Bible in 90 Days
38 The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. 40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.(A)
A Short Ministry in Thessalonica
17 After they passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,(B) where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As usual, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,(C) 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”(D) 4 Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, including a large number of God-fearing Greeks, as well as a number of the leading women.(E)
Riot in the City
5 But the Jews became jealous, and they brought together some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. Attacking Jason’s house, they searched for them to bring them out to the public assembly.(F) 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too, 7 and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to Caesar’s decrees,(G) saying that there is another king—Jesus.”(H) 8 The crowd and city officials who heard these things were upset. 9 After taking a security bond from Jason and the others, they released them.
The Bereans Search the Scriptures
10 As soon as it was night, the brothers and sisters sent Paul and Silas away to Berea.(I) Upon arrival, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 The people here were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, since they received the word with eagerness and examined[a] the Scriptures(J) daily to see if these things were so. 12 Consequently, many of them believed, including a number of the prominent Greek women as well as men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul at Berea, they came there too, agitating and upsetting[b] the crowds. 14 Then the brothers and sisters immediately sent Paul away to go to the coast, but Silas and Timothy(K) stayed on there. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.(L)
Paul in Athens
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed when he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with those who worshiped God, as well as in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.(M) 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, “What is this ignorant show-off[c] trying to say?”
Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.(N)
19 They took him and brought him to the Areopagus,[d] and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you are presenting?(O) 20 Because what you say sounds strange to us, and we want to know what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there spent their time on nothing else but telling or hearing something new.
The Areopagus Address
22 Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said, “People of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. 23 For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it(P)—he is Lord of heaven and earth(Q)—does not live in shrines made by hands.(R) 25 Neither is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything,(S) since he himself gives everyone life and breath and all things.(T) 26 From one man[e] he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.(U) 27 He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.(V) 28 For in him we live and move and have our being, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’(W) 29 Since, then, we are God’s offspring, we shouldn’t think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image fashioned by human art and imagination.(X)
30 “Therefore, having overlooked(Y) the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”(Z)
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him, but others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.” 33 So Paul left their presence. 34 However, some people joined him and believed, including Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Founding the Corinthian Church
18 After this, he[f] left Athens and went to Corinth,(AA) 2 where he found a Jew named Aquila,(AB) a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them, 3 and since they were of the same occupation, tentmakers by trade,(AC) he stayed with them and worked. 4 He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath and tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks.(AD)
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word[g] and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.(AE) 6 When they resisted and blasphemed,(AF) he shook out his clothes(AG) and told them, “Your blood is on your own heads!(AH) I am innocent.[h] From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”(AI) 7 So he left there and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole household.(AJ) Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.
9 The Lord said to Paul in a night vision, “Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”(AK) 11 He stayed there a year and a half, teaching the word of God among them.
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack against Paul and brought him to the tribunal.(AL) 13 “This man,” they said, “is persuading people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14 As Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or of a serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you Jews. 15 But if these are questions about words, names, and your own law, see to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of such things.”(AM) 16 So he drove them from the tribunal. 17 And they all[i] seized Sosthenes,(AN) the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the tribunal, but none of these things mattered to Gallio.
The Return Trip to Antioch
18 After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.(AO) 19 When they reached Ephesus(AP) he left them there, but he himself entered the synagogue and debated with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer time, he declined, 21 but he said farewell and added,[j] “I’ll come back to you again, if God wills.”(AQ) Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 On landing at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church, then went down to Antioch.(AR)
23 After spending some time there, he set out, traveling through one place after another in the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.(AS)
The Eloquent Apollos
24 Now a Jew named Apollos,(AT) a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,[k] he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism.(AU) 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside[l] and explained the way of God to him more accurately.(AV) 27 When he wanted to cross over to Achaia, the brothers and sisters wrote to the disciples to welcome him. After he arrived, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.(AW) 28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.(AX)
Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples(AY) 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (AZ)
“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”(BA)
3 “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them.
“Into John’s baptism,” they replied.(BB)
4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,(BC) telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”(BD)
5 When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on(BE) them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues[m] and to prophesy.(BF) 7 Now there were about twelve men in all.
In the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus
8 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, arguing and persuading them about the kingdom of God.(BG) 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them, taking the disciples, and conducted discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.(BH) 10 This went on for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks,(BI) heard the word of the Lord.(BJ)
Demonism Defeated at Ephesus
11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or aprons[n] that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.(BK)
13 Now some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” (BL) 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 When this became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, they became afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus(BM) was held in high esteem.(BN)
18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic(BO) collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 In this way the word of the Lord spread and prevailed.(BP)
The Riot in Ephesus
21 After these events, Paul resolved by the Spirit[o] to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “It is necessary for me to see Rome as well.”(BQ) 22 After sending to Macedonia two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus,(BR) he himself stayed in Asia for a while.(BS)
23 About that time there was a major disturbance about the Way.(BT) 24 For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, provided a great deal of business for the craftsmen. 25 When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said, “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. 26 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.(BU) 27 Not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world worship.”
28 When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius(BV) and Aristarchus,(BW) Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 30 Although Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to venture[p] into the amphitheater. 32 Some were shouting one thing and some another,(BX) because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Some Jews in the crowd gave instructions to Alexander[q] after they pushed him to the front. Motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people.(BY) 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 When the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “People of Ephesus! What person is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great[r] Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our[s] goddess. 38 So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another.(BZ) 39 But if you seek anything further, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40 In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting(CA) for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disturbance.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
Paul in Macedonia
20 After the uproar was over, Paul sent for the disciples, encouraged them, and after saying farewell, departed to go to Macedonia.(CB) 2 And when he had passed through those areas and offered them many words of encouragement, he came to Greece 3 and stayed three months. The Jews plotted against him when he was about to set sail for Syria, and so he decided to go back through Macedonia.(CC) 4 He was accompanied[t] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus[u] from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy,(CD) and Tychicus(CE) and Trophimus(CF) from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas,(CG) 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread.(CH) In five days we reached them at Troas, where we spent seven days.
Eutychus Revived at Troas
7 On the first day of the week, we assembled to break bread.(CI) Paul spoke to them, and since he was about to depart the next day, he kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the room upstairs where we were assembled, 9 and a young man named Eutychus was sitting on a window sill and sank into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking. When he was overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down, bent over him, embraced him, and said, “Don’t be alarmed, because he’s alive.”(CJ) 11 After going upstairs, breaking the bread, and eating, Paul talked a long time until dawn. Then he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.
From Troas to Miletus
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul on board, because these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went on to Mitylene. 15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived off Chios. The following day we crossed over to Samos, and[v] the day after, we came to Miletus.(CK) 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the day of Pentecost.(CL)
Farewell Address to the Ephesian Elders
17 Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and summoned the elders of the church. 18 When they came to him, he said to them, “You know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,(CM) 19 serving the Lord with all humility, with tears, and during the trials that came to me through the plots of the Jews.(CN) 20 You know that I did not hesitate to proclaim anything to you that was profitable and to teach you publicly and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God(CO) and faith in our Lord Jesus.(CP)
22 “And now I am on my way to Jerusalem, compelled by the Spirit,[w] not knowing what I will encounter there,(CQ) 23 except that in every town the Holy Spirit warns me that chains and afflictions are waiting for me.(CR) 24 But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course[x] and the ministry(CS) I received from the Lord Jesus,(CT) to testify to the gospel of God’s grace.
25 “And now I know that none of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see me again. 26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent[y] of the blood of all of you,(CU) 27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God.(CV) 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock(CW) of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers,(CX) to shepherd the church of God,[z] which he purchased with his own blood.(CY) 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them.(CZ) 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears.(DA)
32 “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace,(DB) which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance(DC) among all who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.(DD) 34 You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who are with me.(DE) 35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
36 After he said this, he knelt down and prayed with all of them.(DF) 37 There were many tears shed by everyone. They embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 grieving most of all over his statement that they would never see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.(DG)
Warnings on the Journey to Jerusalem
21 After(DH) we tore ourselves away from them, we set sail straight for Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. 2 Finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we boarded and set sail. 3 After we sighted Cyprus, passing to the south of it,[aa] we sailed on to Syria and arrived at Tyre, since the ship was to unload its cargo there. 4 We sought out the disciples and stayed there seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.(DI) 5 When our time had come to an end, we left to continue our journey, while all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach to pray, 6 we said farewell to one another and boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 When we completed our voyage[ab] from Tyre, we reached Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day.(DJ) 8 The next day we left and came to Caesarea, where we entered the house of Philip(DK) the evangelist,(DL) who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him. 9 This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.(DM)
10 After we had been there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him over to the Gentiles.’”(DN) 12 When we heard this, both we and the local people pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”(DO)
14 Since he would not be persuaded, we said no more except, “The Lord’s will be done.”(DP)
Conflict over the Gentile Mission
15 After this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.(DQ)
17 When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us warmly.(DR) 18 The following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.(DS) 19 After greeting them, he reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.(DT)
20 When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous(DU) for the law. 21 But they have been informed about you—that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to live according to our customs.(DV) 22 So what is to be done?[ac] They will certainly hear that you’ve come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.(DW) 25 With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that[ad] they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”
The Riot in the Temple
26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.(DX) 27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and seized him,(DY) 28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”(DZ) 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.(EA)
30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.(EB)
31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in chaos. 32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains.(EC) He asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.(ED) 35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for the mass of people followed, yelling, “Get rid of him!” (EE)
Paul’s Defense before the Jerusalem Mob
37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?”
He replied, “You know how to speak Greek? 38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the wilderness?” (EF)
39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia,(EG) a citizen of an important city. Now I ask you, let me speak to the people.”
40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in Aramaic:[ae](EH)
22 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.” 2 When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic,[af] they became even quieter.(EI) 3 He(EJ) continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel(EK) according to the strictness of our ancestral law. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.(EL) 4 I persecuted this Way(EM) to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,(EN) 5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished.(EO)
Paul’s Testimony
6 “As(EP) I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’
8 “I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 Now those who were with me saw the light,[ag] but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.(EQ)
10 “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord?’
“The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’
11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light,[ah] I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.(ER) 12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good reputation with all the Jews living there,(ES) 13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him. 14 And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed(ET) you to know his will, to see(EU) the Righteous One,(EV) and to hear the words from his mouth, 15 since you will be a witness for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.(EW) 16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins,(EX) calling on his name.’(EY)
17 “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance(EZ) 18 and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19 “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.(FA) 20 And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval[ai] and guarding the clothes of those who killed him.’(FB)
21 “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”(FC)
Paul’s Roman Protection
22 They listened to him up to this point. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this man off the face of the earth! He should not be allowed to live!” (FD)
23 As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air,(FE) 24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this. 25 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?” (FF)
26 When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”
27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”
“Yes,” he said.
28 The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”
“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.
29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.(FG)
Paul before the Sanhedrin
30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him[aj] and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene.(FH) He brought Paul down and placed him before them.
23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience(FI) to this day.” 2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.(FJ) 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be struck?” (FK)
4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare revile God’s high priest?”
5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul. “For it is written, You must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”[ak](FL) 6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.(FM) I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead!” (FN) 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection,(FO) and neither angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’(FP) party got up and argued vehemently, “We find nothing evil in this man.(FQ) What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” [al](FR)
10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.(FS) 11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”(FT)
The Plot against Paul
12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.(FU) 13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot. 14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you[am] as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to kill him.”(FV)
16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”
18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”
20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him. 21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush—men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”(FW)
22 So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”
To Caesarea by Night
23 He summoned two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.[an](FX) 24 Also provide mounts to ride so that Paul may be brought safely to Felix the governor.”
25 He wrote the following letter:[ao]
26 Claudius Lysias,
To the most excellent governor Felix:
Greetings.(FY)
27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.(FZ) 28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin. 29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law,(GA) and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.(GB) 30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man,[ap](GC) I sent him to you right away. I also ordered his accusers(GD) to state their case against him in your presence.[aq]
31 So the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered. 32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him. 33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.(GE) 34 After he[ar] read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,(GF) 35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.[as](GG)
The Accusation against Paul
24 Five days later Ananias(GH) the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.(GI) 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said, “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight. 3 We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent(GJ) Felix, with utmost gratitude. 4 But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing. 5 For we have found this man to be a plague,(GK) an agitator(GL) among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.(GM) 6 He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him.[at] 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.
Paul’s Defense before Felix
10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.(GN) 11 You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.(GO) 12 They didn’t find me arguing with anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.(GP) 13 Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me. 14 But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way,(GQ) which they call a sect, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.(GR) 15 I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection,[au](GS) both of the righteous and the unrighteous.(GT) 16 I always strive to have a clear conscience(GU) toward God and men. 17 After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people.(GV) 18 While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.(GW) 19 It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me. 20 Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21 other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”
The Verdict Postponed
22 Since Felix was well informed about the Way,(GX) he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from meeting[av] his needs.(GY)
24 Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus. 25 Now as he spoke about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come,(GZ) Felix became afraid and replied, “Leave for now, but when I have an opportunity I’ll call for you.” 26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money.[aw] So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.
27 After two years had passed, Porcius Festus(HA) succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor,(HB) he left Paul in prison.(HC)
Appeal to Caesar
25 Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.(HD) 2 The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,(HE) 3 asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, in fact, preparing an ambush along the road to kill him. 4 Festus, however, answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.(HF) 5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who have authority go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”
6 When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the tribunal, he commanded Paul to be brought in.(HG) 7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove.(HH) 8 Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law,(HI) nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in any way.”
