So, here is what we would like you to do: We have four men who have made a vow [i.e., a special promise to God].

Go with these, and make yourself clean with them, and make the necessary payments for them, so that they may be free from their oath: and everyone will see that the statements made about you are not true, but that you put yourself under rule, and keep the law.

But with regard to the Gentiles who have believed [in Christ], we have sent them a letter with our decision that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from [consuming] blood and from [the meat of] what has been strangled and from sexual immorality.”

Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made.

Crying out, Men of Israel, come to our help: this is the man who is teaching all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place: and in addition, he has taken Greeks into the Temple, and made this holy place unclean.

And the whole city was set in motion, and there took place a running together of the people, and, laying hold of Paul, they proceeded to drag him outside the temple, and, straightway, the doors were made fast.

Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done.

Some of the crowd shouted one accusation against Paul and some another, until, as the uproar made it impossible for the truth to be ascertained with certainty, the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

art not thou, then, the Egyptian who before these days made an uprising, and did lead into the desert the four thousand men of the assassins?'

And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

And I made attacks on this Way, even to death, taking men and women and putting them in prison.

as also the chief priest doth testify to me, and all the eldership; from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, to Damascus, I was going on, to bring also those there bound to Jerusalem that they might be punished,

And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

And I said, What have I to do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Get up, and go into Damascus; and it will be made clear to you what you have to do.

that you might testify to all men, what you have seen and heard.

They listened to Paul until [he made] this [last] statement, but now they raised their voices and shouted, “Away with such a man from the earth! He is not fit to live!”

The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

And on the morrow, desirous to know the certainty of the matter why he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and having brought Paul down set him before them.

which made Paul say, "may God strike thee, thou plaister'd wall: you sit to judge me according to law, and in defiance of the law you order me to be struck!"

When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, rescue him from them, and bring him into the barracks.

The night following, the Lord appear'd to him, and said, Paul, take courage; for the same remonstrances that you have made concerning me at Jerusalem, you must likewise make at Rome.

And day having come, certain of the Jews having made a concourse, did anathematize themselves, saying neither to eat nor to drink till they may kill Paul;

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

Now therefore do ye exhibit to the captain of a thousand, with the council, so that to-morrow he might bring him down to you, as about to examine more accurately the things concerning him: and we, before he draws near, are ready to kill him.

So he took him to the chief captain and said, Paul, the prisoner, made a request to me to take this young man to you, for he has something to say to you.

"The Jews," he answered, "have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, on the ground that you mean to have a fuller inquiry made into his case.

But do not let them persuade you, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, who have taken an oath that they will not eat or drink, till they have made away with him; and they are at this very moment in readiness, counting upon your promise."

Then the officer sent the young man away, with this charge: Tell no one that you have made these things known to me.

and he bade them provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

Wishing to ascertain exactly the ground of the charges they made against him, I brought him before their Council,

Then it became clear to me that it was a question of their law, and that nothing was said against him which might be a reason for prison or death.

And [when it] was made known to me there would be a plot against the man, I sent [him] to you immediately, also ordering [his] accusers to speak against him before you.

And having read, and made inquiry of what jurisdiction,

And after five days came down the chief priest Ananias, with the elders, and a certain orator -- Tertullus, and they made manifest to the governor the things against Paul;

When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "We have experienced a lengthy time of peace through your rule, and reforms are being made in this nation through your foresight.

with whom you yourself, having made inquiry, are able to know concerning all these things of which we accuse him.

On a sign from the Governor, Paul made this reply: "Knowing, as I do, for how many years you have acted as Judge to this nation, it is with confidence that I undertake my own defense.

and they cannot sustain the charges they have just made against me.

And having been made clean, I was in the Temple, but not with a great number of people, and not with noise: but there were certain Jews from Asia,

who ought, before thee, to have presented themselves, and to have been laying accusation, if, anything, they might have had against me: -

unless it was in that one expression which I made use of when I shouted out as I stood among them, "'The resurrection of the dead is the thing about which I am on my trial before you to-day.'"

He hoped also that money should have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

and the chief priest and the principal men of the Jews made manifest to him the things against Paul, and were calling on him,

asking him to do them a favor against Paul, that he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him.

