CHAP. I.

THE former treatise, Theophilus, I composed, concerning all things which Jesus began both to do and to teach, ²until that day, when having given a charge to his apostles through the Holy Ghost, whom he had chosen, he was taken up: ³to whom also he had shewed himself alive, after he had suffered, by many infallible proofs, during forty days being frequently seen by them, and speaking of the things which relate to the kingdom of God: ⁴and assembling them together, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye have heard from me. ⁵For John indeed baptised with water; but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days after the present.

⁶They then accordingly assembling together, asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time reestablish the kingdom of Israel? ⁷But he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times and the seasons, which the Father hath reserved under his own authority. ⁸But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses for me, both in Jerusalem, and throughout all Judea, and Samaria, and unto the extremity of the earth.

⁹And as he was speaking these things, while they were looking upon him, he was taken up; and a cloud enveloping him hid him from their eyes. ¹⁰And as they looked up earnestly into the heaven, while he was passing, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹who also said to them, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up to heaven? this Jesus, who hath been taken up from you into heaven, shall so come, in the same manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

¹²Then they returned unto Jerusalem, from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, about a sabbath-day’s journey distant. ¹³And when they had arrived, they went up to an upper room, where abode Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James son of Alpheus, and Simon the zealous, and Jude brother to James. ¹⁴These all persevered unanimously in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

¹⁵And in those days arose Peter in the midst of the disciples, and said, (there was a number of persons together, about an hundred and twenty,) ¹⁶Men and brethren, it must needs be that this scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost delivered before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the conductor of those who seized on Jesus. ¹⁷For he was reckoned of our number, and had obtained an appointment to this ministry. ¹⁸This man indeed accordingly purchased a spot of ground with the wages of iniquity; and projected forward, he burst in the midst, and all his bowels fell out. ¹⁹And it was a fact known to all who dwelt at Jerusalem; so that this field is called in their own dialect, Aceldama, that is, The field of blood. ²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms^[23], Let his habitation be desolate, and let there be no man to dwell in it: and his office, as bishop, let another take^[24].

²¹Wherefore from among the men who have associated with us always during the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from his baptism by John, until the day in which he was taken up from us, must there be chosen with us a witness of his resurrection, even one of these. ²³So they appointed two persons, Joseph called Barsabas, whose sirname was Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴And joining in prayer, they said, Do thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, point out the one of these two which thou hast chosen, ²⁵to take a part in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, to go to his own place. ²⁶And they drew lots for them and the lot fell to Matthias and he was by unanimous suffrage numbered with the eleven apostles.

[CHAP. II.]

SO when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with unanimity assembled together. ²And there came suddenly from heaven a sound as it were of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³And there was an appearance to them of divided tongues, as of fire, and it rested on every one of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves.

⁵Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, men of piety, from every nation under heaven. ⁶And when this report spread, the multitude collected around them, and were overwhelmed with astonishment, because they heard them speaking every one in his own peculiar dialect. ⁷And they were all amazed, and wondered, saying one to another, Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? ⁸And how do we hear every man in our own peculiar dialect, in which from our birth we were brought up? ⁹Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and they who inhabit Mesopotamia, and Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, ¹⁰and Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and the parts of Lybia adjoining Cyrene, and the sojourners, who are Romans, both Jews and proselytes, ¹¹Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our own several tongues the marvellous things of God. ¹²And they were all amazed, and much perplexed, and knew not what to think, saying one to another, What can this mean? ¹³But others scoffing said, These men are brimful of sweet wine. ¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them; Men of Judea, and all ye who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words: ¹⁵for these men are not, as ye suppose, drunk, for it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel; ¹⁷“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: ¹⁸and upon my servants and my handmaidens in those days will I pour out of my spirit; and they shall prophesy: ¹⁹and I will perform prodigies in the heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke. ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and illustrious day of the Lord come. ²¹And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Lord shall be saved^[25].” ²²Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus the Nazarean, a man from God, pointed out to you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as yourselves also know: ²³him, by the destined counsel and foreknowledge of God delivered up, ye have seized, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: ²⁴whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: forasmuch as it was not possible that he should be held thereby. ²⁵For David speaketh concerning him, “I have seen the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken: ²⁶therefore is my heart full of joy, and my tongue hath exulted; and still shall my flesh also repose in hope, ²⁷that thou wilt not leave my soul in the mansion of the dead, nor permit that Holy One of thine to see corruption. ²⁸Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt fill me with delight by thy countenance^[26].”

²⁹Men and brethren, permit me to speak with freedom to you concerning the patriarch David, that he hath been both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us to this day. ³⁰Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Messiah to sit upon his throne; ³¹he, foreseeing this, spake of the resurrection of the Messiah, that his soul should not be left in the mansion of the dead, and that his flesh should not see corruption. ³²This very Jesus hath God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. ³³He therefore being exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, hath poured out this, which ye now see and hear. ³⁴For David is not ascended into the heavens: for he saith himself, “The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand, ³⁵until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy feet^[27].” ³⁶Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him Lord and Messiah, even that very Jesus whom ye crucified.

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

³⁸Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you into the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ³⁹For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off; even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ⁴⁰And with many other words he testified and exhorted, saying, Be saved from this untoward generation.

⁴¹They therefore who gladly received his discourse were baptised: and there were added to them that day about three thousand souls. ⁴²And they persevered stedfastly in the doctrine of the apostles, and in communion, and in breaking bread, and in prayers. ⁴³And on every soul there was an awe: and many miracles and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴Now all who believed were together, and had all things common; ⁴⁵and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as every one had need. ⁴⁶And daily continuing with one mind at the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they partook of their food with great joy and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added the saved ones daily to the church.

[CHAP. III.]

NOW at that time Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth; ²when a certain man who was lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple called Beautiful, to ask alms of those who were entering into the temple; ³who seeing Peter and John just going into the temple, asked to receive alms.

⁴Then Peter fixing his eves stedfastly on him with John, said, Look on us. ⁵So he attentively regarded them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶Then said Peter, I have neither silver nor gold; but what I have, that I give thee: By the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean, arise, and walk! ⁷And taking him by the right hand, he raised him up: and immediately his feet and ancles were restored to strength. ⁸And springing up he stood on his feet, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. ⁹And all the people beheld him walking and praising God: ¹⁰and they took notice of him, that it was the same person who had sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with astonishment and amazed at what had happened to him. ¹¹But as the lame man that was cured held fast Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them into the portico called Solomon’s, in vast amazement.

¹²Then Peter observing it, addressed himself to the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why gaze ye upon us, as if by our own power or piety we had enabled this man to walk?

¹³The God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he had determined to release him. ¹⁴But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and besought that a man, a murderer, might as a favour be given unto you; ¹⁵but ye slew the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead: of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶And through faith in his name hath his name restored this man to strength, whom ye behold and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the sight of you all. ¹⁷And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did this deed, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸But the things which God before announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that Messiah should suffer, he hath thus fulfilled. ¹⁹Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when refreshing seasons shall come from the presence of the Lord; ²⁰and he will send Jesus Christ, who was before preached unto you: ²¹whom the heaven indeed must receive, until the times of restoration of all things, which God hath spoken of by the mouth of all his holy prophets from the beginning of the world. ²²For Moses truly said unto the fathers, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like myself; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall speak to you. ²³But it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly exterminated from amidst the people^[28].” ²⁴And all the prophets indeed from Samuel, and those who succeeded him, as many as have spoken, have also foretold those days. ²⁵Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And “in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed^[29].” ²⁶Unto you in the first instance, hath God, after raising up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, to the end that every one of you should turn away from your iniquities.

