21 And it came to pass, at our sailing, having been parted from them, having run direct, we came to Coos, and the succeeding [day] to Rhodes, and thence to Patara,

² and having found a ship passing over to Phenicia, having gone on board, we sailed,

³ and having discovered Cyprus, and having left it on the left, we were sailing to Syria, and did land at Tyre, for there was the ship discharging the lading.

⁴ And having found out the disciples, we tarried there seven days, and they said to Paul, through the Spirit, not to go up to Jerusalem;

⁵ but when it came that we completed the days, having gone forth, we went on, all bringing us on the way, with women and children, unto the outside of the city, and having bowed the knees upon the shore, we prayed,

⁶ and having embraced one another, we embarked in the ship, and they returned to their own friends.

⁷ And we, having finished the course, from Tyre came down to Ptolemais, and having saluted the brethren, we remained one day with them;

⁸ and on the morrow Paul and his company having gone forth, we came to Cesarea, and having entered into the house of Philip the evangelist -- who is of the seven -- we remained with him,

⁹ and this one had four daughters, virgins, prophesying.

¹⁰ And we remaining many more days, there came down a certain one from Judea, a prophet, by name Agabus,

¹¹ and he having come unto us, and having taken up the girdle of Paul, having bound also his own hands and feet, said, `Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose is this girdle -- so shall the Jews in Jerusalem bind, and they shall deliver [him] up to the hands of nations.'

¹² And when we heard these things, we called upon [him] -- both we, and those of that place -- not to go up to Jerusalem,

¹³ and Paul answered, `What do ye -- weeping, and crushing mine heart? for I, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem, am ready, for the name of the Lord Jesus;'

¹⁴ and he not being persuaded, we were silent, saying, `The will of the Lord be done.'

¹⁵ And after these days, having taken [our] vessels, we were going up to Jerusalem,

¹⁶ and there went also of the disciples from Cesarea with us, bringing with them him with whom we may lodge, a certain Mnason of Cyprus, an aged disciple.

¹⁷ And we having come to Jerusalem, the brethren did gladly receive us,

¹⁸ and on the morrow Paul was going in with us unto James, all the elders also came,

¹⁹ and having saluted them, he was declaring, one by one, each of the things God did among the nations through his ministration,

²⁰ and they having heard, were glorifying the Lord. They said also to him, `Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law,

²¹ and they are instructed concerning thee, that apostacy from Moses thou dost teach to all Jews among the nations, saying -- Not to circumcise the children, nor after the customs to walk;

²² what then is it? certainly the multitude it behoveth to come together, for they will hear that thou hast come.

²³ `This, therefore, do that we say to thee: We have four men having a vow on themselves,

²⁴ these having taken, be purified with them, and be at expence with them, that they may shave the head, and all may know that the things of which they have been instructed concerning thee are nothing, but thou dost walk -- thyself also -- the law keeping.

²⁵ `And concerning those of the nations who have believed, we have written, having given judgment, that they observe no such thing, except to keep themselves both from idol-sacrifices, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom.'

²⁶ Then Paul, having taken the men, on the following day, with them having purified himself, was entering into the temple, announcing the fulfilment of the days of the purification, till the offering was offered for each one of them.

²⁷ And, as the seven days were about to be fully ended, the Jews from Asia having beheld him in the temple, were stirring up all the multitude, and they laid hands upon him,

²⁸ crying out, `Men, Israelites, help! this is the man who, against the people, and the law, and this place, all everywhere is teaching; and further, also, Greeks he brought into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place;'

²⁹ for they had seen before Trophimus, the Ephesian, in the city with him, whom they were supposing that Paul brought into the temple.

³⁰ All the city also was moved and there was a running together of the people, and having laid hold on Paul, they were drawing him out of the temple, and immediately were the doors shut,

³¹ and they seeking to kill him, a rumour came to the chief captain of the band that all Jerusalem hath been thrown into confusion,

³² who, at once, having taken soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them, and they having seen the chief captain and the soldiers, did leave off beating Paul.

³³ 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,

³⁴ and some were crying out one thing, and some another, among the multitude, and not being able to know the certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried to the castle,

³⁵ and when he came upon the steps, it happened he was borne by the soldiers, because of the violence of the multitude,

³⁶ for the crowd of the people was following after, crying, `Away with him.'

³⁷ And Paul being about to be led into the castle, saith to the chief captain, `Is it permitted to me to say anything unto thee?' and he said, `Greek dost thou know?

³⁸ 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?'

³⁹ And Paul said, `I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, of Tarsus of Cilicia, of no mean city a citizen; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.'

⁴⁰ And he having given him leave, Paul having stood upon the stairs, did beckon with the hand to the people, and there having been a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew dialect, saying:

22 `Men, brethren, and fathers, hear my defence now unto you;' --

² and they having heard that in the Hebrew dialect he was speaking to them, gave the more silence, and he saith, --

³ `I, indeed, am a man, a Jew, having been born in Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, having been taught according to the exactitude of a law of the fathers, being zealous of God, as all ye are to-day.

⁴ `And this way I persecuted unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women,

⁵ 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,

⁶ and it came to pass, in my going on and coming nigh to Damascus, about noon, suddenly out of the heaven there shone a great light round about me,

⁷ I fell also to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why me dost thou persecute?

⁸ `And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? and he said unto me, I am Jesus the Nazarene whom thou dost persecute --

⁹ and they who are with me the light did see, and became afraid, and the voice they heard not of him who is speaking to me --

¹⁰ and I said, What shall I do, Lord? and the Lord said unto me, Having risen, go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things that have been appointed for thee to do.

¹¹ `And when I did not see from the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who are with me, I came to Damascus,

¹² and a certain one, Ananias, a pious man according to the law, being testified to by all the Jews dwelling [there],

¹³ having come unto me and stood by [me], said to me, Saul, brother, look up; and I the same hour did look up to him;

¹⁴ and he said, The God of our fathers did choose thee beforehand to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice out of his mouth,

¹⁵ because thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard;

¹⁶ and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁷ `And it came to pass when I returned to Jerusalem, and while I was praying in the temple, I came into a trance,

¹⁸ and I saw him saying to me, Haste and go forth in haste out of Jerusalem, because they will not receive thy testimony concerning me;

¹⁹ and I said, Lord, they -- they know that I was imprisoning and was scourging in every synagogue those believing on thee;

²⁰ and when the blood of thy witness Stephen was being poured forth, I also was standing by and assenting to his death, and keeping the garments of those putting him to death;

²¹ and he said unto me, Go, because to nations far off I will send thee.'

²² And they were hearing him unto this word, and they lifted up their voice, saying, `Away from the earth with such an one; for it is not fit for him to live.'

²³ And they crying out and casting up their garments, and throwing dust into the air,

²⁴ the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, saying, `By scourges let him be examined;' that he might know for what cause they were crying so against him.

²⁵ 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;'

²⁶ and the centurion having heard, having gone near to the chief captain, told, saying, `Take heed what thou art about to do, for this man is a Roman;'

²⁷ and the chief captain having come near, said to him, `Tell me, art thou a Roman?' and he said, `Yes;'

²⁸ and the chief captain answered, `I, with a great sum, did obtain this citizenship;' but Paul said, `But I have been even born [so].'

²⁹ Immediately, therefore, they departed from him who are about to examine him, and the chief captain also was afraid, having learned that he is a Roman, and because he had bound him,

³⁰ and on the morrow, intending to know the certainty wherefore he is accused by the Jews, he did loose him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their sanhedrim to come, and having brought down Paul, he set [him] before them.