1

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus began to do and to teach,

2 until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given commandments through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

3 To whom, after his suffering, he also showed by many convincing proofs that he was alive, being seen by them for forty days, and speaking about the kingdom of God.

4 And, being assembled together with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you heard from me:

5 For John indeed baptized with water, but soon you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him: Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said to them: It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father has set within his own authority.

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the remotest part of the earth.

9 And when he had said these things, as they were watching, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they were looking earnestly into heaven as he went, two men stood by them in white clothing,

11 who also said: You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall return in like manner as you saw him going into heaven.

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near to Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey.

13 And when they arrived, they went into the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James.

14 These all with one accord continued earnestly in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons) and said:

16 Brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those that took Jesus.

17 For he was numbered among us and received his part in this ministry.

18 Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.

19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem, so much so that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let his habitation be made desolate and let no one dwell therein, and his office let another take.

21 Therefore, of the men that have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

22 beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection.

23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed Justus; and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said: Lord, you who knows the hearts of all men, show us which of these two is the one whom you have chosen

25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they cast lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

2

1 The Holy Spirit is Given And when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared to them tongues like fire, separating and resting upon each one of them personally.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them to speak.

5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem devout men, Jews from every nation under heaven.

6 And at this sound the crowds came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying: Look, are not all those who speak Galileans?

8 And how is it each of us heard in his own native language?

9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,

10 in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our language the mighty works of God.

12 And they were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to each other: What does this mean?

13 But others mocking said: They are filled with new wine!

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: You men of Judea and all that dwell in Jerusalem, let this be understood by you, and listen to my words.

15 These are not drunk as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.

16 But this is the fulfilment of that which has been spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it shall be in the last days, says God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Yes, and in those days will I pour out My Spirit on My servants and on My handmaids, and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood and fire and vapour of smoke.

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, that great and notable day.

21 And it shall be that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

22 You men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God, by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in the midst of you, even as you yourselves know.

23 Him, being delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you, by the hand of men outside the Law, did crucify and slay;

24 whom God raised up, having loosened the pangs of death; because it was not possible that he should be held by it.

25 For David said concerning him: I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced, moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope;

27 because You will not leave my soul in the grave, neither will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

28 You made known to me the ways of life, you shall make me full of gladness with Your countenance.

29 Brothers, I may say to you freely about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body he would set one upon his throne;

31 he foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left in the grave, nor did his flesh see corruption.

32 This Jesus did God raise up, of which we are all witnesses.

33 Therefore, being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.

34 For David did not ascend into Heaven, but he himself said: The Lord said to my Lord, sit on My right hand,

35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

36 Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain, that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart; and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: Brothers, what shall we do?

38 And Peter said to them: Every one of you should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ to the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to him.

40 And with many other words he testified and encouraged them, saying: Save yourselves from this crooked generation.

41 They that received his word were baptized, and there were added in that day about three thousand people.

42 And they continued earnestly in the apostles' teaching and fellowship in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

43 And fear came upon everyone; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together and had all things common.

45 And they sold their possessions and goods, and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had need.

46 And day by day, continuing earnestly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 praising God and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to them daily those who were being saved.

3

1 Now Peter and John were going into the temple at the hour of prayer, at the ninth hour.

2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate, to ask alms of those entering the temple.

3 Seeing Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for alms.

4 And Peter, looking straight at him (as did John) said: Look at us.

5 And he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said: Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!

7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankle-bones received strength.

8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk; and he entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.

10 And they recognised him, that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's, astounded.

12 And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people: You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this man? Or why fasten you your eyes on us, as though by our own power or reverence towards God we had made him walk?

13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and rejected before the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

14 But you denied the holy and righteous one, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,

15 and killed the prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

16 And by faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which is through him, has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 And now, brothers, I know that in ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers.

18 But the things which God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ should suffer, He thus fulfilled.

19 Therefore, repent and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;

20 and that He may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you, Jesus;

21 whom the heaven must receive until the time of the restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, that have been since the world began.

22 Moses indeed said: A prophet like me shall the Lord God raise up for you from among your brothers; you shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.

23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not listen to that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

24 Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

25 You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham: And in your descendant shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

26 To you first, God, having raised up His servant, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you away from your sins.

4

1 And as they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came upon them,

2 being greatly annoyed because they taught the people, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 And they arrested them and jailed them until the next day; for it was now evening.

4 But many of those that heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

5 And it came to pass that the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;

6 and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander and as many as were of the family of the high priest.

7 And when they had set them in their midst, they enquired: By what power, or in what name, have you done this?

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: You rulers of the people and elders,

9 if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,

10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you healed.

11 He is the stone that was rejected by you the builders, which has become the cornerstone.

12 And in no other is there salvation; for neither is there any other name that is given among men under heaven, wherein we must be saved.

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they realised that they had been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man that was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

15 But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they took advice with one another, saying:

16 What shall we do to these men? For indeed a notable miracle has been done through them. It is obvious to all that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it!

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us warn them, that from this time forward they are not to speak to anyone in this name.

18 And they called them, and ordered them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them: Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge;

20 for we cannot but speak the things which we saw and heard.

21 And they, when they had threatened them further, let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people. For all men glorified God for what was done.

22 For the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of healing was done.

23 And being let go, they came to their friends, and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.

24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said: O Lord, you that made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that are in them,

25 who by the Holy Spirit, and by the mouth of our father David your servant, did say: Why did the Gentiles rage and the peoples imagine vain things?

26 The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.

27 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel,

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your counsel foreordained to happen.

29 And now Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak Your word with all boldness,

30 while You stretch out Your hand to heal, that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit; and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

32 And the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and not one of them said that anything of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.

33 And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

34 For neither were there among them any that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,

35 and laid them at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each, according to anyone's need.

36 And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (we say Son of exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

37 having a field, sold it; and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

5

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,

2 and with his wife's knowledge kept back part of the proceeds, and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 And Peter said: Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land?

4 While it remained, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your power? How is it you have conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.

5 And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all that heard it.

6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, and they carried him out and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after when his wife, not knowing what had happed, came in.