[CHAP. IV.]

AND as they were thus speaking, the priests, and the captain of the temple-guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them, ²worn down with vexation, because they taught the people, and preached by Jesus the resurrection of the dead. ³And they laid hands on them, and committed them to prison till the next day: for it was then evening.

⁴But many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. ⁵Now it came to pass that the next morning, their rulers, and elders, and scribes, were assembled at Jerusalem, ⁶and Annas the high-priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were the high-priest’s relations. ⁷And placing them in the midst, they interrogated them, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this thing?

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, ⁹if we are this day examined relative to the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he was restored; ¹⁰be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarean, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him doth this man stand here sound in your presence. ¹¹This is the stone which, though set at nought by you builders, is become the head of the corner^[30]. ¹²And there is no salvation in any other person: for there is no other name under heaven given unto men, whereby we must be saved.

¹³Attentively regarding then the noble confidence of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were men unlettered, and destitute of education, they were astonished; and they recollected them, that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴But seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they had not a word to reply in contradiction. ¹⁵But bidding them retire out of the council-chamber, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶saying, What shall we do with these men? for that an acknowledged miracle hath been wrought by them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But that it be no farther spread among the people, we will menace them with threats, no more to speak in this name to any man. ¹⁸So calling them in, they charged them not to speak in any manner, nor to teach, in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John, answering them, said, If it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather than God, be yourselves the judges. ²⁰For we cannot refrain from speaking the things which we have seen and heard. ²¹Then they with many additional threatenings dismissed them, finding no pretext how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for what had been done. ²²For the man was more than forty years of age, upon whom this miracle of healing was performed.

²³But they being dismissed, came unto their own friends, and told them all things which the high-priests and elders had said. ²⁴Now when they heard it, they lifted up their united voice to God, and said, Lord, thou art the God which made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things which are in them: ²⁵who by the mouth of David thy servant saidst, Why do the heathen so furiously rage, and the people meditate vain things? ²⁶The kings of the earth rose up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah^[31]. ²⁷For they have been in truth collected together against thy holy Son Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, even Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the heathen, and the people of Israel, ²⁸to do all that thy hand and thy counsel predestined should come to pass. ²⁹And as to the present transactions, Lord, look upon their threatnings: and grant thy servants power with all boldness to speak thy word, ³⁰by stretching out thy hand for healing; and that signs and miracles may be performed by the name of thy holy child Jesus.

³¹And while they were praying, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

³²And in the multitude of those that believed there was one heart and soul: and not one person said, that any part of his substance was his peculiar property; but all things were in common among them.

³³And with great power bore the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. ³⁴Neither was there any person in want among them: for as many as were possessors of fields or houses disposed of them, and brought the prices of the things sold, ³⁵and laid them at the apostles’ feet: and a distribution was made to every one according as he had need. ³⁶And Joses, who was surnamed Barnabas by the apostles, (which is, being interpreted, A son of consolation,) a Levite, a Cyprian by birth, ³⁷having a field belonging to him, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

[CHAP. V.]

NOW a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, had sold an estate, ²and secreted a part of the price paid, his wife also being privy to the transaction, and he brought a part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ³But Peter said, O Ananias! why hath Satan filled thy heart that thou shouldst lie to the Holy Ghost, and secrete something from the price of the estate? ⁴it remained unsold, was it not vested in thee? and when sold, was it not in thine own power? why then hast thou determined in thine heart to do this deed? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. ⁵Then Ananias, hearing those words, sunk down and expired: and great dread fell upon all who heard these things. ⁶Then the young men arose, and swathed him up, and carrying him out, buried him.

⁷Now it came to pass at the distance of about three hours, his wife also, not knowing what had passed, came in. ⁸And Peter addressed her, Tell me, if ye sold the estate for so much? And she said, Yes, for so much.

⁹Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have conspired together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? see, the feet of them who have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. ¹⁰Then she fell instantly at his feet, and expired: and the young men entering, found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her with her husband. ¹¹And great awe fell on all the Church, and on all who heard these things.

¹²But by the hands of the apostles were many signs and miracles done among the people; (and they were all with one accord in the portico of Solomon. ¹³But of the rest no man had the courage to unite himself with them: though the people extolled them. ¹⁴But believers on the Lord were abundantly added to them, multitudes, both of men and women.) ¹⁵Insomuch that they carried out into the streets the sick, and laid them on beds and couches, that when Peter was coming by, if but even his shadow might pass over some of them.

¹⁶Then came together also a multitude from the neighbouring cities to Jerusalem, bringing the sick, and those who were disturbed by unclean spirits; who were healed universally.

¹⁷Then arose the high-priest, and all those who were connected with him, (which was the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with zeal, ¹⁸and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. ¹⁹But the angel of the Lord by night opened the doors of the prison, and conducting them forth, said, ²⁰Go, and taking your station in the temple, speak to the people all the words of this life. ²¹Having heard this therefore, they entered very early in the morning into the temple, and taught. But when the high-priest came, and those who were with him, they convoked the sanhedrim, and all the assembly of elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to bring them. ²²But the officers, on their arrival, found them not in the prison: and returning, informed them, ²³saying; The prison indeed found we fast locked with all security, and the guards standing without, before the door: but when we opened it, we found no person within.

²⁴Now when they heard these words, both the priest and captain of the temple and the chief priests were in the utmost perplexity concerning these things, what could be the meaning of it. ²⁵Then came a person and informed them, saying, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people. ²⁶Then went the captain, with the officers, and brought them; not forcibly, for they were afraid of the people, lest they should stone them. ²⁷But when they had conducted them, they placed them in the sanhedrim: and the high-priest interrogated them, ²⁸saying, Did we not lay our strict injunction upon you, that you should not teach in this name? and, lo, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and would fain bring this man’s blood upon us.

²⁹Then Peter and the apostles answering said, We must obey God rather than men. ³⁰The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom ye had killed, suspending him on a tree. ³¹Him hath God exalted at his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins. ³²And we are witnesses of these things; and the Holy Ghost also, which God hath given to those who obey him.

³³But when they heard this, they were cut asunder as with a saw, and took counsel how to make away with them.

³⁴Then arose a certain Pharisee, in the sanhedrim, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, held in high esteem by all the people, and ordered the apostles to be taken out for a little space; ³⁵and he said unto them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves respecting these men, what ye mean to do to them. ³⁶For before these days arose Theudas, saying that he himself was a singular personage: to whom a number of men, about four hundred, attached themselves: who was taken off; and as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to nothing. ³⁷And after him arose Judas the Galilean, in the days of the enrolment, and drew away a multitude of the populace after him: he also perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. ³⁸And as to the matters now before you, I say unto you, Abstain from these men, and leave them to themselves: for if this design or this work be of men, it will come to nothing: ³⁹but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; and in that case would be found fighters against God. ⁴⁰And to him they assented: and calling in the apostles, after scourging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them.

