I.--¹THE former narrative, Theophilus, I composed, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, ²even to the day, on which he was taken up, after that he, through the Holy Spirit had given commandment to the Apostles whom he had chosen; ³to whom also he showed himself alive, after his suffering, in many convincing proofs, during forty days appearing to them, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God; ⁴and having convened them together, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem; but to await the gift promised them by the Father, which, says he, you have heard from me: ⁵for John indeed immersed in water, but you shall be immersed in the Holy Spirit, not many days hence.

      ⁶They now having come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? ⁷And he said to them, It is not for you to know times or occasions, which the Father has reserved for his own disposal. ⁸But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses for me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts 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 were gazing into the heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹who also said, Galileans, why stand you gazing into the heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken from you into the heaven, shall so come, in like manner, as you have seen him going into the heaven. ¹²Then they returned into Jerusalem, from a mount called Olivet, from Jerusalem, a sabbath-day's journey. ¹³And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas, the brother of James. ¹⁴These were all persevering with one consent, in prayer and supplication, with women, with 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 the names together being about one hundred and twenty), ¹⁶Brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of David, before spoke, concerning Judas, who was guide to them that seized Jesus. ¹⁷For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. ¹⁸(Now a field was purchased with the reward of his iniquity, and he, falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. ¹⁹And it was known to all the dwellers in Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper [193] 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 his episcopate let another take. ²¹Wherefore, of these men that have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out among us, ²²beginning from the immersion of John, to the day that he was taken up from us, must one be appointed to be witness with us of his resurrection. ²³And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴And they praying said: Thou Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two thou hast chosen, ²⁵to take a part in this ministry and an apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. ²⁶And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered together with the eleven Apostles.

      II.--¹When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  ²And suddenly there came a sound out of heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  ³And there appeared to them tongues distributed, as of fire, and it sat upon every one of them.  ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues, as the spirit gave them utterance.

       ⁵And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, of every nation under heaven.  ⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because every one heard them speak in his own tongue.  ⁷And all were amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these who speak, Galileans?  ⁸And how hear we, every man in our own tongue, in which we were born?  ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those inhabiting Mesopotamia,--both Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  ¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphilia, and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and Roman strangers,--both Jews and proselytes,  ¹¹Cretes and Arabians,--we hear them speaking in our own tongues the magnificent works of God.  ¹²And they were all amazed and perplexed, saying one to another, What means this?  ¹³Others (mocking) said, They are full of sweet wine.  ¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice, and said to them, Jews, and all you that reside in Jerusalem, be this known to you, and hearken to my words:  ¹⁵for these men are not drunk, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.  ¹⁶But this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel,  ¹⁷And it shall come to pass, in the last days, that I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and they shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream in dreams:  ¹⁸and on my man servants, and my maid servants, in those days, I will pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.  ¹⁹And I will show wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth beneath--blood and fire, and smoky vapor.  ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and illustrious day of the Lord come.  ²¹And it shall come to pass, that every one who shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved.  ²²Israelites, hear these words: Jesus, the Nazarene, 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 having seized, who, by the declared counsel and foreknowledge of God was yielded up, you have, by wicked hands, crucified and slain,  ²⁴whom God has raised up, having loosed the bands of death, because it was impossible that he should be held under it.  ²⁵For David speaks for him: I have always regarded the Lord, as before my face; for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.  ²⁶Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad: moreover my flesh shall rest in hope,  ²⁷that thou wilt not leave my soul among the dead, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.  ²⁸Thou hast made known to me the ways of life: thou wilt make me full of joy with thy presence.  ²⁹Brethren, let me freely speak to you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day.  ³⁰But being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to [194] him, that of the fruit of his loins he would raise up the Christ, to sit on his throne;  ³¹he, foreseeing this, spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul should not be left among the dead, nor his flesh see corruption.  ³²This Jesus has God raised up, of which we are all witnesses.  ³³Therefore, being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he was shedding forth this which you now see and hear.  ³⁴For David is not ascended into the heavens; but he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou on my right hand,  ³⁵till I make thy foes thy footstool.  ³⁶Let all the house of Israel, therefore, assuredly know, that God has constituted that same Jesus, whom you have crucified, Lord and Christ.  ³⁷Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter, and to the other Apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?  ³⁸Then Peter said to them, Reform and be immersed, 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 those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  ⁴⁰And with many other words he testified, and exhorted, saying, Save yourselves from this froward generation.

       ⁴¹They, therefore, having gladly received the word, were immersed; and the same day, there were added about three thousand souls.  ⁴²And they perseveringly continued in the Apostles' teaching, and in the contribution, and in the breaking of the loaf, and in the prayers.  ⁴³And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles.  ⁴⁴And all that believed were together, and had all things common,  ⁴⁵and sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, as any one had need.  ⁴⁶And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their food with gladness and singleness of heart,  ⁴⁷praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord daily added the saved to the congregation.

      III.--¹Now Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the hour of prayer--the ninth hour.  ²And a certain man, lame from his birth, was carried thither, whom they daily laid at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of those entering into the temple,  ³who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked alms.  ⁴And Peter, earnestly looking upon him with John, said, Look on us.  ⁵And he gave heed to them, expecting to receive something from them.  ⁶Then Peter said, Silver and gold I have not, but what I have, I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.  ⁷And seizing him by the right hand, he lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ankles received strength.  ⁸And leaping forth, he 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 well 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 while the lame man, who was healed, held fast Peter and John, all the people ran together to them, upon the porch, called Solomon's, greatly wondering.  ¹²And when Peter saw it, he addressed the people;--Israelites, why marvel at this? or why look so earnestly on us, as though, by our own strength, or piety, we had caused this man to walk?  ¹³The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered up, and disowned, in presence of Pilate, when he was determined to acquit him.  ¹⁴But you disowned the Holy and the Just one, and desired a murderer to be granted to you:  ¹⁵and killed the Author of the Life, whom God raised from the dead: whose witnesses we are.  ¹⁶And upon the faith in his name, he has made this man strong, whom you behold and know. Yes, his name, and the faith, which is through him, has given him this perfect soundness, in presence of you all.

       ¹⁷And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, as also did your rulers.  ¹⁸But God [195] has thus accomplished those things which he had formerly announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ should suffer.  ¹⁹Reform, then, and turn, that your sins may be blotted out, and that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord:  ²⁰and that he may send Jesus Christ, the one before prepared for you,  ²¹whom the heavens must, indeed, retain until the times of the completion of all things, which God has spoken through the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the world began.  ²²For Moses, indeed, said to the Fathers, That a prophet shall the Lord, your God, raise up for you, from among your brethren, as he raised me up; him shall you hear in all things, whatever he shall say to you.  ²³And every soul who will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.  ²⁴And, indeed, all the prophets, from Samuel and those following in order, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.  ²⁵You are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, "And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed."  ²⁶God having raised up his servant Jesus, sent him first to you, to bless you in turning away, every one of you, from his iniquities.

      IV.--¹AND while they were speaking to the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came upon them,  ²being indignant that they taught the people, and preached, that through Jesus is the resurrection from the dead.  ³And they laid hands on them, and put them in prison, until the next day: for it was already evening.  ⁴But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men became about five thousand.

       ⁵And it came to pass, on the morrow, 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 pontifical family, were gathered together in Jerusalem.  ⁷And placing them in the midst, they asked, In what strength, or in what name, have you done this?  ⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people, and Elders of Israel,  ⁹if we be examined this day concerning a good deed done to an infirm man, in what name he is made whole,  ¹⁰be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ, the Nazarene--whom you crucified--whom God raised from the dead, by him does this man stand before you sound.  ¹¹This is the stone which was set at naught by you, the builders, which is made the head of the corner.  ¹²And the salvation is not in another person; for there is not another name under the heaven, given among men, by which it behooves us to be saved.

       ¹³Now, considering the freedom of speech, of Peter and John, and having perceived that they were illiterate, and persons in private life, they marveled; and they knew them well, that they used to be with Jesus.  ¹⁴And beholding the man who was healed, standing with them, they had nothing to say against it.  ¹⁵But having commanded them to withdraw from the council, they conferred with one another,  ¹⁶saying, What shall we do to these men? for, that, indeed, a notorious miracle has been wrought by them, is manifest to all those who dwell at Jerusalem, and we can not deny it.  ¹⁷But, that it may be spread no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them, that they speak, henceforth, to no man upon this name.  ¹⁸And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor to teach, upon the name of Jesus.

       ¹⁹But Peter and John answered, and said to them, Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken to you, rather than to God, judge.  ²⁰For we can not but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  ²¹So, when they had further threatened them, they discharged them, finding no means of punishing them, because of the people; for all were glorifying God, for that which had been done.  ²²For the man on whom this miracle of the healing was wrought, was more than forty years old.

       ²³And now, having been discharged, they went to their own friends, and announced all that the priests and elders had said to them.  ²⁴And they, hearing, raised a voice to God, with one accord, and said, Sovereign Lord, thou art the God who hast made the heavens, and the earth, and the [196] sea, and all that is in them;  ²⁵who by thy servant David's mouth hast said, Why did nations rage, and people imagine a vain thing?  ²⁶The kings of the earth presented themselves, and the Princes were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Anointed.  ²⁷For, of a truth, in this city, against thy holy son, Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were assembled,  ²⁸to do whatever thy hand, and thy counsel had before determined to be done.  ²⁹And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant to thy servants, that, with all boldness, they may speak thy word,  ³⁰by stretching out thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done, by the name of thy holy son, Jesus.

