So they came to the high-priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves by the direst imprecation, to taste nothing till we have killed Paul.

Now therefore do ye with the council make a representation to the chiliarch so that he may bring him down to you, as about to determine more precisely what concerns him, and we, before he draws near, are ready to kill him.

And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

So Paul called one of the centurions [and] said, "Bring this young man to the military tribune, because he has something to report to him."

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

And the chief took him by the hand and, going on one side, said to him privately, What is it you have to say to me

And he said, That the Jews agreed together to ask thee, so that to-morrow thou mightest bring down Paul to the council, as about to inquire something more accurately about him.

So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request."

So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me.

And having called two certain of the centurions, he said, Prepare two hundred soldiers, so that they go to Cesarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred having held spears in the right hand, at the third hour of the night;

And provide mounts so that they can put Paul on them [and] bring [him] safely to Felix the governor."

I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council.

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.

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

So when they came to Caesarea, and had delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also to him.

So [after] reading [the letter] and asking what province he was from, and learning that [he was] from Cilicia,

I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.

SO after five days Ananias the high-priest went down with the elders, and a certain rhetorician, Tertullus, who made their appearance before the governor 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 that I may not impose on you for longer, I implore you to hear us briefly with your [customary] graciousness.

He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we apprehended him [and wanted to judge him according to our law.

And from whom you will be able, by questioning him yourself, to get knowledge of all the things which we say against him.

And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

And when the governor had motioned for him to speak, Paul answered [the charges, by saying], "I know [Your Excellency] that you have administered justice for this nation for many years, so I am glad to make my defense [before you].

And they are not able to give facts in support of the things which they say against me now.

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

So, for this reason I make every effort to have a clear conscience before God and men at all times.

So after many years, I came to practice charitable giving and offerings to my people,

Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council,

Felix was rather well informed about the Way, and so he adjourned the trial with the comment, "When Tribune Lysias arrives, I'll decide your case."

And he gave orders to the captain to keep Paul under his control, and to let him have everything he had need of; and not to keep his friends from coming to see him.

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was herself a Jewess, and, sending for Paul, listened to what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus.

For he was hoping that Paul would give him money: so he sent for him more frequently and had talk 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.

So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him.

asking it as a favour, to Paul's prejudice--to have him brought to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.

Festus answered that [since] Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea, and [since] he himself was soon going there [i.e., he could see Paul at Caesarea at that time].

“So,” he said, “let those who are in a position of authority among you go there with me, and if there is anything criminal about the man, let them bring charges against him.”

Now after Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on the tribunal (the judicial bench), and ordered Paul to be brought [before him].

Upon Paul's arrival, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood round him, and brought many grave charges against him which they were unable to substantiate.

Paul's answer to the charge was--'I have not committed any offence against the Jewish Law, or the Temple, or the Emperor.'

But Festus, wanting to gain favor with the Jews [See 24:27], answered Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial 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, then, I am a wrongdoer and there is a cause of death in me, I am ready for death: if it is not as they say against me, no man may give me up to them. Let my cause come before Caesar.

Now when some days had gone by, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea and went to see Festus.

And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:

I answered them that it’s not the Romans’ custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges.

So after they arrived together here, I did not delay, but on the next day took my place on the tribunal and ordered that the man be brought before me.

But they quarrelled with him about certain matters connected with their own religion, and about one Jesus who had died, but--so Paul persistently maintained--is now alive.

I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things.

But when Paul appealed to have his case kept for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in prison until I could send him up to Caesar."

So Agrippa [said] to Festus, "I want to hear the man myself also." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."

So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.

And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

I found, however, that he had not done anything deserving death; so, as he had himself appealed to his August Majesty, I decided to send him.

concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, so that an examination having been gone into I may have something to write:

So Agrippa said to Paul, "It is permitted for you to speak for yourself." Then Paul extended [his] hand [and] began to defend himself:

In my opinion I am happy, King Agrippa, to be able to give my answer before you today to all these things which the Jews say against me:

especially because you are an expert [fully knowledgeable, experienced and unusually conversant] in all the Jewish customs and controversial issues; therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

And they are able to say, if they would give witness, that I was living as a Pharisee, in that division of our religion which is most regular in the keeping of the law.

And now I am here to be judged because of the hope given by God's word to our fathers;

Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews.

So, why should you [Jews] consider it incredible for God to raise the dead?

“So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them.

And I gave them punishment frequently, in all the Synagogues, forcing them to say things against God; and burning with passion against them, I went after them even into far-away towns.

“While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

And when we had all gone down on the earth, a voice came to me, saying in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why are you attacking me so cruelly? It is hard for you to go against the impulse which is driving you.

So I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And the Lord said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

but rise, and stand upon thy feet, for for this I appeared to thee, to appoint thee an officer and a witness both of the things thou didst see, and of the things in which I will appear to thee,

to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.’

So, then, King Agrippa, I did not go against the vision from heaven;

But I went about, first to those in Damascus and Jerusalem, and through all the country of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, preaching a change of heart, so that they, being turned to God, might give, in their works, the fruits of a changed heart.

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

I am not mad, said he, most noble Festus, but what I say, is very sound truth.

Indeed, the King knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been done in a corner.

King Agrippa, do you believe the [writings of the] Prophets [their messages and words]? I know that you do.”

Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”

So the king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up,

As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

And when the decision had been made that we were to go by sea to Italy, they gave Paul and certain other prisoners into the care of a captain named Julius, of the Augustan band.

And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

And on the day after, we came to Sidon; and Julius was kind to Paul, and let him go to see his friends and take a rest.

And putting to sea from thence, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

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 told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward damage and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.”

But Julius let himself be persuaded by the pilot and by the owner rather than by Paul's arguments;

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking northeast and south-east.

So when the south wind blew softly, thinking that they had obtained their goal, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast.

but soon after it blew a storm from north-east, which bore so upon the ship,

She was unable to make headway against the gale; so we gave up and let her drive.

We ran under the shelter of a small island [twenty-five miles south of Crete] called Clauda, and with great difficulty we were able to get the ship’s skiff on the deck and secure it.

Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.

The next day, because we were being tossed so violently by the storm, they began to throw the cargo overboard.

and on the third day they threw the ship’s tackle (spare lines, blocks, miscellaneous equipment) overboard with their own hands [to further reduce the weight].

When they could see neither the sun nor the stars for many days [due to the storm], and with the wind blowing furiously on them, they gave up all hope of [ever] being saved.