⁴¹Then they went rejoicing from the presence of the sanhedrim, that for his name’s sake, they had been counted worthy to suffer this injurious treatment. ⁴²And all the day long in the temple, and from house to house, they never ceased teaching and preaching Jesus Christ.

[CHAP. VI.]

NOW in those days, when the disciples were multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian proselytes against the Hebrews, because their widows were overlooked in the daily distribution. ²Then the twelve assembling the multitude of the disciples, said, It is not fit that we should leave the word of God, to make distribution to the tables. ³Therefore, brethren, do ye look out for seven men from among yourselves, the best approved, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint to superintend this business. ⁴But we will devote ourselves constantly to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

⁵And this saying was very agreeable to all the multitude: and they elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas a proselyte a man of Antioch: ⁶whom they presented before the apostles: and having prayed, they laid their hands upon them.

⁷And the word of God increased: and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem was multiplied greatly; and a vast body of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸Now Stephen, full of faith and of power, wrought great miracles and signs among the people. ⁹Then rose up certain men of the synagogue of the freed-men, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen. ¹⁰And they could not resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. ¹¹Then they suborned men to say, We heard him speak blasphemous things against Moses, and against God. ¹²And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and coming upon him, they seized him together, and dragged him to the sanhedrim; ¹³and they set up false witnesses, saying, This man doth not cease speaking blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: ¹⁴for we have heard him affirm, that Jesus the Nazarean, even he, will destroy this place, and change the accustomed ordinances which Moses delivered to us. ¹⁵And fixing their eyes upon him, all who sat in the sanhedrim, beheld his face as the face of an angel.

[CHAP. VII.]

THEN said the high-priest, Are these things so?

²He replied, Men, brethren, and fathers, hear me:

The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, ³and said to him, Go forth out of thy country, and from among thy relations, and come hither to a land which I will shew thee^[32]. ⁴Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans, and, dwelt in Charran: and from thence, after his father was dead, God removed him as a sojourner into this very country, in which we now dwell. ⁵Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not so much as the print of his foot: yet he promised to give it for a possession to him and to his seed after him, when he had no son. ⁶Then spake God to him thus, That his seed should sojourn in a foreign land: and that they should enslave it, and grievously afflict it, four hundred years. ⁷And the nation by which they shall be enslaved will I judge, said God: and after these things they shall come out, and shall worship me in this place^[33]. ⁸And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so he begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. ⁹And the patriarchs, envious, sold Joseph into Egypt: yet God was with him, ¹⁰and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he appointed him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹Then came a famine upon all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great distress: and our fathers found no provisions. ¹²But when Jacob heard that there were provisions in Egypt, he sent our fathers, the first time. ¹³And the second time Joseph was made known unto his brethren; and Joseph’s family was made known unto Pharaoh. ¹⁴Then sent Joseph, and invited his father Jacob to come to him, and all his kindred, consisting of seventy-five persons. ¹⁵So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, himself, and our fathers, ¹⁶and they removed him to Sychem, and laid him in the sepulchre which Abraham had bought, at a price paid in silver, of the sons of Emmor, the father of Shechem. ¹⁷But as the time of the promise which God had with an oath confirmed unto Abraham drew nigh, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸until another king arose, who knew not Joseph. ¹⁹This man, forming crafty designs against our nation, grievously treated our fathers, so as to cause them to expose their children, in order to exterminate the race. ²⁰At which time Moses was born, and was endued with singular beauty from God, who was brought up three months in the house of his father: ²¹and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter took him home, and brought him up for herself, as a son. ²²And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of Egypt, and was mighty in words and actions. ²³But when he had completed his fortieth year, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. ²⁴And seeing one of them treated injuriously, he defended him, and executed vengeance for him who had suffered the outrage, smiting the Egyptian. ²⁵For he thought that his brethren would understand that God by his hand would give them deliverance: but they understood not. ²⁶And the following day he shewed himself to them as they were fighting, and urged them to peace, saying, My friends, ye are brethren; wherefore do ye ill treat one another? ²⁷Then he who did his neighbour wrong thrust him from him, saying, Who appointed thee a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸Wilt thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday? ²⁹Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.

³⁰And when forty years were completed, there appeared to him in the desert of mount Sinai the angel of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush. ³¹But when Moses saw it, he marvelled at the sight: and as he was drawing nearer to observe it, a voice from the Lord came to him, ³²“I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob^[34].” Then Moses trembling, dared not to look farther.

³³Then the Lord said unto him, “Loose the sandal from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. ³⁴Attentive I have beheld the evil treatment of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them. And now come hither, I will send thee into Egypt^[35].” ³⁵This very Moses whom they had rejected, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶He brought them forth, after performing miracles and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. ³⁷This is the Moses who said unto the children of Israel, “A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up for you from among your brethren, as myself; him shall ye hear^[36].” ³⁸This is he, who was with the church in the wilderness with the angel who spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the oracles of life to give unto us: ³⁹to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt, ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, Make us gods who shall go before us: for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath happened to him. ⁴¹And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice for the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

⁴²Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, Have ye offered me slain beasts and sacrifices forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³Yet have ye taken up the tabernacle of Moloc, and the star of your god Remphan, those figures which ye made to pay adoration to them: and I will transport you beyond Babylon^[37].

⁴⁴The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, as he that spake to Moses commanded, that he should make it according to the model which he had seen. ⁴⁵Which also our fathers having received, brought in with Joshua into the place possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out from before the presence of our fathers, unto the days of David; ⁴⁶who found favour before God, and sought to procure an habitation for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷But Solomon built an house for him. ⁴⁸Though the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as the prophet saith, ⁴⁹“Heaven is my throne, and earth the footstool for my feet: what kind of house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what place is there for my repose? ⁵⁰hath not my hand made all these things^[38]?”

⁵¹Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and in ears, ye do always oppose yourselves against the Holy Ghost: as your fathers, so are ye. ⁵²Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they killed those who before published the tidings of the coming of that Righteous Person; of whom ye have now been the betrayers and murderers: ⁵³who have received the law through arrangements of angels, yet have not observed it.

⁵⁴Now when they heard these things, they were cut through their hearts as with a saw, and gnashed upon him with their teeth.

⁵⁵But he being full of the Holy Ghost, and looking up stedfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; ⁵⁶and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God.

⁵⁷Then they screamed out with a great cry, and stopped their ears, and rushed all together upon him, ⁵⁸and dragging him out of the city, stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man, named Saul. ⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen, in the act of prayer, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! ⁶⁰Then falling on his knees, he cried with a loud voice, Lord, impute not to them this sin! And thus speaking, fell asleep.

[CHAP. VIII.]

BUT Saul was delighted with his execution.

Now on that very day commenced a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and all, besides the apostles, were dispersed through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

²Then some pious men assembling, carried Stephen to his grave, and made great lamentation over him.

³But Saul ravaged the church, entering into the houses, and dragging men and women, cast them into prison.