       ³¹And, they having prayed, the place in which they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God with boldness.  ³²And the multitude of those that believed were of one heart and of one soul, neither said 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 testimony concerning the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.  ³⁴For neither was there any among them who lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands, or of houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things sold,  ³⁵and laid them down at the Apostles' feet. And it was distributed to every one, according as any had need.

       ³⁶Now Joses, who, by the Apostles, was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being translated, Son of Consolation), a Levite, a Cyprian by birth,  ³⁷having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the Apostles' feet.

      V.--¹BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife sold a possession  ²and purloined from the price (his wife also being privy to it), and brought a certain part, and laid it at the Apostles' feet.  ³But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan possessed your heart, to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to purloin from 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 only, but to God.  ⁵And Ananias hearing these words, falling, expired; and great fear came on all that heard these things.  ⁶And the young men arose, wrapped him up, and carrying him out, buried him.  ⁷Now an interval of about three hours occurred, and his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.  ⁸And Peter said to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much? And she said verily, for so much.  ⁹Then Peter said to her, Why is it, that you have agreed together, to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold the feet of these who have buried your husband are at the door, and shall carry you out.  ¹⁰Then she instantly fell down at his feet and expired: and the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.  ¹¹And great fear came upon all the congregation, and upon all those hearing these things.

       ¹²And through the hands of the Apostles were many signs and wonders done among the people, (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.  ¹³And of the rest durst no man join himself to them, but the people magnified them.  ¹⁴And believers were still more added to the Lord, multitudes of men and also of women),  ¹⁵insomuch that they brought forth their sick into streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least, the shadow of Peter, passing by, might overshadow some of them.  ¹⁶And the multitude of the surrounding cities also came together into Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those harassed with unclean spirits, and they were every one healed.

       ¹⁷But the High Priest arising, and all who were with him (being the party of the Sadducees), were filled with zeal,  ¹⁸and threw their hands upon the Apostles, and put them in public custody.  ¹⁹But an angel of the Lord, under cover of the night, opened the prison doors, and bringing them forth, 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 were [197] teaching. But the High Priest came, and those that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent into the prison to have them brought.

       ²²But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and reported,  ²³saying: The prison indeed we found shut with all security, and the guards, standing before the entrances; but on opening, we found not one within.  ²⁴Now when the High Priest, and the Captain of the temple, and the Chief Priests, heard these words, they were in perplexity about them, what this might come to be.  ²⁵But one came and reported, saying, Behold, those whom you placed in the prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people.  ²⁶Then, the Captain went, with the officers, and brought them without force (for they feared the people), that they might not be stoned.

       ²⁷And having led them away, they placed them in the council: and the High Priest asked them;--  ²⁸Did we not strictly command you not to teach upon this name? and, behold, you have filled up Jerusalem with your doctrine, and are intending to bring the blood of this man upon us.

       ²⁹But Peter and the Apostles answering, said, We ought to obey God rather than men.  ³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you slew, having hanged him on a tree.  ³¹This person has God exalted to his right hand, a Prince and a Saviour, to grant 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.  ³³Now those hearing, were exasperated, and they were making up their mind to slay them.  ³⁴But a certain one, arising in the Sanhedrim, a Pharisee, Gamaliel by name, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, commanded to put the Apostles out, for a little while,  ³⁵and said to them, Israelites, take heed to yourselves, what you execute upon these men.  ³⁶For before these days Theudas arose, declaring himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, attached themselves; who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered and brought to nothing.

       ³⁷After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up, in the days of the enrollment, and drew away sufficient people after him: he utterly destroyed himself; and all, as many as were obedient to him, were dispersed.  ³⁸And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone; for if this purpose, or this work be of men, it will be destroyed;  ³⁹but if it be of God, you are not able to destroy it, and lest, perhaps, you be found to fight against God.  ⁴⁰And they were persuaded by him; and having called the Apostles, and scourged them, they commanded that they should not speak upon the name of Jesus, and released them.  ⁴¹So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were esteemed worthy to be dishonored for his name.  ⁴²And they did not cease teaching every day, in the temple, and in every house, and proclaiming Jesus the Christ.

      VI.--¹Now, in those days, the number of the disciples being multiplied, a murmuring of the Hellenists against the Hebrews occurred, because their own widows were neglected in the daily ministration.  ²Then the Twelve, having called the multitude of the disciples to them, said: Relinquishing the word of God to serve tables is not pleasing to us.  ³Wherefore, brethren, look you out among you seven men of attested character, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;  ⁴but we will give ourselves wholly to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.  ⁵And the speech was pleasing in the mind of all the people; 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 Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch:  ⁶whom they presented before the Apostles; and, praying, they laid their hands upon them.  ⁷And the word of God was increasing, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem was being greatly multiplied, and a great crowd of the priests was becoming submissive to the faith.  ⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. [198]

       ⁹Then there arose certain of the Synagogue--of that composed of the freedmen--Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia, and of Asia, putting questions to Stephen;  ¹⁰and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.  ¹¹And they privately procured men who said, We have heard him speaking reviling words against Moses and against God.  ¹²And they excited the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and seized, and brought him to the council,  ¹³and set up false witnesses, saying, This man ceases not to speak words against this holy place, and the law:  ¹⁴for we have heard him saying, that this Jesus, the Nazarene, will destroy this place, and change the customs which Moses delivered us.  ¹⁵And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face, as if it had been the face of an angel.

      VII.--¹THEN the High Priest said, Are these things so?  ²And he said, Brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of the glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,  ³and said to him, "Go forth out of your country, and from your kindred, and come into a country that I will show you."  ⁴Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran; and thence, after his father was dead, God caused him to remove into this land, in which you are now dwelling:  ⁵but he did not give him an inheritance in it, no, not even a foot breadth. 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.  ⁶Then God spoke thus to him: That his seed should be sojourners in a strange land, and that they should enslave, and oppress them four hundred years.  ⁷And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage, I will punish, said God, and after this they shall come forth and serve me in this place.  ⁸And God gave Abraham a covenant of circumcision; and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day. And Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat 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 household.

       ¹¹Now there came a famine upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.  ¹²But Jacob, having heard that there was grain in Egypt, first sent our fathers.  ¹³And at the second time, Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred became well 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 sepulchre--that which Abraham purchased with a sum of money of Hamor, father of Shechem.  ¹⁷But, according as the time of the promise, which God had sworn to Abraham, was drawing near, the people had grown and multiplied in Egypt,  ¹⁸till another king arose, who had not known Joseph.  ¹⁹The same having treated our race craftily, oppressed our fathers, that they might expose their infants, in order that they might not be preserved alive.  ²⁰At this time Moses was born, and was exceedingly beautiful; who was nourished in his father's house, three months.  ²¹And, he being exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him, and nourished him for her own son.  ²²And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and in his actions.

       ²³And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to look after his brethren, the children of Israel.  ²⁴And seeing one of them wronged, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian.  ²⁵He supposed, indeed, his brother would have understood that God, by his hand, would deliver them: but they did not understand.  ²⁶And the next day, he showed himself to them as they were quarreling, and would have compelled them to peace, saying, You are brethren; 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 killed the Egyptian [199] yesterday?  ²⁹Then Moses fled at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian, in which he begot two sons.  ³⁰And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him, in the wilderness of the mountain, Sinai, a messenger of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush.  ³¹And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and, as he drew near to contemplate 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 durst not look.  ³³Then the Lord said to him, Put off your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.  ³⁴Truly I have seen the affliction of my people, who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now, come, I will send you into Egypt.  ³⁵This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? God sent the same to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the messenger that appeared to him in the bush.  ³⁶He brought them out, after showing wonders and signs, in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, forty years.  ³⁷This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you, of your brethren, as he raised up me; you shall hear him.  ³⁸This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness, with the messenger that spoke to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the life-giving oracles to give to us:  ³⁹whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,  ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: because, as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what is become of him.  ⁴¹And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the work of their own hands.  ⁴²Then God turned and gave them up to worship the army of heaven: as it is written in the book of the prophets; O house of Israel, have you offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during forty years in the wilderness?  ⁴³You even took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, images which you made to worship; therefore, I will carry you away beyond Babylon.  ⁴⁴Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the pattern that he had seen:  ⁴⁵which tabernacle also our fathers having received, they brought in with Joshua, into the possession of the heathen, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers, until 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.  ⁴⁸Nevertheless, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands; as the prophet says:  ⁴⁹The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me? says the Lord: or, what is the place of my rest?  ⁵⁰Did not my hand make all these?

       ⁵¹Stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are always resisting the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so you are doing.  ⁵²Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They even slew those who had previously announced the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now been the betrayers and murderers--  ⁵³you who have received the law by the ministration 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 the heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,  ⁵⁶and said: Behold, I see the heaven 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 upon him with one consent,  ⁵⁸and cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid off their garments at the feet of a young man, named Saul.  ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen, invoking, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.  ⁶⁰And he kneeled down and cried out, with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his death.

