ACTS

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Fred Miller's Revised King James' Version

ACTS

CHAPTERS: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

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Acts 1

¹I madethe former treatise, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, ²Until the day in which he was taken up, after he through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom he had chosen: ³To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ⁴And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, you have heard of me. ⁵For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
⁶When they therefore were come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? ⁷And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power. ⁸But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and in Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth. ⁹And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹Who also said, You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.
¹²Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem. ¹³And when they had come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter and James and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bareholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon Zelotes and Judas the brother of James. ¹⁴These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.
¹⁵And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said, (the number of names together were about a hundred twenty,) ¹⁶Men and brothers, this scripture needs to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was guide to those who took Jesus. ¹⁷For he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry. ¹⁸Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹And it was known to all those dwelling at Jerusalem; so that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell in it: and let another take his oversight. ²¹Therefore of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²Beginning from the baptism of John, to that same day that he was taken up from us, one must be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. ²³And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus and Matthias. ²⁴And they prayed and said, You, Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show which of these two you have chosen, ²⁵That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. ²⁶And they gave their lots; and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
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Chapter 2
¹And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared to them cloven tongues like fire and it sat on each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
⁵And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language. ⁷And they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans? ⁸And how do we hear every man in our own language, in which we were born? ⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia, ¹⁰ Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretes and Arabians, we hear them speak in our languages the wonderful works of God. ¹²And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying to one another, What does this mean? ¹³ Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said to them, You men of Judaea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you and listen to my words: ¹⁵For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, said God, I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹And I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath; blood and fire and vapor of smoke: ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord comes: ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ²²You men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know: ²³Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and killed: ²⁴Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be held by it. ²⁵For David speaks concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: ²⁶Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; also my flesh shall rest in hope: ²⁷Because you will not leave my soul in hades, neither will you suffer your Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life; you shall make me full of joy with your countenance. ²⁹Men and brothers, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ³¹He seeing this spoke before of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. ³²This Jesus has God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. ³³Therefore being exalted by the right hand of God and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has shed forth this, which you now see and hear. ³⁴For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he said himself, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, ³⁵Until I make your foes your footstool. ³⁶Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
³⁷Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brothers, what shall we do? ³⁸Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation. ⁴¹Then those who gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls.
⁴²And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. ⁴³And fear came on every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things common; ⁴⁵And sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men, as every man had need. ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, ate their food with gladness and singleness of heart, ⁴⁷Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
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Chapter 3
¹Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. ²And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who entered into the temple; ³Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. ⁴And Peter, fastening his eyes on him with John, said, Look at us. ⁵And he was attentive to them, expecting to receive something of them. ⁶Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. ⁷And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸And he leaping up stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God: ¹⁰And they knew that it was he who sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened to him. ¹¹And as the lame man who was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
¹²And when Peter saw it, he answered to the people, You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? or why do you look so earnestly at us, as though we, by our own power or holiness, have made this man to walk? ¹³The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus; whom you delivered up and you denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. ¹⁴But you denied the Holy and Just One and desired a murderer to be granted to you; ¹⁵And killed the Prince of life, whom God has raised from the dead; of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶And his name through faith in his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know: yes, the faith which is by him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. ¹⁷And now, brothers, I know that you did itthrough ignorance as also your rulers did. ¹⁸But those things, which God had showed before by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he has so fulfilled. ¹⁹Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰And he shall send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before: ²¹Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God has spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. ²²For Moses truly said to the fathers, The Lord your God shall raise up a prophet to you of your brothers, like me; you shall hear him in all things what ever he shall say to you. ²³And it shall come to pass, that every soul, who will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. ²⁴Yes and all the prophets from Samuel and those who followed after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. ²⁵You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham and in your seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. ²⁶God, who raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you first, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
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Chapter 4
¹And as they spoke to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees, came to them, ²Being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³And they laid hands on them and put them in jail for the next day: because it was now evening. ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
⁵And it came to pass in the morning, that their rulers and elders and scribes, ⁶And Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ⁷And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have you done this? ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, You rulers of the people and elders of Israel, ⁹If we this day are examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; ¹⁰Be it known to you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand here before you whole. ¹¹This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the head of the corner. ¹²Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved. ¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴And beholding the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶Saying, What shall we do to these men? for indeed a notable miracle which has been done by them is manifest to all those who dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, so that they speak from now on to no man in this name. ¹⁸And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. ²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. ²²For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shown.
²³And being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, you are God, who has made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them: ²⁵Who by the mouth of your servant David has said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? ²⁶The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. ²⁷For of a truth against your holy child Jesus, whom you have anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together, ²⁸To do what ever your hand and your counsel determined before to be done. ²⁹And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant to your servants, that with all boldness they may speak your word, ³⁰By stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Jesus. ³¹And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
³²And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither did any of them say that any of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. ³³And with great power the apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was on them all. ³⁴Nor was there any among them who lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sold, ³⁵And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made to every man according as he had need. ³⁶And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which translated is, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, ³⁷Having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.
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Chapter 5
¹But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, ²And kept back part of the price, his wife also being aware of it and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. ³But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back part of the price of the land? ⁴While it remained, was it not your own? and after it was sold, was it not in your own power? why have you conceived this thing in your heart? you have not lied to men, but to God. ⁵And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the Spirit: and great fear came on all those who heard these things. ⁶And the young men arose, wound him up and carried him out and buried him. ⁷And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. ⁸And Peter asked her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much. ⁹Then Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door and shall carry you out. ¹⁰Then she fell down immediately at his feet and yielded up the Spirit: and the young men came in and found her dead and, carrying her out, buried her by her husband. ¹¹And great fear came on all the church, and on as many as heard these things.
¹²And many signs and wonders were wrought by the hands of the apostles among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. ¹³And no man dared join himself to them from the rest: but the people magnified them. ¹⁴And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) ¹⁵So that they brought out the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, so that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. ¹⁶ Also a multitude out of the cities round about came to Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and those who were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
¹⁷Then the high priest rose up and all those who were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, ¹⁸And laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹But the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors by night and brought them out and said, ²⁰Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. ²¹And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those who were with him came and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. ²²But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and told, ²³Saying, truly, the prison we found shut with all safety and the keepers standing outside before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man inside. ²⁴Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them to what this would grow. ²⁵Then one came and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.
²⁶Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. ²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, ²⁸Saying, Did we not straitly command you that you should not teach in this name? and, behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood on us. ²⁹Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed and hanged on a tree. ³¹Him has God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. ³³When they heard that, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to kill them. ³⁴Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people and he commanded to put the apostles out a little space; ³⁵And said to them, You men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do as touching these men. ³⁶For before these days Theudas rose up, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was killed; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to nothing. ³⁷After this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the taxing and drew away many people after himself: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. ³⁸And now I say to you, Refrain from these men and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work is of men, it will come to nothing: ³⁹But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest perhaps you may be found to even fight against God. ⁴⁰And they agreed with him: and when they had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. ⁴¹And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. ⁴²And daily in the temple and in every house, they did not cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
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Chapter 6
¹And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. ²Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them and said, It is not reasonable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. ³Therefore, brothers, look out from among yourselves seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. ⁴But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. ⁵And the saying pleased the whole multitude: 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 Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: ⁶Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. ⁷And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. ⁹Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. ¹⁰And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. ¹¹Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God. ¹²And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes and came to him and caught him and brought him to the council, ¹³And set up false witnesses, who said, This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law: ¹⁴For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered to us. ¹⁵And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.
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Chapter 7
¹Then the high priest said, Are these things so? ²And he said, Men, brothers and fathers, listen; The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelled in Haran, ³And said to him, Get out of your country and from your kindred and come into the land which I shall show you. ⁴Then he came out of the land of the Chaldaeans and dwelled in Haran: and from there, when his father was dead, he removed himself into this land, in which you now dwell. ⁵And he gave him no inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. ⁶And God spoke in this way, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage and entreat them evil four hundred years. ⁷And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage I will judge, said God: and after that they shall come out and serve me in this place. ⁸And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham was the father of Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac was the father of Jacob; and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs. ⁹And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, ¹⁰And delivered him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹²But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers; and Joseph's kindred was made known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob to him and all his kindred, seventy five souls. ¹⁵So Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers, ¹⁶And were carried over into Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Shechem.
¹⁷But when the time of the promise drew near, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸Till another king arose, who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹The same dealt subtly with our kindred and entreated our fathers evil, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. ²⁰In which time Moses was born and was exceedingly fair and nourished up in his father's house three months: ²¹And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him for her own son. ²²And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds. ²³And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers the children of Israel. ²⁴And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him who was oppressed and struck the Egyptian: ²⁵For he supposed his brothers would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they did not understand. ²⁶And the next day he showed himself to them as they fought and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, you are brothers; why do you wrong one another? ²⁷But he who did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸Will you kill me, as you did the Egyptian yesterday? ²⁹Then Moses fled at this saying and was a stranger in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
³⁰And when forty years were expired, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai in a flame of fire in a bush. ³¹When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came to him, ³²Saying, I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and did not dare to look. ³³Then the Lord said to him, Put off your shoes from your feet: for the place where you stand is holy ground. ³⁴I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you into Egypt. ³⁵This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? the same God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red sea and in the wilderness forty years. ³⁷This is that Moses, who said to the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brothers, like me; you shall hear him. ³⁸This is he, who was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spoke to him in Mount Sinai and with our fathers: who received the living oracles to give to us: ³⁹To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, ⁴⁰Saying to Aaron, Make us a god to go before us: for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. ⁴¹And they made a calf in those days and offered sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
⁴²Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O you house of Israel, have you offered to me killed beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness? ⁴³Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Remphan, figures which you made to worship: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. ⁴⁴Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. ⁴⁵Which also our fathers who came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, to the days of David; ⁴⁶Who found favor before God and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷But Solomon built him a house. ⁴⁸But the most High does not dwell in temples made with hands. As the prophet said, ⁴⁹Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool: what house will you build me? said the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? ⁵⁰Has not my hand made all these things?
⁵¹You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you. ⁵²Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? and they have killed those who showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers: ⁵³Who have received the law by the disposition of angels and have not kept it.
⁵⁴When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven and seeing the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, ⁵⁶And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran at him with one accord, ⁵⁸And cast him out of the city and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen, calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. ⁶⁰And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, Do not lay this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
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Chapter 8
¹And Saul was consenting to his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ²And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. ³As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and hauling men and women committed them to prison.
⁴Therefore those who were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. ⁵Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. ⁶And the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. ⁷For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many who were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies and who were lame, were healed. ⁸And there was great joy in that city. ⁹But there was a certain man, called Simon, who before that time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that he himself was some great one: ¹⁰To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. ¹¹And they had regard to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. ¹²But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³Then Simon himself also believed: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John: ¹⁵Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: ¹⁶(For as yet he was fallen on none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. ²⁰But Peter said to him, your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. ²¹You have neither part nor lot in this matter: for your heart is not right in the sight of God. ²²Repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³For I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. ²⁴Then Simon answered and said, Pray to the Lord for me, that none of these things which you have spoken come on me. ²⁵And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
²⁶And the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert. ²⁷And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ Was returning and sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹Then the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot. ³⁰And Philip ran there to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah and said, Do you understand what you are reading? ³¹And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. ³² The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he did not open his mouth: ³³In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. ³⁴And the eunuch asking Philip, said, I ask you, of whom does the pophet speak this? of himself, or of some other man? ³⁵Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached to him Jesus. ³⁶And as they went on their way, they came to a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what hinders me from being baptized? ³⁷And 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. ³⁸And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. ³⁹And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, so that the eunuch did not see him any more: and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
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Chapter 9
¹And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, ²And desired letters from him to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. ³And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly a light from heaven shined round about him: ⁴And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? ⁵And he said, Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting: it is hard for you to kick against the goads. ⁶And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will you have me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the city and it shall be told you what you must do. ⁷And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. ⁸And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days without sight and neither did he eat or drink.
¹⁰And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. ¹¹And the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the street which is called Straight and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying, ¹²And has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight. ¹³Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem: ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name. ¹⁵But 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: ¹⁶For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake. ¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to you in the way as you came, has sent me, so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight immediately and arose and was baptized. ¹⁹And when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul was certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus. ²⁰And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. ²¹But all who heard him were amazed and said; Is not this he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem and came here for the intent that he might bring them bound to the chief priests? ²²But Saul increased even more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelled at Damascus, proving that this is truly Christ.
²³And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: ²⁴But their lieing in wait was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. ²⁵Then the disciples took him by night and let him down by the wall in a basket. ²⁶And when Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how he had seen the Lord in the way and that he had spoken to him and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. ²⁹And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to kill him. ³⁰When the brothers knew of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus. ³¹Then the churches had rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied.
³²And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all areas, he came down also to the saints who dwelled at Lydda. ³³And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept his bed eight years and was sick of palsy. ³⁴And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ makes you whole: arise and make your bed. And he arose immediately. ³⁵And all who dwelled at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
³⁶Now a certain disciple was at Joppa named Tabitha, (which translated is Dorcas): this woman was full of good works and alms deeds which she did. ³⁷And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick and died: whom when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber. ³⁸And forasmuch as Lydda was near to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. ³⁹Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping and showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. ⁴⁰But Peter put them all out and kneeled down and prayed; and turning to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹And he gave her his hand and lifted her up and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. ⁴²And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³And it came to pass, that he stayed many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
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Chapter 10
¹ There was a certain man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the band called Italian, ²A devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always. ³He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying to him, Cornelius. ⁴And when he looked at him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him, your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. ⁵And now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter: ⁶He lodges with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell you what you ought to do. ⁷And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from those who waited on him continually; ⁸And when he had declared all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.
⁹ In the morning as they went on their journey and drew near to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: ¹⁰And he became very hungry and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, ¹¹And saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending to him, like a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth: ¹²In which were all manner of four footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air. ¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. ¹⁴But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean. ¹⁵And the voice spoke to him again the second time, What God has cleansed, that do not call common. ¹⁶ This was done three times: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. ¹⁷Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men who were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate, ¹⁸And called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodged there.
¹⁹While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men seek you. ²⁰Arise therefore and get down and go with them doubting nothing: for I have sent them. ²¹Then Peter went down to the men who were sent to him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom you seek: what is the cause that you have come? ²²And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one who fears God and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for you into his house and to hear words from you. ²³Then he called them in and lodged them. And in the morning Peter went away with them and certain brothers from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴And the morning after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them and had called together his kinsmen and near friends. ²⁵And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man. ²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in and found many that were come together. ²⁸And he said to them, You know that it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to keep company, or come to one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. ²⁹Therefore I came to you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: Therefore I ask for what intent you have sent for me? ³⁰And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, ³¹And said, Cornelius, your prayer is heard and your alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. ³²Send therefore to Joppa and call here Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he comes, shall speak to you. ³³Immediately therefore I sent to you; and you have done well that you have come. Now therefore we are all present here before God, to hear all things that are commanded to you from God.
³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: ³⁵But in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness, is accepted with him. ³⁶The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) ³⁷That word, I say, you know, which was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; ³⁸How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power: who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. ³⁹And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem; whom they killed and hanged on a tree: ⁴⁰ God raised him up the third day and showed him openly; ⁴¹Not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained of God to be the Judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the prophets give witness to him, that through his name who ever believes in him shall receive remission of sins.
⁴⁴While Peter still spoke these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵And they of the circumcision who believed, as many as came with Peter, were astonished, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered , ⁴⁷Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? ⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they prayed him to stay certain days.
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Chapter 11
¹And the apostles and brothers that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. ²And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision contended with him, ³Saying, You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them. ⁴But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order to them, saying, ⁵I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: ⁶On the which when I had fastened my eyes, I considered and saw four footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air. ⁷And I heard a voice saying to me, Arise, Peter; kill and eat. ⁸But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth. ⁹But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God has cleansed, do not call that common. ¹⁰And this was done three times: and all was drawn up again into heaven. ¹¹And, behold, immediately there were three men already come to the house where I was, sent from Caesarea to me. ¹²And the Spirit told me to go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brothers accompanied me and we entered into the man's house: ¹³And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said to him, Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; ¹⁴Who shall tell you words, by which you and all your house shall be saved. ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ¹⁷Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did to us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; who was I, that I could withstand God? ¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted repentance to life to the Gentiles.
¹⁹Now those who were scattered abroad on the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but to the Jews only. ²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed and turned to the Lord. ²²Then tidings of these things came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent out Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. ²³Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave to the Lord. ²⁴For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and many people were added to the Lord. ²⁵Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus, to seek Saul: ²⁶And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that they assembled themselves a whole year with the church and taught many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
²⁷And in those days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. ²⁹Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who dwelled in Judea: ³⁰Which also they did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
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Chapter 12
¹Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hands to vex certain of the church. ²And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. ³And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) ⁴And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Passover to bring him out to the people.
⁵Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing by the church to God for him. ⁶And when Herod would have brought him out, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door guarded the prison. ⁷And, behold, the angel of the Lord came to him and a light shined in the prison: and he struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off his hands. ⁸And the angel said to him, Gird yourself and bind on your sandals. And so he did. And he said to him, Cast your garment about you and follow me. ⁹And he went out and followed him; and did not know that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. ¹⁰When they were past the first and the second ward, they came to the iron gate that leads to the city; which opened to them of its own accord: and they went out and passed on through one street; and immediately the angel departed from him. ¹¹And when Peter had come to himself, he said, Now I surely know, that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. ¹²And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying. ¹³And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel named Rhoda came to listen,. ¹⁴And when she knew Peter's voice, she did not open the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate. ¹⁵And they said to her, You are mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then they said, It is his angel. ¹⁶But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷But he, beckoning to them with the hand to hold their peace, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go show these things to James and to the brothers. And he departed and went into another place. ¹⁸Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, about what had become of Peter. ¹⁹And when Herod had sought for him and did not find him, he examined the keepers and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and abode there.
²⁰And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: but they came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace; because their country was nourished by the king's country. ²¹And on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and made an oration to them. ²²And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god and not of a man. ²³And immediately the angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give God the glory: and he was eaten of worms and gave up the Spirit. ²⁴But the word of God grew and multiplied. ²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
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Chapter 13
¹Now there were certain prophets and teachers in the church that was at Antioch, like Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch and Saul. ²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate Barnabas and Saul to me for the work to which I have called them. ³And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed to Seleucia; and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they also had John for their minister. ⁶And when they had gone through the isle to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus: ⁷Who was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by translation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. ⁹Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, ¹⁰And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, you child of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is on you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. ¹³Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.
¹⁴But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down. ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, You men and brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. ¹⁶Then Paul stood up and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel and you who fear God, give audience. ¹⁷The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelled as strangers in the land of Egypt and he brought them out of it with a high arm. ¹⁸And about the time of forty years he suffered their manners in the wilderness. ¹⁹And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. ²⁰And after that he gave them judges about the space of four hundred fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. ²¹And afterward they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. ²²And when he had removed him, he raised up David for them to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall fulfil all my will. ²³God according to his promise has raised to Israel from this man's seed a Savior, Jesus: ²⁴When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom do you think that I am? I am not he. But, behold, one comes after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. ²⁶Men and brothers, children of the stock of Abraham and whoever fears God among you, to you is the word of this salvation sent. ²⁷For those who dwell at Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not know him, nor yet the voices of the prophets who are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. ²⁸And though they found no cause of death in him, yet they desired Pilate that he should be killed. ²⁹And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰But God raised him from the dead: ³¹And he was seen many days of those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. ³²And we declare to you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made to the fathers, ³³God has fulfilled the same to us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, You are my Son, this day have I begotten you. ³⁴And concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said in this way, I will give you the sure mercies of David. ³⁵Therefore he said also in another psalm, You shall not suffer your Holy One to see corruption. ³⁶For David by the will of God fell asleep, after he had served his own generation and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption: ³⁷But he, whom God raised again, did not see corruption. ³⁸Therefore be it known to you, men and brothers, that the forgiveness of sins is preached to you through this man: ³⁹And by him all who believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest that come on you, what is spoken of in the prophets; ⁴¹Behold, you despisers and wonder and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which you shall in no way believe, though a man declares it to you.
⁴²And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles asked that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. ⁴³Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. ⁴⁴And the next sabbath day almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas having grown bold, said, It was necessary that the word of God should have been spoken to you first: but seeing you put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set you to be a light of the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth. ⁴⁸And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. ⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts. ⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came to Iconium. ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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Chapter 14
¹And it came to pass in Iconium, that they both went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spoke, so that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed. ²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evilly affected against the brothers. ³Therefore they abode a long time speaking boldly in the Lord, who gave testimony to the word of his grace and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. ⁴But the multitude of the city was divided: and part held with the Jews and part with the apostles. ⁵And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully and to stone them, ⁶They became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia and to the region that lies round about: ⁷And there they preached the gospel.
⁸And a certain man sat at Lystra, impotent in his feet, who had never walked, being a cripple from his mother's womb: ⁹The same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on your feet. And he leaped and walked. ¹¹And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men. ¹²And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³Then the priest of Jupiter, who was before their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and would have sacrificed with the people. ¹⁴Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they tore their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out, ¹⁵And saying, Sirs, why do you these things? We also are men of like passions with you and preach to you that you should turn from these vanities to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all things that are in them: ¹⁶Who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷But he did not leave himself without a witness, in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. ¹⁸And with these sayings they scarcely restrained the people, that they had not sacrificed to them.
¹⁹And certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, who persuaded the people and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he was dead. ²⁰But, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹And when they had preached the gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch, ²²Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must enter into the kingdom of God through much tribulation. ²³And when they had ordained elders for them in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed. ²⁴And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: ²⁶And from there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. ²⁷And when they had come and gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸And they abode there a long time with the disciples.
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Chapter 15
¹And certain men who came down from Judea taught the brothers, and said, Unless you are circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. ²When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. ³And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy to all the brothers. ⁴And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and by the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. ⁵But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
⁶And the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. ⁷And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said to them, Men and brothers, you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸And God, who knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us; ⁹And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they are. ¹²Then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles by them. ¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brothers, listen to me: ¹⁴Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. ¹⁵And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, ¹⁶After this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build its ruins again and I will set it up: ¹⁷That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, on whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things. ¹⁸Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world. ¹⁹Therefore my sentence is, that we do not trouble them, who from among the Gentiles are turned to God: ²⁰But that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood. ²¹For Moses of old time has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brothers: ²³And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brothers send greeting to the brothers which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: ²⁴Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: ²⁵It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things; ²⁹That you abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare you well. ³⁰So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: ³¹Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. ³²And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brothers with many words and confirmed them. ³³And after they had stayed there a space, they were let go in peace from the brothers to the apostles. ³⁴But it pleased Silas to still stay there. ³⁵Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
³⁶And some days after Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brothers in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. ³⁷And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. ³⁸But Paul did not think it was good to take him with them, who had departed from them from Pamphylia and did not go with them to the work. ³⁹And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed separately from one another: and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; ⁴⁰And Paul chose Silas and departed being recommended by the brothers to the grace of God. ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
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Chapter 16
¹Then he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, who was a Jewess and believed; but his father was a Greek: ²Who was well reported of by the brothers that were at Lystra and Iconium. ³Him would Paul have to go out with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those quarters: for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. ⁵And so the churches were established in the faith and increased in number daily.
⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia and were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia, ⁷After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit did not allow them. ⁸And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and help us. ¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. ¹¹Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia and the next day to Neapolis; ¹²And from there to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. ¹³And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was used to be made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who resorted there. ¹⁴And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, so that she attended to the things which were spoken by Paul. ¹⁵And when she was baptized and her household, she besought us, saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.
¹⁶And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: ¹⁷The same followed Paul and us and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who show to us the way of salvation. ¹⁸And this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. ¹⁹And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and drew them into the marketplace to the rulers, ²⁰And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city, ²¹And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. ²²And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded to beat them. ²³And when they had laid many stripes on them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: ²⁴Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.
²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's bands were loosed. ²⁷And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled. ²⁸But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do yourself no harm: for we are all here. ²⁹Then he called for a light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas, ³⁰And brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? ³¹And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved and your house. ³²And they spoke to him the word of the Lord and to all who were in his house. ³³And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately. ³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
³⁵And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let those men go. ³⁶And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart and go in peace. ³⁷But Paul said to them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans and have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privately? no verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. ³⁸And the sergeants told these words to the magistrates: and they were afraid, when they heard that they were Romans. ³⁹And they came and besought them and brought them out and desired them to depart out of the city. ⁴⁰And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brothers, they comforted them and departed.
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Chapter 17
¹Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews: ²And Paul, as his manner was, went in to them and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, ³Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach to you, is Christ. ⁴And some of them believed and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude and not a few of the chief women. ⁵But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, took to them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the city in an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people. ⁶And when they did not find them, they drew Jason and certain brothers to the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come here also; ⁷Whom Jason has received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. ⁸And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things. ⁹And when they had taken security of Jason and of the others, they let them go.
¹⁰And the brothers immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea: who coming there went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women who were Greeks and not a few of men,. ¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the people. ¹⁴And then immediately the brothers sent Paul away to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus still stayed there. ¹⁵And those who conducted Paul brought him to Athens: and receiving a commandment to Silas and Timotheus to come to him with all speed, they departed.
¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. ¹⁷Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews and with the devout persons and in the market daily with those who met with him. ¹⁸Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? others, He seems to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹And they took him and brought him to Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, of which you speak is? ²⁰For you bring certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. ²¹(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
²²Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are too superstitious. ²³For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore I declare to you him whom you ignorantly worship,. ²⁴God who made the world and all things in it, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, he does not dwell in temples made with hands; ²⁵Neither is he worshiped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he gives to all life and breath and all things; ²⁶And has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and has determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation; ²⁷That they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from every one of us: ²⁸For in him we live and move and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. ²⁹Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. ³⁰And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now he commands all men every where to repent: ³¹Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; of whom he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead.
³²And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear you again of this matter. ³³So Paul departed from among them. ³⁴But certain men clung to him and believed: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
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Chapter 18
¹ After these things Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth; ²And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came to them. ³And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them and worked: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. ⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. ⁵And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. ⁶And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said to them, Your blood is on your own heads; I am clean: from now on I will go to the Gentiles.
⁷And he departed from there and entered into a certain man's house, named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. ⁸And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized. ⁹Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not hold your peace: ¹⁰For I am with you and no man shall set on you to hurt you: for I have many people in this city. ¹¹And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
¹²And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made an insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, ¹³Saying, This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you: ¹⁵But if it is a question of words and names and of your law, you look to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. ¹⁶And he drove them from the judgment seat. ¹⁷Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.
¹⁸And after this Paul stayed there yet a good while and then took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there into Syria and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow. ¹⁹And he came to Ephesus and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. ²⁰When they desired him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent; ²¹But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that is coming in Jerusalem: but I will return again to you, if God wills. And he sailed from Ephesus. ²²And when he had landed at Caesarea and gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. ²³And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
²⁴And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. ²⁵This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. ²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him to them and expounded to him the way of God more perfectly. ²⁷And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brothers wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he had come, helped them greatly who had believed through grace: ²⁸For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
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Chapter 19
¹And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, ²He said to them, Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Spirit. ³And he said to them, To what then were you baptized? And they said, To John's baptism. ⁴Then Paul said, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe in him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. ⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷And all of them were about twelve men.
⁸And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. ⁹But when different ones were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evilly of that way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. ¹⁰And this continued by the space of two years; so that all those who dwelled in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. ¹¹And God worked special miracles by the hands of Paul: ¹²So that from his body handkerchiefs or aprons were brought to the sick and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them.
¹³Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took on themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches. ¹⁴And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, who did so. ¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know and Paul I know; but who are you? ¹⁶And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame them and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. ¹⁸And many who believed came and confessed and showed their deeds. ¹⁹Many of them also who used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰So the word of God grew mightily and prevailed.
²¹After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. ²²So he sent into Macedonia two of those who ministered to him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. ²³And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. ²⁴For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain to the craftsmen; ²⁵Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, you know that by this craft we have our wealth. ²⁶Moreover you see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods, which are made with hands: ²⁷So that not only this our craft is in danger of being rejected; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana might be despised and her magnificence may be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worships. ²⁸And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. ²⁹And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater. ³⁰And when Paul would have entered in to the people, the disciples did not allow him. ³¹And certain of the chief of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theater. ³²Some therefore cried one thing and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the most part did not know why they were come together. ³³And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand and would have made his defense to the people. ³⁴But when they knew that he was a Jew, all cried out with one voice about the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. ³⁵And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, You men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? ³⁶Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, you ought to be quiet and to do nothing rashly. ³⁷For you have brought these men here, who are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. ³⁸Therefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies: let them charge one another. ³⁹But if you enquire of any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. ⁴⁰For we are in danger of being called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause by which we may give an account of this concourse. ⁴¹And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
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Chapter 20
¹And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called the disciples to him and embraced them and departed to go into Macedonia. ²And when he had gone over those parts and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece, ³And stayed there three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. ⁴And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵These going before waited for us at Troas. ⁶And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and came to them at Troas in five days; where we stayed seven days.
⁷And on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached to them, ready to depart in the morning; and continued his speech until midnight. ⁸And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together. ⁹And a certain young man named Eutychus sat in a window, having fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep and fell down from the third loft and was taken up dead. ¹⁰And Paul went down and fell on him and embracing him said, Do not trouble yourselves; for his life is in him. ¹¹Therefore when he was come up again and had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, he departed. ¹²And they brought the young man alive and were not a little comforted.
¹³And we went before by ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so had he appointed, minding himself to go afoot. ¹⁴And when he met with us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene. ¹⁵And we sailed from there and came the next day opposite Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos and waited at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus. ¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia: for he hurried, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.
¹⁷And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. ¹⁸And when they had come to him, he said to them, You know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, ¹⁹Serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: ²⁰And how I kept back nothing that was profitable to you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, ²¹Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: ²³Except that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. ²⁴But none of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear to myself, so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall not see my face any more. ²⁶Therefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. ²⁷For I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God. ²⁸Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For I know this, that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Also of your own selves men shall arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves. ³¹Therefore watch and remember, that by the space of three years I did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears. ³²And now, brothers, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. ³⁴Yes, you yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. ³⁵I have shown you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
³⁶And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. ³⁷And they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, ³⁸Sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they should not see his face any more. And they accompanied him to the ship.
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Chapter 21
¹And it came to pass, that after we had departed from them and launched, we came with a straight course to Coos and the following day to Rhodes and from there to Patara: ²And finding a ship sailing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set out. ³Now when we had seen Cyprus, we left it on the left hand and sailed into Syria and landed at Tyre: for the ship was to unlade her burden there. ⁴And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days: who said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. ⁵And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we kneeled down on the shore and prayed. ⁶And when we had taken our leave of one another, we took a ship; and they returned home again. ⁷And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais and saluted the brothers and stayed with them one day.
⁸And the next day we who were of Paul's company departed and came to Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven; and stayed with him. ⁹And the same man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied. ¹⁰And as we stayed there many days, a certain prophet, named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹And when he has come to us, he took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet and said, Thus says the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. ¹²And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place, pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul answered, What do you mean to weep and to break my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
¹⁵And after those days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Also certain of the disciples of Caesarea went with us and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. ¹⁷And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. ¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present. ¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. ²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said to him, You see, brother, how many ten thousands of Jews there are who believe; and they are all zealous of the law: ²¹And they are informed about you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they should not circumcise their children, nor walk after the customs. ²²What is it therefore? the multitude must surely come together: for they will hear that you have come. ²³Therefore do this that we tell you: We have four men who have a vow on them; ^24Takethem and purify yourself with them and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things which they were informed concerning you are nothing; but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. ²⁵As touching the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, except only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled, and from fornication. ²⁶Then Paul took the men and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them.
