but their plot was found out by Saul. Day and night they kept guarding the city gates, to murder him,

but his disciples took him one night and let him down through the city wall, by lowering him in a hamper-basket.

Now when Saul arrived at Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples there, but they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was really a disciple.

The next day, while those men were traveling on and not far from the town, Peter went up on the housetop about noon to pray.

But Peter said, "Never by any means, sir, for I have never eaten anything common, or not ceremonially cleansed."

A second time the voice came to him, "The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean."

and he said to him, "You know that it is against the law for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit one, but God has taught me not to call any man vulgar or ceremonially unclean;

not by all the people but by witnesses whom God had beforehand appointed, namely, by us who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the dead.

for having visited and eaten with men who were not Jews.

But I answered, 'Never by any means, sir, for nothing common or not ceremonially cleansed has ever passed my lips.'

Then the voice from heaven answered again, 'The things that God has cleansed you must not call unclean.'

Now just as Herod was going to bring him out, that is, the very night before, Peter was fastened with two chains and was sleeping between two soldiers, and the guards were at the door guarding the prison.

So he kept following him out, but he was not conscious that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was dreaming it.

Herod had search made for him, and when he could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he left Judea for Caesarea, and stayed there.

and the people shouted, "It is a god's voice, not a man's!"

But the angel of the Lord at once struck him down, because he did not give the glory to God; he was eaten by worms, and so died.

As John was closing his career, he said, 'What do you take me to be? I am not the Christ; no, but He is coming after me, and I am not fit to untie the shoes on His feet.'

and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death.

Because in another psalm he says, 'You will not let your Holy One experience decay.'

but He whom God raised to life did not experience it.

and that through union with Him every one of you who believes is given right standing with God and freed from every charge from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

So take care that what is said in the prophets does not come upon you:

'Look, you scoffers! Then wonder and vanish away, for I am doing a work in your times which you will not at all believe though one may tell you in detail.'"

though He did not fail to furnish evidences about Himself, in constantly showing His kindness to you, in sending you rain from heaven and fruit-producing seasons, in giving you food and happiness to your heart's content."

So I give it as my opinion, we ought not to put difficulties in the way of the heathen who turn to God,

For the Holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but these essential requirements,

Paul, however, did not consider such a man fit to take along with them, the man who deserted them in Pamphylia and did not go on with them to the work.

they went on to Mysia and tried to get into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

There Paul had a vision one night: a man from Macedonia kept standing and pleading with him in these words, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

Even at that time of the night he took them and washed their wounds, and he and all the members of his household at once were baptized.

So some of them were convinced, and they joined Paul and Silas; also quite a number of devout Greeks and not a few women of the first rank.

They stopped at Jason's house and tried to bring them out to the people. So, as they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the town magistrates, shouting, "These fellows, who have turned the world topsy-turvy, have come here too,

That night at once the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea, and on arriving there they went to the Jewish synagogue.

Many of them came to believe, and not a few distinguished Greek women and men.

The God who made the world and all that it contains, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by human hands,

nor is He served by human hands as though He were in need of anything, for He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

so that they might search for God, possibly they might grope for Him, and find Him, though He is really not far from any of us.

Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that His nature is like gold or silver or stone or anything carved by man's art and thought.

But as they opposed and abused him, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads! I am not to blame for it myself. Hereafter I am going to the heathen."

One night in a vision the Lord said to Paul, "Stop being afraid, go on speaking, never give up;

They asked him to stay longer, but he would not consent.

and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

Now the danger facing us is, not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into contempt and that she whom all Asia and all the world now worship will soon be dethroned from her majestic glory!"

Paul wanted to go into the assembly and address the people, but the disciples would not let him.

Some of the public officials in Asia, who were friendly to him, also sent word to him, begging him not to risk himself in the theatre.

So they kept on shouting, some one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the majority of them did not know why they had met.

At last the city recorder quieted the mob and said: "Men of Ephesus, who in the world does not know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of the image that fell down from heaven?

For you have brought these men here, although they are not guilty of sacrilege or of abusive speech against our goddess.

For we are in danger of being charged with rioting for today's assembly, as there is not a single reason we can give for it."

For Paul's plan was to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose any time in the province of Asia; for he was eager, if possible, to reach Jerusalem by Pentecost.