8 And Peter said to her: Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said: Yes, for so much.

9 But Peter said to her: How is it you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those that have buried your husband are at the door; and they shall carry you out.

10 And she fell down immediately at his feet and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her next to her husband.

11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all that heard these things.

12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders done among the people; and they were all gathering together in Solomon's porch.

13 None of the rest dared join them, although the people held them in high esteem.

14 And many more believers were added to the Lord, crowds of men and women.

15 So much so, that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might fall on some of them.

16 And there also gathered crowds from the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those that were vexed with unclean spirits; and every one of them was healed.

17 But the high priest rose up and all they that were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees) and they were filled with jealousy,

18 and arrested the apostles and put them in prison.

19 But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said:

20 You go and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.

21 And when they heard this, in the morning they entered into the temple and taught. But the high priest came and they that were with him, and called the council together and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prisonto have them brought.

22 But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, saying:

23 We found the prison shut in all safety, and the keepers standing at the doors, but when we had them opened, we found no one within.

24 Now when the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the upshot of all this would be.

25 And there came someone that told them: Behold, the men whom you put in the prison are in the temple standing and teaching the people.

26 Then went the captain with the officers and brought them, but without violence. For they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, saying:

28 We strictly ordered you not to teach in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.

29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said: We must obey God rather than men.

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, hanging him on a tree.

31 Him did God exalt with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins.

32 And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those that obey Him. Gamaliel's Advice

33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart and decided to kill them.

34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honour by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while.

35 And he said to them: You men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.

36 For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing.

37 After this man, there rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the census, and drew away some of the people after him. He also perished and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.

38 And now I say to you, keep away from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will fail.

39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might be found to be fighting against God.

40 They took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name.

42 And every day, in the temple and at home, they did not cease to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ.

6

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring amongst the Greek speaking Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples to them, and said: It is not fitting that we should forsake the teaching of the word of God and instead handle finances.

3 Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

4 But we will continue earnestly in prayer and in the service of the word.

5 And the decision pleased the whole crowd; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch.

6 They set them before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

7 And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen.

10 And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

11 Then they secretly induced men to say: We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.

12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and came upon him and seized him, and brought him into the council,

13 and set up false witnesses, who said: This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law.

14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered to us.

15 And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his face as if it had been the face of an angel.

7

1 Stephen's Defence And the high priest said: Are these things so?

2 And he said: Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

3 and said to him: Leave your land and your kindred, and go into the land which I shall show you.

4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran, and from there, when his father was dead, God sent him into this land, wherein you now dwell.

5 And He gave him no inheritance in it, no, not enough to set his foot on it, and He promised that He would give it to him in possession and to his seed after him, when he had no child.

6 And God spoke in this way, that his seed should live in a strange land, and that they would bring them into bondage and treat them badly for four hundred years.

7 And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God, and after that shall they come out and serve Me in this place.

8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begat Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him,

10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt, and all his house.

11 Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction; and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers the first time.

13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's race became manifest to Pharaoh.

14 And Joseph sent and called to himself Jacob his father and all his extended family, seventy five people.

15 And Jacob went down into Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers.

16 And they were carried back to Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 But as the time of the fulfilment of the promise which God made to Abraham drew near, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

18 until there arose another king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

19 The same dealt craftily with our race and ill-treated our fathers, casting out their babies so that they might not live.

20 At this time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his father's house.

21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him as her own son.

22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and works.

23 But when he was nearly forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, striking the Egyptian.

25 And he supposed that his brothers understood that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they did not understand.

26 And the following day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them, saying: Gentlemen, you are brothers! Why do you injure each other?

27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying: Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Would you kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?

29 And Moses fled at this saying and went to live in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.

30 And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

31 And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, there came the voice of the Lord:

32 I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And Moses trembled and dared not look.

33 And the Lord said to him: Take off the shoes from your feet; for the place upon which you stand is holy ground.

34 I have surely seen the affliction of My people that is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them; and now, come, I will send you into Egypt.

35 This Moses whom they refused, saying: Who made you a ruler and a judge? Him God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

36 This man led them out, having done wonders and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel: A prophet like me shall God raise up to you from among your brothers.

38 This is he that was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him in Mount Sinai and with our fathers, who received living words to give to us.

39 Our fathers would not be obedient to him, but thrust him from them and turned back in their hearts to Egypt,

40 saying to Aaron: Make us gods that shall go before us. As for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.

41 And they made a calf in those days and brought a sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

42 But God turned and gave them up to serve the host of heaven. As it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you offer to me slain beasts and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 You took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of the god Remphan, figures which you made to worship; and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as He who spoke to Moses appointed, that he should make it according to the figure that he had seen.

45 Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought into the land with Joshua when they received possession of the nations that God thrust out before the presence of our fathers, to the days of David;

46 who found favour in the sight of God and asked to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.

47 But it was Solomon who built Him a house.

48 However the Most High dwells not in houses made with hands. As said the prophet:

49 The Heaven is My throne and the earth a footstool for My feet; what manner of house will you build Me? says the Lord; or what is the place of My rest?

50 Did not My hand make all these things?

51 You stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers.

53 You who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and did not kept it!

54 Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they ground their teeth at him.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up earnestly into Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God; and he said:

56 Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God.

57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears, and rushed upon him with one accord.

58 And they threw him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen as he called upon the Lord, saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice: Lord! Do not charge them with this sin. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

8

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem, and except the apostles, they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

2 And devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

3 But Saul treated the church shamefully, entering into every house, dragging out men and women and putting them into prison.

4 Therefore those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

6 And the crowds, when they heard and saw the signs which he did, gave heed with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip.

7 For from many of those that had unclean spirits, the unclean spirits came out, crying with a loud voice; and many that were paralyzed or lame were healed.

8 And there was much joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who previously used sorcery in that city and amazed the people of Samaria, boasting that he himself was somebody great.

10 To him they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying: This man has that power of God which is called Great.

11 And they gave heed to him, because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

13 And Simon also himself believed, and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and seeing signs and great miracles done, he was amazed.

