Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

In everything I showed you that by working hard like this we must help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It makes one happier to give than to get.'"

After he had finished this speech, he fell on his knees with them all and prayed.

and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying.

He came to see us and took Paul's belt and with it bound his own hands and feet, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says, 'The Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt like this, and then will turn him over to the heathen.'"

When we heard this, we and all the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.

At this Paul replied, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I'm ready not only to be tied up in Jerusalem but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus!"

After this we got ready and started up to Jerusalem.

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.

Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;

these take, and perform the rites of purification with them, contributing to the expence of having their heads shav'd: this will convince them, what has been reported of you, is all groundless, and that you stick to the observances of the law.

as for the believing Gentiles, we have given them by letter this decision, "they need only take care to abstain from meats offered to idols, from blood, from the flesh of animals strangled, and from fornication."

On this, Paul joined the men, and the next day shared their purification, and went into the Temple, and gave notice of the expiration of the period of purification when the usual offering should have been made on behalf of each of them.

Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.

For, before this time, they had seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, whom they supposed Paul had brought into the temple.

Some of the crowd shouted this and some that. Since the tribune couldn't learn the facts due to the confusion, he ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks.

Art not thou that Egyptian, who before this madest a sedition, and didst lead out into the wilderness four thousand murtherers?

I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.

"And then it suddenly happened, about noon, as I was traveling and got close to Damascus, that this brilliant light from the sky flashed all around me.

Since I could not see because of the dazzling sheen of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions and in this way I reached Damascus.

And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this.

When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman.

And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born.

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

At this the high priest Ananias ordered the people standing near him to strike him on the mouth.

At this Paul told him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! How can you sit there and judge me according to the Law, and yet in violation of the Law order me to be struck?"

Now when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried in the sanhedrim, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead am I brought to this bar.

And he having spoken this, there came a dissension of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees, and the crowd was divided,

And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy.

So now you and the council request the commanding officer to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine his case by conducting a more thorough inquiry. We are ready to kill him before he comes near this place."

But a son of Paul's sister hearing of this lying in wait, went and entering into the fortress told Paul.

Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

And he said, The Jews are in agreement together to make a request to you for Paul to be taken, on the day after this, into the Sanhedrin, to be questioned in greater detail.

So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request."

So the colonel sent the young man away, with strict directions not to tell anybody that he had notified him of this plot.

Then he called two of his officers and said, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea, along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, by nine o'clock tonight." [Note: This was calculated according to Jewish time].

And he wrote a letter after this manner:

As this man was seized by the Jews,

This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them: then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

And wishing to know the cause for which they accused him, I brought him down to this council:

and a plot having been intimated to me against this man -- about to be of the Jews -- at once I sent unto thee, having given command also to the accusers to say the things against him before thee; be strong.'

So, the soldiers took charge of Paul and took him at night to Antipatris [Note: This was a town on the road between Jerusalem and Caesarea] as they were ordered.

Five days after this, Ananias the High Priest came down to Caesarea with a number of Elders and a pleader called Tertullus. They stated to the Governor the case against Paul.

And when he was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

"Your Excellency Felix, since we are enjoying lasting peace because of you, and since reforms for this nation are being brought about through your foresight, we always and everywhere acknowledge it with profound gratitude.

But, not wanting to prolong matters for you, I urge you to give consideration to this brief account [of the problem we face].

For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes:

[This verse is not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]

You, however, by examining him, will yourself be able to learn the truth as to all this which we allege against him."

this the Jews confirm'd by declaring it was all fact.

Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself:

"Since I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I am pleased to present my defense. You can verify for yourself that I went up to worship in Jerusalem no more than twelve days ago.

Nor can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee,

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:

and in this I do exercise myself, to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.

and while I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.

Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.

But Felix put them off, saying, Having learned more accurately of this way, when Lysias the chiliarch comes down I will decide concerning your matters,

Not long after this, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and sending for Paul, listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

At the same time also he hoped that money would be given him by Paul; and on this account sent for him the oftener, and conversed with him.

Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him.

to this he answer'd, "I have not been guilty of any misdemeanour, either against the law, or against the temple, or against Cesar."

Then Festus, [after] discussing [this] with [his] council, replied, "You have appealed to Caesar--to Caesar you will go!"

A short time after this King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.

While they stayed there [with him] for many days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king, saying, "There is this man [named Paul] who was left in custody by Felix.

Then they, having come together to this place, making no delay, immediately sitting on the judgment-seat, I commanded that the man should be led forth;

and I, doubting in regard to the question concerning this, said, If he would wish to go on to Jerusalem, and there to be judged concerning these things --

"I should like to hear this man myself," Agrippa said to Festus. "You shall hear him to-morrow," Festus answered.

And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

But I understood [that] he had done nothing deserving death himself, and [when] this man appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send [him].

I do not have anything definite to write to [my] lord about {him}. Therefore I have brought him before you [all]--and especially before you, King Agrippa--so that [after] this preliminary hearing has taken place, I may have something to write.

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have our permission to speak upon your own behalf." At this Paul stretched out his hand and began his defence.

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews:

especially, since you are acquainted with all the customs and questions that are among the Jews. For this reason, I beseech you to hear me patiently.

And this moment for the hope of the promise made of God to our fathers am I standing here to be judged:

which promise our twelve tribes, by devotedly worshiping day and night, hope to see fulfilled for them. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused by some Jews.

And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

While in this business I once was on my way to Damascus with authority based on a commission from the high priests,

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

[choosing you for Myself and] rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you,

this heavenly vision, king Agrippa, I presently obey'd:

For this reason the Jewish leaders grabbed me in the Temple and kept trying to kill me.

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

As he said this in his defense, Festus called out, "You are raving, Paul! Your great learning is driving you mad!"

For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.

"At this rate," Agrippa remarked, "it won't be long before you believe you have made a Christian of me!"

And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

And when he had said this, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and those that sat with them.

and after leaving the room, as they continued to talk the matter over together, they said, "This man has done nothing to deserve death or imprisonment."

Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

For many days we sailed slowly, and then arrived with difficulty over against Cnidus; from this point, as the wind did not further favor us, we ran under the lee of Crete, off Cape Salmone;

By this time the season was far advanced, and sailing had become dangerous (for the Autumn Fast was past); so Paul began to warn them.