      VIII.--¹Now on that day there arose a great persecution against the congregation, which was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered [200] abroad throughout the districts of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.  ²Yet devout men jointly bore away Stephen to the grave, and made great lamentation over him.  ³But Saul wasted the congregation, entering into the houses, and dragging forth men and women, he committed them to prison.  ⁴Nevertheless, the dispersed, passed along preaching the word.  ⁵Philip, indeed, having gone down to a city of Samaria, was announcing the Christ to them:  ⁶and the multitudes were, with one accord, giving heed to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard and saw the miracles which he was doing:  ⁷for, from many who had unclean spirits, they were going out, crying with a loud voice; and many palsied and lame were healed.  ⁸And there was great joy in that city.

       ⁹But there was there, before, a certain man, named Simon, who formerly, in the same city, had practiced sorcery, and astonished the people of Samaria, boasting that he was some great one.  ¹⁰To whom they all gave heed, young and old, saying, This man is the great power of God.  ¹¹And to him indeed they gave heed, because that of a long time, he had astonished them with his sorceries.  ¹²But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were immersed, both men and women.  ¹³Also Simon himself believed; and when he was immersed, he constantly adhered to Philip, and, beholding the miracles and signs which were done, he was astonished.

       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 had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁶For as yet, he had fallen upon none of them: only they had been immersed into the name of the Lord Jesus.  ¹⁷Then they laid 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 to me also this power, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.  ²⁰But Peter said to him, May your silver go to destruction with you, because you have presumed to procure the gift of God through money.  ²¹To you there is no part nor portion in this thing, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.  ²²Reform, therefore, from this your wickedness, and pray the Lord, if, perhaps, the device of your heart shall be forgiven you;  ²³for I perceive that you are in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.  ²⁴Then Simon, answering, said, Pray to the Lord for me that none of these things, which you have spoken, may come upon me.  ²⁵They therefore, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, set out on their return to Jerusalem, and they preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

       ²⁶But an 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 the way through the desert).  ²⁷And he arose and went; and behold a man of Ethiopia, an officer of great authority, under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come into Jerusalem to worship;  ²⁸and he was returning, and, sitting upon his chariot, he was reading Isaiah, the prophet.  ²⁹Moreover the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and join yourself to this chariot.  ³⁰And Philip having run up to him, and heard him reading Isaiah, the prophet, said, Do you understand what you are reading?  ³¹He replied, How can I, except some one should guide me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.  ³²Now the passage of the Scripture, which he was reading, was this, "He was led away as a sheep to the slaughter: and as a lamb is silent before the shearer, so he opens not his mouth.  ³³In his humiliation, his condemnation was extorted; and who shall declare his generation? for his life is violently taken from the earth."  ³⁴And the officer, replying to Philip, said, I beg of you, of whom does the prophet speak this? of himself, or of some other person?  ³⁵And Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and announced to him Jesus.

       ³⁶And as they were going along the road, they came upon a certain water: and the officer said,--Behold water! What hinders my being [201] immersed?  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 both went down into the water, Philip and the officer, and he immersed him.  ³⁹And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, that the officer saw him no more; for he went on his journey rejoicing.  ⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus: and, passing along, he announced the tidings in all the cities till his entrance into Cæsarea.

      IX.--¹BUT Saul yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the High Priest,  ²and desired from him letters to Damascus, to the Synagogues, that if he found any of that way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  ³Now in the journey, he came near Damascus: and, suddenly, there flashed around him, a light from heaven,  ⁴and having fallen upon the earth, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?  ⁵And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute; it is hard for you to kick against the goads.  ⁶And he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what wilt thou 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 who were journeying with him, had stood speechless, hearing, indeed, the voice, but seeing no person.  ⁸But Saul was raised from the earth; and, though his eyes were opened, he saw no person: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.  ⁹And he was three days without seeing, and did not eat nor drink.

       ¹⁰Now, there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias: and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias! And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.  ¹¹And the Lord said to him, Arise and go upon the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for behold, he is praying to me,  ¹²and has seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, 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 thy saints who are in Jerusalem.  ¹⁴And here he has authority from the chief Priests, to bind all those invoking thy name.  ¹⁵But the Lord said to him, Go, for he is a chosen instrument for me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:  ¹⁶for I will indicate to him how great things he must suffer on account of my name.

       ¹⁷And Ananias went away and entered into the house, and having laid his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared to you in the way as you came, has sent me, that you may receive sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes, as it were scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was immersed:  ¹⁹and having taken food he was strengthened. Then Saul was some days with the disciples who were at Damascus.  ²⁰And immediately he proclaimed Christ in the synagogues, that this is the Son of God.  ²¹But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he who destroyed those who invoked this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for this purpose, that he might bring them bound to the chief Priests?  ²²But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this person is the Christ.  ²³Now when many days were accomplished, the Jews consulted to kill him.  ²⁴But their conspiracy was known to Saul, and they watched the gates, day and night, that they might kill him.  ²⁵Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall in a basket.  ²⁶But coming into Jerusalem, he was attempting to attach himself to the disciples; but they were all fearing him, not believing him to be a disciple.  ²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles, and fully declared to them, how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had boldly preached at Damascus, in the name of Jesus.

       ²⁸And he was with them coming in and going out in Jerusalem,  ²⁹and preaching boldly in the name [202] of the Lord Jesus, and was talking and disputing with the Hellenists; but they undertook to kill him.  ³⁰The brethren, having ascertained this, conducted him into Cæsarea, and sent him out into Tarsus.  ³¹Then the congregations had peace, throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the consolation of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

       ³²Now it happened that Peter, while passing through among all, came down also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda:  ³³and there he found a certain man named Æneas, who had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.  ³⁴And Peter said to him, Æneas, Jesus, the Christ, heals you. Arise, and make your bed. And he arose immediately.  ³⁵And all who dwelt at Lydda, and Saron, beheld him, and turned to the Lord.

       ³⁶Now there was, in Joppa, a certain disciple, named Tabitha (which by interpretation is called, Dorcas): this woman was full of good works, and of alms which she did.  ³⁷Now it came to pass in those days that she, being sick, died. And, having washed her, they placed her in an upper chamber.  ³⁸And Lydda being near to Joppa, and the disciples, having heard that Peter was in that place, sent two men to him, entreating, that he would not delay to come through as far as to them.  ³⁹Then Peter, arising, went with them; whom having come, they led into the upper room; and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing vests and mantles, all which Dorcas made while she was with them.  ⁴⁰But Peter, putting them all forth, 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 caused her to stand up; and having called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.  ⁴²And it was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.  ⁴³And he tarried many days in Joppa, with one Simon, a tanner.

      X.--¹Now a certain man in Cæsarea, called Cornelius, a centurion of the band, called the Italian Band,  ²a devout man, and one who feared God, with all his family, who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God continually;  ³he distinctly saw in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him, and saying to him, Cornelius!  ⁴And when he looked on him he was afraid, and said; What is it, Lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your alms are come up for a memorial of you before God.  ⁵And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.  ⁶He lodges with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea-shore. He will tell you what you ought to do.  ⁷And when the angel who spoke to Cornelius was gone, he called two of his domestics, and a devout soldier of those who waited on him;  ⁸and having fully related all these things to them, he sent them to Joppa.  ⁹Again, on the next day, while they went on their journey, and drew near the city, Peter went up on the house-top to pray, at about the sixth hour.  ¹⁰And becoming very hungry, he desired to eat. Now while they were preparing, he fell into a trance,  ¹¹and saw the heaven open, and a certain vessel descending to him like a great white sheet, bound together at four corners, and let down to the earth;  ¹²in which were all kinds of four-footed animals, and wild beasts, and reptiles of the earth, and birds 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 any thing common or unclean.  ¹⁵And the voice said to him again, a second time; What God has cleansed, that call not you common.  ¹⁶This was done thrice, and the vessel was taken up again into the heaven.

       ¹⁷Now as Peter was pondering in himself, what the vision which he had seen could mean; behold the men who were sent from Cornelius, having inquired out Simon's house, stood at the gate,  ¹⁸and calling, they asked, whether Simon, surnamed Peter, was lodging there.  ¹⁹While Peter thought attentively of the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold three men are seeking you.  ²⁰Arise, therefore, go down and accompany them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them.  ²¹Then Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom you are seeking. What is the reason for which you [203] are 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 instructed from God, by a holy messenger, to send for you into his house, and to hear words of you.  ²³Then, calling them in, he entertained them. And on the next day Peter went with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.  ²⁴And on the next day, he entered into Cæsarea: and Cornelius was waiting for them, having called together his kindred and intimate friends.

       ²⁵Now, as Peter was entering, Cornelius met him, and falling down at his feet, and he worshiped him.  ²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, Stand up. I myself also am a man.  ²⁷And, conversing with him, he went in and found many assembled.

       ²⁸And he said to them, You well know that it is unlawful for a man, who is a Jew, to associate with, or to approach one of another nation; and yet God has showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.  ²⁹And therefore I came without objecting, as soon as I was sent for. I ask then, for what purpose you have sent for me?