14 Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

15 who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 For as yet it had not fallen upon them. These had only been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying:

19 Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

20 But Peter said to him: May your silver perish with you, because you have thought to obtain the gift of God with money.

21 You have neither part nor share in this matter because your heart is not right before God.

22 Therefore, repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord, that perhaps the thought of your heart shall be forgiven you.

23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and held captive by iniquity.

24 And Simon answered and said: Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken come upon me.

25 Therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: Arise and go toward the south, to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. The same is desert.

27 And he arose and went, and a man from Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, had came to Jerusalem to worship.

28 And he was returning, and sitting in his chariot, was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 And the Spirit said to Philip: Go near and join this chariot.

30 And Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said: Do you understand what you read?

31 And he said: How can I, unless someone guides me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so he did not open his mouth.

33 In his humiliation, justice was denied him. Who can declare his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.

34 And the eunuch said to Philip: I beg you, of whom does the prophet speak? Of himself, or of somebody else?

35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

36 And as they went along the road, they came upon some water; and the eunuch said: Look, water! What is stopping me from being baptized?

37 And Philip said: If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus; and passing through that area, he preached the gospel to all the towns, until he came to Caesarea.

9

1 But Saul, yet breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 and asked from him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, it came to pass, that he drew near to Damascus; and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven.

4 And he fell upon the earth and heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

5 And he said: Who are you, Lord? And he said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute.

6 But rise and enter into the city, and you shall be told what you must do.

7 And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened he saw nothing, and they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias. And he said: I am here, Lord.

11 And the Lord said to him: Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For he prays,

12 and he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 But Ananias answered: Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem,

14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon your name.

15 But the Lord said to him: Go your way. For he is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.

16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake.

17 And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him, said: Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road upon which you travelled, has sent me, that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized.

19 And he took food and was strengthened, and was several days with the disciples that were at Damascus.

20 And immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the Son of God.

21 And all that heard him were amazed, and said: Is this not he that in Jerusalem made havoc of those that called on this name? And he had come here for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief priests.

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the real Christ.

23 And when many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel together to kill him.

24 But their plot became known to Saul; and they watched the gates day and night that they might kill him.

25 But his disciples took him by night and lowered him down the wall in a basket.

26 And when he came to Jerusalem, he decided to attach himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 And he was with them going in and going out at Jerusalem,

29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord; and he spoke and disputed against the Greek speaking Jews, and they that were seeking to kill him.

30 And when the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being built up; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

32 And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all regions, he came also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda.

33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed.

34 And Peter said to him: Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Arise and make your bed. And immediately he rose.

35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds.

37 And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

38 And as Lydda was near to Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him: Come to us without delay.

39 And Peter rose and went with them. And when he had arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood by him, weeping and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made, while she was with them.

40 But Peter sent them out, and kneeled down and prayed; and turning to the body, he said: Tabitha, rise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

43 And it came to pass, that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon a tanner.

10

1 Now there was a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Regiment,

2 a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much charity to the Jewish people and prayed to God always.

3 About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God, who came to him and said: Cornelius.

4 And he, fastening his eyes upon him and being afraid, said: What is it, Lord? And he said to him: Your prayers and your charity have gone up as a memorial before God.

5 And now send men to Joppa and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter.

6 He lodges with someone called Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.

7 And when the angel that spoke to him had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of them that served him continually.

8 And having related all things to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 Now the next day, as they were on their journey, and drew near to the city, about the sixth hour, Peter went upon the housetop to pray.

10 And he became hungry and desired to eat, but while they made the food ready, he fell into a trance.

11 And he saw the heaven open and a certain vessel descending, as if it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth,

12 wherein were all manner of fourfooted animals, and creeping things of the earth and birds of the sky.

13 And there came a voice to him: Rise, Peter. Kill and eat.

14 But Peter said: Not so, Lord. For I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.

15 And a voice came to him again the second time: What God has cleansed, do not call common.

16 And this was done three times; and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.

17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men that had been sent by Cornelius, having made enquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,

18 and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, were lodging there.

19 And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him: Look, three men seek you.

20 So, rise and get downstairs and go with them, without doubting. For I have sent them.

21 And Peter went down to the men and said: I am the one you seek. Why have you come?

22 And they said: Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that fears God, and who is praised by all the nation of the Jews, was instructed by a holy angel of God to summon you to his house and to hear words from you.

23 So he called them in and lodged them. And the next day he arose and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

24 And the next day they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his relatives and his near friends.

25 And when it happened that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet and did homage to him.

26 But Peter raised him up, saying: Stand up. I myself am also a man.

27 And as he talked with him, he went in and found many gathered together.

28 And he said to them: You yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to join himself or come to one of another nation; and yet to me God has shown that I should not call anyone common or unclean.

29 Therefore also I came without objection, when I was sent for. Therefore, I ask with what intent did you send for me.

30 And Cornelius said: Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house, and a man stood before me in bright apparel,

31 and said: Cornelius, your prayer is heard and your charitable acts are held in remembrance in the sight of God.

32 Therefore, send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is surnamed Peter. He lodges in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side.

33 So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Therefore, now we are all here in the presence of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord to say.

34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons;

35 but in every nation, he that fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him.

36 The word which He sent to the children of Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he being Lord of all!),

37 that message you yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached-

38 about Jesus of Nazareth. How God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by the Devil. For God was with him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree.

40 Him God raised up on the third day, and gave him to be revealed,

41 not to all the people, but to witnesses that were chosen before by God, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he ordered us to preach to the people, and to testify that this is he who is ordained by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

43 To him all the prophets bear witness- that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word.

45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then said Peter:

47 Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these who have received the Holy Spirit just as we?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.

11

1 Now the apostles and the brothers that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2 And when Peter had arrived in Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision criticized him, saying:

3 You went in to men uncircumcised and ate with them!

4 But Peter began to explain it all to them in order.

5 I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners; and it came down even to me.

6 Looking at it closely, I saw the fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and birds of the sky.

7 And I heard a voice saying to me: Rise, Peter. Kill and eat.

8 But I said: Not so, Lord. For nothing common or unclean has ever entered into my mouth.

9 But a voice answered the second time out of heaven: What God has cleansed, do not make common.

10 And this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11 And then three men stood before the house in which we were, having been sent from Caesarea to me.