⁴Those therefore who were dispersed, travelled through the country, preaching the word. ⁵But Philip, going down to a city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them. ⁶And the multitudes with united minds were very attentive to the things spoken by Philip, when they heard him, and saw the miracles which he did. ⁷For the unclean spirits, roaring with great cries, came forth out of many who were possessed: and many who were paralytic and lame were healed. ⁸And there was great joy in that city.

⁹But a certain man, named Simon, lived previously in that city, who practised magic, and astonished the nation of Samaria, giving out himself as an extraordinary great personage: ¹⁰to whom all gave heed from the small to the great, saying, This man is the great power of God. ¹¹And to him they attended, because he had of a considerable time astonished them by his magical tricks. ¹²But when they believed Philip, who preached the glad tidings of the things which related to the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptised both men and women. ¹³Then Simon also himself believed: and being baptised, he attached himself to Philip, and beholding the signs and great miracles which were performed, he was astonished.

¹⁴But when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: ¹⁵who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: ¹⁶for as yet he had not fallen on any one of them: only they had been baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw, that by the imposition of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, Confer on me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, they may receive the Holy Ghost. ²⁰But Peter said unto him, May thy silver with thyself go into perdition, because thou hast imagined that the gift of God can be purchased with money. ²¹There is for thee neither part nor lot in this word: for thy heart is not right before God. ²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray to God, if haply this thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. ²³For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity. ²⁴Then Simon answering said, Pray ye for me unto the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken may come upon me.

²⁵Then they, after bearing their testimony, and speaking the word of the Lord, returned towards Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶Now the angel of the Lord spake to Philip, saying, Arise, and go towards the south, on the road which leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza: it is a wilderness. ²⁷And he arose and went: and lo! an Ethiopian man, an eunuch, a person in power under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasury; he had gone to worship unto Jerusalem, ²⁸and was returning, and sitting in his chariot, was reading the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹Then said the Spirit to Philip, Go up, and approach close to that chariot. ³⁰Then Philip running up to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah; and he said, Well! but dost thou understand what thou art reading? ³¹He replied, How indeed can I, except some person guide me in the way? And he besought Philip to come up and sit with him. ³²The portion of scripture which he had been reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before him who sheareth it is dumb, so he opened not his mouth: ³³in his humiliation his judgment was taken away: but his generation who can describe? for his life was taken away from the earth^[39].” ³⁴Then the eunuch addressing himself to Philip, said, I pray thee, of whom doth the prophet thus speak? of himself, or of some other person? ³⁵Then Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from that scripture, preached to him Jesus. ³⁶But as they went on the road, they came to some water: and the eunuch said, Here is water, what forbids my being baptised? ³⁷And Philip said, If thou believest with the whole heart, it is allowable. Then he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. ³⁸And he bid the carriage stop: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptised him. ³⁹But when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught up Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more: then he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰But Philip found himself at Azotus: and passing through he preached the gospel in all the cities, until he came to Cæsarea.

[CHAP. IX.]

BUT Saul, still breathing out threatenings and murder against the disciples of the Lord, applying to the high-priest, ²besought of him letters for the synagogues at Damascus, that if he should find any persons of this way, whether men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem. ³So advancing on his journey, he was drawing nigh to Damascus: and suddenly there shone around him a light from heaven: ⁴and falling on the ground, he heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁵Then said he, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting: It is difficult for thee to kick against the goads. ⁶And trembling and amazed he said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

⁷And the men who travelled with him stood astonished, hearing indeed a voice, but seeing no man. ⁸Then Paul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. ⁹And he was three days seeing nothing, and did neither eat nor drink.

¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias! And he said, Here I am, Lord. ¹¹Then the Lord said to him, Arise, go into the street called Strait, and inquire at the house of Judas for one named Saul a man of Tarsus: for, behold, he is praying, ¹²and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming to him, and laying his hand upon him, that he may recover his sight. ¹³But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how many evils he hath inflicted on thy saints at Jerusalem: ¹⁴and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name. ¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, Go: for this man is an elect vessel for me, to bear my name before nations, and kings, and the children of Israel: ¹⁶for I will shew him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.

¹⁷Then went Ananias, and entered into the house; and laying his hands upon him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who was seen by thee in the way that thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest recover thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸And directly there fell from his eyes as it were scales: and he recovered sight instantly, and arose, and was baptised. ¹⁹And when he had taken nourishment, he regained his strength. And Saul continued with the disciples who were at Damascus several days. ²⁰And immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. ²¹And all who heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this the man who made havoc at Jerusalem, among those who called on this name? and hither he came for this purpose, that he might carry them in chains unto the chief priests? ²²But Saul was endued with still greater power, and confounded the Jews who dwelt at Damascus, conclusively evincing that this person is the Messiah.

²³But when many days were fulfilled, the Jews consulted together how to kill him: ²⁴but their design was discovered to Saul. And they kept guard at the gates of the city day and night, that they might kill him. ²⁵But the disciples taking him by night, got him off through the wall, letting him down in a basket.

²⁶But when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples: and they were all afraid of him, not crediting that he was a disciple. ²⁷Then Barnabas taking him by the hand, brought him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how boldly he had preached at Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸And he was with them coming in, and going out at Jerusalem: ²⁹and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. And he talked and disputed with the Grecian proselytes: but they made an attempt to murder him. ³⁰Then the brethren, when they knew it brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹Then had the churches peace through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, being edified; and walking in the fear of God, and in the consolation of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

³²Now it came to pass, as Peter was passing through all parts, that he went down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. ³³And found there a certain man named Æneas, during six years stretched on a bed, who was paralytic. ³⁴And Peter said to him, Æneas, Jesus the Messiah maketh thee whole: arise, and make thine own bed. And he arose immediately. ³⁵And all who dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶But there was at Joppa a woman, a disciple, named Tabitha, (which by interpretation is called Dorcas:) this woman was full of good works and of alms which she did. ³⁷But it came to pass that in those days she sickened and died: having then washed her, they laid her out in an upper room. ³⁸And as Lydda was near to Joppa, the disciples hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, entreating him without delay to come over to them. ³⁹Then Peter arose and went with them. And they carried him, on his arrival, into the upper room: and all the widows stood round him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas had made, whilst she was with them. ⁴⁰But Peter putting them all out, fell upon his knees, and prayed; and turning to the body, said, Tabitha, arise! And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹Then he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and calling in the saints and the widows, presented her to them alive. ⁴²And it was known through all Joppa; and many believed on the Lord. ⁴³Then it came to pass, that he abode many days at Joppa with one Simon a tanner.

[CHAP. X.]

NOW there was a man at Cæsarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the cohort called the Italic, ²a man of piety, and who feared God with all his house, giving much alms to the people, and praying to God continually. ³He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, Cornelius. ⁴Then looking stedfastly on him, and being terrified, he said, What means this, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. ⁵And now send men to Joppa, and inquire for Simon, who is surnamed Peter: ⁶he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is near the sea: this man will tell thee what thou must do. ⁷But when the angel departed who spake to Cornelius, he called two of his domestics, and a pious soldier, persons who constantly were in attendance upon him; ⁸and relating all things to them, sent them to Joppa.

