and many of those who practiced magic brought together [their] books [and] burned [them] up in the sight of everyone. And they counted up their value and found [it was] {fifty thousand silver coins}.

{These} he gathered together, and the workers occupied with such things, [and] said, "Men, you know that from this business {we get our prosperity},

And [when] the city secretary had quieted the crowd, he said, "Ephesian men, for who is there among men who does not know the Ephesian city is honorary temple keeper of the great Artemis and of [her] image fallen from heaven?

For indeed we are in danger of being accused of rioting concerning today, [since there] is no cause in relation to which we will be able to give an account concerning this disorderly gathering!" And [when he] had said these [things], he dismissed the assembly.

Now after the turmoil had ceased, Paul summoned the disciples, and [after] encouraging [them], he said farewell [and] departed to travel to Macedonia.

and stayed three months. [Because] a plot was made against him by the Jews [as he] was about to set sail for Syria, he came to a decision to return through Macedonia.

But Paul went down [and] threw himself on him, and putting his arms around [him], said, "Do not be distressed, for his life is in him."

And when they came to him, he said to them, "You know from the first day on which I set foot in Asia how I was the whole time with you--

I have shown you [with respect to] all [things] that [by] working hard in this way it is necessary to help those who are in need, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

And [when he] had said these [things], he fell to his knees [and] prayed with them all.

especially distressed at the statement that he had said, that they were going to see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

And [after we] sighted Cyprus and left it behind {on the port side}, we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload [its] cargo there.

And we stayed there seven days [after we] found the disciples, who kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

we said farewell to one another and embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own [homes].

And he came to us and took Paul's belt. Tying up his own feet and hands, he said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will deliver [him] into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

And [when] they heard [this], they began to glorify God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law.

And [as he] was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the military tribune, "Is it permitted for me to say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?

But Paul said, "I am a Jewish man from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no unimportant city. Now I ask you, allow me to speak to the people."

And [when they] heard that he was addressing them in the Aramaic language, {they became even more silent}. And he said,

And I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said to me, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene whom you are persecuting.'

So I said, 'What should I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Get up [and] proceed to Damascus, and there it will be told to you about all [the things] that have been appointed for you to do.'

came to me and stood by [me] [and] said to me, 'Brother Saul, regain [your] sight!' And [at that] same time I looked up at him [and saw him].

And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth,

And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue [to synagogue] I was imprisoning and beating those who believed in you.

And he said to me, 'Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'"

But when they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it permitted for you to flog a man [who is] a Roman citizen and uncondemned?"

So the military tribune came [and] said to him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" And he said, "Yes."

And the military tribune replied, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I indeed was born [a citizen].

And looking intently at the Sanhedrin, Paul said, "Men [and] brothers, I have lived my life in all good conscience before God to this day."

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, [you] whitewashed wall! And are you sitting [there] judging me according to the law, and acting contrary to the law do you order me to be struck?"

And those who stood nearby said, "Are you reviling the high priest of God?

And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You must not speak evil [of] a ruler of your people.'"

And [when] he said this, a dispute developed between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

And the next night the Lord stood by him [and] said, "Have courage, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."

who went to the chief priests and the elders [and] said, "We have bound ourselves under a curse to partake of nothing until we have killed 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 military tribune and said, "The prisoner Paul called me [and] asked [me] to bring this young man to you [because he] has something to tell you."

And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you that you bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as [if they] were going to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

And he summoned two of the centurions [and] said, "Make ready from the third hour of the night two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, in order that they may proceed as far as Caesarea.

he said, "I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers arrive also," giving orders [for] him to be guarded in the praetorium of Herod.

Now [when] Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

So he said, "Let those among you [who are] prominent go down with [me], [and] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him."

And [after he] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat [and] gave orders [for] Paul to be brought.

[while] Paul said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!"

But Festus, [because he] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered [and] said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these [things]?"

