well know that I was imprisoning and beating in every synagogue them who were believing on thee.

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

And they hearkened unto him as far as this word, and lifted up their voice, saying - Away from the earth, with such a man as this, for it is not fit that he should live.

the captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, saying, that, with scourging, he should be put to the test, - that he might find out, for what cause they were, thus, clamouring against him.

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

And, when the centurion heard that , he went unto the captain, and reported, saying - What art thou going to do? For, this man, is, a Roman?

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

And on the morrow, wishing to know the certainty that why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from bonds, and commanded the chief priests and the whole of their council to come, and having brought down Paul, he set him among them.

Then Paul, fixing a steady gaze on the Sanhedrin, said, "Brethren, it is with a perfectly clear conscience that I have discharged my duties before God up to this day."

And, the High-priest, Ananias, ordered them that stood by him, to be smiting him on the mouth.

Then Paul said to the head priest, "God will hit you, you white-washed wall [i.e., you hypocrite]. Are you sitting in judgment over me according to the law of Moses and [yet] do you order me to be hit contrary to that law?"

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

And Paul said - I was not aware, brethren, that he was high-priest; because it is written - Of a ruler of thy people, shalt thou not speak injuriously.

But Paul, getting to know that, the one part, were Sadducees and, the other, Pharisees, began to cry aloud in the council - Brethren! I, am, a Pharisee, son of Pharisees: - Concerning a hope, even of a rising again of the dead, am I to be judged.

When he said that, an angry dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the crowded court was divided.

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into the barracks.

The night following, the Lord appear'd to him, and said, Paul, take courage; for the same remonstrances that you have made concerning me at Jerusalem, you must likewise make at Rome.

And, when it became day, the Jews, forming a conspiracy, bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had slain Paul.

And they were more than forty that made this conspiracy.

And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

Now, therefore, do, ye, with the High-council, make it appear unto the captain, that he should bring him down unto you, as though about to ascertain more exactly the things that concern him; and, we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

And he said - The Jews, have agreed to request thee, that, to-morrow, thou wouldst bring, Paul, down into the High-council, as though about to ascertain something, more exact, concerning him.

But do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

the captain, therefore, dismissed the young man, charging him - Unto no one, divulge thou, that, these things, thou hast shewed unto me.

And calling certain two of the centurions he said - Make ye ready two hundred soldiers, that they may journey as far as Caesarea, - and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, by the third hour of the night;

beasts also provide, in order that, seating Paul thereon, they may bring him safely through unto Felix the governor.

{He wrote} a letter that had this form:

This man, having been apprehended by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them, I went down with the troop, and rescued; having learned that he was, a Roman.

I found out that the accusations were about disputed matters in their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or chains.

And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

Then, indeed, the soldiers according to that directed them, having taken up Paul, brought him through the night to Antipatris,

And, when he had read it, and asked out of what province he was, and learned that he was from Cilicia,

I myself will hear thee in full, said he, whensoever, thine accusers also, are come; and gave orders that, in the palace of Herod, he should be kept under guard.

And, when he was called, Tertullus began to make accusation, saying - Seeing that, great peace, we are obtaining through thee, and that, reforms, are being brought about for this nation through thy forethought,

that allow we ever and in all places, most mighty Felix with all thanks.

Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words.

For, finding this man a pest, and moving sedition with all the Jews that are throughout the inhabited earth, a leader also of the sect of the Nazarenes, -

Moreover, the Jews also were joining in the attack, saying that, these things, were, so.

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:

seeing thou art able to ascertain, that there are, not more, than twelve days, since I went up to worship in Jerusalem, -

And that they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, either raising up the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city.

But I confess, this, unto thee, - That, according to the Way which they call a Sect, so, I am rendering divine service unto my father's God, believing in all the things which, throughout the law, and those which, in the prophets, are written:

Having, hope, towards God, which, even these themselves, do entertain - that, a resurrection, there shall certainly be, both of righteous and of unrighteous:

So I am always striving to have a conscience that is clear before God and men.