⁹Then the next morning, as they were on their journey, and drew near to the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray about the sixth hour: ¹⁰and he grew very hungry, and desired something to eat: but whilst they were getting it ready, a sacred ecstacy fell upon him. ¹¹And he saw heaven opened, and there descended to him a certain vessel, as a great sheet with chains at the four corners, and resting upon the earth: ¹²in which were all the quadrupeds of the earth, and wild beasts, and reptiles, and birds of the air. ¹³And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; slay and eat. ¹⁴But Peter said, By no means, Lord for I have never at any time eaten of any thing common or unclean. ¹⁵And the voice again a second time came to him, What God hath cleansed, call not thou unclean. ¹⁶This was thrice repeated: and the vessel was again taken up into heaven.

¹⁷But while Peter was perplexed in himself what was meant by the vision which he had seen, then, behold! the men which had been sent by Cornelius having inquired out the house of Simon, stood before the door, ¹⁸and calling, asked if Simon, surnamed Peter, lodged there. ¹⁹But while Peter was musing upon the vision, the Spirit said to him, Lo! three men are inquiring after thee. ²⁰Arise then, and go down, and go with them, entertaining no doubt, for I have sent them. ²¹Then Peter went down to the men who were sent by Cornelius to him; and said, Lo! I am the person that ye ask for: what is the business on which ye are come hither? ²²Then they said, Cornelius a centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report with all the nation of the Jews, has been divinely admonished by a holy angel to send for thee to his house, to hear words from thee.

²³Then inviting them in, he lodged them there. And the next morning Peter went with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. ²⁴And the next day they entered into Cæsarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them, having called together his relations and nearest friends. ²⁵And as Peter was entering, Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, paid him homage. ²⁶But Peter raised him up, saying, Arise; I also myself am a man. ²⁷And conversing with him, he entered, and found many assembled together.

²⁸And he said unto them, Ye know how contrary it is to established usage, for a man who is a Jew to associate with or visit one of another nation; but God hath shewed me to call no man common or unclean. ²⁹Wherefore also without a word, I came when invited: I beg to know therefore for what purpose ye have sent for me?

³⁰Then Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting till this hour; and at the ninth hour I was praying in my house, and, lo! a man stood before me in shining apparel, ³¹and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thy alms are remembered before God. ³²Send therefore to Joppa, and invite Simon, whose surname is Peter, to come to thee; he lodgeth in the house of Simon the tanner, near the sea: who, when he is come will talk with thee. ³³Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast done well in coming. Now therefore are all we here present before God, to hear all things that are given in charge to thee from 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 feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. ³⁶The word which he sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, (he is Lord of all,) ye know: ³⁷even that which was the common talk through all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; ³⁸respecting Jesus, who was of Nazareth, how God had anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were tyrannically oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. ³⁹And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the region of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they killed suspending him on a tree: ⁴⁰him God raised up the third day, and ordained that he should be visibly manifested; ⁴¹not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he was arisen from the dead. ⁴²And hath commanded us to proclaim to the people, and to bear our testimony that this is the person who is ordained of God the Judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one who believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins.

⁴⁴While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all who heard the discourse. ⁴⁵And they of the circumcision who were believers, as many as came with Peter, were amazed, because even on the Gentiles the gift of the holy Ghost was poured out. ⁴⁶For they heard them speaking in different languages, and magnifying God. Then Peter addressed them, ⁴⁷Can any one forbid the water for baptising these persons, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? ⁴⁸So he commanded them to be baptised in the name of the Lord. Then they entreated him to tarry there some days.

[CHAP. XI.]

NOW the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. ²And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, they of the circumcision disputed with him, ³saying, Thou hast gone in to men holding uncircumcision, and hast eaten with them.

⁴Then Peter taking up the matter from the beginning, explained it to them regularly, saying, ⁵I was in the city of Joppa praying and I saw in a trance a vision, a certain vessel descending as a vast sheet let down from heaven by its four corners; and it came close to me: ⁶on which looking attentively, I perceived, and saw the quadrupeds of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the air. ⁷Then I heard a voice saying to me, Rise, Peter; slay and eat. ⁸But I said, By no means, Lord: for never yet hath any thing common or unclean entered into my mouth. ⁹But the voice replied the second time from heaven, What God hath cleansed, call not thou common. ¹⁰Now this was repeated thrice: and the whole withdrawn again into heaven. ¹¹And, lo! immediately three men stood before the house where I was, sent from Cæsarea unto me. ¹²And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no hesitation. But with me went also these six brethren, and we entered into the man’s house: ¹³and he informed us how he had seen an angel in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and invite Simon, who is surnamed Peter; ¹⁴who will speak words to thee, by which thou mayest be saved, and thy house. ¹⁵So when I had begun to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, just as on us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I recollected the word of the Lord, how he had said, John indeed baptised with water; but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost. ¹⁷If God then gave an equal gift to them even as to us, on believing on the Lord Jesus Christ; I, indeed, who was I, that I should be able to restrain God?

¹⁸So when they heard these things they were satisfied, and glorified God, saying, Well! then hath God even to the Gentiles given repentance unto life.

¹⁹Now those also who were dispersed by the persecution which arose on account of Stephen passed on as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no man except the Jews only. ²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they arrived at Antioch, spake to the Grecian proselytes, preaching the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a vast multitude believing, turned to the Lord. ²²And the report concerning them was heard in the ears of the church which was at Jerusalem: and they dispatched Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch. ²³Who, when he arrived there, and beheld the grace of God, rejoiced, and exhorted them all, with full purpose of heart to adhere to the Lord. ²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and a great multitude was added to the Lord.

²⁵Then went forth Barnabas to Tarsus, in search of Saul: ²⁶and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass, that during a whole year they were jointly employed in that church, and taught a vast multitude, and they called for the first time in Antioch the disciples Christians. ²⁷Now there came down in those days prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸And one of them named Agabus, rising up, signified by the spirit that a great famine was coming upon the whole habitable globe: which also came in the reign of Claudius Cæsar. ²⁹Then the disciples, as everyman had ability, determined every individual of them to send a sum to be distributed among the brethren who dwelt in Judea: ³⁰which also they did, sending it off to the presbyters by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

[CHAP. XII.]

NOW at that time Herod the king stretched forth his hand to treat cruelly certain persons belonging to the church. ²And he slew James the brother of John with a sword. ³And seeing how agreeable this was to the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) ⁴Whom having apprehended, he put him in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep guard over him; intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people for execution. ⁵So then Peter was kept in prison: but fervent prayer was offered up by the church to God for him. ⁶Now when Herod was going to bring him forth, the same night was Peter fast asleep between the two soldiers, fastened to them with two chains: and the guards before the door kept the prison. ⁷And, lo! an angel of the Lord stood there, and light glared through the apartment: then with a stroke on Peter’s side, he roused him up, and said, Arise quickly. And his chains fell from his hands. ⁸And the angel said to him, Gird thyself up, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he said unto him, Wrap thyself in thy mantle, and follow me. ⁹And going out, he followed him; and knew not that it was a reality which was done by the angel; but he supposed he saw a vision. ¹⁰So passing through the first ward and the second, they came to the iron door which leads into the city, which opened to them spontaneously: and being come out, they walked forward through one street; and immediately the angel departed from him. ¹¹And Peter coming to himself, said, Now I know assuredly, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me from the hand of Herod, and all the eager expectation of the people of the Jews. ¹²And after considering with himself, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who is surnamed Mark; where many were thronged together, and praying. ¹³Peter then knocking at the door of the gateway, there came a damsel to ask who was there, named Rhoda. ¹⁴And well knowing Peter’s voice, she opened not the door for joy; but running in, told that Peter was standing before the door. ¹⁵But they said, Thou art raving. But she confidently persisted that it was so. Then they said, It is his angel. ¹⁶But Peter continued knocking: and they opened the door and saw him, and were astonished. ¹⁷Then beckoning with the hand that they should be silent, he informed them in what manner the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Tell James and the brethren these things. And departing thence he went into another place.