²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on him, ²⁸Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, who teaches all men every where against the people and the law and this place: and further he also brought Greeks into the temple and has polluted this holy place. ²⁹(For they had seen before Trophimus an Ephesian in the city with him, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰And all the city was moved and the people ran together: and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple: and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹And as they went about to kill him, news came to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³²Who immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³Then the chief captain came near and took him and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and demanded who he was and what he had done. ³⁴And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. ³⁵And when he came on the stairs, it was so, that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the people. ³⁶For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. ³⁷And as Paul was about to be led into the castle, he said to the chief captain, May I speak to you? Who said, Can you speak Greek? ³⁸Are you not that Egyptian, who before these days made an uproar, and led four thousand men who were murderers out into the wilderness? ³⁹But Paul said, I am a man who is a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beg you, allow me to speak to the people. ⁴⁰And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with the hand to the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,
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Chapter 22
¹Men, brothers and fathers, hear my defense which I make now to you. ²(And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they kept more silent: and he said,)
³I am truly a man who is a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and was zealous toward God, as you all are this day. ⁴And I persecuted this way to the death, binding and delivering both men and women into prisons. ⁵As also the high priest and all the estate of the elders bear me witness,: from whom also I received letters to the brothers and went to Damascus, to bring those who were bound there to Jerusalem, to be punished. ⁶And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey and had come near to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ⁷And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? ⁸And I answered, Who are you, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. ⁹And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid; but they did not understand the voice of him who spoke to me. ¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told to you all things which are appointed for you to do. ¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand by those who were with me, I came into Damascus. ¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews who dwelled there, ¹³Came to me and stood and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And the same hour I looked upon him. ¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you should know his will and see that Just One and should hear the voice of his mouth. ¹⁵For you shall be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now why do you wait? arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. ¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; ¹⁸And saw him saying to me, Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly: for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. ¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you in every synagogue: ²⁰And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I was also standing by and consenting to his death and kept the clothes of those who killed him. ²¹And he said to me, Depart: for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.
²²And they listened to him to this word and then lifted up their voices and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ²³And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air, ²⁴The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle and asked that he should be examined by scourging; that he might know why they cried so against him. ²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned? ²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Beware what you do: for this man is a Roman. ²⁷Then the chief captain came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes. ²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum I obtained this freedom. And Paul said, But I was born free. ²⁹Then immediately they departed from him who would have examined him: and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman and because he had bound him. ³⁰ He loosed him from his bands, on the next morning and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear and brought Paul down and set him before them because he wanted to know the certainty of why he was accused of the Jews, m.
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Chapter 23
¹And Paul, earnestly looking at the council, said, Men and brothers, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. ²And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. ³Then Paul said to him, God shall strike you, you whited wall: for you sit to judge me after the law and command me to be struck contrary to the law? ⁴And those who stood by said, Do you revile God's high priest? ⁵Then Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest: for it is written, You shall not speak evil of the ruler of your people.
⁶But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question. ⁷And when he had so spoken, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. ⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. ⁹And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose and argued, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God. ¹⁰And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul would have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him from among them by force and to bring him into the castle. ¹¹And the following night the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.
¹²And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would not eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³And they were more than forty who had made this conspiracy. ¹⁴And they came to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵Now therefore you with the council signify to the chief captain so that he may bring him down to you tomorrow, as though you would enquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we are ready to kill him, when ever he comes near. ¹⁶And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. ¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the chief captain: for he has a certain thing to tell him. ¹⁸So he took him and brought him to the chief captain and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has something to say to you. ¹⁹Then the chief captain took him by the hand and went with him aside privately and asked him, What is it that you have to tell me? ²⁰And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask you that you would bring Paul down tomorrow into the council, as though they would enquire somewhat more perfectly of him. ²¹But do not yield to them: for more than forty men lie in wait for him of those who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now they are ready, looking for a promise from you. ²²So the chief captain let the young man depart and charged him, See you tell no man that you have shown these things to me. ²³And he called to him two centurions, saying, Prepare two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea and seventy horsemen and two hundred spear men, at the third hour of the night; ²⁴And provide animals for them, that they may set Paul on and bring him safe to Felix the governor. ²⁵And he wrote a letter after this manner: ²⁶Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix sends greeting. ²⁷This man was taken by the Jews and would have been killed by them: then I came with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. ²⁸And when I would have known the cause why they accused him, I brought him out to their council: ²⁹Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. ³⁰And when it was told to me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent immediately to you and gave commandment to his accusers also to speak what they had against him before you. Farewell. ³¹Then the soldiers took Paul, as it was commanded them and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² In the morning they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the castle: ³³Who, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him. ³⁴And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; ³⁵ He said I will hear you, when your accusers have also come. And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.
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Chapter 24
¹And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who accused the governor against Paul. ²And when he was called forward, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by you we enjoy great quietness and that very worthy deeds are done to this nation by your providence, ³ We accept it always and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. ⁴But, so that I am not further tedious to you, I ask you that you would hear of us a few words by your clemency. ⁵For we have found this man pestilent and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes: ⁶Who also has gone about to profane the temple: whom we took and would have judged according to our law. ⁷But the chief captain Lysias came on us and with great violence took him away out of our hands, ⁸Commanding his accusers to come to you: by examining of whom you yourself may receive knowledge of all these things which we accuse him. ⁹And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.
¹⁰Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that you have been of many years a judge to this nation, I more cheerfully answer for myself: ¹¹Because you may understand, that there are only twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹²And they did not find me disputing in the temple with any man, nor raising up the people, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city: ¹³Nor can they prove the things which they now accuse me. ¹⁴But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: ¹⁵And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. ¹⁶And I exercise myself in this, to always have a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men. ¹⁷Now after many years I came to bring alms and offerings to my nation. ¹⁸Upon which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult. ¹⁹Who ought to have been here before you, and object, if they have any thing against me. ²⁰Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, while I stood before the council, ²¹Except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them, Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question by you this day.
²²And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the rest of your matter. ²³And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come to him. ²⁴And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for you. ²⁶He hoped also that money would have been given to him by Paul, so that he might loose him: therefore he sent for him often and communed with him. ²⁷But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound.
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Chapter 25
¹Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ²Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul and encouraged him, ³And desired a favor against him, that he would send him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. ⁴But Festus answered, that Paul would be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart there shortly. ⁵therefore he said, Let them who are able among you, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is any wickedness in him. ⁶And when he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove. ⁸While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended any thing at all. ⁹But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul and said, would you go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me? ¹⁰Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. ¹¹For if I am an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I do not refuse to die: but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no man may deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar. ¹²Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, have you appealed to Caesar? to Caesar you shall go.