12 And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.

13 And he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying: Send to Joppa and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter,

14 who shall speak to you words, whereby you shall be saved, you and all your household.

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, even as on us at the beginning.

16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said that John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

17 If then God gave to these the same gift as He also gave to us, when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could oppose God?

18 And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying: Then to the Gentiles also has God granted repentance to life.

19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they reached Antioch, spoke to the Gentiles also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

22 And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

23 Who, when he had arrived and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and he encouraged them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave to the Lord.

24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and many people were added to the Lord.

25 And he went to Tarsus to seek out Saul.

26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that for a whole year they were gathered together with the church and taught many people; and there, in Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians.

27 Now in these days there came down prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28 And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world. This took place in the days of Claudius.

29 And the disciples, every man according to his ability, decided to send relief to the believers that lived in Judea.

30 Which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

12

1 About that time, Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days of unleavened bread.

4 And when he had taken him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

5 Therefore Peter was kept in the prison; but earnest prayer was offered to God for him by the church.

6 And when Herod was about to bring him out, that same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards before the door were guarding the prison.

7 And an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying: Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the angel said to him: Dress yourself and put on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him: Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.

9 And he went out and followed; and he did not perceive that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. This opened to them of its own accord; and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter came to himself, he said: Now I know of a truth, that the Lord has sent his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all that the Jews were expecting.

12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark. There many were gathered together and were praying.

13 And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer.

14 And when she recognised Peter's voice, she did not open the gate, but in joy ran inside and told everyone that Peter stood before the gate.

15 And they said to her: You are mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was so. And they said: It is his angel.

16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened, they saw him and were amazed.

17 But he, motioning with the hand to hold their peace, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said: Tell these things to James and to the brothers. And he departed and went to another place.

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small anxiety among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.

19 And when Herod had searched for him and not found him, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

20 Now Herod was highly displeased with those at Tyre and Sidon. They came with one accord to him and having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was fed from the king's country.

21 And upon a set day, Herod dressed himself in royal apparel and sat on the throne and delivered an oration to them.

22 And the people shouted: The voice of a god and not of a man.

23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had completed their service, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

13

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 And as they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them.

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; they had also John to assist them.

6 And when they had gone through the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The same summoned Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

10 and said: You son of the Devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and all villainy, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

11 And now, the hand of the Lord is upon you and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

14 But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent for them, saying: Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, speak.

16 And Paul stood up and beckoning with the hand, said: Men of Israel and you that fear God, listen. Paul's Sermon at Antioch

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm He led them out of it.

18 For about the time of forty years, as a nursing father He carried them in the wilderness.

19 And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty years.

20 And after these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21 And afterwards they asked for a king; and God gave to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years.

22 And when He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, to whom also He bare witness and said: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who shall do all My will.

23 Of this man's seed has God according to His promise raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus;

24 after John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John was fulfilling his ministry, he said: Who do you suppose I am? I am not he! But look, there comes one after me the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.

26 Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent.

27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him.

28 And though they found no cause of death in him, they asked Pilate to have him slain.

29 And when they had fulfilled all things that were written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.

30 But God raised him from the dead.

31 And he was seen for many days by those that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.

32 We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers,

33 that God has fulfilled the same to our children, in that He resurrected Jesus. As also it is written in the second Psalm: You are My Son, this day have I begotten you.

34 And as for the fact that He raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, He has spoken in this way: I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.

35 Because He said also in another Psalm: You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the will of God, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption.

37 But he whom God raised up saw no corruption.

38 Therefore, be it known to you, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you the remission of sins.

39 And through him, everyone that believes is declared righteous in all things in which the law of Moses could not declare you righteous.

40 Therefore beware, lest that which is spoken in the prophets comes upon you:

41 Behold you despisers, wonder and perish. For I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no way believe, even if someone declares it to you.

42 And as they went out, they pleaded that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.

43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to continue in the grace of God.

44 And the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul and blasphemed.

46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said: It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing you thrust it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

47 For so has the Lord commanded us: I have set you for a light of the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.

48 And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was spread about throughout all the region.

50 But the Jews incited the religious women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Spirit.

14

1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

3 Therefore they stayed there for a long time speaking boldly in the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

4 But the crowd of the city was divided; part held with the Jews and part with the apostles.

5 And when there was an attempt by the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them,

6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding region.

7 And there they preached the gospel.

8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled since birth and had never walked.

9 The same listened to Paul speaking. Paul looked at him intently and perceiving that he had faith to be made whole,

10 said with a loud voice: Stand upright on your feet! And he leaped up and walked.

11 And when the crowd saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia: The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

13 And the priest of Jupiter, whose temple was before the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and would have done sacrifice with the crowds.

14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes and ran in among the crowd, crying out and saying:

15 Sirs, why do you these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

16 Who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways;

17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.

18 Even with these words the people were scarcely restrained from offering sacrifice to them.

19 But there came Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

20 But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up and entered into the city, and the next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe.

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.

23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 And they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 And from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

27 And when they had come and had gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done through them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

28 And they stayed no little time with the disciples.

15

1 But some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers: Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.

2 And Paul and Barnabas argued and debated with them; consequently Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders to resolve this question.

3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the believers.

4 And when they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all things that God had done through them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying: It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and the elders gathered together to consider this matter.

7 And when there had been much debate, Peter rose up and said to them: Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

8 And God, who knows the heart, did bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as He did to us.

9 And He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10 Therefore, why do you now put God to the test, putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as them.

12 And all the crowd kept silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul relating what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

13 And after they finished speaking, James replied, saying: Brothers. Listen to me.

14 Simeon has related how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name.

15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written:

16 After these things I will return, and I will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and I will build again the ruins of it, and I will raise it up;

17 so that the residue of mankind may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,

18 said the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.

19 Therefore my judgment is that we do not trouble those from among the Gentiles that turn to God,

20 but that we write to them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, from fornication, from what is strangled and from blood.