¹⁸Now when the day broke, there was no small stir among the soldiers, what could possibly become of Peter. ¹⁹And Herod sought him out earnestly, but not being able to find him, after having examined the guards strictly, he commanded them to be executed. And going down from Jerusalem to Cæsarea, took up his abode there.

²⁰Now Herod was fiercely bent on war against the Tyrians and Sidonians: but they presented themselves unanimously before him, and ingratiating themselves with Blastus who was over the king’s bedchamber, they begged for peace; because their country received all their supply of provisions from the king’s territories. ²¹Then on a day appointed, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, and seated on his throne, made an harangue unto them. ²²And the populace shouted, It is the voice of a god, and not a man. ²³But instantly the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not the glory to God: and being devoured with worms, he expired.

²⁴But the word of the Lord increased, and was widely diffused. ²⁵Then Barnabas and Saul departed from Jerusalem, having completed the distribution of the sum entrusted with them; and they took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

[CHAP. XIII.]

NOW there were at Antioch, according to the established church, prophets and teachers; such as Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger the black, and Lucius a Cyrenian, and Manaen, Herod the tetrarch’s foster-brother, and Saul. ²And as they were employed in the ministry, and kept a fast, the Holy Ghost said, Set apart for me now both Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. ³Then having kept a fast and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them out. ⁴They then being sent forth indeed by the Holy Ghost, went down to Seleucia; and from thence sailed to Cyprus. ⁵And being at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had John also as their attendant. ⁶Now as they travelled through the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain person who professed magic, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: ⁷who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man; he inviting to his house Barnabas and Saul, desired earnestly to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the magician (for such is his name when interpreted) opposed them, seeking to pervert the proconsul from the faith. ⁹Then Saul (now Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, and fixing his eyes upon him, ¹⁰said, O thou full of all guile and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease perverting the strait ways of the Lord? ¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, seeing the sun no more for a season. And instantly there fell on him a thick mist and darkness; and groping about he sought some to lead him by the hand. ¹²Then when the proconsul saw what was done, he believed, being struck with the doctrine of the Lord.

¹³Hereupon sailing from Paphos, they who were about Paul came to Perga in Pamphylia: but John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴And they departed from Perga, and came to Antioch in Pisidia, and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, they sat down. ¹⁵Then after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogues sent to them, saying, Men and brethren, if ye are disposed to give a word of exhortation to the people, speak.

¹⁶Then Paul arose, and waving his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, hear me. ¹⁷The God of this people Israel selected our fathers, and exalted the people during their abode in the land of Egypt, and with a mighty arm brought he them out of it. ¹⁸And about the space of forty years he bore with their behaviour in the wilderness. ¹⁹And destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their territory to them by lot. ²⁰And after these things, during a space of about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. ²¹And from that time they desired a king: and God gave them Saul the son of Kis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, during forty years. ²²And removing him, he raised up unto them David to be king; respecting whom also he spake testifying, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall perform all my intentions^[40].” ²³From this man’s seed according to the promise hath God raised up to Israel a Saviour, Jesus: ²⁴John having preached before his first coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵But as John was finishing his course, he said, Whom do ye suppose me to be? I am not the Messiah. But, behold! he is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose. ²⁶Men and brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. ²⁷For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, being ignorant of him, and the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath-day, by condemning him have fulfilled them. ²⁸And though they found no cause of death in him, they besought Pilate that he might be killed. ²⁹But when they had finished all things that were 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 went up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people. ³²And we preach to you the promise made to our fathers; ³³for this hath God fulfilled to their children, even to us, in raising up Jesus: as it is also written in the second Psalm, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee^[41].” ³⁴But that he raised him from the dead, no more in future to return to corruption, he hath thus spoken, “I will give you the holy things of David, which are sure^[42].” ³⁵Wherefore also he saith in another place, “Thou wilt not permit thy Holy One to see corruption^[43].” ³⁶For David indeed, after having served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, and was placed with his fathers, and saw corruption. ³⁷But he, whom God raised up, saw no corruption. ³⁸Be it therefore known unto you, men and brethren, that through this man remission of sin is proclaimed to you: ³⁹and by this man shall every one who believeth be justified from all things, from which it was not possible that he should be justified by the law of Moses. ⁴⁰Take heed then, that this come not upon you, which is spoken by the prophets; ⁴¹“Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I do a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though one declare it unto you^[44].”

⁴²But when the Jews were going out of the synagogue, the Gentiles entreated that these words might be spoken to them the following sabbath. ⁴³And when the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, exhorting them, persuaded them to abide stedfast in the grace of God.

⁴⁴And on the next sabbath almost all the city thronged together to hear the word of God. ⁴⁵But the Jews seeing the multitude, were filled with envy, and opposed the things spoken by Paul, contradicting and reviling. ⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas speaking with undaunted boldness, said, It was necessary that the word of God should be first spoken unto you: but since ye have thrust it from you, and judged yourselves not worthy of eternal life, lo! we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷For so hath the Lord enjoined us, “I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, that thou mightest be for salvation unto the extremity of the earth^[45].” ⁴⁸Now when the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord: and they believed, even as many as were ordained to life eternal. ⁴⁹So the word of the Lord was diffused through the whole region.

⁵⁰Then the Jews stirred up the devout women, and those who were respectable, and the principal persons of the city, and raised up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders. ⁵¹But they, shaking off the dust of their feet against them, came to Iconium. ⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

[CHAP. XIV.]

NOW it came to pass at Iconium, that they went together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spake in such a manner, as that a vast multitude both of the Jews and Greek proselytes believed. ²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up, and maliciously prejudiced the spirits of the Gentiles against the brethren. ³A long space therefore continued they there speaking boldly in the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, and granted signs and miracles to be wrought by their hands. ⁴So the multitude was divided: some indeed were with the Jews, but others with the apostles. ⁵And when there was a strong effort made both by the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to ill-treat and stone them, ⁶conscious of their danger, they fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, and Derbe, and the circum-jacent country: ⁷and there they preached the gospel.

⁸And there was a certain man at Lystra, who having lost the use of his feet was sitting, being lame from his mother’s womb, and who had never been able to walk: ⁹this person heard Paul speaking; who fixing his eyes on him, and discovering that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰said with a loud voice, Stand up firm on thy feet! And he leaped and walked. ¹¹But when the multitudes beheld what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, in the dialect of Lycaonia, saying, The gods in the form of mortals are come down to us. ¹²And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he principally led the discourse.

