So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who met him.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be advocating foreign deities," because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

They took hold of him, and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

that they should seek God, if perhaps they might reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

'For in him we live, and move, and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also his offspring.'

because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained; of which he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead."

But certain men joined with him, and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads. I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles."

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

Then all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio did not care about any of these things.

When they asked him to stay a longer time, he declined;

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

When he had determined to pass over into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him. When he had come, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;

He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They said to him, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Paul said, "John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus."

Having sent into Macedonia two of those who served him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

When Paul wanted to enter in to the people, the disciples did not allow him.

Certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent to him and begged him not to venture into the theater.

They brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews putting him forward. Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made a defense to the people.

If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them press charges against one another.

When he had spent three months there, and a plot was made against him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia.

Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him."

When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard, and came to Mitylene.

For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

When they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time,

They all wept a lot, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,

sorrowing most of all because of the word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

On the next day, we departed and came to Caesarea. We entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.

Coming to us, and taking Paul's belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit: 'So will the Jews in Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

When we heard these things, both we and they of that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law.

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him,

For they had previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

All the city was moved, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Immediately the doors were shut.

As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

Some shouted one thing, and some another, among the crowd. When he could not find out the truth because of the noise, he commanded him to be brought into the barracks.

for the crowd of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him."

When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

"Those who were with me indeed saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me.

came to me, and standing by me said to me, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' In that very hour I looked up at him.

For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

and saw him saying to me, 'Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not receive testimony concerning me from you.'

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'

They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, "Rid the earth of this fellow, for he is not fit to live."

the commanding officer commanded him to be brought into the barracks, ordering him to be examined by scourging, that he might know for what crime they yelled at him like that.

When they had tied him up with thongs, Paul asked the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman, and not found guilty?"

When the centurion heard it, he went to the commanding officer and told him, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman."

The commanding officer came and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman?" He said, "Yes."

Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall. Do you sit to judge me according to the Law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?"

A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees part stood up, and contended, saying, "We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit spoke to him, or an angel?"

When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, "Cheer up, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome."

Now therefore, you with the council inform the commanding officer that he should bring him down to you, as though you were going to judge his case more exactly. We are ready to kill him before he comes near."

Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said, "Bring this young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to tell him."

So he took him, and brought him to the commanding officer, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to tell you."

The commanding officer took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

Therefore do not yield to them, for more than forty men lie in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, looking for the promise from you."

So the commanding officer let the young man go, charging him, "Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me."

He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

"This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.

I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment.

When I was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you."

So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks.

When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.

When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and that by your foresight reforms are coming to this nation,

He even tried to profane the temple, and we arrested him.

8 By examining him yourself you may ascertain all these things of which we accuse him."

When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, "Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,

He ordered the centurion that he should be kept in custody, and should have some privileges, and not to forbid any of his friends to serve him or to visit him.

But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.

Meanwhile, he also hoped that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore also he sent for him more often, and talked with him.

Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they urged him,

asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.

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

When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove,

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish elders informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar."

Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," he said, "you shall hear him."

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write.

For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him."

For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

The next day, we landed at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

It happened that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

When we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

They said to him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about the Kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.

30 Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him,

Because, although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but their thinking became nonsense, and their foolish heart was darkened.

to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time, so that he would be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus.