And it came about that when I had come back to Jerusalem, while I was at prayer in the Temple, my senses became more than naturally clear,

And I said, Lord, they themselves have knowledge that I went through the Synagogues putting in prison and whipping all those who had faith in you:

The chief captain gave orders for him to be taken into the army building, saying that he would put him to the test by whipping, so that he might have knowledge of the reason why they were crying out so violently against him.

Then those who were about to put him to the test went away: and the chief captain was in fear, seeing that he was a Roman, and that he had put chains on him.

And Paul said, Brother, I had no idea that he was the high priest: for it has been said, You may not say evil about the ruler of your people.

But when Paul saw that half of them were Sadducees and the rest Pharisees, he said in the Sanhedrin, Brothers, I am a Pharisee, and the son of Pharisees: I am here to be judged on the question of the hope of the coming back from the dead.

For the Sadducees say that there is no coming back from the dead, and no angels or spirits: but the Pharisees have belief in all these.

And when the argument became very violent, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be pulled in two by them, gave orders to the armed men to take him by force from among them, and take him into the army building.

And when it was day, the Jews came together and put themselves under an oath that they would take no food or drink till they had put Paul to death.

And more than forty of them took this oath.

But do not give way to them, for more than forty of them are waiting for him, having taken an oath not to take food or drink till they have put him to death: and now they are ready, waiting for your order

So the chief captain let the young man go, saying to him, Do not say to anyone that you have given me word of these things.

And get beasts so that they may put Paul on them, and take him safely to Felix, the ruler.

This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be put to death by them, when I came on them with the army and took him out of danger, having knowledge that he was a Roman.

Then it became clear to me that it was a question of their law, and that nothing was said against him which might be a reason for prison or death.

And when news was given to me that a secret design was being made against the man, I sent him straight away to you, giving orders to those who are against him to make their statements before you.

And after reading it, he said, What part of the country do you come from? And, hearing that he was from Cilicia,

But, so that I may not make you tired, I make a request to you of your mercy, to give hearing to a short statement.

And the Jews were in agreement with his statement, saying that these things were so.

Then when the ruler had given him a sign to make his answer, Paul said, Because I have knowledge that you have been a judge over this nation for a number of years, I am glad to make my answer:

Seeing that you are able to make certain of the fact that it is not more than twelve days from the time when I came up to Jerusalem for worship;

But this I will say openly to you, that I do give worship to the God of our fathers after that Way, which to them is not the true religion: but I have belief in all the things which are in the law and in the books of the prophets:

Hoping in God for that which they themselves are looking for, that there will be a coming back from the dead for upright men and wrongdoers.

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

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

But Festus, in answer, said that Paul was being kept in prison at Caesarea, and that in a short time he himself was going there.

And when he had been with them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the day after, he took his place on the judge's seat, and sent for Paul.

To whom I gave answer that it is not the Roman way to give a man up, till he has been face to face with those who are attacking him, and has had a chance to give an answer to the statements made against him.

But when Paul made a request that he might be judged by Caesar, I gave orders for him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all those who are present here with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have made protests to me, at Jerusalem and in this place, saying that it is not right for him to be living any longer.

But, in my opinion, there is no cause of death in him, and as he himself has made a request to be judged by Caesar, I have said that I would send him.

But I have no certain account of him to send to Caesar. So I have sent for him to come before you, and specially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the business has been gone into, I may have something to put in writing.

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.

For I, truly, was of the opinion that it was right for me to do a number of things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

In the middle of the day, on the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining round me and those who were journeying with me.

To make their eyes open, turning them from the dark to the light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may have forgiveness of sins and a heritage among those who are made holy by faith in me.

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.

That the Christ would go through pain, and being the first to come back from the dead, would give light to the people and to the Gentiles.

For the king has knowledge of these things, to whom I am talking freely; being certain that all this is common knowledge to him; for it has not been done in secret.

King Agrippa, have you faith in the prophets? I am certain that you have.

And Paul said, It is my prayer to God that, in little or great measure, not only you, but all those hearing me today might be even as I am, but for these chains.

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.