9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor,(HJ) replied to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”
10 Paul replied, “I am standing at Caesar’s tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well. 11 If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” (HK)
12 Then after Festus conferred with his council, he replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
King Agrippa and Bernice Visit Festus
13 Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus. 14 Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned.(HL) 16 I answered them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up[ax] before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges.(HM) 17 So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat at the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. 18 The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evils I was expecting. 19 Instead they had some disagreements(HN) with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive. 20 Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters. 21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor,[ay] I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.”
“Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.(HO)
Paul before Agrippa
23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice(HP) came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. 24 Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.(HQ) 25 I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.(HR) 26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”
Paul’s Defense before Agrippa
26 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”
Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense: 2 “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews, 3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.(HS) 5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.(HT) 6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope(HU) in what God promised(HV) to our ancestors, 7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.(HW) 8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead? 9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(HX) 10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I was in agreement against them.(HY) 11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to make them blaspheme.(HZ) Since I was terribly enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
Paul’s Account of His Conversion and Commission
12 “I was traveling to Damascus under(IA) these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests. 13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in Aramaic,[az] ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’(IB)
15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(IC) 17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them(ID) 18 to open their eyes(IE) so that they may turn[ba] from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(IF)
19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.(IG) 21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to kill me. 22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place(IH)— 23 that the Messiah would suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”(II)
Agrippa Not Quite Persuaded
24 As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind,(IJ) Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”
25 But Paul replied, “I’m not out of my mind, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment.(IK) 26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak boldly to him. For I am convinced that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”
28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?” [bb]
29 “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty,[bc] not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”(IL)
30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up, 31 and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”(IM)
32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(IN)
Sailing for Rome
27 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.[bd](IO) 2 When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.(IP) 3 The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.(IQ) 4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast[be] of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.(IR) 6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7 Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone. 8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Paul’s Advice Ignored
9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement[bf](IS) was already over, Paul gave his advice 10 and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” 11 But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.(IT) 12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete(IU) facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.
Storm-Tossed Ship
13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 But before long, a fierce wind called the “northeaster” rushed down from the island. 15 Since the ship was caught and unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 After running under the shelter of a little island called Cauda,[bg] we were barely able to get control of the skiff. 17 After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along. 18 Because we were being severely battered by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo the next day.(IV) 19 On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved.
21 Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul then stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss. 22 Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship. 23 For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me(IW) 24 and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. It is necessary for you to appear before Caesar. And indeed, God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.(IX) 26 But we have to run aground on some island.”(IY)
27 When the fourteenth night came, we were drifting in the Adriatic Sea, and about midnight the sailors thought they were approaching land. 28 They took soundings and found it to be a hundred twenty feet[bh] deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be ninety feet[bi] deep. 29 Then, fearing we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight to come. 30 Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow. 31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” 32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes holding the skiff and let it drop away.
33 When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing. 34 So I urge you to take some food. For this is for your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.”(IZ) 35 After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and after he broke it, he began to eat.(JA) 36 They all were encouraged and took food themselves. 37 In all there were 276 of us on the ship.(JB) 38 When they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing the grain overboard into the sea.
Shipwreck
39 When daylight came, they did not recognize the land but sighted a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore if they could.(JC) 40 After cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach. 41 But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow jammed fast and remained immovable, while the stern began to break up by the pounding of the waves. 42 The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape. 43 But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, and so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44 The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.(JD)
Malta’s Hospitality
28 Once safely ashore, we(JE) then learned that the island was called Malta.(JF) 2 The local people(JG) showed us extraordinary kindness. They lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold. 3 As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 4 When the local people saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man, no doubt, is a murderer. Even though he has escaped the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”(JH) 5 But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm.(JI) 6 They expected that he would begin to swell up or suddenly drop dead. After they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.(JJ)
Ministry in Malta
7 Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days. 8 Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him.(JK) 9 After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were healed. 10 So they heaped many honors on us, and when we sailed, they gave us what we needed.
Rome at Last
11 After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Gods[bj] as its figurehead. 12 Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed three days. 13 From there, after making a circuit along the coast,[bk] we reached Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and the second day we came to Puteoli. 14 There we found brothers and sisters(JL) and were invited to stay a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 Now the brothers and sisters from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. 16 When we entered Rome,[bl] Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.(JM)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.