While doing this, they [i.e., the Jews] found out that I had undergone the rites of purification in the Temple. There was no crowd and no commotion. But certain Jews from [the province of] Asia

There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me--

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!' "

Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter.

giving orders unto the centurion, that he should be kept, and have a measure of liberty, and to be hindering, none, of his own from waiting upon him.

and he reasoning concerning righteousness, and temperance, and the judgment that is about to be, Felix, having become afraid, answered, 'For the present be going, and having got time, I will call for thee;'

at the same time, also hoping that, money, would be given him by Paul; wherefore also, the more frequently sending for him, he used to converse with him.

So, Felix allowed Paul to remain in chains, because he wanted to gain favor with the Jews [during that period of time]. Two years passed and Felix was succeeded by Portius Festus.

So Festus, having come into that part of the country which was under his rule, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

asking for themselves as a favour against him, that he would send for him unto Jerusalem, - making, an ambush, to kill him on the way.

Festus, therefore, answered, that Paul should be kept in Caesarea, and that, he himself, was about, shortly, to be going out thither .

Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

And having tarried with them not more than eight or ten days, having come down to Caesarea, on the following day, sitting on the tribunal, he commanded that Paul should be brought forth.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove,

while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”

Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal; that is where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong whatever to the Jews ??you know that perfectly well.

if I am guilty of any capital crime, I am contented to die. but since their accusations are all groundless, that I may not be sacrificed to their humour, I appeal to Cesar."

Upon that, Festus, after conferring with his Council, answered: "You have appealed to the Emperor; to the Emperor you shall go."

about whom, when I went to Jerusalem, the High Priests and the Elders of the Jews made representations to me, begging that sentence might be pronounced 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.

Then they, having come together to this place, making no delay, immediately sitting on the judgment-seat, I commanded that the man should be led forth;

[When they] stood up, [his] accusers began bringing no charge concerning {him} of the evil deeds that I was suspecting,

they objected certain articles that related only to their superstition, and to one Jesus that was dead, but Paul asserted he was alive.

But [when] Paul appealed [that] he be kept under guard for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I gave orders [for] him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar."

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, I, gathered, that, nothing worthy of death, had he committed; and, this man himself, having appealed unto the Emperor, I decided 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;

For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not to make known the charges that are against him.

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]:

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;

especially since you are an expert on all the customs and issues discussed among the Jews. So, for this reason I request that you hear [my response to them] patiently.

"Now all the Jews know my manner of life from [my] youth, that had taken place from the beginning among my [own] people and in Jerusalem,

inasmuch as they were aforetime observing me, from the outset, - if they please to bear witness, - that, according to the strictest sect of our own religion, I lived, a Pharisee.

And now it is for the hope of the promise made by God to our forefathers that I stand here on trial,

which our twelve tribes by their continual services, night and day, hope themselves to obtain: yet for that hope, king Agrippa, do the Jews now accuse me.

What! incredible, is it judged with you, that, God the dead doth raise?

I, therefore, imagined to myself, that, against the name of Jesus the Nazarene, it was needful, many hostile things, to bring about, -

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

it was I that persecuted them from synagogue to synagogue, and tortured them even to blaspheme: and in the transport of my rage I pursued them to foreign cities.

"That is how I happened to be traveling to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests.

when at mid-day, O king, a light from heaven exceeding the splendor of the sun, broke all around me, and those that accompanied me.

But arise, and stand upon thy feet, for I appeared to thee for this, to appoint thee an assistant and a witness both of things that thou saw, and of the things that I will make visible to 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.

Therefore, King Agrippa, I could not disobey that heavenly vision,

But - both to them in Damascus, first, and in Jerusalem, unto all the country of Judaea also, and unto the nations, I carried tidings - that they should repent, and turn unto God, and, works worthy of their repentance, should practise.

That is why the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.

So then, having met with, the help that is from God, until this day, do I stand, witnessing to both small and great, nothing else saying, than those things which both the prophets, and Moses, did say should certainly come to pass: -

that the Messiah must suffer, and that as the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

As Paul continued to make his defense, Festus shouted aloud, "You are going crazy, Paul! That great learning of yours is driving you crazy!"

"I am not mad, your Excellency," he replied; "on the contrary, the statements that I am making are true and sober.

For well-knoweth, the king, concerning these things, unto whom, with boldness of utterance, am I speaking; for, that these things are not hidden from him, I am well persuaded, - for, not in a corner, hath this thing been done.

Believest thou, King Agrippa, in the prophets? I know that thou believest!