but that we should write to them by letter to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from that which hath been strangled, and from blood.

For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

it hath seemed fit to us, assembled unanimously, to send unto you select men with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

For it hath seemed good unto the Holy Spirit and unto us, no greater burden, to be laying upon you, than these necessary things: -

and when he saw the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go forth to Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord hath called us to preach good news to them,

Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

Be taking heed unto yourselves, and unto all the little flock in which the Holy Spirit hath set, you, as overseers, - to be shepherding the assembly of God which he hath acquired through means of the blood of his own.

But concerning the gentile believers, we have written to them and decided that they should observe no such thing, save only to abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from what hath been strangled, and from fornication.

crying out - Israelites! be giving help! This, is the man who, against the people, and the law, and this place, is teaching, all men everywhere; furthermore, even Greeks, hath he brought into the temple, and hath profaned this holy place.

and they seeking to kill him, a rumour came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem hath been thrown into confusion,

Then the chief captain, having come nigh, took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and was inquiring who he may be, and what it is he hath been doing,

And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there thou wilt be told of all which it hath been appointed thee to do.

And he said - The God of our fathers, hath chosen thee to get to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, - and to hear a voice out of his mouth.

and Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he is chief priest: for it hath been written, Of the ruler of thy people thou shalt not speak evil;'

And there arose a great outcry, and certain of the Scribes of the party of the Pharisees, standing up, began to strive, saying - Nothing bad, find we in this man; - but, if a spirit hath spoken unto him, or a messenger --

And Paul, calling unto him one of the centurions, said - This young man, lead thou away unto the captain, for he hath somewhat to report unto 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.

Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law.

having hope toward God??hich these themselves also are looking for??hat there will be a resurrection, both of the righteous and unrighteous.

And Felix deferred them, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, - saying - As soon as, Lysias the captain, hath come down, I will give judgment as to your affairs, -

If then, on the one hand, I am doing wrong, and, anything worthy of death, have committed, I excuse not myself from dying; but, on the other hand, if there is, nothing, in the things whereof these are accusing me, no man, hath power to give, me, unto them as a favour: - Unto Caesar, I appeal!

And, as they were spending more days there, Festus, repeated, unto the king, the things relating to Paul, saying - A certain man, hath been left behind by Felix, as a prisoner;

To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before he who is accused hath the accusers face to face, and hath license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

and as I have nothing certain to write about him to the emperor, I have brought him forward before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, that when the examination hath been made, I may have something to write.

As he thus answered for himself: Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, thou art besides thyself. Much learning hath made thee mad."

For well-knoweth, the king, concerning these things, unto whom, with boldness of utterance, am I speaking; for, that these things are not hidden from him, I am well persuaded, - for, not in a corner, hath this thing been done.

And when they were retired, they spake to each other, saying, this man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

saying - Be not afraid, Paul! for, before Caesar, must thou needs stand. And lo! God hath granted to thee as a favour, all them who are sailing with thee.

Wherefore, be of good courage, Sirs; for I believe in God - that, so, it shall be, according as it hath been told me.

And, when the natives saw the brute hanging out from his hand, they began to say, one to another - Doubtless, this man is, a murderer, whom, though brought safely through out of the sea, Justice, hath not suffered, to live.

And, they, said unto him - We, have neither received letters concerning thee from the Jews, nor hath anyone of the brethren who hath arrived reported or spoken concerning thee, anything ill.

For the heart of this people, hath become dense, and, with their ears, heavily, have they heard, and, their eyes, have they closed, - lest once they should see with their eyes, and, with their ears, should hear, and, with their hearts, should understand, and return, - when I would certainly heal them.

Be it, known unto you, therefore, that, unto the nations, hath been sent forth this salvation of God: they, will also hear.

For the righteousness of God in it is revealed from faith to faith, according as it hath been written, 'And the righteous one by faith shall live,'

Inasmuch as, what may be known of God, is manifest among them, for, God, unto them, hath made it manifest, -

Being full of all wrongdoing, evil, desire for the goods of others, hate, envy, putting to death, fighting, deceit, cruel ways, evil talk, and false statements about others;

But whosoever hath sinned without law, shall perish without law. And as many as have sinned under the law, shall be judged by the law.

You say that a person should not commit adultery [i.e., sexual unfaithfulness to their mate], [but] do you commit adultery? You [claim to] hate idols, [but] do you rob [their] temples? [Note: It is difficult to determine how the Jews were doing this. Perhaps they were guilty of the "spirit" of idolatry by devoting their efforts and affections to material things instead of to God].

for the name of God because of you is evil spoken of among the nations, according as it hath been written.

For, circumcision, indeed, profiteth - if, law, thou be practising; but, if thou be a transgressor of law, thy circumcision, hath become, uncircumcision

What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?

let it not be! and let God become true, and every man false, according as it hath been written, 'That Thou mayest be declared righteous in Thy words, and mayest overcome in Thy being judged.'

