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Acts 25
Festus, therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they entreated him, 3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem; laying a plot to kill him on the way. 4 However Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart for there shortly. 5 Let them therefore, he said, that are of power among you go down 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 down to Caesarea; and on the next day he sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he had come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove; 8 while Paul said in his defense, 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 favor 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 ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as you also very well know. 11 If I then am a wrongdoer, and have committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is true of which they accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.
13 Now when certain days were past, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, There is a certain man left 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 any man, before that the accusers have the accused face to face, and have had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. 17 When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on the next day sat upon 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 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of one Yahshua, 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 could wish to hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he said, you shall hear him.
23 So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came, with great pomp, they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in. 24 And Festus says, King Agrippa, and all the men who are present here with us, behold this man, about whom the whole multitude of the Jews made suit to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him. 26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my sovereign. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before you, king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I may have something to write. 27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner, and not to have charges against him to send along.
Acts 26
And Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defense:
2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you this day touching 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 entreat you to hear me patiently. 4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; 5 Having knowledge of me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6 And now I stand to be judged for the hope of the promise made by Yahweh to our fathers; 7 to which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving Yahweh night and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, oh king! 8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if Elohim does raise the dead? 9 I truly thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Yahshua the Messiah of Nazareth. 10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both 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 punishing them constantly in the synagogues, I strove to make them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12 Upon which as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and the commission of the chief priests, 13 at midday, oh king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad. 15 And I said, who are you, Master? And the Master said, I am Yahshua who you persecute. 16 But arise, and stand on your feet: for to this end have I appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness both of the things in which you have seen me, and of the things in which I will appear to you; 17 delivering you from the people, 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 Yahweh, that they may receive the remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me. 19 Therefore, oh king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: 20 but declared both to them of Damascus first, and at Jerusalem and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to Yahweh, doing works worthy of repentance. 21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and attempted to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from Yahweh, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said should come; 23 that the Messiah must suffer, and that he first by the resurrection from the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles.
24 And as he thus made his defense, Festus says with a loud voice, Paul, you are mad; your excessive learning is making you mad. 25 But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and sanity. 26 For the king knows of these things, to whom I also 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 that you believe. 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, With but a little persuasion you would make me a despised believer. 29 And Paul said, I would to Elohim that whether with little or with much, not you only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these bonds:
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 one another, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Acts 27
And when it was determined that we should set sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2 And embarking in a ship of 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 touched 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 of Alexandria sailing for Italy; and he put us in it. 7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty over against Cnidus, the wind not further permitting us, we sailed under the lee of Crete, over against Salmone; 8 and with difficulty coasting along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens; and near there was the city of Lasea.
9 And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them, 10 and said to them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to 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 haven was not spacious to winter in, the greater part advised to put to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there; which is a haven of Crete, looking northeast and southeast. 13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore. 14 But after a short time there beat down from it 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. 16 And running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat: 17 and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon Syrtis, they lowered the gear, and so were driven. 18 And as we labored very much with the storm, the next day they began to throw the freight overboard; 19 and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor moon nor stars shined 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 when they had been long without food, then Paul stepped forward in the middle of them, and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have got this injury and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of Yahweh whose I am, whom also I serve, 24 saying, Fear not, Paul; you must stand before Caesar: and lo, Elohim has granted you all them that sail with you. 25 Therefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe Elohim that it shall be even so as it has been spoken to me. 26 But we must be cast upon a certain island.
27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro in Adria, about midnight the sailers surmised that they were drawing near to some country: 28 and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29 And fearing lest perhaps we should be cast ashore on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for the day. 30 And as the sailers were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though 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 boat, and let her fall off. 33 And while the day was coming on, Paul entreated them all to take some food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Therefore I beseech you to take some food: for this is for your safety: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to Yahweh in the presence of all; and he broke it, and began to eat. 36 Then they were all of good cheer, and themselves also took food. 37 And we were in all the ship two hundred seventy-six souls. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could bring the ship safely to shore. 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 lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their purpose; and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves overboard, and get first to the land; 44 and the rest, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to land.
Acts 28
And when we had escaped, then we knew that the island was called Melita. 2 And the barbarians showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, 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 by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging from his hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not permitted him to live. 5 However, he shook the creature off into the fire, and took no harm. 6 But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but when they were in long expectation and saw nothing going wrong with him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a mighty one.
7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius; who received us, and entertained us three days courteously. 8 And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery: to whom Paul entered in, 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 who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, 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 in the island, whose sign was Twin Brothers. 12 And touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13 And from there we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after one day a south wind came up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli; 14 where we found brethren, and were entreated to remain with them seven days: and so we came to Rome. 15 And from there the brethren, 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 Yahweh and took courage.
16 And when we entered into Rome, Paul was allowed 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 chief of the Jews: and when they had come together, he said to them, I brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans: 18 who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because there was no cause of death in me. 19 But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar; not that I had anything of which to accuse my nation. 20 For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to 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 brethren come here and report or speak any harm of you. 22 But we wish 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 the Kingdom of Yahweh, and persuading them concerning Yahshua, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24 And some believed the things that were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25 And when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, the Holy Spirit spoke well through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying,
Go to this people, and say,
By hearing you shall hear, and shall in no wise understand;
And seeing you shall see, and shall in no wise perceive:
27 For this people’s heart has become gross,
And their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed;
Lest by chance they should perceive with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And should turn again,
And I should heal them.
28 Be it known therefore to you, that this salvation of Yahweh is sent to the Gentiles: they will also hear. 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much disputing among themselves.
30 And he lived two whole years in his own rented house, and received all that went in to him, 31 preaching the Kingdom of Yahweh, and teaching the things concerning the Sovereign Yahshua the Messiah with all boldness, no one forbidding him.
