21 After tearing ourselves away from them and putting out to sea, we ran with a straight course and came to Cos, on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Pat′a·ra. 2 When we found a ship that was crossing to Phoe·ni′cia, we went aboard and sailed away. 3 After coming in sight of the island of Cy′prus, we left it behind on the left side* and sailed on to Syria and landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo. 4 We searched for and found the disciples and remained there for seven days. But through the spirit they repeatedly told Paul not to set foot in Jerusalem.+ 5 So when our time there was over, we left and started on our way, but they all, together with the women and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed 6 and said good-bye to one another. Then we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their homes.
7 We then completed the voyage from Tyre and arrived at Ptol·e·ma′is, and we greeted the brothers and stayed one day with them. 8 The next day we left and came to Caes·a·re′a, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelizer, who was one of the seven men,+ and we stayed with him. 9 This man had four unmarried* daughters who prophesied.+ 10 But after we had stayed there for quite a number of days, a prophet named Ag′a·bus+ came down from Ju·de′a. 11 And he came to us and took Paul’s belt and tied his own feet and hands and said: “Thus says the holy spirit, ‘The man to whom this belt belongs will be bound like this by the Jews in Jerusalem,+ and they will give him into the hands of people of the nations.’”+ 12 Now when we heard this, both we and those who were there began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered: “What are you doing by weeping and trying to weaken my resolve?* Rest assured, I am ready not only to be bound but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”+ 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we stopped objecting* and said: “Let the will of Jehovah* take place.”
15 Now after these days we prepared for the journey and started on our way to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from Caes·a·re′a also went with us, taking us to Mna′son of Cy′prus, an early disciple at whose home we were to be guests. 17 When we got to Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. 18 But on the following day Paul went in with us to James,+ and all the elders were present. 19 And he greeted them and began giving a detailed account of the things God did among the nations through his ministry.
20 After hearing this, they began to glorify God, but they said to him: “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all zealous for the Law.+ 21 But they have heard it rumored about you that you have been teaching all the Jews among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow the customary practices.+ 22 What, then, is to be done about it? They are certainly going to hear that you have arrived. 23 So do what we tell you: We have four men who have put themselves under a vow. 24 Take these men with you and cleanse yourself ceremonially together with them and take care of their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the rumors they were told about you, but that you are walking orderly and you are also keeping the Law.+ 25 As for the believers from among the nations, we have sent them our decision in writing that they should keep away from what is sacrificed to idols+ as well as from blood,+ from what is strangled,*+ and from sexual immorality.”*+
26 Then Paul took the men the next day and cleansed himself ceremonially along with them,+ and he went into the temple to give notice of when the days for the ceremonial cleansing would be completed and the offering should be presented for each one of them.
27 Now when the seven days were about to end, the Jews from Asia, on seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and they seized him, 28 shouting: “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our Law and this place. And what is more, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.”+ 29 For they had previously seen Troph′i·mus+ the E·phe′sian in the city with him, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 The whole city was in an uproar, and the people came running together and seized Paul and dragged him outside the temple, and immediately the doors were closed. 31 While they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the army unit that all Jerusalem was in confusion; 32 and he immediately took soldiers and army officers and ran down to them. When they caught sight of the military commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the military commander came near and took him into custody and ordered that he be bound with two chains;+ then he inquired who he was and what he had done. 34 But some in the crowd began shouting out one thing, and others something else. So being unable himself to learn anything for certain because of the disturbance, he commanded him to be brought to the soldiers’ quarters. 35 But when he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd, 36 for a crowd of the people kept following, crying out: “Do away with him!”
37 As he was about to be led into the soldiers’ quarters, Paul said to the military commander: “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He said: “Can you speak Greek? 38 Are you not, then, the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a sedition and led the 4,000 dagger men out into the wilderness?” 39 Then Paul said: “I am, in fact, a Jew,+ of Tarsus+ in Ci·li′cia, a citizen of no obscure city. So I beg you, permit me to speak to the people.” 40 After he gave permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned with his hand to the people. When a great silence fell, he addressed them in the Hebrew language,+ saying:
22 “Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense to you now.”+ 2 Well, when they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew language, they kept all the more silent, and he said: 3 “I am a Jew,+ born in Tarsus of Ci·li′cia,+ but educated in this city at the feet of Ga·ma′li·el,+ instructed according to the strictness of the ancestral Law,+ and zealous for God just as all of you are this day.+ 4 I persecuted this Way to the point of death, binding and handing over to prisons both men and women,+ 5 as the high priest and all the assembly of elders can bear witness. From them I also obtained letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to bring those who were there in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished.