But Paul said, "I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary [for] me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

Therefore, [when] they had assembled here, made no delay; on the next [day] I sat down on the judgment seat [and] gave orders [for] the man to be brought.

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

And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole population of the Jews appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting [that] he must not live any longer.

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

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

Therefore I have experienced help from God until this day, [and] I stand here testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what both the prophets and Moses have said were going to happen,

And [as] he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "You are out of your mind, Paul! [Your] great learning {is driving} you {insane}!"

But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but am speaking words of truth and rationality.

But Agrippa [said] to Paul, "In a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?"

And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar."

But the centurion was convinced even more by the shipmaster and the shipowner than by what was said by Paul.

And [because] many were experiencing lack of appetite, at that time Paul stood up in their midst [and] said, "Men, [you] ought to have followed my [advice] not to put out to sea from Crete, and [thus] avoided this damage and loss!

Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these [men] remain with the ship, you cannot be saved!"

And [after he] said these [things] and took bread, he gave thanks to God in front of [them] all, and [after] breaking [it], he began to eat.

where we found brothers, [and] were implored to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome.

And when we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.

Now it happened that after three days, he called together those who were the most prominent of the Jews. And [when] they had assembled, he said to them, "Men [and] brothers, [although] I had done nothing against [our] people or the customs of our fathers, from Jerusalem I was delivered [as] a prisoner into the hands of the Romans,

And they said to him, "We have received no letters about you from Judea, nor has any of the brothers come [and] reported or spoken anything evil about you.

And [when they] had set a day with him, many more came to him at his lodging place, to whom he was explaining from early in the morning until evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and attempting to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.

And [some] were convinced [by] what was said, but [others] refused to believe.

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called [to be] an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,

For it is not the hearers of the law [who are] righteous in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.

whom God made publicly available as the mercy seat through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because of the passing over of previously committed sins,

who against hope believed in hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was said, "so will your descendants be."

Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance,

and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness.

But now, having been set free from sin and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit [leading] to sanctification, and its end [is] eternal life.

What then shall we say? [Is] the law sin? May it never be! But I would not have known sin except through the law, for I would not have known covetousness if the law had not said, "Do not covet."

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

that the creation itself also will be set free from its servility to decay, into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

not by works but by the one who calls--it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger,"

And it will be in the place where it was said to them, 'You [are] not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant [thoughts], but be afraid.

For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise {in your own sight}, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

Think the same [thing] toward one another; {do not think arrogantly}, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise {in your own sight}.

Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for [what is] good in the sight of all people.

But why do you judge your brother? Or also, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Now I exhort you, brothers, to look out for those who cause dissensions and temptations contrary to the teaching which you learned, and stay away from them.

Therefore, if you have courts with regard to ordinary matters, do you seat these despised [people] in the church?

and not become idolaters, as some of them [did], just as it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play,"

If any of the unbelievers invites you, and you want to go, eat everything that is set before you, {asking no questions} for the sake of the conscience.

and [after he] had given thanks, he broke [it] and said, "This is my body which [is] for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside the things of a child.

And what you sow [is] not the body which it will become, but you sow the bare seed, whether perhaps of wheat or of some of the rest.

and perhaps I will stay with you, or even spend the winter, so that you may send me on my way wherever I may go.

For if I [cause] you sorrow, then who will make me glad except the one who is caused to be sad by me?

For out of great distress and anguish of heart I wrote to you through many tears, not so that you may be caused to be sad, but so that you may know the love that I have especially for you.

For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness," [is the one] who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

for we live by faith, not by sight--

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the [things] through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

And what agreement [does the] temple of God [have] with idols? For we are the temple of the living God, just as God said, "I will live in them and will walk about [among them], and I will be their God and they will be my people."

I do not say [this] {to condemn you}, because I have already said that you are in our hearts, so that we die together and we live together.

Now the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed, and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow,

because it is said, "His letters [are] severe and powerful, but his bodily presence [is] weak and his speech is of no account."