Saying, Friends, I see that this journey will be one of great damage and loss, not only to the goods and the ship, but to ourselves.

But the captain gave more attention to the master and the owner of the ship than to what Paul said.

And when the south wind came softly, being of the opinion that their purpose might be effected, they let the ship go and went sailing down the side of Crete, very near to the land.

And having got it up, they put cords under and round the ship; but fearing that they might be pushed on to the Syrtis, they let down the sails and so went running before the wind.

And so, O men, be of good heart, for I have faith in God that it will be as he said to me.

But when the fourteenth day came, while we were going here and there in the Adriatic sea, about the middle of the night the sailors had an idea that they were getting near land;

And they let down the lead, and saw that the sea was a hundred and twenty feet deep; and after a little time they did it again and it was ninety feet.

Then, fearing that by chance we might come on to the rocks, they let down four hooks from the back of the ship, and made prayers for the coming of day.

Then the armed men were for putting the prisoners to death, so that no one would get away by swimming.

But the captain, desiring to keep Paul safe, kept them from their purpose, and gave orders that those who had knowledge of swimming were to go off the ship and get first to land:

And the rest, some on boards and some on things from the ship. And so it came about that they all got safe to land.

And when we were safe, we made the discovery that the island was named Melita.

But they had the idea that they would see him becoming ill, or suddenly falling down dead; but after waiting a long time, and seeing that no damage came to him, changing their opinion, they said he was a god.

Now near that place there was some land, the property of the chief man of the island, who was named Publius; who very kindly took us into his house as his guests for three days.

But we have a desire to give hearing to your opinion: for as to this form of religion, we have knowledge that in all places it is attacked.

For the heart of this people has become fat and their ears are slow in hearing and their eyes are shut; for fear that they might see with their eyes and give hearing with their ears and become wise in their hearts and be turned again to me, so that I might make them well.

Be certain, then, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and they will give hearing.

Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ without fear, and no orders were given that he was not to do so.

For God is my witness, whose servant I am in spirit in the good news of his Son, that you are at all times in my memory and in my prayers,

And that I am ever making prayers that God will give me a good journey to 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;

That is to say, that all of us may be comforted together by the faith which is in you and in me.

You may be certain, my brothers, that it has frequently been in my mind to come to you (but till now I was kept from it), so that I might have some fruit from you in the same way as I have had it from the other nations.

For from the first making of the world, those things of God which the eye is unable to see, that is, his eternal power and existence, are fully made clear, he having given the knowledge of them through the things which he has made, so that men have no reason for wrongdoing:

Because by them the true word of God was changed into that which is false, and they gave worship and honour to the thing which is made, and not to him who made it, to whom be blessing for ever. So be it.

Who, though they have knowledge of the law of God, that the fate of those who do these things is death, not only go on doing these things themselves, but give approval to those who do them.

And we are conscious that God is a true judge against those who do such things.

But you who are judging another for doing what you do yourself, are you hoping that God's decision will not take effect against you?

Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, waiting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God's desire is to give you a change of heart?

In the belief that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those in the dark,

You who give teaching to others, do you give it to yourself? you who say that a man may not take what is not his, do you take what is not yours?

You who say that a man may not be untrue to his wife, are you true to yours? you who are a hater of images, do you do wrong to the house of God?

It is true that circumcision is of use if you keep the law, but if you go against the law it is as if you had it not.

The true Jew is not one who is only so publicly, and circumcision is not that which may be seen in the flesh:

And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect?

In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged.

Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment.

What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin;

Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God:

That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another,

And to make clear his righteousness now, so that he might himself be upright, and give righteousness to him who has faith in Jesus.

Do we, then, through faith make the law of no effect? in no way: but we make it clear that the law is important.

What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got?

As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying,

Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness.

And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account;

And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.

For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

(As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were.

Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be.

And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children:

And being certain that God was able to keep his word.

Now, it was not because of him only that this was said,

Who was put to death for our evil-doing, and came to life again so that we might have righteousness.

And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting;

Now it is hard for anyone to give his life even for an upright man, though it might be that for a good man someone would give his life.

But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us.