6 “But as I was traveling and getting near to Damascus, about midday, suddenly out of heaven a great light flashed all around me,+ 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me: ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 I answered: ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said to me: ‘I am Jesus the Naz·a·rene′, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 Now the men who were with me did see the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one speaking to me. 10 At that I said: ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me: ‘Rise, go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything it is appointed for you to do.’+ 11 But since I could not see anything because of the glory of that light, I arrived in Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me.
12 “Then a man named An·a·ni′as, a devout man according to the Law, well-reported-on by all the Jews living there, 13 came to me. He stood by me and said to me: ‘Saul, brother, regain your sight!’ And that very moment I looked up and saw him.+ 14 He said: ‘The God of our forefathers has chosen you to come to know his will and to see the righteous one+ and to hear the voice of his mouth, 15 because you are to be a witness for him to all men of the things you have seen and heard.+ 16 And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized, and wash your sins+ away by your calling on his name.’+
17 “But when I had returned to Jerusalem+ and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me: ‘Hurry up and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your witness concerning me.’+ 19 And I said: ‘Lord, they themselves well know that I used to imprison and flog in one synagogue after another those believing in you;+ 20 and when the blood of Stephen your witness was being spilled, I was standing by and approving and guarding the outer garments of those doing away with him.’+ 21 And yet he said to me: ‘Go, because I will send you out to nations far away.’”+
22 Now they kept listening to him down to this word. Then they raised their voices, saying: “Take such a man away from the earth, for he is not fit to live!” 23 Because they were crying out, throwing their outer garments about, and tossing dust into the air,+ 24 the military commander ordered Paul to be brought into the soldiers’ quarters and said that he should be interrogated under scourging, so that he could learn exactly why they were shouting against Paul this way. 25 But when they had stretched him out for the whipping, Paul said to the army officer standing there: “Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman* who has not been condemned?”*+ 26 Well, when the army officer heard this, he went to the military commander and reported it, saying: “What are you intending to do? For this man is a Roman.” 27 So the military commander approached and said to him: “Tell me, are you a Roman?” He said: “Yes.” 28 The military commander responded: “I purchased these rights as a citizen for a large sum of money.” Paul said: “But I have them by birth.”+
29 Immediately, therefore, the men who were about to interrogate him under torture backed away from him; and the military commander became afraid when he realized that he was a Roman and that he had bound him in chains.+
30 So the next day, because he wanted to know for sure just why he was being accused by the Jews, he released him and commanded the chief priests and all the San′he·drin to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand among them.+
23 Looking intently at the San′he·drin, Paul said: “Men, brothers, I have behaved before God with a perfectly clear conscience+ down to this day.” 2 At this the high priest An·a·ni′as ordered those standing by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him: “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall. Do you sit to judge me according to the Law and at the same time violate the Law by commanding me to be struck?” 4 Those standing by said: “Are you insulting the high priest of God?” 5 And Paul said: “Brothers, I did not know he was high priest. For it is written, ‘You must not speak injuriously of a ruler of your people.’”+
6 Now Paul, knowing that the one part was made up of Sadducees but the other of Pharisees, cried out in the San′he·drin: “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee,+ a son of Pharisees. Over the hope of the resurrection of the dead I am being judged.” 7 Because he said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was split. 8 For the Sadducees say that there is neither resurrection nor angel nor spirit, but the Pharisees accept* them all.+ 9 So a great uproar broke out, and some of the scribes of the party of the Pharisees rose and began arguing fiercely, saying: “We find nothing wrong in this man, but if a spirit or an angel spoke to him+—.” 10 Now when the dissension grew great, the military commander feared that Paul would be torn apart by them, and he commanded the soldiers to go down and snatch him from their midst and bring him into the soldiers’ quarters.
11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said: “Take courage!+ For just as you have been giving a thorough witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”+
12 When it became day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. 13 There were more than 40 men who formed this oath-bound conspiracy. 14 These men went to the chief priests and the elders and said: “We have solemnly bound ourselves with a curse* not to eat anything at all until we have killed Paul. 15 So now you together with the San′he·drin should inform the military commander that he should bring him down to you as though you want to examine his case more thoroughly. But before he gets near, we will be ready to do away with him.”