21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those that preach him, he being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leading men among the brothers.

23 With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and the elders, brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting.

24 Forasmuch as we have heard that some who went out from us have disturbed you with words, subverting you, to whom we gave no commandment,

25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men that have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 Therefore, we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled and from fornication. From which if you keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Farewell.

30 So they, when they were sent off, went to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the encouragement.

32 And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, encouraged and strengthened the believers with many words.

33 And after they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers back to those that had sent them.

34 But it seemed good to Silas to stay there.

35 And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas: Let us return now and visit the believers in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare.

37 And Barnabas wanted to take with them John also, who was called Mark.

38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.

39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus;

40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16

1 And he went also to Derbe and to Lystra; and a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father was a Greek.

2 The same was well reported of by the believers that were at Lystra and Iconium.

3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, and he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which had been determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7 And when they came to the border of Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.

8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, urging him and saying: Come into Macedonia and help us!

10 And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace and the day following to Neapolis,

12 and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony; and we stayed in this city for some days.

13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by a river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women that had gathered.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened to give heed to the things which were spoken by Paul.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she urged us, saying: If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay. So she persuaded us.

16 And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain slave girl met us, who had a spirit by which she predicted the future and who brought her masters much gain by fortune-telling.

17 The same following after Paul and us was crying out, saying: These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation!

18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, being greatly disturbed by it, 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 moment.

19 But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,

20 and when they had brought them to the magistrates, they said: These men, being Jews, are disturbing our city,

21 and advocate customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.

22 And the crowd rose up together against them; and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten.

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they threw them into prison, ordering the jailor to guard them carefully.

24 Having received this order, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in shackles.

25 But about midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God; and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bonds were unfastened.

27 And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying: Do not harm yourself! For we are all here.

29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas,

30 and brought them out and said: Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said: Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved, you and your household.

32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all that were in his household.

33 And at that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.

34 And he brought them into his house, set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with all his family, having believed in God.

35 But when it was day, the magistrates sent their officers, saying: Let those men go.

36 And the jailor reported the words to Paul, saying: The magistrates have sent word to let you go. Therefore come out and go in peace.

37 But Paul said to them: They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned men that are Roman citizens, and have thrown us into prison, and now they want to throw us out secretly? No! Let them come themselves and bring us out.

38 And the officers reported these words to the magistrates; and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.

39 And they came and pleaded with them, and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city.

40 And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia; and when they had seen the believers, they comforted them and departed.

17

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them for three Sabbath days and reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 explaining and proving that it was necessary that the Christ suffer and rise from the dead, saying: This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.

4 And some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, as did many of the devout Greeks; and not a few of the chief women.

5 But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, taking along some wicked men from the market place and having assembled a mob, set the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people.

6 And when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the rulers of the city, crying: These that have turned the world upside down have come here also.

7 Jason has received them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.

8 And they agitated the crowd and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

9 And when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.

10 And the brother immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea; who when they arrived there, went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.

12 Therefore, many of them believed, including Greek women of high standing and many Greek men.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul at Berea also, they came there, likewise stirring up and inciting the crowds.

14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off on his way to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there.

15 But they that escorted Paul brought him as far as Athens, and after receiving instructions for Silas and Timothy (that they should came to him with all speed), they departed.

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw the city full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the religious persons, and in the marketplace every day with those that met him.

18 And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also encountered him. And some said: What will this babbler say? Others: He seems to be a preacher of strange gods! Because he preached Jesus and the resurrection.

19 And they took hold of him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying: May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by you?

20 For you bring certain strange things to our ears. Therefore, we would like to know what these things mean.

21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers living there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing).

22 And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said: You men of Athens, I perceive you are very religious in all things.

23 For as I walked along, I observed the objects of your worship; and I found an altar with this inscription: To the unknown god. Whom you worship in ignorance, Him I proclaim to you.

24 The God that made the world and all things therein, He, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwells not in temples made with hands.

25 Neither is He served by men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He gives to all life and breath and all things.

26 And He has made from one, every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times set for them and the bounds of their habitation,

27 that they should seek God; so that they might feel after Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

28 For in Him we live and move and have our being- as some even of your own poets have said: For we are also his offspring.

29 Being then the offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine is like gold, or silver, or stone, something crafted by art and the imagination of man.

30 Therefore, the times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands men that they should all everywhere repent.

31 Inasmuch as He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom He has ordained; of which He has given assurance to all men, in that He has raised him from the dead.

32 Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but others said: We will hear you concerning this yet again.

33 Thus Paul went out from among them.

34 But some people joined him and believed, among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

18

1 After these things he departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome; and he went to them.

3 And because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they worked together, for by trade they were tentmakers.

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Gentiles.

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

6 And when they opposed and reviled him, he shook out his garments and said to them: Your blood is on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.

7 And he departed from there, and went into the house of a certain man named Titus Justus, one that worshiped God, whose house was attached to the synagogue.

8 And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his family; and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

9 And during the night in a vision, the Lord said to Paul: Do not be afraid, but speak out and do not keep silent.

10 For I am with you, and no one shall attack or harm you. For I have many people in this city.

11 And he lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat,

13 saying: This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.

14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews: If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of criminal villainy, O you Jews, it would be logical that I should bear with you.

15 But if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. I refuse to be a judge of these matters.

16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.

17 And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of these things.

18 And Paul, having stayed after this for many days, took his leave of the believers, and with Priscilla and Aquila sailed to Syria, having shorn his head in Cenchrea. For he had made a vow.

19 And they came to Ephesus; and he left them there, but he entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

20 And when they asked him to stay a longer time, he did not consent

21 but took his leave of them, saying: I will return again to you if God wills. He then set sail from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch.

23 And having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in that order, strengthening all the disciples.

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the scriptures.

25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.

26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

27 And when he decided to go into Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he helped them who through grace had believed.

28 For he powerfully refuted the Jews publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

19

1 Rebaptizing Some of John the Baptist's Converts And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus and found some disciples.

2 And he said to them: Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him: No. We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.

