For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was placed with his fathers, and saw decay.

But he whom God raised up saw no decay.

So when they went out they begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and reviled him.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, "It was necessary that God's word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, 'I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.'"

The Lord's word was spread abroad throughout all the region.

It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great number of both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men."

"Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing."

Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,

So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay." So she persuaded us.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened.

They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia's house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.

Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

Then the brothers immediately sent out Paul to go as far as to the sea, and Silas and Timothy still stayed there.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

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.

He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism."

This continued for two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and the evil spirits went out.

The man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

You see and hear, that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods, that are made with hands.

The city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

For indeed we are in danger of being accused concerning this day's riot, there being no cause. Concerning it, we would not be able to give an account of this commotion."

But we who went ahead to the ship set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had so arranged, intending himself to go by land.

But I make my life an account of nothing precious to myself, so that I may finish my race, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

"Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about proclaiming the Kingdom, will see my face no more.

I coveted no one's silver, or gold, or clothing.

In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

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.

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 he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The Lord's will be done."

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,

Immediately he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.

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

When I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

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

Those who stood by said, "Do you malign God's high priest?"

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess all of these.

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."

But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.

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."

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

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

"I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive." He commanded that he be kept in Herod's palace.

The Jews also joined in the attack, affirming that these things were so.

But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, so I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the Law, and which are written in the Prophets;

Or else let these men themselves say what injustice they found in me when I stood before the council,

But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.

As they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

Festus said, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

at noon, O King, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

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

Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast.

After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

On the third day, they threw out the ship's tackle with their own hands.

But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So it happened that they all escaped safely to the land.

When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live."

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.

where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage.

For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain."

saying, 'Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

For this people's heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.'

through whom we received grace and the office of apostle, for obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake;

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you;

that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

Now I do not desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

So, for my part, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.

For in it is revealed God's righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, "But the righteous shall live by faith."

For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. So they are without excuse.

You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?

But if our unrighteousness commends the righteousness of God, what will we say? Is God unrighteous who inflicts wrath? I speak like men do.

Why not (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, that good may come?" Those who say so are justly condemned.

whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness, because in God's forbearance he had passed over the sins previously committed;

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

What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?

For what does the Scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.