And I am here now on my way to Jerusalem, because I am impelled by the Spirit to do so, though I am not aware what will befall me there,

I therefore protest to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you,

Because I know that after I have gone violent wolves will break in among you and will not spare the flock.

So ever be on your guard and always remember that for three years, night and day, I never ceased warning you one by one, and that with tears.

So we looked up the disciples there and stayed a week with them. Because of impressions made by the Spirit they kept on warning Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.

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

Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? Why, I am ready not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

So, since he would not yield to our appeal, we stopped begging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!"

Some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us and took us to the house of Mnason, a man from Cyprus, one of the early disciples, to spend the night.

But they kept shouting in the crowd, some one thing, some another. As he could not with certainty find out about it, because of the tumult, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

Are you not the Egyptian who sometime ago raised a mob of four thousand cut-throats and led them out into the desert?"

The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of Him who was speaking to 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 saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and at once get out of Jerusalem, because they will not accept your testimony about me.'

They listened to him until he said this, and then all at once they shouted, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He is certainly not fit to live!"

Paul answered, "I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest, for the Scripture says, 'You must not speak evil against any ruler of your people.'"

But that same night the Lord stood by Paul's side and said, "Courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must testify for me in Rome, too."

After day had dawned, the Jews formed a conspiracy and took an oath not to eat or drink till they had killed Paul.

They went to the high priests and elders and said to them, "We have taken a solemn oath not to taste a morsel till we have killed Paul.

But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him; they have taken an oath not to eat or drink till they have killed him. They are all ready now, just waiting for your promise."

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

So the soldiers took Paul, as they had been ordered to do, and brought him by night as far as Antipatris.

But, not to detain you too long, I beg you in your kindness to give us a brief hearing.

for you can verify the fact that not more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship,

He ordered the captain to keep Paul in custody but to let him have freedom and not to prevent his friends from showing him kindness.

After staying there not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day, after taking his seat on the judge's bench, he ordered Paul brought in.

If I am guilty and have done anything that deserves death, I am not begging to keep from dying, but if there is nothing in the charges which these men make against me, no one can give me up as a favor to them. I appeal to the emperor."

I answered them that it was not the Roman custom to give up anyone for punishment until the accused met his accusers face to face and had an opportunity to defend himself against their accusations.

But when his accusers appeared before me, they did not charge him with the crimes of which I had been suspecting him.

Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you now see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, continuously clamoring that he ought not to live any longer.

But I found that he had not done anything for which he deserved to die; however, as he has himself appealed to his Majesty, I have decided to send him up.

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.

Therefore, King Agrippa, I could not disobey that heavenly vision,

Paul answered, "I am not going crazy, your Excellency, Festus, but I am telling the straight truth.

The king, indeed, knows about this and I can speak to him with freedom. I do not believe that any of this escaped his notice, for it did not occur in a corner!

Paul answered, "In brief or at length, I would to God that not only you but all my hearers today were what I am -- excepting these chains!"

Agrippa said to Festus, "He might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to the emperor."

For a number of days we sailed on slowly and with difficulty arrived off Cnidus. Then, because the wind did not permit us to go on, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Cape Salmone,

by saying, "Men, I see that this voyage is likely to be attended by disaster and heavy loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our lives."

And as the harbor was not fit to winter in, the majority favored the plan to set sail from there and see if they could reach Phoenix and winter there, this being a harbor in Crete facing west-southwest and west-north-west.

But it was not long before a violent wind, which is called a Northeaster, swept down from it.

The ship was snatched along by it and since she could not face the wind, we gave up and let her drive.

After they had gone a long time without any food, then Paul got up among them and said: "Men, you ought to have listened to me and not to have sailed from Crete, and you would have escaped this disaster and loss.

For just last night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, stood by my side

It was now the fourteenth night and we were drifting on the Adriatic sea, when at midnight the sailors suspected that land was near.

Until day was about to break Paul kept begging them all to take something to eat. He said, "For fourteen days today you have been constantly waiting and going without food, not even taking a bite.

So I beg you to eat something, for it is necessary for your safety. For not a hair will be lost from the head of a single one of you."

When day broke, they could not recognize the land, but they spied a bay that had a beach, and determined, if possible, to run the ship ashore.

When the natives saw the reptile hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Beyond a doubt this man is a murderer, for though he has been rescued from the sea, justice will not let him live."

But the Jews objected, so I was forced to appeal to the Emperor; yet it was not because I had any charge to make against my own nation.