3 And he said: Into what then were you baptized? And they said: Into John's baptism.

4 And Paul said: John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus.

5 And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

7 And they were in all about twelve men.

8 And he entered into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God.

9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the crowd, he departed from them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10 And this continued for the space of two years, so that all those who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Gentiles.

11 And God did special miracles by the hands of Paul,

12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and their mental illnesses were cured.

13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had manic illnesses, saying: I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul proclaims.

14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, a chief priest, who did this.

15 And the maniac answered and said to them: Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?

16 Then the man who had the mania jumped on them and subdued and overpowered all of them, so they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

17 And this became known to all that dwelt at Ephesus, both Jews and Gentiles; and fear fell upon them all. And the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

18 Many also of those that had believed came, confessing and declaring their sinful deeds.

19 And not a few of those that practised magical arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

21 When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go up to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

22 And having sent into Macedonia two of those that assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, he stayed in Asia for a while.

23 And about that time there arose no small stir concerning the Way.

24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no little business to the craftsmen.

25 He gathered them together, with the workmen of similar occupation, and said: Sirs, you know that by this business we have our wealth,

26 and you see and hear, that not only at Ephesus but throughout most of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and led astray many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.

27 And not only is there a danger that this our trade will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be made of no account, and that she whom all Asia and the world worships should even be deposed from her magnificence.

28 And when they heard this, they were filled with anger and cried out, saying: Great is Diana of Ephesus!

29 And the city was filled with confusion; and they rushed with one accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

30 But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.

31 And some also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent word to him, pleading that he not venture into the theatre.

32 Therefore, some cried one thing and some another. For the assembly was in confusion and most did not know why they had come together.

33 And they brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews putting him forward; and Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a defence to the people;

34 but when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out: Great is Diana of the Ephesians!

35 And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: You men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

36 Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash.

37 For you have brought here these men, who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

38 Therefore, if Demetrius and the craftsmen that are with him have a matter against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them accuse one another.

39 But if you seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.

40 For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.

41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

20

1 And after the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.

2 And when he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came into Greece.

3 There he spent three months; but as he was about to set sail for Syria, he was informed that the Jews planned to ambush him, so he decided to return through Macedonia.

4 Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus from Berea, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.

5 These had gone ahead earlier, and were waiting for us at Troas.

6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread; and in five days came to those at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

7 And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart the next day; and prolonged his speech until midnight.

8 And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together.

9 And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep, and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead.

10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and embracing him, said: Don't be alarmed. For his life is in him.

11 Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.

12 And they brought the lad alive and were greatly comforted. Paul's Sermon at Miletus

13 But going ahead to the ship we set sail for Assos, there intending to pick up Paul. For so had he arranged, he intending to go by land.

14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and came to Mitylene.

15 And sailing from there, the following day we arrived off Kios, the next day we crossed over to Samos and the day after we came to Miletus.

16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have to spend time in Asia. For he was in a hurry, hoping to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.

18 And when they had come to him, he said to them: You know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time,

19 serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears and with trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews.

20 You know how I did not hesitate to declare to you anything that was helpful, and taught you in public, and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Gentiles repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And now I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there.

23 Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that imprisonments and afflictions await me.

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my race, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom of God will see my face again.

26 Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.

27 For I did not hesitate to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

28 Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.

29 I know that after my departing, fierce wolves shall enter in among you and will not spare the flock.

30 And from among you, men shall arise speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

31 Therefore be alert, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears.

32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those that are sanctified.

33 I coveted no one's silver, or gold, or apparel.

34 You yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.

35 In all things I gave you an example, that so labouring you should help the weak, and to remember the words that the Lord Jesus spoke, saying: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

36 And when he had thus spoken, he knelt down and prayed with them all.

37 And they all wept freely, embraced Paul and kissed him,

38 being sorrowful most of all because of his statement, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

21

1 And when we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

2 And having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail.

3 When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload its cargo.

4 And having found the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.

5 When our time was up, we departed and went on our way, and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, until we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.

6 And we went on board the ship, and they returned home.

7 And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them one day.

8 And the next day we departed, and went to Caesarea, and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.

9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

10 And as we stayed there some days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

11 And coming to us and taking Paul's belt, he bound his own feet and hands, and said: Thus said the Holy Spirit: So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owns this belt, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

12 And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered: What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready, not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying: The will of the Lord be done.

15 And after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.

16 And there went with us also some of the disciples from Caesarea, bringing with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

17 And when we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

18 And the following day Paul went with us to James; and all the elders were present.

19 And when he had greeted them, he related one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said to him: You saw, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law.

21 And they have been informed concerning you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to our customs.

22 What then? They will certainly hear you have come.

23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.

24 These take and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses, that they may shave their heads; and all shall know that there is no truth in the things of which they have been informed concerning you, but you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the law.

25 But concerning the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

27 And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him,

28 crying out: Men of Israel, help! This is the man that teaches all men everywhere against the people and the law, and this place, and moreover he brought Gentiles also into the temple and has defiled this holy place.

29 For they had previously seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together, laid hold on Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

31 And as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the chief captain of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

32 And he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.

33 Then the chief captain came near, laid hold of him and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

34 And some among the mob shouted one thing, some another; and when he could not know the certainty because of the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the fortress of Antonia.

35 When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

36 For the mob followed after, crying out: Away with him!

37 And as Paul was about to be brought into the fortress, he said to the chief captain: May I say something to you? And he said: Do you know Greek?

38 Are you not that Egyptian, who some time ago stirred up sedition and led out into the wilderness four thousand men that were terrorists?

39 But Paul said: I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beg you, please let me speak to the people.

40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand to the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying:

22

1 Paul's Defence to the Jerusalem Jews Brothers and fathers, hear the defence which I now make to you.

2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they were even more quiet; and he said:

3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are this day.

4 And I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

5 as also the high priest does bear me witness, and all the council of the elders. From whom also I received letters to the brothers and journeyed to Damascus, to bring them also that were there to Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

6 And it came to pass, that as I made my journey and drew near to Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

8 And I answered: Who are you Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.

9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, but they did not understand the voice of him that spoke to me.