       ³⁰And Cornelius said, Four days ago, I was fasting till this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me, in bright apparel,  ³¹and said, Cornelius, your prayer is heard, and your alms are had in remembrance before God.  ³²Send, therefore, to Joppa, and call here Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is entertained in the house of one Simon, a tanner, by the sea-shore: who, when he is come, will speak to you.  ³³Immediately, therefore, I sent to you, and you have done well that you have come. Now then, we are all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded you by God.  ³⁴Then Peter, opening his mouth, said, In truth, I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons;  ³⁵but, in every nation, he that fears him, and works righteousness, is acceptable to him.  ³⁶You know the message, which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all;--  ³⁷you know that message which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the immersion which John preached;--  ³⁸concerning Jesus of Nazareth; how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power; who went about, from place to place, doing good, and healing all that were oppressed by 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 slew, hanging him on a tree.  ⁴⁰Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly;  ⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses before chosen by God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.  ⁴²And he commanded us to announce to the people, and to testify that it is he himself who is ordained by God, to be the judge of the living and the dead.  ⁴³To him all the prophets testify, that whoever believes in him shall, through his name, receive remission of sins.  ⁴⁴While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word.  ⁴⁵And those of the circumcision, who believed, as many as came with Peter, were astonished because that on the Gentiles also, the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.  ⁴⁶For they heard them speak with other tongues, and magnify God. Then Peter answered,  ⁴⁷Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be immersed, who have received the Holy Spirit, as well as we?  ⁴⁸And he commanded them to be immersed in the name of the Lord. Then they requested him to remain some days.

      XI.--¹And the Apostles and brethren, throughout Judea, heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.  ²And when Peter went up into Jerusalem, they of the circumcision disputed with him,  ³saying, You associated with men who are uncircumcised, and ate with them.  ⁴But Peter related the matter from the beginning, and set it forth in order to them, saying,  ⁵I was in the city of Joppa, praying; and I saw, in a trance, a vision, something descend, like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.  ⁶Upon which, when I had earnestly looked, I considered, and saw four-footed animals of the earth, and wild beasts, and [204] reptiles and birds 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, that call not you common.  ¹⁰And this was done three times; and all were drawn up again into heaven.  ¹¹And behold, there were immediately three men already come to the house where I was, sent from Cæsarea to me.  ¹²And the Spirit bade me go with them, doubting nothing. And, moreover, these six brethren accompanied me; and we entered into the man's house;  ¹³and he told us, how he had seen the messenger in his house, who stood and said to him; Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter,  ¹⁴who will 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 in the beginning.  ¹⁶Then I remembered the declaration of the Lord, how he said, John indeed, immersed in water, but you shall be immersed in the Holy Spirit.  ¹⁷Since, then, God gave them the same gift even as he did to us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; who was I that I could withstand God?  ¹⁸When they heard these things they were silent, and glorified God, saying, God, then, indeed, has also granted to the Gentiles the reformation to life.

       ¹⁹Now they who were scattered abroad, upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Phenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none but Jews.  ²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, having come into Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the gospel of 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 congregation which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go through to Antioch;  ²³who, when he came and beheld the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart, they should adhere to the Lord.  ²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great multitude was 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, during a whole year, they were assembled with the congregation, and taught a great multitude. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

       ²⁷And in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.  ²⁸And one of them, named Agabus, having stood up made known through the Spirit that there would be a great famine throughout all the land, which occurred in the days of Claudius.  ²⁹Then the disciples, every one, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren that dwelt in Judea;  ³⁰which they also did; and sent it to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

      XII.--¹Now, about that time, Herod, the king, stretched forth his hands to persecute certain persons of the congregation.  ²And he killed James, the brother of John, with the sword.  ³And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. (And then were the days of the unleavened loaves.)  ⁴And having apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers, to guard him, intending after the passover, to bring him forth to the people.  ⁵Peter, therefore, was kept in prison, but earnest prayer, without ceasing, was made by the congregation to God for him.

       ⁶And when Herod would have brought him forth, in that night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and keepers, before the door, guarded the prison.  ⁷And behold a messenger of the Lord stood near, and a light shone in the prison, and, striking Peter on the side, he raised him up, saying, Rise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.  ⁸And the messenger said to him, Gird yourself and bind on your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Cast your garment around you, and follow me.  ⁹And Peter went out and followed him, and had not perceived that what was done by the messenger was real, but thought that he saw a vision. [205]

       ¹⁰When they has passed the first and the second watch, they came to the iron gate, that leads into the city; which opened spontaneously to them; and they went out, and passed on through one street. And forthwith the messenger departed from him.  ¹¹Then Peter, having come to himself, said, Now I certainly know that the Lord has sent his messenger, and has delivered me out of the hands of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

       ¹²And when he had considered the matter, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were assembled, praying.  ¹³And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a maid servant, named Rhoda, went to hearken.  ¹⁴And recognizing Peter's voice, she did not open the gate, for gladness; but ran in and told them that Peter was standing before the gate.  ¹⁵And they said to her, You are crazy. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. Then they said, It is his messenger.  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 be quiet, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And he departed and went to another place.

       ¹⁸Now, as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers, as to 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 Cæsarea, and there abode.

       ²⁰And Herod being enraged at those of Tyre and Sidon, they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus, the king's chamberlain, their friend, desired peace; because their country was supported by the king's country.  ²¹And, on an appointed day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them.  ²²And the people shouted, saying, It is the voice of a God, and not of a man.  ²³And immediately a messenger of the Lord smote him, because he did not give God the glory. And, having been eaten by worms, he expired.

       ²⁴But the word of God continued to grow, and extend.  ²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

      XIII.--¹Now there were in the congregation that existed in Antioch, certain prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simeon, who is called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrenian, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul.  ²While they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Separate for me Barnabas and Saul to the work, for 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, went down into Seleucia; and thence they sailed into Cyprus.  ⁵And when they were in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogue of the Jews, and they had also John as their attendant.  ⁶And when they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-Jesus--  ⁷who was with the proconsul 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, being translated) opposed them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.  ⁹Then Saul (also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, having looked earnestly upon him,  ¹⁰said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, son of the Devil, 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 upon 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 some persons to lead him by the hands.  ¹²Then the proconsul, having seen what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. [206]

       ¹³And loosing from Paphos, they who were with Paul came to Perga of Pamphilia; and John, departing from them, returned into Jerusalem.

       ¹⁴But they themselves, departing from Perga, they came into Antioch of 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, Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak it.

       ¹⁶Then Paul stood up, and waving with his hand, he said, Israelites, and you who fear God, hearken.  ¹⁷The God of this people chose our Fathers and exalted the people, when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm he brought them out of it.  ¹⁸And for about the period of forty years he nourished them in the wilderness.  ¹⁹And when he had subjected seven nations, in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot.  ²⁰And after these things, during about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until Samuel, the Prophet.

       ²¹And after that they asked a king for themselves. And God granted to them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, during forty years.  ²²And having removed him, he raised up for them David, to be king; to whom also he testified, saying, "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart," who shall perform all my desires.  ²³Of this man's seed has God, according to promise, brought up for Israel a saviour--Jesus;  ²⁴John having first preached, before his entrance on his work, an immersion of reformation to all the people of Israel.  ²⁵Now while John was completing his course, he said, Whom do you suppose me to be? I am not he. But behold, one is coming after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.  ²⁶Brethren, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.  ²⁷For they who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing him, and the utterances of the prophets, which are read every sabbath, have, in condemning him, fulfilled them.  ²⁸And although they found not the least cause of death in him, yet they desired Pilate to put him to death.  ²⁹And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre.  ³⁰But God raised him from the dead;  ³¹and he was seen many days by those who came up with him from Galilee into Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.  ³²And we are declaring to you glad tidings, how that the promise, which was made to the fathers,  ³³God has completely fulfilled the same to us their children, he having raised up Jesus; as it is also written in the second Psalm, "Thou art my Son, to-day I have begotten thee."  ³⁴And that he raised him up from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he said thus, "I will give you the faithful mercies of David."  ³⁵Wherefore he says also, in another psalm, "Thou wilt not give up thy Holy One to see corruption."  ³⁶For David, indeed, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption.  ³⁷But he whom God raised again, did not see corruption.

       ³⁸Be it known to you therefore, brethren, that through this person is announced to you the forgiveness of sins.  ³⁹And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.  ⁴⁰Beware, then, lest that come upon you which is written in the prophets;  ⁴¹Behold, you despisers, and wonder and perish. For I execute a work in your days, a work which you will not believe, though any one should fully declare it to you.  ⁴²And as they were going out, the Gentiles besought them, that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath.  ⁴³Now when the congregation was dispersed, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, addressing them, persuaded them to persevere in the grace of God.  ⁴⁴And on the next sabbath, almost the whole city assembled to hear the word of God.  ⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with zeal, and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and reviling.  ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas became bold, and said; It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you. But [207] seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of the everlasting life, behold we turn to the Gentiles.  ⁴⁷For so has the Lord commanded us, saying; I have placed you for a light of nations that you might be for salvation even to the ends of the earth.  ⁴⁸On hearing this the Gentiles rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many, as were determined for everlasting 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 to the chief men of the city, and raised a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their borders.  ⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and went into Iconium.  ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

      XIV.--¹AND it occurred in Iconium, that they, at the same time, went into the synagogue of the Jews, and spoke so that a great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Hellenists, believed.  ²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and disaffected their minds against the brethren.  ³For a long time, therefore, they continued there speaking boldly respecting the Lord who attested the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

       ⁴But the multitude of the city was divided. Some were with the Jews, and the others with the Apostles.  ⁵And when there was a rush, both by the Gentiles, and also by the Jews with their rulers, to use them spitefully, and to stone them,  ⁶they, being aware of it, fled down into Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country.  ⁷And there they announced the gospel.