16 However, the son of Paul’s sister heard of the ambush they were planning, and he entered the soldiers’ quarters and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul then called one of the army officers to him and said: “Take this young man to the military commander, for he has something to report to him.” 18 So he brought him and led him to the military 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 military commander took him by the hand and withdrew privately and asked him: “What do you have to report to me?” 20 He said: “The Jews have agreed to request you to bring Paul down to the San′he·drin tomorrow, as though they intend to learn more details about his case.+ 21 But do not let them persuade you, for more than 40 of their men are waiting to ambush him, and they have bound themselves with a curse* neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed him;+ and they are now ready, waiting for the promise from you.” 22 So the military commander let the young man go, after ordering him: “Do not tell anyone that you have informed me of this.”
23 And he summoned two of the army officers and said: “Get 200 soldiers ready to march clear to Caes·a·re′a, also 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night.* 24 Also, provide horses for Paul to ride, to take him safely to Felix the governor.” 25 And he wrote a letter with this content:
26 “Claudius Lys′i·as to His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings! 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, but I came quickly with my soldiers and rescued him,+ because I learned that he is a Roman.+ 28 And wanting to find out the cause for which they were accusing him, I brought him down into their San′he·drin.+ 29 I found him to be accused about questions of their Law,+ but not charged with a single thing deserving of death or prison bonds. 30 But because a plot against the man has been made known to me,+ I am at once sending him to you and ordering the accusers to speak against him before you.”
31 So these soldiers took Paul+ according to their orders and brought him by night to An·tip′a·tris. 32 The next day they permitted the horsemen to go on with him, but they returned to the soldiers’ quarters. 33 The horsemen entered Caes·a·re′a and delivered the letter to the governor and also presented Paul to him. 34 So he read it and asked what province he was from and learned that he was from Ci·li′cia.+ 35 “I will give you a thorough hearing,” he said, “when your accusers arrive.”+ And he commanded that he be kept under guard in Herod’s palace.*
24 Five days later the high priest An·a·ni′as+ came down with some elders and a public speaker* named Ter·tul′lus, and they presented their case against Paul to the governor.+ 2 When he was called, Ter·tul′lus started accusing him, saying:
“Seeing that we enjoy great peace through you and that through your forethought reforms are taking place in this nation, 3 at all times and also in all places we acknowledge this, Your Excellency Felix, with the greatest thankfulness. 4 But that I may not detain you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly in your kindness. 5 For we have found this man to be a pest,*+ stirring up seditions+ among all the Jews throughout the inhabited earth, and he is a spearhead of the sect of the Naz·a·renes′.+ 6 He also tried to profane the temple, so we seized him.+ 7* —— 8 When you examine him yourself, you will find out about all these things of which we are accusing him.”
9 With that the Jews also joined in the attack, asserting that these things were true. 10 When the governor nodded to Paul to speak, he answered:
“Knowing well that this nation has had you as judge for many years, I readily speak in my own defense.+ 11 As you can verify for yourself, it has not been more than 12 days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem;+ 12 and they found me neither arguing with anyone in the temple nor stirring up a mob, either in the synagogues or throughout the city. 13 Nor can they prove to you the things they are accusing me of right now. 14 But I do admit this to you, that according to the way that they call a sect, in this manner I am rendering sacred service to the God of my forefathers,+ as I believe all the things set forth in the Law and written in the Prophets.+ 15 And I have hope toward God, which hope these men also look forward to, that there is going to be a resurrection+ of both the righteous and the unrighteous.+ 16 Because of this I always strive to maintain a clear* conscience before God and men.+ 17 Now after quite a number of years, I arrived to bring gifts of mercy+ to my nation and to make offerings. 18 While I was caring for these matters, they found me ceremonially cleansed in the temple,+ but not with a crowd or causing a disturbance. But there were some Jews from the province of Asia 19 who ought to be present before you to accuse me if they actually have anything against me.+ 20 Or let the men here say for themselves what wrong they found as I stood before the San′he·drin, 21 except for this one thing that I cried out while standing among them: ‘Over the resurrection of the dead I am today being judged before you!’”+
22 However, Felix, knowing quite well the facts concerning this Way,+ began to put them off and say: “Whenever Lys′i·as the military commander comes down, I will decide these matters involving you.” 23 And he gave orders to the army officer that the man be kept under arrest but given some freedom, and that his people be allowed to attend to his needs.
