And [after we] sighted Cyprus and left it behind {on the port side}, we sailed to Syria and arrived at Tyre, because the ship was to unload [its] cargo there.

And on the next day we departed [and] came to Caesarea, and entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was [one] of the seven, [and] stayed with him.

And the whole city was stirred up, and the people came running together, and they seized Paul [and] dragged him outside of the temple [courts], and immediately the doors were shut.

And [as they] were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

Then the military tribune came up [and] arrested him and ordered [him] to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what it was that he had done.

But some in the crowd were shouting one thing [and] others [another], and [because] he was not able to find out the truth on account of the commotion, he gave orders to bring him into the barracks.

for the crowd of people was following [them], shouting, "Away with him!"

And [as he] was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the military tribune, "Is it permitted for me to say something to you?" And he said, "Do you know Greek?

So [when] he permitted [him], Paul, standing there on the steps, motioned with [his] hand to the people. And [when there] was a great silence, he addressed [them] in the Aramaic language, saying,

And [when they] heard that he was addressing them in the Aramaic language, {they became even more silent}. And he said,

as indeed the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me, from whom also I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, [and] was traveling [there] to lead away those who were there also tied up to Jerusalem so that they could be punished.

"And it happened that [as] I was traveling and approaching Damascus around noon, suddenly a very bright light from heaven flashed around me,

(Now those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.)

And now why are you delaying? Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name!'

"And it happened that [when] I returned to Jerusalem and I was praying in the temple courts, I was in a trance,

And I said, 'Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue [to synagogue] I was imprisoning and beating those who believed in you.

And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself also was standing near and was approving, and was guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.'

the military tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying he was to be examined with a lash so that he could find out for what reason they were crying out against him in this way.

And the military tribune replied, "I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money." And Paul said, "But I indeed was born [a citizen].

Then immediately those who were about to examine him kept away from him, and the military tribune also was afraid [when he] realized that he was a Roman citizen and that {he had tied him up}.

But on the next day, [because he] wanted to know the true [reason] why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble, and he brought down Paul [and] had [him] stand before them.

And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You must not speak evil [of] a ruler of your people.'"

And [when] he said this, a dispute developed between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

And there was loud shouting, and some of the scribes from the party of the Pharisees stood up [and] contended sharply, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man! But [what] if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

And [when it] was day, the Jews made a conspiracy [and] bound themselves under a curse, saying [they would] neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them [when I] came upon [them] with the detachment [and] rescued [him], [because I] learned that he was a Roman citizen.

I found {he} was accused concerning controversial questions of their law, but having no charge deserving death or imprisonment.

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.

So [after] reading [the letter] and asking what province he was from, and learning that [he was] from Cilicia,

And after some days, [when] Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him concerning faith in Christ Jesus.

And [while] he was discussing about righteousness and self control and the judgment that is to come, Felix became afraid [and] replied, "Go away for the present, and [when I] have an opportunity, I will summon you."

At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason also he sent for him as often as possible [and] talked with him.

Then Festus replied [that] Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and [he] himself was about to go [there] in a short time.

concerning whom [when] I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented evidence, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.

To {them} I replied that it was not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before the one who had been accused met [his] accusers face to [face] and received an opportunity for a defense concerning the accusation.

[When they] stood up, [his] accusers began bringing no charge concerning {him} of the evil deeds that I was suspecting,

but they had some issues with him concerning their own religion, and concerning a certain Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive.

And [because] I was at a loss with regard to the investigation concerning these [things], I asked if he was willing to go to Jerusalem and to be judged there concerning these [things].

So on the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pageantry and entered into the audience hall, along with military tribunes and the most prominent men of the city. And [when] Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in.

Indeed, I myself thought it was necessary to do many [things] opposed to the name of Jesus the Nazarene,

And throughout all the synagogues I punished them often [and] tried to force [them] to blaspheme, and [because I] was enraged at them beyond measure, I was pursuing [them] even as far as to foreign cities.

In {this activity} I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and full power of the chief priests.

"Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

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 knows about these [things], to whom also I am speaking freely, for I am not convinced [that] these [things] in any way have escaped his notice, because this {was} not {done} in a corner.

And when it was decided [that] we would sail away to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion {named} Julius of the Augustan Cohort.