       ⁸And, a certain man in Lystra was sitting, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his birth; who had never walked.  ⁹The same heard Paul speak: who, looking intently upon 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 raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian, The gods are come down to us, in the likeness of men.  ¹²And they called Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.  ¹³Then the priest of the Zeus that was before the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and, with the people, wished to offer sacrifices to them.  ¹⁴Which when the Apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard, they rent their clothes, and leaped forth into the crowd, crying out,  ¹⁵and saying, Why do you do these things? We are men of like nature with yourselves, declaring to you glad tidings, that you should turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them;  ¹⁶who, in the ages past, suffered all the nations to go in their own ways.  ¹⁷Nevertheless, he did not leave himself without testimony, in that he did good, and gave you rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.  ¹⁸And with these sayings they scarcely restrained the people, that they did not offer sacrifice to them.  ¹⁹Then Jews came over from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, and having stoned Paul, they were dragging him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.  ²⁰But, while the disciples were standing about him, rising up, he entered into the city. And the next day he went out with Barnabas into Derbe.  ²¹And when they had announced the glad tidings to that city, and made many disciples, they returned into Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch,  ²²confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, saying that we must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.  ²³And, having appointed for them elders in every congregation, and having prayed with fastings, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed.  ²⁴And, having passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.  ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia;  ²⁶and thence they sailed to Antioch, whence they had been commended to the grace of God, for the work which they performed.

       ²⁷And when they came, and had assembled the congregation, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door [208] of faith to the nations.  ²⁸And they continued no little time with the disciples.

      XV.--¹AND certain persons that came down from Judea, taught the brethren, saying, Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can not be saved.  ²When, therefore, Paul and Barnabas had no little dissension and discussion 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 congregation, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and caused great joy to all the brethren.

       ⁴And when they were come into Jerusalem, they were received by the congregation, and by the Apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done by them.  ⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, rose up, saying, that it was necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

       ⁶And the Apostles and elders came together to consider of this matter.  ⁷And when there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, Brethren, you know that at first 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 testimony, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as to us;  ⁹and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by the faith.  ¹⁰Now, therefore, why do you try God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers, nor we, were able to bear?  ¹¹But, through the grace of the Lord Jesus, we believe that we shall be saved, even as they.

       ¹²Then all the multitude were silent, and heard Barnabas and Paul declaring what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

       ¹³And after they were silent, James addressed them, saying, Brethren, hearken to me.  ¹⁴Simeon has declared how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them, a people for his name.  ¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree; as it is written,  ¹⁶After this I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen down, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up;  ¹⁷that the rest of men may seek after the Lord, even all the nations, upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things.  ¹⁸Known to God from everlasting are all his works.  ¹⁹Wherefore my judgment is, not to trouble those who from among the Gentiles turn to God;  ²⁰but to write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of the idols, and fornication, and things strangled, and blood.  ²¹For, from ancient times, Moses has, in every city, those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

       ²²Then it pleased the Apostles and the elders, with the whole congregation, to send chosen men, from among themselves, to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas;--Judas, surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.  ²³And they wrote by them these words:--The Apostles, and elders, and brethren, greeting--To the brethren of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia.  ²⁴Since we have heard, that some persons 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 who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ²⁷We have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, who also themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.  ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things;  ²⁹to abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which, if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.  ³⁰So, then, having been dismissed, they came into Antioch: and when they had assembled the multitude, they delivered the epistle;  ³¹and having read it, they rejoiced over the consolation.  ³²And Judas and Silas, being also themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many [209] words, and established them.  ³³And after they had made some stay, they were dismissed, with peace from the brethren to the Apostles.  ³⁴But it pleased Silas to remain there still.  ³⁵Paul and Barnabas, also, 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 visit the brethren in every city, in which we have preached the word of the Lord, to see how they do.  ³⁷And Barnabas determined to take John with them, whose surname was Mark.  ³⁸But Paul thought it not proper to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and did not go with them into the work.  ³⁹And there arose a contention so that they separated one from the other; and Barnabas took Mark, and sailed into Cyprus.  ⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas, and departed, being commended by the brethren to the favor of God.  ⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, establishing the congregations.

      XVI.--¹THEN Paul came to Derbe and Lystra; and, behold, a disciple was there, named Timothy (the son of a woman who was a Jewess and a believer, but his father was a Greek),  ²who was well attested by the brethren in Lystra and Iconium.  ³Paul wished him to go forth with him, and took and circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in these quarters: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.  ⁴And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them, for their observance, the decrees that had been ordained by the Apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.  ⁵And so were the congregations established in the faith, and daily increased in number.

       ⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region of Galatia, and (being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia)  ⁷after they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia; but the Spirit suffered them not.  ⁸So passing along Mysia, they came to Troas.  ⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. There stood a man, a Macedonian, who besought him saying, come over into Macedonia, and help us.  ¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, we immediately endeavored to go forth into Macedonia, being assured that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.  ¹¹Therefore, loosing from Troas, we ran by a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis;  ¹²and from thence to Philippi, which is a chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we abode in that city some days.  ¹³And on the sabbath, we went out of the city by the side of a river, where there was a customary place of prayer; and we sat down, and spoke to the women that resorted there.  ¹⁴And a woman, named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us; whose heart the Lord opened, to attend to the things spoken by Paul.  ¹⁵And when she was immersed, and her household, she besought us, saying, Since you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and there remain. And she constrained us.

       ¹⁶And as we went to prayer, a certain maid, having 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, outraged, 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 gain was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place, before the magistrates.  ²⁰And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,  ²¹and teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.  ²²And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates, having torn off their garments, commanded to beat them.  ²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer 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 [210] 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 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 lights, and sprung in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,  ³⁰and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do, in order to be saved?  ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your family.  ³²And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.  ³³And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately immersed, he and all his family.  ³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his family.  ³⁵And when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, Release those men.  ³⁶And the keeper of the prison told Paul, The magistrates have sent to release you; 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 cast us out privately? Nay, indeed, but let them come themselves, and lead us out.  ³⁸And the officers told these words to the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.  ³⁹And they came and besought them, and led 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 brethren, they exhorted them, and departed.

      XVII.--¹Now when Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews.  ²And Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and three sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,  ³opening them and setting forth that the Christ must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I announce to you, is the Christ.  ⁴And some of them believed and adhered to Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the principal women not a few.

       ⁵But the Jews who did not believe, moved with envy, gathered some vile men of the street idlers, and raised a mob, and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people;  ⁶but not finding them, they dragged Jason and certain brethren before the city rulers, exclaiming, These men, who have turned the world upside down, are come hither also;  ⁷whom Jason has received; and all these act contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying, That there is another king,--Jesus.  ⁸And they troubled the people, and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.  ⁹And having taken security of Jason and the others, they dismissed them.  ¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night to Berea, who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.  ¹¹Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searching the Scriptures daily, to see if these things were so.  ¹²Therefore many of them believed; also of honorable women, who were Greeks, and of men, not a few.  ¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that the word of God was preached by Paul in Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the rabble.  ¹⁴And then the brethren, immediately sent away Paul even to the sea. But Silas and Timothy abode there still.  ¹⁵And they who conducted Paul, brought him to Athens; and having received a commandment to Silas and Timothy to come to him, as soon as possible, they departed.

       ¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was roused in him, when he saw the city wholly devoted to idols.  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 would this chatterer say? and others, He seems to be a publisher of foreign gods, because he announced to them Jesus and [211] the resurrection.  ¹⁹Now they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, Can we know what this new doctrine is, of which you speak?  ²⁰For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish, therefore, to know what these things mean.

       ²¹For all Athenians and strangers who were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either in telling, or hearing some new thing.  ²²Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Athenians! I perceive that, in every respect, you are exceedingly devotional.  ²³For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD: him, therefore, whom you, not knowing, worship, I declare to you.

       ²⁴God who made the world and all things in it, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and of earth, dwells not in temples made with hands;  ²⁵neither is ministered to by men's hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he gives to all life and breath, and all things;  ²⁶and has made of one blood every nation of men, to dwell on all the face of the earth, having determined the appointed seasons and limits of their abode;  ²⁷that they should seek the Lord, if, perhaps, they might feel after him and find him; although, indeed, he is not far from any one of us;  ²⁸for by him we live, and move, and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said;

       ²⁹Since, then, we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like to gold or silver, graved by art or man's device.  ³⁰And the times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men every where, to reform.  ³¹Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he has appointed, giving assurance to all, having raised him from the dead.  ³²And when they heard of a resurrection of the dead, some mocked; and others said, We will hear you again concerning this matter.  ³³So Paul departed from among them.  ³⁴But certain persons adhered to him and believed: among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

      XVIII.--¹AFTER these things Paul left Athens, and went to Corinth.  ²And having found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome), he came to them.  ³And because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and worked: for by occupation they were tent-makers.  ⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and endeavored to persuade both Jews and Greeks.  ⁵And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul was constrained in spirit, earnestly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

       ⁶And when they resisted and reviled, he shook his raiment, and said to them, Your blood be on your own heads. I am clean. Henceforth I will go to the Gentiles.  ⁷And he departed thence, and entered into the house of a certain man named Justus, who worshiped God, whose house was adjacent to the synagogue.  ⁸But Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his family: and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed, and were immersed.  ⁹Then the Lord said to Paul, in a vision by night, Be not afraid, but speak, and be not silent;  ¹⁰for I am with you, and no man shall assail 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 governing Achaia as proconsul, the Jews, with one consent, made insurrection against Paul, and brought him to the judgment-seat,  ¹³saying, This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.