24 Some days later Felix came with Dru·sil′la his wife, who was Jewish, and he sent for Paul and listened to him speak about the belief in Christ Jesus.+ 25 But as Paul talked about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come,+ Felix became frightened and answered: “Go away for now, but when I have an opportunity I will send for you again.” 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would give him money. For that reason, he sent for him even more frequently and conversed with him. 27 But when two years had elapsed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and because Felix desired to gain favor with the Jews,+ he left Paul in custody.
25 Therefore Festus,+ after arriving in the province and taking charge, went up three days later to Jerusalem from Caes·a·re′a. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews gave him information against Paul.+ So they began to beg Festus 3 as a favor* to send for Paul to come to Jerusalem. But they were planning to ambush Paul and kill him along the road.+ 4 However, Festus answered that Paul was to be kept in Caes·a·re′a and that he himself was about to go back there shortly. 5 “So let those who are in power among you,” he said, “come down with me and accuse him if, indeed, the man has done something wrong.”+
6 So when he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caes·a·re′a, and the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought in. 7 When he came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many serious charges that they were unable to prove.+
8 But Paul said in defense: “Neither against the Law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I committed any sin.”+ 9 Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews,+ said in reply to Paul: “Do you wish to go up to Jerusalem and be judged before me there concerning these things?” 10 But Paul said: “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where I ought to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, of which you are also becoming well-aware. 11 If I am really a wrongdoer and have committed anything deserving of death,+ I do not beg off from dying; but if there is no substance to the accusations these men have made against me, no man has the right to hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to Caesar!”+ 12 Then Festus, after speaking with the assembly of counselors, replied: “To Caesar you have appealed; to Caesar you will go.”
13 After some days had passed, A·grip′pa the king and Bernice arrived in Caes·a·re′a for a courtesy visit to Festus. 14 Since they were spending a number of days there, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying:
“There is a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought information about him,+ asking for a judgment of condemnation against him. 16 But I replied to them that it is not Roman procedure to hand any man over as a favor before the accused man meets his accusers face-to-face and gets a chance to speak in his defense concerning the complaint.+ 17 So when they arrived here, I did not delay, but the next day I sat down on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 18 Taking the stand, the accusers did not charge him with any of the wicked things I had expected concerning him.+ 19 They simply had certain disputes with him concerning their own worship of the deity*+ and concerning a man named Jesus, who was dead but who Paul kept asserting was alive.+ 20 Being at a loss as to how to handle this dispute, I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters.+ 21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision by the August One,*+ I commanded him to be held until I should send him on to Caesar.”
22 A·grip′pa then said to Festus: “I would like to hear the man myself.”+ “Tomorrow,” he said, “you will hear him.” 23 So the next day A·grip′pa and Bernice came with much pompous show and entered the audience chamber together with military commanders as well as the prominent men in the city; and when Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus said: “King A·grip′pa and all you who are present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish populace have petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.+ 25 But I perceived that he had done nothing deserving of death.+ So when this man himself appealed to the August One, I decided to send him. 26 But I have nothing certain to write about him to my Lord. So I brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King A·grip′pa, so that after the judicial examination has taken place, I might have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not also to indicate the charges against him.”
16 So he arrived at Der′be and also at Lys′tra.+ And a disciple named Timothy+ was there, the son of a believing Jewish woman but of a Greek father, 2 and he was well-reported-on by the brothers in Lys′tra and I·co′ni·um. 3 Paul expressed the desire for Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews in those places,+ for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled on through the cities, they would deliver to them for observance the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and the elders who were in Jerusalem.+ 5 Then, indeed, the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number day by day.
6 Moreover, they traveled through Phryg′i·a and the country of Ga·la′ti·a,+ because they were forbidden by the holy spirit to speak the word in the province of Asia. 7 Further, when they came down to Mys′i·a, they made efforts to go into Bi·thyn′i·a,+ but the spirit of Jesus did not permit them. 8 So they passed by* Mys′i·a and came down to Tro′as. 9 And during the night a vision appeared to Paul—a Mac·e·do′ni·an man was standing there urging him and saying: “Step over into Mac·e·do′ni·a and help us.” 10 As soon as he had seen the vision, we tried to go into Mac·e·do′ni·a, drawing the conclusion that God had summoned us to declare the good news to them.
11 So we put out to sea from Tro′as and made a straight run to Sam′o·thrace, but on the following day to Ne·ap′o·lis; 12 and from there we went to Phi·lip′pi,+ a colony, which is the principal city of the district of Mac·e·do′ni·a. We stayed in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate beside a river, where we thought there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 And a woman named Lyd′i·a, a seller of purple from the city of Thy·a·ti′ra+ and a worshipper of God, was listening, and Jehovah* opened her heart wide to pay attention to the things Paul was saying. 15 Now when she and her household got baptized,+ she urged us: “If you have considered me to be faithful to Jehovah,* come and stay at my house.” And she just made us come.