¹³And after certain days king Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to salute Festus. ¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause to the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix: ¹⁵About whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. ¹⁶To whom I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before he who is accused has the accusers face to face and has licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. ¹⁷Therefore, when they had come here, without any delay on the next morning I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought out. ¹⁸Against whom when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed: ¹⁹But had certain questions against him of their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰And because I doubted of such manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters. ²¹But when Paul had appealed to be reserved to the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. ²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, he said, you shall hear him. ²³And in the morning, when Agrippa and Bernice, had come with great pomp and had entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought out. ²⁴And Festus said, King Agrippa and all men who are present here with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death and that he himself has appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. ²⁶Of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you and especially before you, O king Agrippa, that, after examination, I might have somewhat to write. ²⁷For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not to signify the crimes laid against him.
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Chapter 26
¹Then Agrippa said to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand and answered for himself: ²I think myself blessed, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before you touching all the things of which I am accused by the Jews: ³Especially because I know you to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: therefore I urge you to hear me patiently. ⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know; ⁵Who knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most narrow sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ⁶And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God to our fathers: ⁷To which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. ⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? ⁹I truly thought in myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and I shut up in prison many of the saints, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. ¹¹And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to strange cities.
¹²Then as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, ¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me. ¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? it is hard for you to kick against the goad. ¹⁵And I said, Who are you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶But rise and stand on your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of these things which you have seen and of those things in which I will appear to you; ¹⁷Delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, ¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in me. ¹⁹On which, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: ²⁰But showed first to them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do works fit for repentance. ²¹For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple and went about to kill me. ²²Having therefore obtained help from God, I continue to this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said should come: ²³That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should show light to the people and to the Gentiles.
²⁴And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, you are beside yourself; much learning makes you mad. ²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. ²⁶For the king before whom I also speak freely knows of these things,: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe. ²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to be a Christian. ²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that not only you, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains. ³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them: ³¹And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man did nothing worthy of death or of bonds. ³²Then said Agrippa to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.
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Chapter 27
¹And when it was determined that we would sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. ²And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; and one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul courteously and gave him liberty to go to his friends to refresh himself. ⁴And when we had launched from there, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy; and he put us in it. ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days and had come scarcely opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us, we sailed under Crete, opposite Salmone; ⁸And, just passing it, came to a place which is called The Fair Havens; near to which was the city of Lasea. ⁹Now when much time was spent and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰And said to them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. ¹¹But the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.
¹²And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the greater part also advised to depart from there, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and to winter there; which is a haven of Crete and lies toward the south west and north west. ¹³And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing from there, they sailed close by Crete. ¹⁴But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ¹⁵And when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. ¹⁶And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: ¹⁷Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, struck sail and so were driven. ¹⁸And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; ¹⁹And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. ²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.
²¹But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, you should have listened to me and not have loosed from Crete and to have gained this harm and loss. ²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. ²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, ²⁴Saying, Fear not, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God has given you all those who sail with you. ²⁵Therefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. ²⁶But we must be cast on a certain island. ²⁷But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the ship men deemed that they drew near to some country; ²⁸And sounded and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Then fearing lest we should have fallen on rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern and hoped for the day. ³⁰And as the ship men were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, you cannot be saved. ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off. ³³And while the day was coming on, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that you have waited and continued fasting, having taken nothing. ³⁴Therefore I urge you to take some food: for this is for your health: for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. ³⁵And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. ³⁶Then were they all of good cheer and they also took some food. ³⁷And we in the ship were two hundred seventy six souls in all. ³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when it was day, they did not know the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. ⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea and loosed the rudder bands and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind and made toward shore. ⁴¹And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. ⁴²And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that those who could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land: ⁴⁴And the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it was, that they all escaped safely to land.
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Chapter 28
¹And when they had escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. ²And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire and received us every one, because of the present rain and because of the cold. ³And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out of the heat and fastened on his hand. ⁴And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet vengeance does not allow him to live. ⁵And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. ⁶But they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. ⁷The possessions of the chief man of the island were in the same area and whose name was Publius received us and lodged us three days courteously. ⁸And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹So when this was done, others also, who had diseases in the island, came and were healed: ¹⁰Who also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.
¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. ¹²And landing at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. ¹³And from there we fetched a compass and came to Rhegium: and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli: ¹⁴Where we found brothers and were desired to stay with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome. ¹⁵And from there, when the brothers heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum and The Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was allowed to dwell by himself with a soldier who kept him.
¹⁷And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said to them, Men and brothers, though I have committed nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. ¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar; not that I had any thing to accuse my nation of. ²⁰For this cause therefore I have called for you, to see you and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. ²¹And they said to him, We have not received letters out of Judaea concerning you, nor have any of the brothers who came showed or spoke any harm of you. ²²But we desire to hear of you what you think: for concerning this sect, we know that it is spoken against every where.
²³And when they had appointed him a day, many came to him to his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. ²⁴And some believed the things which were spoken and some did not believe. ²⁵And when they did not agree among themselves, they departed, after Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, ²⁶Saying, Go to this people and say, Hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and not perceive: ²⁷For the heart of this people has grown dull and their ears are dull of hearing and they have closed their eyes; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them. ²⁸Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and that they will hear it. ²⁹And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had great reasoning among themselves.
³⁰And Paul dwelled two whole years in his own hired house and received all who came in to him, ³¹Preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
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