       ¹⁴And as Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, Were it, indeed, a matter of wrong, or a wicked act, Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you.  ¹⁵But if it be a question concerning a doctrine, and names, and your law, look you to it: for I will not be a judge of these matters.  ¹⁶And he drove them from the judgment-seat.  ¹⁷Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the [212] synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat: and Gallio cared for none of these things.

       ¹⁸And Paul tarried yet many days, and, having bid adieu to the brethren, sailed forth into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.  ¹⁹And he came into Ephesus, and left them there. But he himself, entering into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews,  ²⁰and though they requested him to remain longer time with them, he did not consent:  ²¹but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep the approaching feast at Jerusalem: but I will return to you again, if God will; and he sailed from Ephesus.  ²²And after he had gone down to Cesarea, and gone up and saluted the congregation, he went down to Antioch.

       ²³And having spent some time there, he departed, passing through all the country of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

       ²⁴And a certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came down to Ephesus.  ²⁵This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things concerning the Lord, though he knew only the immersion 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 accurately.  ²⁷And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he had come, afforded much aid to them who had believed, through the gift which he had:  ²⁸for he powerfully and thoroughly in public convinced the Jews, clearly showing by the Scriptures, that Jesus was the Christ.

      XIX.--¹AND while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper parts, came into Ephesus; and finding certain disciples there,  ²he said to them, Did you on believing receive the Holy Spirit? And they said to him, we have not, indeed, heard that there is a Holy Spirit.  ³And he said to them, Into what then were you immersed? And they said, Into John's immersion.  ⁴Then said Paul, John, indeed, administered an immersion of reformation, saying to the people, that they should believe on him who would come after him, that is, on Jesus the Christ.  ⁵Having heard this, they were immersed into 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:  ⁷now all the men were about twelve.  ⁸And he went into the synagogue, and spoke boldly for about three months, discussing and persuading as to things concerning the kingdom of God.  ⁹But when some were hardened, and believed not, but spoke evil of the way, in the presence of the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, discussing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.  ¹⁰And this continued during two years; so that all those who dwelt 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 were carried to the sick, handkerchiefs, or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.  ¹³Then certain of the Jewish exorcists, who went about from place to place, also attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus upon 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 acknowledge, 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 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 declared their deeds.  ¹⁹Many of them also, who practiced magic arts, brought together their books, and burnt them in the presence of all, and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.  ²⁰So powerfully grew the word of God, and prevailed.

       ²¹When these things were ended, Paul firmly purposed in spirit, when he had passed through [213] 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, Timothy and Erastus: but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.  ²³And the same time there arose no small stir about the way.  ²⁴For a certain man, named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines for Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;  ²⁵whom he called together, with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, you know well that, by this employment we have our prosperity.  ²⁶Moreover, you see and hear that, not only at Ephesus, but almost throughout Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned aside many people, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands;  ²⁷so that not only this our trade is in danger of coming into contempt; but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be despised, and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship.

       ²⁸And when they heard this, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.  ²⁹And the whole city was filled with tumult, and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.  ³⁰And when Paul would have gone in to the people, the disciples suffered him not.  ³¹And some of the chief men of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him, entreating him not to venture himself into the theatre.  ³²Some, therefore, cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused, and the greater part knew not wherefore they were come together.  ³³And they drew Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews urging him forward. And Alexander, waving the hand, would have made his defense to the people.  ³⁴But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

       ³⁵And when the city-clerk had appeased the people, he says, Ephesians, what man is there who knows not that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?  ³⁶Seeing then that these things can not be spoken against, you ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.  ³⁷For you have brought hither these men, who are neither robbers of temples, nor yet revilers of your goddess.  ³⁸Therefore, if Demetrius, and the artisans that are with him, have a complaint against any man, the law is open, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.  ³⁹But if you inquire 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 in reference to which we shall be able to give an account of this concourse.  ⁴¹And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

      XX.--¹AND after the disturbance had ceased, Paul called to him the disciples, and embracing them, departed to go into Macedonia.  ²And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece,  ³and having spent three months there, he resolved to return through Macedonia, the Jews having laid wait for him, as he was about to embark for Syria.  ⁴And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea, and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.  ⁵And these going before, tarried for us at Troas.  ⁶And we sailed away from Philippi, after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them to Troas, in five days, where we abode seven days.

       ⁷And on the first day of the week, when we came together for the breaking a loaf, Paul discoursed with them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech till midnight.  ⁸And there were many lamps in the upper chamber, where we were assembled together.  ⁹And there sat in the open window a certain young man, named Eutychus, who had fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long discoursing, he sunk down with sleep, and fell from the third story, and was taken up dead.  ¹⁰And Paul went down, and fell upon him, and embracing him, said, Be not troubled, for his life is in him.  ¹¹And when he had come up, and had broken the loaf, and eaten, and talked [214] a long while, even till day-break, so he departed.  ¹²And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.  ¹³And we went forward to the ship, and sailed to Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so he had appointed, intending himself to go on foot.  ¹⁴And when he met us at Assos, we took him in, and came to Mitylene.  ¹⁵And having sailed thence, we came the next day over against Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos, and remained at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus;  ¹⁶for Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not spend the time in Asia; for he hastened, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.  ¹⁷And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the congregation.  ¹⁸And when they were come to him, he said to them: You well know from the first day that I came into Asia, in what manner I have always been with you,  ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and trials, which befell me by the plots of the Jews:  ²⁰and that I have kept back nothing that was profitable, but have declared to you, and have taught you both publicly, and from house to house,  ²¹testifying both to the Jews and Greeks, reformation toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  ²²And now behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things which shall befall me there:  ²³except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.  ²⁴But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear to myself, so that I may 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, will see my face no more,  ²⁶wherefore I take you to witness this day, that I am clear from the blood of all.  ²⁷For I have kept nothing back, but have declared to you the whole counsel of God.  ²⁸Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has constituted you overseers, to feed the congregation of the Lord, which he has purchased with his own blood.  ²⁹For I know this, that after my departure fierce wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock.  ³⁰Also from among your ownselves, men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.  ³¹Therefore watch, and remember, that during three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.  ³²And now, brethren, 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 them who are sanctified.  ³³I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel.  ³⁴You yourselves know, that these hands have ministered to my necessities, and to those that were with me.  ³⁵I have shown you in all respects that by so laboring you ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.  ³⁶And when he had said this, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.  ³⁷And they all wept much, and having fallen on Paul's neck, they kissed him,  ³⁸sorrowing especially for the words which he had spoken, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.

      XXI.--¹WHEN now it came to pass that we put to sea, having departed from them, we came with a straight course to Cos, and the day following to Rhodes, and thence to Patara.  ²And having found a ship crossing over to Phenicia, we went aboard, and set sail.  ³Now having had a view of Cyprus, and having left it behind on the left hand, we sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her cargo.  ⁴And having sought out the disciples, we remained there seven days; who said to Paul, through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.  ⁵But having completed the days, we went on our way; and they all their wives and children conducted us on our way, till we were out of the city; and having kneeled down on the shore, we prayed.  ⁶And having embraced one another, we went on board the ship, and they returned home.  ⁷Now we, having completed the voyage, came down from Tyre to Ptolemais, and saluted the brethren, and [215] remained with them one day.  ⁸And the next day we departed, and came to Cesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we remained with him.  ⁹Now the same man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied.  ¹⁰And as we remained there several days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus.  ¹¹And when he came to us, he took Paul's girdle, and binding his own hands and feet, 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.

       ¹²Now when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.  ¹³Then Paul answered, What do you, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.  ¹⁴And when he could not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done!

       ¹⁵And after those days we packed up our baggage, and went up to Jerusalem.  ¹⁶There went with us certain of the disciples of Cesarea, bringing us to Mnason, a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.

       ¹⁷Now when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren gladly received us.  ¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.  ¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he related particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.  ²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to Paul, You see, brother, what myriads of Jews there are who have believed; and they are all zealous for the law;  ²¹now they have been informed concerning you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles apostasy from Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.  ²²What then is it? The multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that you have come.  ²³Do this, therefore, which we say to you: We have four men who have a vow on themselves;  ²⁴taking these with yourself, purify yourself with them, and bear the charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all will know that those things of which they were informed concerning you, are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly, and keep the law.

       ²⁵But as respects the Gentiles who have believed, we have already written and concluded that they observe no such thing; only that they abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from all kinds of lewdness.

       ²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple, announcing the fulfillment of the days of purification, till the offerings should be offered for each one of them.