16 Now it happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a servant girl with a spirit, a demon of divination,+ met us. She supplied her masters with much profit by fortune-telling.* 17 This girl kept following Paul and us and crying out with the words: “These men are slaves of the Most High God+ and are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She kept doing this for many days. Finally Paul got tired of it and turned and said to the spirit: “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.+
19 Well, when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone,+ they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers.+ 20 Leading them up to the civil magistrates, they said: “These men are disturbing our city very much.+ They are Jews, 21 and they are proclaiming customs that it is not lawful for us to adopt or practice, seeing that we are Romans.” 22 And the crowd rose up together against them, and the civil magistrates, after tearing the garments off them, gave the command to beat them with rods.+ 23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely.+ 24 Because he got such an order, he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25 But about the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God with song,+ and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the jail were shaken. Moreover, all the doors were instantly opened, and everyone’s bonds came loose.+ 27 When the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, assuming that the prisoners had escaped.+ 28 But Paul called out with a loud voice: “Do not hurt yourself, for we are all here!” 29 So he asked for lights and rushed in, and seized with trembling, he fell down before Paul and Silas. 30 He brought them outside and said: “Sirs, what must I do to get saved?” 31 They said: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will get saved, you and your household.”+ 32 Then they spoke the word of Jehovah* to him together with all those in his house. 33 And he took them along in that hour of the night and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire household were baptized without delay.+ 34 He brought them into his house and set a table before them, and he rejoiced greatly with all his household now that he had believed in God.
35 When it became day, the civil magistrates sent the constables to say: “Release those men.” 36 The jailer reported their words to Paul: “The civil magistrates have sent men to have you two released. So come out now and go in peace.” 37 But Paul said to them: “They flogged us publicly, uncondemned,* though we are Romans,+ and threw us into prison. Are they now throwing us out secretly? No, indeed! Let them come themselves and escort us out.” 38 The constables reported these words to the civil magistrates. These grew fearful when they heard that the men were Romans.+ 39 So they came and pleaded with them, and after escorting them out, they requested them to depart from the city. 40 But they came out of the prison and went to the home of Lyd′i·a; and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them+ and departed.
17 They now traveled through Am·phip′o·lis and Ap·ol·lo′ni·a and came to Thes·sa·lo·ni′ca,+ where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 So according to Paul’s custom+ he went inside to them, and for three sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,+ 3 explaining and proving by references that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer+ and to rise from the dead,+ saying: “This is the Christ, this Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.” 4 As a result, some of them became believers and associated themselves with Paul and Silas,+ and so did a great multitude of the Greeks who worshipped God, along with quite a few of the principal women.
5 But the Jews, getting jealous,+ gathered together some wicked men who were loitering at the marketplace and formed a mob and proceeded to throw the city into an uproar. They assaulted the house of Ja′son and were seeking to have Paul and Silas brought out to the mob. 6 When they did not find them, they dragged Ja′son and some of the brothers to the city rulers, crying out: “These men who have overturned* the inhabited earth are present here also,+ 7 and Ja′son has received them as his guests. All these men act in opposition to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king, Jesus.”+ 8 When they heard these things, the crowd and the city rulers were alarmed; 9 and after taking sufficient security* from Ja′son and the others, they let them go.
10 Immediately by night the brothers sent both Paul and Silas to Be·roe′a. On arriving, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thes·sa·lo·ni′ca, for they accepted the word with the greatest eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore, many of them became believers, and so did quite a few of the reputable Greek women as well as some of the men. 13 But when the Jews from Thes·sa·lo·ni′ca learned that the word of God was also being proclaimed by Paul in Be·roe′a, they came there to incite and agitate the crowds.+ 14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to the sea,+ but both Silas and Timothy remained behind there. 15 However, those accompanying Paul brought him as far as Athens, and they departed after receiving instructions that Silas and Timothy+ should come to Paul as quickly as possible.