And we went aboard a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to the places along the [coast] of Asia [and] put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.

And sailing along its coast with difficulty, we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near which was the town [of] Lasea.

And [because] considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul strongly recommended,

But the centurion was convinced even more by the shipmaster and the shipowner than by what was said by Paul.

And [because] the harbor was unsuitable for spending the winter in, the majority decided on a plan to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could arrive at Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing toward the southwest and toward the northwest, to spend the winter [there].

And [when] the ship was caught and [was] not able to head into the wind, we gave way [and] were driven [along].

But [when] neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and [with] not a little bad weather confronting [us], finally all hope was abandoned [that] we would be saved.

Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will be like this--according to {the} way it was told to me.

And until the day was about to come, Paul was urging [them] all to take [some] food, saying, "Today [is the] fourteenth day you have waited [anxiously], [and] you have continued without eating, having taken nothing.

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.

But falling into a place of crosscurrents, they ran the ship aground. And the bow stuck fast [and] stayed immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence.

Now the plan of the soldiers was that they would kill the prisoners lest any escape [by] swimming away,

and [then] the rest, [some] of whom [floated] on planks and [some] of whom on anything [that was] from the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to the land.

And [after we] were brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

And [when] Paul had gathered a large number of sticks and was placing [them] on the fire, a viper came 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!"

But they were expecting [that] he was going to swell up or suddenly to fall down dead. So [after] they had waited for a long [time] and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds [and] began saying [that] he was a god.

And it happened that the father of Publius was lying down, afflicted with fever and dysentery. Paul went to {him} and [after] praying, he placed [his] hands on him [and] healed him.

And when we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.

Now it happened that after three days, he called together those who were the most prominent of the Jews. And [when] they had assembled, he said to them, "Men [and] brothers, [although] I had done nothing against [our] people or the customs of our fathers, from Jerusalem I was delivered [as] a prisoner into the hands of the Romans,

who, [when they] had examined me, were wanting to release [me], because there was no basis for an accusation [worthy] of death with me.

But [because] the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar (not as [if I] had any [charge] to bring against my [own] people).

And [when they] had set a day with him, many more came to him at his lodging place, to whom he was explaining from early in the morning until evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and attempting to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.

And [some] were convinced [by] what was said, but [others] refused to believe.

concerning his Son, who was born {a descendant} of David according to the flesh,

who was declared Son of God in power according to {the Holy Spirit} by the resurrection from the dead of Jesus Christ our Lord,

Now I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, that often I intended to come to you, and was prevented until now, in order that I might have some fruit among you also, just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.

and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

For what does the scripture say? "And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness."

Therefore, [is] this blessing for {those who are circumcised}, or also for {those who are uncircumcised}? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness."

How then was it credited? [While he] was {circumcised} or {uncircumcised}? Not {while circumcised} but {while uncircumcised}!

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants, [that] he would be heir of the world, [was] not through the law, but through the righteousness by faith.

who against hope believed in hope, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was said, "so will your descendants be."

And not being weak in faith, he considered his own body as good as dead, [because he] was approximately a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb.

And he did not waver in unbelief at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God

and being fully convinced that what he had promised, he was also able to do.

Therefore it was credited to him for righteousness.

But it was not written for the sake of him alone that it was credited to him,

who was handed over on account of our trespasses, and was raised up in the interest of our justification.

and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not charged to one's account [when there] is no law.

Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance,

Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we may live {a new way of life}.

knowing this, that our old man was crucified together with [him], in order that the body of sin may be done away with, [that] we may no longer be enslaved to sin.

So then, my brothers, you also were brought to death with respect to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.

And I was alive once, apart from the law, but [when] the commandment came, sin sprang to life

and I died, and this commandment which [was] to [lead to] life was found with respect to me to [lead to] death.

Therefore, [did that which is] good become death to me? May it never be! Rather [it was] sin, in order that it might be recognized [as] sin, producing death through [what is] good for me, in order that sin might become sinful to an extraordinary degree through the commandment.

For what [was] impossible for the law, in that it was weak through the flesh, God [did]. [By] sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

Who [is] the one who condemns? Christ [is] the one who died, and more than that, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

not by works but by the one who calls--it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger,"

And it will be in the place where it was said to them, 'You [are] not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"