And as he was stretching him with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who was standing by, 'A man, a Roman, uncondemned -- is it lawful to you to scourge;'

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

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

And Paul, perceiving that the one part was of the Sadducees, and the other of the Pharisees, was crying out in the Sanhedrin, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; concerning the hope and resurrection from the dead, I am being judged."

And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.

for the Sadducees maintain, there is neither resurrection, nor angel, or spirit, whereas the Pharisees acknowledge both: the clamour was great,

And there was a great clamour, and the scribes of the Pharisees' part rising up contended, saying, We find nothing evil in this man; and if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel ...

But when the struggle was becoming violent, the Tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by the people, ordered the troops to go down and take him from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

The Commanding Officer took the lad by the hand, and, stepping aside, asked what it was he had to tell him.

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].

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.

having been informed he was a Roman, I had him brought before their Sanhedrim, to hear what crime they laid to his charge.

and I discovered that he was accused in regard to questions and issues in their Law, but [he was] under no accusation that would call for the penalty of death or [even] for imprisonment.

And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia;

he said, "I will go into your case whenever your accusers arrive," giving orders that he was to be kept in the praetorium of Herod.

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,

Who, in addition, was attempting to make the Temple unclean: whom we took,

The Jews likewise affirmed, saying that it was even so.

[While there] I was not observed arguing with anyone or trying to stir up a crowd [to riot] in the Temple or in the synagogues or [anywhere else] in the city.

Now after many years absence I was returned bringing alms to my countrymen, and oblations [to the temple].

Whereupon they found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult. But it was certain Jews from Asia,

Or let these men here present say what wrongdoing was seen in me when I was before the Sanhedrin,

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.'"

Since Felix was accurately informed about the Way, he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.”

And he gave orders to the Captain that Paul was to be kept in custody, but be treated with indulgence, and that his personal friends were not to be prevented from showing him kindness.

And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.

and at the same time also hoping that money shall be given to him by Paul, that he may release him, therefore, also sending for him the oftener, he was conversing with him;

But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart thither'shortly.

And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

Paul's answer to the charge was--'I have not committed any offence against the Jewish Law, or the Temple, or the Emperor.'

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.

Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment 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.

concerning whom the accusers, having stood up, were bringing against him no accusation of the things I was thinking of,

But had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?

And Agrippa said unto Festus, 'I was wishing also myself to hear the man;' and he said, 'To-morrow thou shalt hear him;'

And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth.

And Festus says, "King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye behold this man, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that it was not proper that he should live any longer.

And Agrippa said unto Paul, 'It is permitted to thee to speak for thyself;' then Paul having stretched forth the hand, was making a defence:

My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

For they all know me of old--if they would but testify to the fact--how, being an adherent of the strictest sect of our religion, my life was that of a Pharisee.

And now I stand arraigned for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers:

“So then, I [once] thought to myself that it was my duty to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

And that was how I acted in Jerusalem. Armed with authority received from the High Priests I shut up many of God's people in various prisons, and when they were about to be put to death I gave my vote against them.

and in every synagogue, often punishing them, I was constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was also persecuting them even unto strange cities.

And when, engaged in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,

On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for, for this was I sent to thee, to take thee in hand, a servant and witness both of what things thou sawest, and of what I shall be seen to thee;

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:

but to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem, to all the region also of Judea, and to the nations, I was preaching to reform, and to turn back unto God, doing works worthy of reformation;

"It was on this account that the Jews seized me in the Temple and tried to kill me.

I have experienced help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except what the prophets and Moses said was going to happen:

that the Christ was to suffer [and] that [as] the first of the resurrection from the dead, he was going to proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles."

And [as] he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, "You are out of your mind, Paul! [Your] great learning {is driving} you {insane}!"

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.

But Agrippa said to Festus, This man was able to have been released, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.

And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

And on the day after, we came to Sidon; and Julius was kind to Paul, and let him go to see his friends and take a rest.

And sailing again from there, we went on under cover of Cyprus, because the wind was against us.

And when we had gone on slowly for a long time, and had had hard work getting across to Cnidus, for the wind was against us, we went under cover of Crete, in the direction of Salmone;

And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them,

But the centurion believed rather the helmsman and the shipowner than what was said by Paul.

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.

When the south wind began to blow gently, they raised anchor, thinking this was the opportunity they had hoped for, [then] sailed close to the coastline of [southern] Crete.

But it was not long before a furious north-east wind, coming down from the mountains, burst upon us and carried the ship out of her course.

And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

And, sailing near the side of a small island named Cauda, we were able, though it was hard work, to make the ship's boat safe:

once it was hoisted aboard, they used ropes to undergird the ship, and in fear of being stranded on the Syrtis they lowered the sail and lay to.

But, as the storm was still violent, the next day they began to lighten the ship;

On the third day, they handed [the rest of] the ship's gear to each other, and threw it overboard [Note: This was perhaps furniture, rigging, sails, baggage, etc.].

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

It was then, when they had gone a long time without food, that Paul came forward, and said: "My friends, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and so incurred this injury and damage.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;

And they let down the lead, and saw that the sea was a hundred and twenty feet deep; and after a little time they did it again and it was ninety feet.

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.

Everyone was encouraged and had something to eat.

(The total number of us aboard the ship was

And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

And slipping the anchors, they left [them] in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes of the steering oars. And hoisting the foresail to the [wind] that was blowing, they held course for the beach.

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.

And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.

and [he commanded] the rest to follow, some on [floating] planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it was that all of them were brought safely to land.

And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita.

But the barbarians shewed us no common kindness; for, having kindled a fire, they took us all in because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper crawled out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

And when the local people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Doubtless this man is a murderer whom, [although he] was rescued from the sea, Justice has not permitted to live!"