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit within him became irritated on seeing that the city was full of idols. 17 So he began to reason in the synagogue with the Jews and the other people who worshipped God and every day in the marketplace with those who happened to be on hand. 18 But some of both the Ep·i·cu·re′an and the Sto′ic philosophers began disputing with him, and some were saying: “What is it this chatterer would like to tell?” Others: “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign deities.” This was because he was declaring the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.+ 19 So they took hold of him and led him to the Ar·e·op′a·gus, saying: “Can we get to know what this new teaching is that you are speaking about? 20 For you are introducing some things that are strange to our ears, and we want to know what these things mean.” 21 In fact, all Athenians and the foreigners staying* there would spend their leisure time doing nothing else but telling or listening to something new. 22 Paul now stood in the midst of the Ar·e·op′a·gus+ and said:
“Men of Athens, I see that in all things you seem to be more given to the fear of the deities* than others are.+ 23 For instance, while passing along and carefully observing your objects of veneration,* I found even an altar on which had been inscribed ‘To an Unknown God.’ Therefore, what you are unknowingly worshipping, this I am declaring to you. 24 The God who made the world and all the things in it, being, as he is, Lord of heaven and earth,+ does not dwell in handmade temples;+ 25 nor is he served by human hands as if he needed anything,+ because he himself gives to all people life and breath+ and all things. 26 And he made out of one man+ every nation of men to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,+ and he decreed the appointed times and the set limits of where men would dwell,+ 27 so that they would seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him,+ although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us. 28 For by him we have life and move and exist, even as some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his children.’*
29 “Therefore, since we are the children* of God,+ we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and design of humans.+ 30 True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance;+ but now he is declaring to all people everywhere that they should repent. 31 Because he has set a day on which he purposes to judge+ the inhabited earth in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and he has provided a guarantee to all men by resurrecting him from the dead.”+
32 Now when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some began to scoff,+ while others said: “We will hear you again about this.” 33 So Paul left them, 34 but some men joined him and became believers. Among them were Di·o·nys′i·us, who was a judge of the court of the Ar·e·op′a·gus, and a woman named Dam′a·ris, and others besides them.
18 After this he departed from Athens and came to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aq′ui·la,+ a native of Pon′tus who had recently come from Italy with Pris·cil′la his wife, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. So he went to them, 3 and because he had the same trade, he stayed at their home and worked with them,+ for they were tentmakers by trade. 4 He would give a talk* in the synagogue+ every sabbath+ and would persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When, now, both Silas+ and Timothy+ came down from Mac·e·do′ni·a, Paul began to be intensely occupied with the word, witnessing to the Jews to prove that Jesus is the Christ.+ 6 But after they kept on opposing him and speaking abusively, he shook out his garments+ and said to them: “Let your blood be on your own heads.+ I am clean.+ From now on I will go to people of the nations.”+ 7 So he transferred from there* and went into the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God, whose house adjoined the synagogue. 8 But Cris′pus,+ the presiding officer of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, along with all his household. And many of the Corinthians who heard began to believe and be baptized. 9 Moreover, the Lord said to Paul in a vision by night: “Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking and do not keep silent, 10 for I am with you+ and no man will assault you to harm you; for I have many people in this city.” 11 So he stayed there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
12 While Gal′li·o was proconsul* of A·cha′ia, the Jews made a concerted attack against Paul and led him to the judgment seat, 13 saying: “This man is persuading people to worship God in a way contrary to the law.” 14 But as Paul was about to speak, Gal′li·o said to the Jews: “If, indeed, it were some wrong or a serious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to hear you out patiently. 15 But if it is controversies over speech and names and your own law,+ you yourselves must see to it. I do not wish to be a judge of these things.” 16 With that he drove them away from the judgment seat. 17 So they all seized Sos′the·nes,+ the presiding officer of the synagogue, and began beating him in front of the judgment seat. But Gal′li·o would not get involved at all with these things.
