When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her cargo.

Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

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 at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, bringing one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we would stay.

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.

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he asked the commanding officer, "May I speak to you?" He said, "Do you know Greek?

But Paul said, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people."

When they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet. He said,

I answered, 'Who are you, Lord?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.'

I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Arise, and go into Damascus. There you will be told about all things which are appointed for you to do.'

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

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.

I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

"He said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.'"

They listened to him until he said that; then they lifted up their voice, and said, "Rid the earth of this fellow, for he isn't fit to live!"

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

The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."

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

Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, "Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day."

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?"

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

Paul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

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

They came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

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."

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.

He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night."

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

When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,

"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 stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.

while he said in his defense, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all."

But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?"

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.

When therefore they had come together here, I didn't delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

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

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

Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

"I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' "He said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,

As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!"

But he said, "I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

Agrippa said to Paul, "With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?"

Paul said, "I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds."

The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

Agrippa said to Festus, "This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

and said to them, "Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives."

When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, "Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.

Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these stay in the ship, you can't be saved."

When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat.

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.

After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was "The Twin Brothers."

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

When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

It happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, "I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

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 he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

whom God set forth to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God's forbearance;

For the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world wasn't through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So will your seed be."

What shall we say then? Is the law sin? May it never be! However, I wouldn't have known sin, except through the law. For I wouldn't have known coveting, unless the law had said, "You shall not covet."

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

Neither, because they are Abraham's seed, are they all children. But, "In Isaac will your seed be called."

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."

For he said to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."

"It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"

As Isaiah has said before, "Unless the Lord of Armies had left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and would have been made like Gomorrah."

Be of the same mind one toward another. Don't set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don't be wise in your own conceits.

Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men.

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

If then, you have to judge things pertaining to this life, do you set them to judge who are of no account in the assembly?

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."

But if one of those who don't believe invites you to a meal, and you are inclined to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no questions for the sake of conscience.

When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me."

But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest your coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in order whenever I come.

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as he desired.

God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.

But God gives it a body even as it pleased him, and to each seed a body of its own.

But with you it may be that I will stay, or even winter, that you may send me on my journey wherever I go.

For I do not wish to see you now in passing, but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.

But I will stay at Ephesus until Pentecost,

Therefore let no one despise him. But set him forward on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brothers.

Now I beg you, brothers (you know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have set themselves to serve the saints),

who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

Now thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and reveals through us the sweet aroma of his knowledge in every place.

For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God, in those who are saved, and in those who perish;

to the one a stench from death to death; to the other a sweet aroma from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?

For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.