¹³Then the priest of Jupiter, who was the presiding deity of their city, brought bulls and garlands unto the gates of the city, and intended to offer a sacrifice with the people. ¹⁴But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard it, they rent their garments, and rushed into the crowd, crying out, ¹⁵and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We too are mortals subject to the same infirmities with you; preaching to you the gospel, that ye should turn from these vain things unto the living God, who made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things which are therein: ¹⁶who in the past generations hath suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷Although indeed he left not himself untestified of, doing us good, giving us from heaven showers, and fruitful seasons, replenishing our hearts with food and gladness. ¹⁸And thus speaking, scarce restrained they the multitudes from offering the sacrifice to them.

¹⁹Then came the Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and gaining over the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰But as the disciples stood around him, he arose, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he departed with Barnabas for Derbe. ²¹And after preaching the gospel in that city, and bringing many to become disciples, they returned to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch; ²²strengthening the souls of the brethren, exhorting them to abide firm in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must pass into the kingdom of heaven. ²³Then appointing them presbyters in every city, by prayer with fastings they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

²⁴Then passing through Pisidia, they came unto Pamphylia. ²⁵And having spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia: ²⁶and thence sailed for Antioch, from whence they had been commended to the grace of God for the service which they had performed. ²⁷So when they arrived they called the church together, and related what great things God had done by them, and that he had opened to the heathen the door of faith.

²⁸And there they abode no inconsiderable time with the disciples.

[CHAP. XV.]

AND certain persons coming down from Judea taught the brethren, That if ye are not circumcised according to the ordinances of Moses, ye cannot be saved. ²There being therefore no small contention and dispute maintained by Paul and Barnabas against them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of their body, should go up to the apostles and presbyters at Jerusalem, for the decision of this question. ³They therefore being sent on their way by the church, passed through Phœnicia and Samaria, giving a particular narrative of the conversion of the Gentiles: and they gave great joy to all the brethren. ⁴Then when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were cordially received by the church, and the apostles and presbyters, and they related how great things God had done by them. ⁵But up rose some of the pharisaical sect, who professed the faith, insisting, That it was necessary to circumcise them, and to enjoin them to observe the law of Moses. ⁶Then the apostles and presbyters were assembled to consider of this matter. ⁷When after much dispute, Peter arose, and said unto them,

Men and brethren, ye know that a considerable time ago God chose among us, by my mouth, that the Gentiles should hear the gospel-word, and believe. ⁸And God, who is the discerner of the heart, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as to us; ⁹and made no difference betwixt either us or them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Why then now tempt ye God, by imposing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the same way as they. ¹²Then the whole multitude kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul, relating how great signs and miracles God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

¹³Now when they ceased speaking, James replied, saying, Men and brethren, hear me: ¹⁴Simon hath fully related, how at first God graciously looked upon the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. ¹⁵And in accord with this are the words of the prophets; as it is written, ¹⁶“After this will I return, and build again the tabernacle of David, that is fallen; and re-edify what hath been dug up from the foundation, and will set it upright again: ¹⁷that the residue of men may diligently seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles, among whom my name is invoked, even among them, saith the Lord, who doth all these things^[46].” ¹⁸Known unto God from the beginning are all his works. ¹⁹Therefore I am decided, that we give no unnecessary disquietude to those who from the heathen have turned to God: ²⁰but that we write to them, that they abstain from pollutions of idol sacrifices, and from whoredom, and from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹For Moses for ages past in every city hath those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath-day.

²²Then it was determined by the apostles and presbyters with the whole church, to send select men from themselves unto Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren; ²³writing a letter by their hand, in these words:

The apostles and presbyters and the brethren, to the brethren from among the Gentiles which are at Antioch, and in Syria, and Cilicia, greeting: ²⁴Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain persons who went out from us have disturbed you with discourses, unsettling your minds, insisting, that you should be circumcised, and observe the law: to whom we gave no such charge: ²⁵it hath seemed fit to us, assembled unanimously, to send unto you select men 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, and they by word of mouth will tell you the same things. ²⁸For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no other burden except these things which are of absolute necessity; ²⁹that ye abstain from eating whatever is sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from whoredom: from which things carefully preserving yourselves, ye shall do well. Farewell.

³⁰They then being thus dispatched, came to Antioch: and assembling the multitude, they delivered the letter: ³¹and when they had read it, they rejoiced in the consolation of it.

³²Then Judas and Silas, being also themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren, in many a discourse, and established them. ³³And having stayed their time, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren to the apostles. ³⁴However Silas thought proper to abide there. ³⁵Paul also and Barnabas abode at Antioch, teaching and preaching, with many others also, the word of the Lord.

³⁶Then after certain days said Paul to Barnabas, Let us now return and visit our brethren in every city among whom we have preached the word of the Lord, that we may see how they hold on. ³⁷Now Barnabas had resolved to take with him John, whose surname is Mark. ³⁸But Paul did not think him a fit person to take with them, who had withdrawn from them from Pamphylia, and no longer went with them to the service. ³⁹So there grew up a sudden quarrel, insomuch that they separated from each other: and Barnabas, taking Mark with him, sailed away to Cyprus: ⁴⁰but Paul selecting Silas, departed, being commended by the brethren to the favour of God. ⁴¹And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

[CHAP. XVI.]

THEN he came to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold! a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman, who believed; but his father was a Greek: ²who was highly spoken of by the brethren at Lystra and Iconium. ³Him Paul resolved to take out with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places: for they all knew his father, that he was a Greek. ⁴So as they passed through the cities, they delivered to them for their observance the ordinances decreed by the apostles and presbyters that were at Jerusalem.

⁵Then were the churches established truly in the faith, and increased in number daily. ⁶So passing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, being forbidden by the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia, ⁷coming as far as Mysia, they made an effort to go unto Bythinia: but the Spirit permitted them not. ⁸Whereupon passing by Mysia they went down to Troas. ⁹And a vision by night appeared to Paul; a certain man, a Macedonian, stood by him, entreating him, and saying, Pass over into Macedonia, and help us. ¹⁰But when he saw the vision, immediately we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. ¹¹Therefore sailing from Troas, we came in a direct course to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis; ¹²and from thence to Philippi, which is the first city in that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we abode in that city some days.

¹³And on the sabbath-day we went forth out of the city to the river side, where an oratory was by custom established; and sitting down, we spoke to the women who there assembled. ¹⁴And a certain woman, Lydia by name, a seller of purple, from the city of Thyatira, a worshipper of God, hearkened: whose heart the Lord thoroughly opened, to attend to the words spoken by Paul. ¹⁵So when she was baptised, and her house, she entreated, saying, Since ye have judged that I am faithful to the Lord, come and abide at my house. And she constrained us.