10 And I said: What shall I do Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise and go into Damascus, and there you shall be told all things which are appointed for you to do.

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those that were with me, I came into Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

13 came to me; and standing by me, he said to me: Brother Saul, receive your sight. And in that very moment I looked upon him.

14 And he said: The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 For you shall be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

16 And now why do you delay? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.

17 And it came to pass, that when I had returned to Jerusalem and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18 and saw him saying to me: Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not welcome your testimony concerning me.

19 And I said: Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those that believed in you;

20 and when the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I also was standing by and approved, and guarded the robes of those that slew him.

21 And he said to me: Depart! For I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.

22 And they listened until this word, and then they lifted up their voice and said: Away with such a fellow from the earth! For it is not fitting that he should live.

23 And as they cried out and threw off their cloaks and threw dust into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the fortress, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

25 And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said to the centurion that stood by: Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?

26 And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying: What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman.

27 And the chief captain came and said to him: Tell me, are you a Roman? And he said: Yes.

28 And the chief captain answered: With a great sum of money I obtained this citizenship. And Paul said: But I am Roman born.

29 Then those that were about to torture him withdrew from him immediately; and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

30 But the next day, desiring to know with certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he released him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

23

1 Paul's Defence Before the High Priest And Paul looked straight at the council, and said: Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day.

2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

3 Then Paul said to him: God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?

4 And they that stood by said: Do you revile God's high priest?

5 And Paul said: I did not recognize, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, you shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.

6 But when Paul noticed that one part was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council: Brothers, I am a Pharisee, son of a Pharisee! Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

7 And when he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees believe in both.

9 And there arose a great clamour; and some of the scribes of the Pharisees stood up and argued, saying: We find no evil in this man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel?

10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the fortress.

11 And the following night the Lord stood by him, and said: Take courage, for as you have testified concerning me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.

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

13 And more than forty persons participated in this conspiracy.

14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said: We have bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.

15 Now then, you with the council petition the chief captain to bring him down to you, as though you would judge his case more exactly; and we, before he comes near, will be ready to slay him.

16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, and he went and entered into the fortress and told Paul.

17 And Paul summoned one of the centurions, and said: Take this young man to the chief captain; for he has something to tell him.

18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said: Paul the prisoner summoned me, and asked me to bring this young man, who has something to say to you.

19 And the chief captain took him by the hand, and taking him aside asked him privately: What is it you have to tell me?

20 He said: The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully about him.

21 But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him, men who have bound themselves by an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him; and now they are ready, waiting for your consent to their request.

22 So the chief captain let the young man go, ordering him: Tell no one you have told these things to me.

23 And he summoned two of the centurions and said: Make ready two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night.

24 And provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Felix the governor.

25 And he wrote a letter after this form:

26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix, greetings.

27 This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be slain by them, when I intervened with soldiers and rescued him, having learnt that he was a Roman.

28 And desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.

29 I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

30 And when it was told that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him to you, ordering his accusers also to speak against him before you.

31 So the soldiers, as commanded, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris.

32 But the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the fortress.

33 And they, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

34 And when he had read it, he asked of what province he was; and when he understood that he was of Cilicia, he said:

35 I will hear you fully when your accusers also have come; and he commanded him to be kept in Herod's palace.

24

1 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a spokesman, one Tertullus; and these gave evidence to the governor against Paul.

2 And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and prosperity is being brought to this nation by your foresight,

3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

4 But, not to be tedious to you any further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy, a few words from us.

5 For we have found this man to be a plague, and a mover of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

6 who moreover tried to profane the temple. We laid hold on him, and we would have judged him according to our law.

7 But the chief captain Lysias came and with great violence took him out of our hands,

8 commanding his accusers to come before you.You will be able, by examining him yourself, to gain knowledge of all these things of which we accuse him.

9 And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things were so.

10 And when the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul answered: Inasmuch as I do know you have been for many years a judge to this nation, I cheerfully make my defence.

11 You can verify that it was no more than twelve days ago that I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

12 And neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city did they find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd.

13 Neither can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.

14 But this I confess to you, that after the Way, which they call a sect, I serve the God of our fathers, believing all things which are according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;

15 having hope toward God, which these people also look for, that there shall be a resurrection, both of the just and unjust.

16 Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offence toward God and men always.

17 Now after some years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation.

18 Whilst doing this, they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor with uproar; but there were certain Jews from Asia,

19 who should have been here before you and to make the accusation, if they had something against me.

20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrongdoing they found when I stood before the council,

21 except it be for one statement that I cried standing among them: Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you this day.

22 But Felix, having more accurate knowledge concerning the Way, adjourned the proceedings, saying: When Lysias the chief captain shall come, I will decide your case.

23 Then he gave orders to the centurion, that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty; and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

24 But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.

25 And as he reasoned about righteousness, self control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid, and answered: Go away for now. When I have a convenient time I will call for you.

26 He hoped meanwhile that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore, he sent for him more often and conversed with him.

27 But after two years, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and desiring to gain favour with the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.

25

1 Now three days after Festus had arrived in the province, he went to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews presented the charges against Paul; and they petitioned him,

3 asking a favour against Paul, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.

4 However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he intended to go there soon.

5 Therefore, said he, let those that have authority among you come with me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

6 And when he had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went to Caesarea; and the next day he sat on the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought.

7 And when he had arrived, the Jews that had come from Jerusalem stood round him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove;

8 while Paul said in his defence: Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.

9 But Festus, desiring to gain favour with the Jews, answered Paul and said: Will you go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?

10 But Paul said: I am standing before Caesar's judgment seat, where I should be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as you also very well know.

11 If then I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not object to dying, but if none of these things are true of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.

12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered: You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shall you go.

13 Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus.

14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the King, saying: There is a certain man left as a prisoner by Felix,

15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for sentence against him.

16 To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up anyone, before the accused has the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defence concerning the matter charged against him.

17 Therefore, when they gathered here, I did not delay, and the next day sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought;

18 concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such evil things as I supposed.

19 Rather they had certain questions against him of their own religion and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

20 And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.

21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the Emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I should send him to Caesar.