18 However, after staying quite a few days longer, Paul said good-bye to the brothers and sailed away for Syria, accompanied by Pris·cil′la and Aq′ui·la. He had his hair clipped short in Cen′chre·ae,+ for he had made a vow. 19 So they arrived at Eph′e·sus, and he left them there; but he entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.+ 20 Although they kept requesting him to stay longer, he would not consent 21 but said good-bye and told them: “I will return to you again, if Jehovah* is willing.” And he put out to sea from Eph′e·sus 22 and came down to Caes·a·re′a. And he went up* and greeted the congregation and then went down to Antioch.+
23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from place to place through the country of Ga·la′ti·a and Phryg′i·a,+ strengthening all the disciples.+
24 Now a Jew named A·pol′los,+ a native of Alexandria, arrived in Eph′e·sus; he was an eloquent man who was well-versed in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed* in the way of Jehovah,* and aglow with the spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, but he was acquainted only with the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and when Pris·cil′la and Aq′ui·la+ heard him, they took him into their company and explained the way of God more accurately to him. 27 Further, because he wanted to go across to A·cha′ia, the brothers wrote to the disciples, urging them to receive him kindly. So when he got there, he greatly helped those who through God’s undeserved kindness had become believers; 28 for publicly and with great intensity he thoroughly proved the Jews to be wrong, showing them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.+
19 In the course of events, while A·pol′los+ was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland regions and came down to Eph′e·sus.+ There he found some disciples 2 and said to them: “Did you receive holy spirit when you became believers?”+ They replied to him: “Why, we have never heard that there is a holy spirit.” 3 So he said: “In what, then, were you baptized?” They said: “In John’s baptism.”+ 4 Paul said: “John baptized with the baptism in symbol of repentance,+ telling the people to believe in the one coming after him,+ that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands on them, the holy spirit came upon them,+ and they began speaking in foreign languages and prophesying.+ 7 There were about 12 men in all.
8 Entering the synagogue,+ for three months he spoke with boldness, giving talks and reasoning persuasively about the Kingdom of God.+ 9 But when some stubbornly refused to believe,* speaking injuriously about The Way+ before the crowd, he withdrew from them+ and separated the disciples from them, giving talks daily in the school auditorium of Ty·ran′nus. 10 This went on for two years, so that all those living in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11 And God kept performing extraordinary powerful works through the hands of Paul,+ 12 so that even cloths and aprons that had touched his body were carried to the sick,+ and the diseases left them, and the wicked spirits came out.+ 13 But some of the Jews who traveled around casting out demons also tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had wicked spirits; they would say: “I solemnly charge you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.”+ 14 Now there were seven sons of a Jewish chief priest named Sce′va doing this. 15 But in answer the wicked spirit said to them: “I know Jesus+ and I am acquainted with Paul;+ but who are you?” 16 At that the man with the wicked spirit leaped on them, overpowered them one after the other, and prevailed against them, so that they fled naked and wounded out of that house. 17 This became known to all, both the Jews and the Greeks who lived in Eph′e·sus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus went on being magnified. 18 And many of those who had become believers would come and confess and report their practices openly. 19 Indeed, quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody.+ And they calculated their value and found them worth 50,000 pieces of silver. 20 Thus in a mighty way, the word of Jehovah* kept growing and prevailing.+
21 After these things had taken place, Paul resolved in his spirit that after going through Mac·e·do′ni·a+ and A·cha′ia, he would travel to Jerusalem.+ He said: “After going there, I must also see Rome.”+ 22 So he sent to Mac·e·do′ni·a two of those who ministered to him, Timothy+ and E·ras′tus,+ but he himself stayed on for some time in the province of Asia.
23 At that time quite a disturbance+ arose concerning The Way.+ 24 For a man named De·me′tri·us, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Ar′te·mis, brought considerable profit to the craftsmen.+ 25 He gathered them and others who worked at such things and said: “Men, you well know that from this business comes our prosperity. 26 Now you see and hear how, not only in Eph′e·sus+ but in nearly all the province of Asia, this Paul has persuaded a considerable crowd and turned them to another opinion, saying that the gods made by hands are not really gods.+ 27 Moreover, the danger exists not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Ar′te·mis will be viewed as nothing, and she who is worshipped in the whole province of Asia and the inhabited earth will be deprived of her magnificence.” 28 Hearing this and becoming full of anger, the men began crying out: “Great is Ar′te·mis of the E·phe′sians!”
29 So the city became filled with confusion, and all together they rushed into the theater, dragging along with them Ga′ius and Ar·is·tar′chus,+ Mac·e·do′ni·ans, traveling companions of Paul. 30 For his part, Paul was willing to go inside to the people, but the disciples would not permit him. 31 Even some of the commissioners of festivals and games who were friendly to him sent word to him, pleading with him not to risk going into the theater. 32 Some were, in fact, crying out one thing and others something else; for the assembly was in confusion and the majority of them did not know the reason why they had come together. 33 So they brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews shoving him forward, and Alexander motioned with his hand and wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all started shouting in unison for about two hours: “Great is Ar′te·mis of the E·phe′sians!”