       ²⁷Now as the seven days were about to be completed, 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, Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further also has brought Greeks into the temple, and has polluted this holy place.  ²⁹For they had formerly seen with him in the city, Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.  ³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ran together, and seizing Paul, they dragged him out of the temple: and immediately the doors were shut.  ³¹And as they were seeking to kill him, word came up to the chiliarch of the cohort, that all Jerusalem was in confusion;  ³²who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them. And when they saw the chiliarch and the soldiers, they ceased from beating Paul.  ³³Then the chiliarch drew near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done.  ³⁴But some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another: and when he could not know the certainty, on account of the tumult, he commanded him to be led into the castle.  ³⁵And when he was on the stairs, it came to pass that he was borne by the soldiers, on account of the violence of the crowd.  ³⁶For the multitude of the people followed, crying out, Away with him!  ³⁷And as Paul was about to be led into the castle, he said to the chiliarch, May [216] I speak to you? Who said, Do you know Greek?  ³⁸Are you not then that Egyptian, who before these days made an uproar, and led out into the wilderness the four thousand assassins?  ³⁹But Paul said, I am, indeed, a Jew from Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech you to permit me to speak to the people.  ⁴⁰And when he had permitted him, Paul stood on the stairs, and waved with his hand to the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying:

      XXII.--¹BRETHREN, and fathers! Hear my defense which I now make to you.  ²And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the greater silence, And he says,  ³I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, and taught at the feet of Gamaliel, according to the perfect law of our fathers, and was as zealous toward God, as you all are this day.  ⁴And I persecuted those of this way to death, binding and delivering into prison both men and women,  ⁵as also the high priest and the whole body of the elders can bear me testimony; from whom also I received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring those that were bound there to Jerusalem, to be punished.  ⁶And as I was on my journey, and was come nigh to Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light around me:  ⁷and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?  ⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.  ⁹And they who were with me, saw indeed the light, and were afraid: but they understood not the voice of him that spake 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 you concerning all the things which are appointed you to do.  ¹¹And as I could not see for the splendor of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.  ¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of among all the Jews who dwelt there,  ¹³came to me, and stood, and said to me, Brother Saul, receive your sight, and the same hour I looked up 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 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 delay? Arise, and be immersed, and wash away your sins, invoking the name of the Lord.  ¹⁷And when I returned to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;  ¹⁸and beheld him saying to me, Make haste, and go quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.  ¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every synagogue those who believed on thee:  ²⁰and when the blood of Stephen thy witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting, and kept the raiment of them who slew him.  ²¹And he said to me, Depart; for I will send you out far hence to the Gentiles.

       ²²And they heard him up to this word, and then raised their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit that he should live.  ²³And as they shouted, and threw up their clothes, and cast dust into the air,  ²⁴the chiliarch commanded him to be brought into the castle, and ordered that he should be examined by scourging, that he might ascertain wherefore they cried out against him.  ²⁵And as they were binding 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 chiliarch, saying, Take heed what you are about to do; for this man is a Roman.  ²⁷Then the chiliarch came, and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman? He said, Yes.  ²⁸And the chiliarch answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship; and Paul said, But I was born with it.  ²⁹Then immediately they departed from him who were about to have examined him; and the chiliarch also was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

       ³⁰On the next day, being desirous to know with certainty on what account he was accused by [217] the Jews, he loosed him from his bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and having brought down Paul, he placed him before them.

      XXIII.--¹AND Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Brethren, I have lived to God with all good conscience until this day.  ²And the high priest Ananias commanded them who stood by him, to strike him on the mouth.  ³Then Paul said to him, God will strike you, you whited wall: for do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?  ⁴And they who stood by, said, Do you revile God's high priest?  ⁵Then said Paul, I knew not, brethren, 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 the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: concerning a hope and a resurrection of the dead I am now judged.  ⁷And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.  ⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.  ⁹And there arose a great clamor; and the scribes who were of the Pharisees' party arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if an angel or spirit spoke to him,--  ¹⁰And when there arose a great dissension, the chiliarch, fearing that Paul would have been pulled in pieces by them, commanded the soldiery to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.  ¹¹And the night following, the Lord stood by him, and said, Take courage, for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so must you also bear testimony in Rome.

       ¹²And when it was day, the Jews, having formed a combination, bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul:  ¹³and there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy.  ¹⁴And they went to the chief priest and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing till we have slain Paul.  ¹⁵Now, therefore, you with the council, signify to the chiliarch that he bring him down to you to-morrow, as though you would inquire something more exactly concerning him: and we, before he can come near, will be ready to kill him.

       ¹⁶And when Paul's sister's son heard of the ambush, 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 chiliarch; for he has a certain thing to tell him.  ¹⁸So he took him, and brought him to the chiliarch, and says, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and requested me to bring this young man to you.  ¹⁹Then the chiliarch took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that you have to say to me?  ²⁰And he said, The Jews have agreed to request you, that you would bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat about him more perfectly.  ²¹But do not you yield to them: for there lie in wait for him more than forty men of them, who have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now are they ready, looking for the promise from you.  ²²So the chiliarch let the young man depart, and charged him, Tell no person that you have showed these things to me.  ²³And he called to him some two of the centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, to go to Cesarea, at the third hour of the night;  ²⁴and let them provide beasts on which they may place Paul, 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 was about to be killed by them; but I came with the soldiery, and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.  ²⁸And when I wished to know the cause for which they accused him, I brought him forth into their council:  ²⁹and found him to be accused about questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death, or of bonds. [218]  ³⁰And when it was told me how the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent him immediately to you, and gave commandment to his accusers also, to say before you what they had against him. Farewell.

       ³¹Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris;  ³²and on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him (and returned to the castle):  ³³who, when they came to Cesarea, 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,  ³⁵he said, I will hear you, when your accusers are also come. And he commanded him to be kept under guard in the pretorium of Herod.

      XXIV.--¹Now after five days, Ananias the high priest came down to Cesarea with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who appeared before the governor against Paul.  ²And when he was called, Tertullus proceeded to accuse him, saying, Seeing that through you we enjoy much peace, and that many very worthy deeds are done this nation through your prudent administration;  ³we receive it in every way, and everywhere, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.  ⁴But that I may not weary you longer, I pray you of your clemency to hear a few words from us.  ⁵For we have found this man a pest, and exciting disturbance among all the Jews throughout the world, and a chief-leader of the sect of Nazarenes:  ⁶who also has gone about to profane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged according to our law:  ⁷but the chiliarch Lysias came upon 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 obtain knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him.  ⁹And the Jews also assailed him, saying that these things were so.

       ¹⁰Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned to him to speak, answered:--Knowing that you have been for many years a judge for this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself;  ¹¹it being in your power to know that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.  ¹²And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither stirring up the people, neither in the synagogue, nor in the city:  ¹³neither can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.  ¹⁴But this I confess to you, that after the way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:  ¹⁵and have a hope towards God, which they themselves also entertain, that there is to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and also of the unjust.  ¹⁶And in this do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense towards God and men.

       ¹⁷Now, after many years, I came in order to bring alms to my nation, and to make offerings;  ¹⁸on which occasion certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, but neither with a crowd, nor with tumult:  ¹⁹who ought to have been here before you to accuse me, had any charge against me;  ²⁰or else let these themselves say, if they found any evil in me, when I stood before the council,  ²¹except it be for this one expression which I made standing among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am this day called in question.

       ²²And when Felix heard these things, knowing more accurately the things in regard to the way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chiliarch shall come down, I will thoroughly examine the matters between you.  ²³And he commanded the centurion that Paul should be kept, and that he should have a relaxation, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister, or come to him.  ²⁴And, after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla (who was a Jewess), he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in relation to Christ.  ²⁵And as he reasoned concerning justice, self-government, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go your way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will send for you.  ²⁶At the same time hoping that money would have been given him by Paul, that he might release him, he therefore sent for him the oftener, and conversed with him.  ²⁷But after two years Felix had a successor, Porcius Festus; [219] and Felix, willing to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

      XXV.--¹Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days, he went up from Cesarea to Jerusalem.  ²Then the high priest, and the chief of the Jews, informed him against Paul, and besought him,  ³asking for themselves a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, preparing an ambush to kill him on the way.  ⁴But Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Cesarea, and that he himself would shortly depart thither.  ⁵Let the powerful among you, said he, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is any wickedness in him.

       ⁶And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down to Cesarea; and the next day sitting on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.  ⁷And when he was come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood around him, and laid many and heavy 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 Cesar, have I at all offended.  ⁹But Festus, willing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul, and said, Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?  ¹⁰Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's judgment-seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as you yourself very well know.  ¹¹For if I am doing wrong, and have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there is nothing in these matters of which they accuse me, no man can deliver me up to them: I appeal to Cesar.  ¹²Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, You have appealed to Cesar, to Cesar shall you go.

       ¹³And after certain days, king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Cesarea to salute Festus.  ¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus set forth to the king the facts concerning Paul, saying, There is a certain man left prisoner by Felix;  ¹⁵about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought an information, asking for themselves justice against him;  ¹⁶to whom I answered: It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he that is accused have his accusers face to face, and have an opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge.  ¹⁷Therefore, when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought;  ¹⁸against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I surmised:  ¹⁹but had certain questions against him respecting their own religion, and of one Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.  ²⁰And because I doubted how to investigate such questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and be judged concerning these matters:  ²¹but Paul having appealed, to be kept as a prisoner, with a view to the examination of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I shall send him to Cesar.  ²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, I myself also would wish to hear the man. To-morrow, said he, you shall hear him.