And when he came, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem came round him, and made all sorts of serious statements against him, which were not supported by the facts.

while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”

Then Festus, having had a discussion with the Jews, made answer, You have said, Let my cause come before Caesar; to Caesar you will go.

After a number of days King Agrippa [Note: This man was the great grandson of Herod the Great. See Matt. 2:1] and [his wife] Bernice arrived at Caesarea and came to greet Festus.

And as they remained there many days, Festus made known to the king the facts concerning Paul, saying: There is a certain man, who was left in bonds by Felix,

about whom, when I went to Jerusalem, the High Priests and the Elders of the Jews made representations to me, begging that sentence might be pronounced against him.

I told them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over any man [for punishment] before the accused meets his accusers face to face and has the opportunity to defend himself against the charges.

When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

but only pleaded against him certain disputes about their own mode of religious worship, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

And as I had not enough knowledge for the discussion of these things, I made the suggestion to him to go to Jerusalem and be judged there.

But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar.

And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

But, in my opinion, there is no cause of death in him, and as he himself has made a request to be judged by Caesar, I have said that I would send him.

Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write.

For it seems to me absurd to send a prisoner, without at the same time stating the charges made against him."

And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defence:

And Paul, stretching forth his hand, made his defence. I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am this day to make my defence before thee, concerning all those things whereof I am accused by the Jews,

My mode of life from my childhood, the early part of it being with my nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews,

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers:

the promise which our twelve tribes, worshipping day and night with intense devotedness, hope to have made good to them. It is on the subject of this hope, Sir, that I am accused by the Jews.

And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.

On which accounts as I was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests---at mid-day,

At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

Get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you [to serve] as a minister and as a witness [to testify, with authority,] not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you,

To make their eyes open, turning them from the dark to the light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may have forgiveness of sins and a heritage among those who are made holy by faith in me.

But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

For this reason, the Jews took me in the Temple, and made an attempt to put me to death.

Having therefore met with the help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,

And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

"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 whether with little or with much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except these bonds.

And when they had gone away they said to one another, This man has done nothing which might give cause for death or prison.

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

And when the decision had been made that we were to go by sea to Italy, they gave Paul and certain other prisoners into the care of a captain named Julius, of the Augustan band.

The next day we stopped at Sidon [i.e., a seaport on the northwest coast of Palestine]. Julius treated Paul with kindness, [even] giving him the opportunity to meet his friends [there] and receive help [from them].

from thence we put off, and made our coast north of Cyprus, the wind being contrary.

and there the centurion having found a ship of Alexandria sailing to Italy, he made us go on board her.

For a number of days we sailed slowly and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus; then, because the wind did not allow us to go farther, we sailed under the leeward (sheltered) side of Crete, off Salmone;

And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter; which is an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west.

And when the south wind came softly, being of the opinion that their purpose might be effected, they let the ship go and went sailing down the side of Crete, very near to the land.

[After] hoisting {it up}, they made use of supports to undergird the ship. And [because they] were afraid lest they run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor [and] thus were driven [along].

And, still fighting the storm with all our strength, the day after they made a start at getting the goods out of the ship;

And when they had been a long while without taking food, Paul then standing up in the midst of them said, Ye ought, O men, to have hearkened to me, and not have made sail from Crete and have gained this disaster and loss.

Then fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern [to slow the ship] and kept wishing for daybreak to come.

Then the sailors made attempts secretly to get away from the ship, letting down a boat as if they were about to put down hooks from the front of the ship;

And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

And when they had had enough food, they made the weight of the ship less, turning the grain out into the sea.

And, when it was day, they were not recognizing the land; but they were observing a certain bay, having a beach, into which they purposed, if they might be able, to thrust the ship.

And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.

And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.

Now the soldiers recommended that the prisoners should be killed, for fear some one of them might swim ashore and effect his escape.

And when we were safe, we made the discovery that the island was named Melita.

The strange-speaking natives showed us remarkable kindness, for they lighted a fire and made us all welcome because of the pelting rain and the cold.