And certain of the Epicurean and of the Stoic philosophers, were meeting together to see him, and some were saying, 'What would this seed picker wish to say?' and others, 'Of strange demons he doth seem to be an announcer;' because Jesus and the rising again he did proclaim to them as good news,

having also taken him, unto the Areopagus they brought him, saying, 'Are we able to know what is this new teaching that is spoken by thee,

for passing through and contemplating your objects of worship, I found also an erection on which had been inscribed: To God -- unknown; whom, therefore -- not knowing -- ye do worship, this One I announce to you.

'God, who did make the world, and all things in it, this One, of heaven and of earth being Lord, in temples made with hands doth not dwell,

And having heard of a rising again of the dead, some, indeed, were mocking, but others said, 'We will hear thee again concerning this;'

because I am with thee, and no one shall set on thee to do thee evil; because I have much people in this city;'

saying -- 'Against the law this one doth persuade men to worship God;'

this one was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in the Spirit, was speaking and teaching exactly the things about the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John;

this one also began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Aquilas and Priscilla having heard of him, took him to them, and did more exactly expound to him the way of God,

And this happened for two years so that all those dwelling in Asia did hear the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,

and there were certain -- seven sons of Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest -- who are doing this thing;

and this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who are dwelling at Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified,

whom, having brought in a crowd together, and those who did work about such things, he said, 'Men, ye know that by this work we have our wealth;

and ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, did turn away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods who are made by hands;

and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world doth worship.'

for we are also in peril of being accused of insurrection in regard to this day, there being no occasion by which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse;'

wherefore I take you to witness this day, that I am clear from the blood of all,

for I have known this, that there shall enter in, after my departing, grievous wolves unto you, not sparing the flock,

and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying.

and he having come unto us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having bound also his own hands and feet, said, 'Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose is this girdle -- so shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they shall deliver him up to the hands of nations.'

'This, therefore, do that we say to thee: We have four men having a vow on themselves,

crying out, 'Men, Israelites, help! this is the man who, against the people, and the law, and this place, all everywhere is teaching; and further, also, Greeks he brought into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place;'

'I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

'And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, 'Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, 'Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

and the chief captain answered, 'I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, 'But I have been even born so.'

And Paul having earnestly beheld the sanhedrim, said, 'Men, brethren, I in all good conscience have lived to God unto this day;'

And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

And there came a great cry, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part having arisen, were striving, saying, 'No evil do we find in this man; and if a spirit spake to him, or a messenger, we may not fight against God;'

and they were more than forty who made this conspiracy by oath,

and Paul having called near one of the centurions, said, 'This young man lead unto the chief captain, for he hath something to tell him.'

He indeed, then, having taken him, brought him unto the chief captain, and saith, 'The prisoner Paul, having called me near, asked me this young man to bring unto thee, having something to say to thee.'

he having written a letter after this description:

This man having been taken by the Jews, and being about to be killed by them -- having come with the soldiery, I rescued him, having learned that he is a Roman;

and a plot having been intimated to me against this man -- about to be of the Jews -- at once I sent unto thee, having given command also to the accusers to say the things against him before thee; be strong.'

and he having been called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, 'Much peace enjoying through thee, and worthy deeds being done to this nation through thy forethought,

for having found this man a pestilence, and moving a dissension to all the Jews through the world -- a ringleader also of the sect of the Nazarenes --

And Paul answered -- the governor having beckoned to him to speak -- 'Knowing that for many years thou hast been a judge to this nation, the more cheerfully the things concerning myself I do answer;

'And I confess this to thee, that, according to the way that they call a sect, so serve I the God of the fathers, believing all things that in the law and the prophets have been written,

and in this I do exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.

except concerning this one voice, in which I cried, standing among them -- Concerning a rising again of the dead I am judged to-day by you.'

Therefore those able among you -- saith he -- having come down together, if there be anything in this man -- let them accuse him;'

and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things --

And Festus said, 'King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, ye see this one, about whom all the multitude of the Jews did deal with me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out, He ought not to live any longer;

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,

'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,

for the king doth know concerning these things, before whom also I speak boldly, for none of these things, I am persuaded, are hidden from him; for this thing hath not been done in a corner;

and having withdrawn, they were speaking unto one another, saying -- 'This man doth nothing worthy of death or of bonds;'

and Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man might have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.'