35 When the city recorder had finally quieted the crowd, he said: “Men of Eph′e·sus, who really is there among men who does not know that the city of the E·phe′sians is the temple keeper of the great Ar′te·mis and of the image that fell from heaven? 36 Since these things are indisputable, you should keep calm and not act rashly. 37 For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess. 38 So if De·me′tri·us+ and the craftsmen with him do have a case against someone, court days are held and there are proconsuls;* let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you are searching for anything beyond that, it must be decided in a regular assembly. 40 For we are really in danger of being charged with sedition over today’s affair, since there are no grounds we could present as a reason for this disorderly mob.” 41 And after saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
20 When the uproar had subsided, Paul sent for the disciples, and after he had encouraged them and said farewell, he began his journey to Mac·e·do′ni·a. 2 After going through those regions and giving many words of encouragement to the ones there, he arrived in Greece. 3 He spent three months there, but because a plot was hatched against him by the Jews+ when he was about to set sail for Syria, he made up his mind to return through Mac·e·do′ni·a. 4 He was accompanied by Sop′a·ter the son of Pyr′rhus of Be·roe′a, Ar·is·tar′chus+ and Se·cun′dus of the Thes·sa·lo′ni·ans, Ga′ius of Der′be, Timothy+ and, from the province of Asia, Tych′i·cus+ and Troph′i·mus.+ 5 These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Tro′as; 6 but we put out to sea from Phi·lip′pi after the days of the Unleavened Bread,+ and within five days we came to them in Tro′as, and there we spent seven days.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to have a meal, Paul began addressing them, as he was going to depart the next day; and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 So there were quite a few lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 Seated at the window, a young man named Eu′ty·chus sank into a deep sleep while Paul kept talking, and overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went downstairs, threw himself on him and embraced him,+ and said: “Stop making a commotion, for he is alive.”*+ 11 He then went upstairs and began the meal* and ate. He continued conversing for quite a while, until daybreak, and then he departed. 12 So they took the boy away alive and were comforted beyond measure.
13 We now went ahead to the ship and set sail for As′sos, where we were intending to take Paul aboard, for after giving instructions to this effect, he was intending to go there on foot. 14 So when he caught up with us in As′sos, we took him aboard and went to Mit·y·le′ne. 15 And sailing away from there the next day, we arrived off Chi′os, but the day after that, we touched at Sa′mos, and on the following day, we arrived at Mi·le′tus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Eph′e·sus+ so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia, for he was hurrying to get to Jerusalem+ on the day of the Festival of Pentecost if he possibly could.
17 However, from Mi·le′tus he sent word to Eph′e·sus and called for the elders of the congregation. 18 When they came to him, he said to them: “You well know how I conducted myself among you from the first day I stepped into the province of Asia,+ 19 slaving for the Lord with all humility*+ and with tears and trials that befell me by the plots of the Jews, 20 while I did not hold back from telling you any of the things that were profitable* nor from teaching you publicly+ and from house to house.+ 21 But I thoroughly bore witness both to Jews and to Greeks about repentance+ toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.+ 22 And now look! bound in* the spirit, I am traveling to Jerusalem, although not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except that from city to city the holy spirit repeatedly bears witness to me, saying that imprisonment and tribulations are waiting for me.+ 24 Nevertheless, I do not consider my own life* of any importance to me,* if only I may finish my course+ and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to bear thorough witness to the good news of the undeserved kindness of God.
25 “And now look! I know that none of you among whom I preached the Kingdom will ever see my face again. 26 So I call you to witness this very day that I am clean from the blood of all men,+ 27 for I have not held back from telling you all the counsel* of God.+ 28 Pay attention to yourselves+ and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed you overseers,+ to shepherd the congregation of God,+ which he purchased with the blood of his own Son.+ 29 I know that after my going away oppressive wolves will enter in among you+ and will not treat the flock with tenderness, 30 and from among you yourselves men will rise and speak twisted things to draw away the disciples after themselves.+
31 “Therefore keep awake, and bear in mind that for three years,+ night and day, I never stopped admonishing each one of you with tears. 32 And now I entrust you to God and to the word of his undeserved kindness, which word can build you up and give you the inheritance among all the sanctified ones.+ 33 I have desired no man’s silver or gold or clothing.+ 34 You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my own needs+ and the needs of those with me. 35 I have shown you in all things that by working hard in this way,+ you must assist those who are weak and must keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus, when he himself said: ‘There is more happiness in giving+ than there is in receiving.’”
36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 Indeed, quite a bit of weeping broke out among them all, and they embraced Paul* and affectionately* kissed him, 38 for they were especially pained at the word he had spoken that they would not see his face anymore.+ Then they accompanied him to the ship.