But, if, the truth of God, by my falsehood, hath the more abounded unto his glory, why, any longer, am, even I, as a sinner, to be judged?

according as it hath been written -- 'There is none righteous, not even one;

there is none that hath understanding, there is none that diligently seeketh God;

But now, apart from law, a righteousness of God hath been manifested, borne witness to by the law and the prophets, -

even the righteousness which is of God through faith in Jesus Christ, hath been made manifest to all and for all believers. For there is no distinction.

Whom God hath set forth as a propitiatory covering, through faith in his blood, for a showing forth of his righteousness, by reason of the passing-by of the previously committed sins,

In the forbearance of God, - with a view to a showing forth of his righteousness in the present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous him that hath faith in Jesus.

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

For, if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath whereof to boast; - nevertheless, not towards God, -

but to him who without performing works hath faith in him who accepteth as righteous one that hath been ungodly, his faith is accounted as righteousness;

for if they who are of law are heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless;

Therefore the inheritance was made to depend on faith, that it might be a matter of grace; that the promise might be sure to all the offspring, not to that only which is under the Law, but to that also which hath the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

who is father of us all (according as it hath been written -- 'A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe -- God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.

And being fully persuaded (that), - what he hath promised, able is he also to perform:

And, our hope, putteth not to shame. Because, the love of God, hath been poured out in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit that hath been given unto us:

but herein hath God displayed his love towards us, in that Christ died for us, even while we were yet sinners.

But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

Now the law made some entrance, that the offence might appear to abound; but where sin abounded, grace hath superabounded; that as sin had reigned in death,

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

knowing this, that our old man hath been crucified with him, that the body of sin might be abolished, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.

For, he that hath died, hath become righteously acquitted from his sin.

Knowing that, Christ having been raised from among the dead, no more dieth, - death, over him, no more, hath lordship, -

Or are ye ignorant, brethren, - for unto them that understand the law am I speaking, that, the law, hath lordship over a men as long as he liveth?

For, the married woman, unto her living husband is bound by law; but, if her husband have died, she hath received a full release from the law of her husband.

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that ye might be joined to another??o Him Who was raised from the dead??hat we might bear fruit to God.

That which is good then, to me hath it become death? let it not be! but the sin, that it might appear sin, through the good, working death to me, that the sin might become exceeding sinful through the command,

For, that which I am working out, I do not approve, - for not, what I wish, the same I practise, but, what I hate, the same I do:

Thanks be to God, [who hath delivered me] through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I, the same person, with the mind serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

For, the-law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath set thee free from the law of sin and of death; -

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God hath done: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, to be a sacrifice for sin, he hath condemned sin in the flesh:

But, ye, have not your being in flesh, but in spirit, - if at least, God's Spirit, dwelleth in you; and, if anyone hath not Christ's Spirit, the same, is not his; -

But if the Spirit of him who hath raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he who raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his indwelling Spirit in you.

For, unto vanity, hath creation been made subject - not by choice, but by reason of him that made it subject, in hope

and He who is searching the hearts hath known what is the mind of the Spirit, because according to God he doth intercede for saints.

We know, further, that, unto them who love God, God causeth all things to work together for good, - unto them who, according to purpose, are such as he hath called;

(according as it hath been written -- 'For Thy sake we are put to death all the day long, we were reckoned as sheep of slaughter,')

Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquering through him that hath loved us.

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

according as it hath been written, 'Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.'

So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.

Hence, then, - on whom he pleaseth, he hath mercy, and, whom he pleaseth, he doth harden.

Thou wilt say to me, then - Why longer findeth he fault? For, his purpose, who hath withstood?

For who hath resisted his will? Nay, but who art thou, O man, that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

Or hath not the potter a right over the clay - out of the same lump, to make some, indeed, into a vessel for honour, and some for dishonour?

But what if God, willing to display his wrath, and to make known what is possible with him, hath borne with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted for perdition:

and that He might make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy, which He hath prepared for glory?

Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

And, even as Isaiah hath before said, - If, the Lord of hosts, had not left us a seed, as Sodom, had we become, and, as Gomorrha, had we been made like.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

according as it hath been written, 'Lo, I place in Sion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence; and every one who is believing thereon shall not be ashamed.'

For, Moses, writeth that - as touching the righteousness that is by law, The man that hath done it , shall live thereby;

But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way. Say not in thine heart, "Who shall ascend to heaven?"??hat is, to bring Christ down;

Nor, ??ho shall descend into the abyss?"??hat is, to bring Christ up from the dead.

No! This is what it says: "God's message is close to you, on your lips and in your mind"??hat is, the message about faith that we preach.