       ²³And on the morrow, when Agrippa had come, and Bernice, with much pomp, and had entered into the place of audience, with the chiliarchs and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought forth.  ²⁴Then Festus says, King Agrippa, and all men who are present with us, you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have interceded with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.  ²⁵But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and he himself having appealed to Augustus, I determined to send him:  ²⁶of whom I have nothing certain to write to my sovereign, wherefore I have brought him forth before you; and especially before you, king Agrippa, that after examination, I may have something to write.  ²⁷For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to signify the charges against him.

      XXVI.--¹THEN Agrippa says to Paul, You are permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself:  ²I think myself happy, king Agrippa, [220] because I shall answer for myself this day before you, concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews:  ³because I know you to be especially skilled in all customs and questions which are among Jews; wherefore I beseech you to hear me patiently.

       ⁴My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know,  ⁵who have known me from the beginning, if they would testify, that, after the strictest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee.  ⁶And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers:  ⁷to the accomplishment of which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to attain; on account of which hope, king Agrippa, I am accused by Jews.  ⁸What! Is it judged incredible with you that God raises the dead?  ⁹I, indeed, thought with myself that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  ¹⁰Which things I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my vote against them.  ¹¹And punishing them often throughout all the synagogues, I compelled them to revile Jesus, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.  ¹²In doing this, as I went to Damascus, with authority and commission from the chief priests,  ¹³at mid-day, O king, I saw along the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me, and those that journeyed with me.  ¹⁴And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against goads.  ¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you persecute.  ¹⁶But rise, and stand upon your feet: for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of those things which you have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear to you;  ¹⁷delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send you,  ¹⁸to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified, by the faith respecting me.

       ¹⁹Whence, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,  ²⁰but showed first to those of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should reform and turn to God, and do works proper for reformation.  ²¹For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me.  ²²Having, however, obtained the help of God, I continue to this day, testifying both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say would come:  ²³that the Christ was to suffer, and that he first, by his resurrection from the dead, would 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 mad, much learning has made you mad.  ²⁵But he says, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak the words of truth and of a sound mind.  ²⁶For the king well knows concerning these things, before whom, therefore, I speak boldly: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him: for this thing has not been done in a corner.  ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe them.  ²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, You in a little time persuade me to become a Christian.  ²⁹And Paul said, I would to God, that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were, in a little or much time, such as I am, except these bonds.

       ³⁰And when he had said these things, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they who sat with them,  ³¹and when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, This man does nothing worthy of death, or of bonds.  ³²Then Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Cesar.

      XXVII.--¹AND when it was determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort, named Julius.  ²And entering into a vessel of Adramyttium, we put to sea, [221] being about to sail by the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.  ³And the next day we landed at Sidon: and Julius courteously treated Paul, and gave him liberty to go to the friends, to partake of their kindness.  ⁴And when we had loosed from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.  ⁵And when we had sailed over the sea along 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 on board of it.  ⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days, and with difficulty came off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone;  ⁸and coasting along it with difficulty, came to a certain place called, The Fair Havens; near which was the city of Lasea.

       ⁹Now a long time having elapsed, the navigation being now unsafe (because also the fast was already past), Paul exhorted them,  ¹⁰saying, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with violence and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also of our lives.  ¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the helmsman and the owner of the ship rather than those things spoken by Paul:  ¹²and because the haven was incommodious to winter in, the majority also advised to depart thence, if by any means they might attain to Phœnix, to winter, which is a haven of Crete, facing southwest and northwest.

       ¹³Now when a south-wind blew moderately, thinking to have gained their purpose, having weighed anchor, they sailed close by Crete.  ¹⁴But immediately a whirlwind, called Euroclydon, struck against the ship.  ¹⁵And when it was borne away, and could not bear up against the wind, giving up, we let it drive.  ¹⁶And running under a certain small island, called Clauda, with difficulty we were able to secure the boat:  ¹⁷which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and fearing lest they should be stranded on the sand bank, they lowered the sail, and so were driven.  ¹⁸Now we being exceedingly tempest tossed, 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 had for many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, at last all hope that we should be saved was utterly taken away.

       ²¹But after much abstinence, Paul stood in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, you should have hearkened to me, and not have loosed from Crete, and so have sustained this harm and loss.  ²²Yet now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, except the ship.

       ²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I also worship,  ²⁴saying, Fear not, Paul; you must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God has given to you all those who sail with you.  ²⁵Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.  ²⁶But still, we must be cast upon some island.

       ²⁷But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were borne along in Adriatic sea, about midnight the seamen thought that they drew near to some land;  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 upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and longed for day.

       ³⁰And as the seamen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under pretense of carrying anchors out of the foreship,  ³¹Paul said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Unless these abide in the ship, you can not be saved.  ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off.  ³³And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take food, saying, This is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting, and continue fasting, having taken nothing.  ³⁴Wherefore I pray you to take some food, for this is necessary for your preservation: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you.  ³⁵And when he had thus spoken, having taken a loaf, he gave thanks to God in presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.  ³⁶Then were they all of good cheer, and they also themselves took some food.  ³⁷Now all the souls together in the ship were two [222] hundred and seventy-six.  ³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

       ³⁹And when it was day, they recognized not the land, but they perceived a certain inlet having a shore, into which they determined, were it possible, to thrust the ship.  ⁴⁰And having entirely cut away the anchors, they abandoned them to the sea, and at the same time having unfastened the rudder-bands, and hoisted up the foresail to the wind, they made toward shore.  ⁴¹And having fallen into a place where two currents met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow sticking fast, remained immovable, but the stern was broken by 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 captain, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land;  ⁴⁴and the rest, some on boards, and others on some of the things from the ship. And so they all escaped safe to land.

      XXVIII.--¹AND when we had fully escaped, then we ascertained that the island was called Melite.  ²And the barbarous people showed us no common philanthropy: for they kindled a fire, and brought us all to it, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.

       ³And when Paul had gathered a great number of dry sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.  ⁴And when the barbarians saw the venomous creature hanging on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet Justice permits not to live.  ⁵And he shook off the creature into the fire, and suffered no harm;  ⁶but they expected that he would be inflamed, or that he would suddenly fall down dead. 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.  ⁷In the same parts were possessions of the chief of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.  ⁸And the father of Publius lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux: to whom Paul went, and prayed, and laid his hands upon 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 tarried there three days.  ¹³And thence we coasted round, and came to Rhegium: and after one day, the south wind having risen, we came the next day to Puteoli:  ¹⁴where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days, and then we went towards Rome.  ¹⁵And from thence, when the brethren 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 commander of the camp, but it was permitted to Paul to dwell by himself, with a soldier who guarded him.  ¹⁷And after three days, he called the chief of the Jews together, and when they were come together, he said to them, Brethren, though I have committed nothing against our people, or the 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 released me, because there was no cause of death in me.  ¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was compelled to appeal to Cesar; not that I had any thing to charge against my nation.  ²⁰On this cause, therefore, I have invited you, that I might see you, and speak with you: for on account of the hope of Israel I am compassed with this chain.

       ²¹And they said to him, We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any one of the brethren who came, reported or said any harm of you;  ²²but we think it proper to hear from you, what you think: for as it respects this sect, we know that it is every where spoken against. [223]

       ²³And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them of the things concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning to evening.  ²⁴And some believed the things that were spoken, and others believed them not.  ²⁵So not agreeing among themselves, they departed, Paul having spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Spirit by Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,  ²⁶saying, Go to this people, and say, Hearing you will hear, and will not understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive;  ²⁷for the heart of this people is become gross, 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 they will hear it.  ²⁹And when he had said these things, the Jews departed, and had much reasoning among themselves.

       ³⁰And Paul remained in his own hired house during two whole years, and gladly received all who came in to him,  ³¹announcing the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, with all boldness, and without molestation.

[Acts 193-224]

      Alexander Campbell's "Acts of the Apostles: Revised Version, Arranged in Paragraphs" was first published in his Acts of the Apostles, Translated from the Greek, on the Basis of the Common English Version, with Notes (New York: American Bible Union, 1858), pp. 193-224. The electronic version has been produced from a copy of the book held by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society.

      Pagination in the electronic version has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. In the printed text, the verse numbers are printed in the margin; in the electronic text, they are given as superior numbers at the beginning of each verse. Inconsistencies in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and typography have been retained; however, corrections have been offered for misspellings and other accidental corruptions. Emendations are as follows:

                  Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Acts 9:2:        bound to to Jerusalem. [ bound to Jerusalem.
 Acts 9:5:        And the the Lord [ And the Lord
 Acts 10:12:      foor-footed [ four-footed
 Acts 17:13:      word of of God [ word of God
 Acts 23:3:       do judge [ to judge
 Acts 23:14:      we we have slain [ we have slain
 Acts 23:30:      against Farewell. [ against him. Farewell.
 Acts 24:8:       all these thing [ all these things
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
Derry, PA

Created 2 November 1999.
Updated 7 July 2003.