22 And Agrippa said to Festus: I also would like to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, you shall hear him.

23 So the next day, when Agrippa had arrived and Bernice, with great pomp, they entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city; and at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

24 And Festus said: King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the crowd of the Jews made appeal to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he should not live any longer.

25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death; and as he appealed to the emperor, I decided to send him.

26 But I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore, I have brought him before you all, and especially before you King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write.

27 For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, without specifying the charges against him.

26

1 Paul's Defence Before Agrippa And Agrippa said to Paul: You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defence.

2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defence before you this day concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews;

3 especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore, I beg that you hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, do all the Jews know;

5 having knowledge of me from the first (if they are willing to admit it) that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers;

7 to which our twelve tribes earnestly serve night and day, hoping to attain the promises. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, O king!

8 Why would any of you think it incredible that God raises the dead?

9 I truly thought that I should do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And this I did in Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11 And in all the synagogues I often punished them, trying to force them to blaspheme, and being furiously enraged at them, I persecuted them even in foreign cities.

12 Thus I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests,

13 but at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining around me and those that journeyed with me.

14 And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the cattle prod.

15 And I said: Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus whom you persecute.

16 But arise, and stand upon your feet. For to this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things in which you have seen me, and of the things which I will reveal to you.

17 Delivering you from the people of the Jews and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; to the end they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those that are sanctified by faith in me.

19 Therefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;

20 but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to their repentance.

21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

22 Therefore, having obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should happen:

23 That the Christ must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

24 And as he thus made his defence, Festus said with a loud voice: Paul, you are mad. Your much learning is turning you mad.

25 But Paul said: I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but speak words of truth and soberness.

26 For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him. For this has not been done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.

28 And Agrippa said to Paul: You almost persuade me to become a Christian.

29 And Paul said: I will pray to God, that whether in a little time or a longer time, not you only, but also all that hear me this day might become as I am (apart from these chains).

30 And the king rose up and the governor and Bernice and they that sat with them.

31 And when they had withdrawn, they spoke to each other, saying: This man does nothing worthy of death or of imprisonment.

32 And Agrippa said to Festus: This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

27

1 Paul's Journey to Rome And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan Regiment.

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

3 And the next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him leave to go to his friends and refresh himself.

4 And putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5 And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6 And there the centurion found a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy; and he put us onboard.

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days and had come with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

8 Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9 Since much time had passed, and the voyage was now dangerous because even the Fast was already over, Paul advised them

10 and said to them: Gentlemen, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.

11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

12 And because the harbour was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbour of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close inshore.

14 But after a short time there beat down a tempestuous wind, which is called Euraquilo.

15 And when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along.

16 And running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the skiff.

17 And when they had hoisted it up, they used supports to undergird the ship; and fearing that they would be cast upon the Syrtis sandbar, they lowered the sail and so were driven by the wind.

18 The next day as we were being violently tossed by the storm, they began to jettison the cargo.

19 And the third day with their own hands they threw overboard the tackle of the ship.

20 And when neither sun nor stars shone upon us for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was now taken away.

21 And after they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood in the midst of them and said: Gentlemen, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and gained this injury and loss.

22 And now I encourage you to be of good courage. For there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

23 For this night there stood by me an angel of the God whose I am, whom also I serve,

24 saying: Fear not Paul. You must stand before Caesar; and God has granted you the lives of all those who sail with you.

25 Therefore gentlemen, be of good courage. For I believe God, that it shall be even as it has been spoken to me.

26 But we must be cast upon a certain island.

27 But when the fourteenth night had arrived, as we were driven to and fro in the sea of Adria, about midnight, the sailors sensed that they were drawing near to some land.

28 And they sounded and found thirty meters; and after a little space, they sounded again and found twenty five meters.

29 And fearing that we should run aground on the rocks, they let go four anchors from the stern and wished for daylight.

30 And as the sailors were seeking to abandon the ship and had lowered the skiff into the sea, under pretence that they would lay out anchors from the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers: Except these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the skiff and let it fall off.

33 And while the day was dawning, Paul pleaded with them all to take some food, saying: This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having eaten nothing.

34 Therefore, I beg you to take some food. For this is for your health; for not a hair shall perish from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it and began to eat.

36 Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves.

37 And in all we were two hundred and seventy six persons on the ship.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they did not recognise the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive the ship upon it.

40 And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

41 But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves.

42 And the soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim away and escape.

43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that they who could swim should throw themselves overboard first and get to land;

44 and then the rest, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safely to land.

28

1 And when we had escaped, then we knew that the island was called Malta.

2 And the natives showed us unusual kindness; for they kindled a fire and made us all welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.

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

4 And when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to each other: No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not permitted to live.

5 However he shook off the creature into the fire and was unharmed.

6 But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly; but when they had waited a long time in expectation and saw nothing amiss came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us courteously for three days.

8 And it happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. Paul came in to him and prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

9 And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island came and were cured.

10 They also honoured us with many honours; and when we sailed away, they put on board such things as we needed.

11 And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered on the island, whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

12 And landing at Syracuse, we stayed there three days;

13 and from there, we circled round and arrived at Rhegium; and after one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

14 where we found believers and were encouraged to stay with them seven days. And so we came towards Rome.

15 And from there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage.

16 And when we entered into Rome, Paul was permitted to live by himself, with the soldier that guarded him.

17 And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those that were the leaders of the Jews; and when they came together, he said to them: Brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

18 Who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause for putting me to death.

19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar. Not that I had something of which to accuse my nation.

20 Therefore, for this reason did I request you see me and speak with me. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

21 And they said to him: We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

22 But we desire to hear of you what you think. For as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.

23 And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number. To whom he expounded the matter, testifying of the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

25 So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed; after Paul had made this final statement: The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying:

26 Go to this people and say, By hearing you shall hear and shall in no way understand, and seeing you shall see and shall in no way perceive.

27 For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart; and should repent, and I should heal them.

28 Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles; and they will hear.

29 When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

30 And he stayed two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and welcomed all that visited him,

31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, no one forbidding him.