And there having been long fasting, then Paul having stood in the midst of them, said, 'It behoved you, indeed, O men -- having hearkened to me -- not to set sail from Crete, and to save this hurt and damage;

for there stood by me this night a messenger of God -- whose I am, and whom I serve --

wherefore I call upon you to take nourishment, for this is for your safety, for of not one of you shall a hair from the head fall;'

And when the foreigners saw the beast hanging from his hand, they said unto one another, 'Certainly this man is a murderer, whom, having been saved out of the sea, the justice did not suffer to live;'

this, therefore, being done, the others also in the island having infirmities were coming and were healed;

for this cause, therefore, I called for you to see and to speak with you, for because of the hope of Israel with this chain I am bound.'

and we think it good from thee to hear what thou dost think, for, indeed, concerning this sect it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against;'

saying, Go on unto this people and say, With hearing ye shall hear, and ye shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and ye shall not perceive,

for made gross was the heart of this people, and with the ears they heard heavily, and their eyes they did close, lest they may see with the eyes, and with the heart may understand, and be turned back, and I may heal them.

Because of this did God give them up to dishonourable affections, for even their females did change the natural use into that against nature;

And dost thou think this, O man, who art judging those who such things are practising, and art doing them, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

Is this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision -- for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham -- to righteousness?

Because of this it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which is of the law only, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham,

through whom also we have the access by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope of the glory of God.

because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin;

this knowing, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of the sin may be made useless, for our no longer serving the sin;

and the command that is for life, this was found by me for death;

for that which I work, I do not acknowledge; for not what I will, this I practise, but what I hate, this I do.

And if what I do not will, this I do, I consent to the law that it is good,

for the good that I will, I do not; but the evil that I do not will, this I practise.

And if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin that is dwelling in me.

A wretched man I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death?

And ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God doth dwell in you; and if any one hath not the Spirit of Christ -- this one is not His;

for the word of promise is this; 'According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.'

for the Writing saith to Pharaoh -- 'For this very thing I did raise thee up, that I might shew in thee My power, and that My name might be declared in all the land;'

What then? What Israel doth seek after, this it did not obtain, and the chosen did obtain, and the rest were hardened,

according as it hath been written, 'God gave to them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes not to see, and ears not to hear,' -- unto this very day,

For I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, of this secret -- that ye may not be wise in your own conceits -- that hardness in part to Israel hath happened till the fulness of the nations may come in;

and this to them is the covenant from Me, when I may take away their sins.'

and be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, for your proving what is the will of God -- the good, and acceptable, and perfect.

I will recompense again, saith the Lord;' if, then, thine enemy doth hunger, feed him; if he doth thirst, give him drink; for this doing, coals of fire thou shalt heap upon his head;

for because of this also pay ye tribute; for servants of God they are, on this very thing attending continually;

for, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false testimony, Thou shalt not covet;' and if there is any other command, in this word it is summed up, in this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;'

And this, knowing the time, that for us, the hour already is to be aroused out of sleep, for now nearer is our salvation than when we did believe;

for because of this Christ both died and rose again, and lived again, that both of dead and of living he may be Lord.

no longer, therefore, may we judge one another, but this judge ye rather, not to put a stumbling-stone before the brother, or an offence.

and the nations for kindness to glorify God, according as it hath been written, 'Because of this I will confess to Thee among nations, and to Thy name I will sing praise,'

This, then, having finished, and having sealed to them this fruit, I will return through you, to Spain;

and I say this, that each one of you saith, 'I, indeed, am of Paul' -- 'and I of Apollos,' -- 'and I of Cephas,' -- 'and I of Christ.'

where is the wise? where the scribe? where a disputer of this age? did not God make foolish the wisdom of this world?

And wisdom we speak among the perfect, and wisdom not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age -- of those becoming useless,

which no one of the rulers of this age did know, for if they had known, the Lord of the glory they would not have crucified;

and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw --

Let no one deceive himself; if any one doth seem to be wise among you in this age -- let him become a fool, that he may become wise,

for the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it hath been written, 'Who is taking the wise in their craftiness;'

for of nothing to myself have I been conscious, but not in this have I been declared right -- and he who is discerning me is the Lord:

because of this I sent to you Timotheus, who is my child, beloved and faithful in the Lord, who shall remind you of my ways in Christ, according as everywhere in every assembly I teach.

and ye are having been puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he may be removed out of the midst of you who did this work,

for I indeed, as being absent as to the body, and present as to the spirit, have already judged, as being present, him who so wrought this thing:

and not certainly with the whoremongers of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, seeing ye ought then to go forth out of the world --