¹⁶Now it happened as we were going to the oratory, a certain damsel having a pythonic spirit met us, who produced for her masters much gain as a fortuneteller: ¹⁷she following Paul and us, cried out, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, who preach to you the way of salvation. ¹⁸And this she did for several days. Then Paul was wearied out, and turning, said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. ¹⁹But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the forum before the chief rulers, ²⁰and presenting them to the magistrates, they said, These are the men that exceedingly disturb the peace of our city, being Jews, ²¹and enjoin customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to practise, being Romans. ²²And the populace stood up together against them: and the magistrates, after having had their garments torn from their backs, commanded them to be beaten with rods. ²³And laying on them many stripes, cast them into prison, commanding the jailor to keep them in safe custody: ²⁴who, receiving such an injunction, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. ²⁵But about midnight Paul and Silas, after joining in prayer, sang hymns to God: and the prisoners heard them. ²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison were shaken: and instantly all the doors flew open, and every man’s chains were loosed. ²⁷Then the jailor being roused from sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drew his sword, going to destroy himself, supposing the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no injury: for we are all here. ²⁹Thereupon calling for a light, he rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas; ³⁰and having first brought them out, said, Sirs! what must I do to be saved? ³¹And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou, and thy house. ³²And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all who were in his house. ³³And taking them that same hour of the night, he washed their stripes; and was baptised, himself and all who belonged to him immediately. ³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he spread the table, and greatly rejoiced with all his household, believing in God.

³⁵But when it was day, the magistrates sent the lictors, saying, Set those men at large. ³⁶Then the jailor told these words to Paul, That the magistrates had sent to set them at liberty: now therefore, said he, get ye out, and pursue your journey in peace. ³⁷But Paul said to them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Roman citizens, and have cast us into prison; and would they now clandestinely send us away? no, verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. ³⁸Then the lictors reported all these words to the magistrates: and they were terrified, when they heard they were Roman citizens. ³⁹So they came and spoke kindly to them, and fetching them out, besought them to depart from the city. ⁴⁰Then leaving the prison, they went unto Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and went their way.

[CHAP. XVII.]

SO journeying through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of Jews: ²And Paul, according to his usual custom, went in to them, and for three sabbaths he reasoned with them from the scriptures, ³opening them clearly, and laying it evidently down that the Messiah must suffer, and rise again from the dead; and that this man is the Messiah, even Jesus, whom I preach unto you. ⁴And some of them believed, and associated themselves with Paul and Silas; and of the religious Greeks a vast multitude, and of the wives of the first people not a few. ⁵But the unbelieving Jews, roused to a fit of zeal, and taking some of the lowest vulgar men of vile characters, and raising a mob, set the city in an uproar, and besetting the house of Jason, sought them to bring them unto the people. ⁶But not finding them there, they dragged Jason and certain brethren to the city magistrates, roaring out, These are the men who are movers of sedition through the world, and are come in hither; ⁷whom Jason has entertained in his house: and the practice of all these fellows is in direct opposition to all Cæsar’s ordinances, for they affirm that another is king, one Jesus. ⁸And they greatly agitated the people and the city magistrates when they heard these things. ⁹So after taking sufficient security from Jason and the rest, they dismissed them.

¹⁰Then the disciples immediately by night sent off both Paul and Silas to Berea; who were no sooner arrived, than they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹Now these were more liberally minded men than those of Thessalonica, for they received the word with all readiness of mind, daily, examining the Scriptures if these things were really so. ¹²Then many of them truly believed: and of the Grecian proselyte women of respectability, and of the men not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica knew that at Berea also the word of God was preached by Paul, they came thither, and stirred up the populace. ¹⁴Then immediately on this the brethren sent off Paul, to go as if by sea: but Silas and Timothy abode there still. ¹⁵And those who conduced Paul brought him as far as Athens, and receiving an injunction for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as speedily as possible, they departed.

¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit within him was greatly grieved, beholding the city so devoted to idolatry. ¹⁷Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped there, and in the forum every day with those he happened to meet.

¹⁸Then certain of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him: and some said, What will this chattering fellow say? but others, He seemeth to be a preacher of foreign deities, because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹So they took him and led him to the hill of Mars, saying, May we know what this novel doctrine taught by thee is? ²⁰For thou bringest some strange stories to our ears; we wish therefore to know what these things mean. ²¹Now all the Athenians and the strangers who come to sojourn there, take pleasure in spending their time in nothing else but in talking, or hearing of some novelty.

²²Then Paul standing in the midst of the Areopagus said, Ye men of Athens, I observe that in all things ye are too much devoted to the worship of dæmons. ²³For as I walked about, and attentively viewed the objects of your worship, I found even an altar on which was this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore you in ignorance adore, him I preach unto you. ²⁴The God who created the world, and all things in it, he that is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples of man’s construction; ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed any creature, himself imparting to all beings life, and breath, and all things. ²⁶And hath made from one man’s blood all the nations of mankind, to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, fixing the predetermined periods of their existence, and the boundaries of their several abodes; ²⁷that they should seek the Lord, if indeed they might haply grope him out, and find him, though truly he is not far from any individual of us: ²⁸for from him we derive life, and power of motion, and existence; as also some of your own poets have said, “For we are even his offspring.” ²⁹Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to imagine that the Divinity is like to gold, or silver, or stone sculptured by human art or contrivance. ³⁰These times indeed of ignorance God then overlooked; but he now commands all men in every place to repent: ³¹because he hath fixed the day in which he will judge the whole world in righteousness by the man whom he hath appointed; affording evidence of this to all, by raising him from the dead.

³²But when they heard of the resurrection from the dead, Some scoffed: and others said, We will hear thee again on this subject. ³³And so Paul departed from the midst of them. ³⁴But certain persons cleaving to him, believed: among whom was even Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

[CHAP. XVIII.]

AND after these transactions, Paul departing from Athens, came to Corinth; ²and finding a certain Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, lately arrived from Italy, with Priscilla his wife, (because Claudius had issued an order that all Jews should depart from Rome,) he turned in to them. ³And as he was of the same occupation, he abode with them, and worked, (for by trade they were tent-makers:) ⁴and he discoursed in the synagogue every sabbath-day, and persuaded both the Jews and the Greek proselytes. ⁵And when Silas and Timothy were come from Macedonia, Paul felt a strong impulse on his spirit, and forcibly testified to the Jews, that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶But as they continued opposing and blaspheming, he shook his garments, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am pure from it: from this moment will I go to the Gentiles. ⁷And departing thence, he came to the house of a person, called Justus, one who worshipped God, whose house was contiguous to the synagogue. ⁸But Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house: and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised. ⁹Then spake the Lord in a vision by night to Paul, Fear not, but speak; and hold not thy peace: ¹⁰for I am with thee, and no man shall set himself against thee to do thee harm; because I have much people in this city. ¹¹And he sat down there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God.

¹²But when Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia, the Jews, with one accord, rose up against Paul, and brought him to the judgment-seat, ¹³saying, This is the fellow that earnestly persuades men to worship God contrary to the law. ¹⁴Then Paul being about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, ¹⁵If indeed this was now a matter of injustice, or wicked knavery, with reason I should hear you patiently; but if it be merely a controversy about the word, and names, and a law peculiar to yourselves, settle it yourselves: for I will be no judge of these matters. ¹⁶And he drove them from the judgment-seat. ¹⁷Then all the Greeks laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the tribunal. And Gallio paid no regard to any of these things.

¹⁸Then Paul abode there yet many days, and taking leave of the disciples, he set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having cut off his hair at Cenchrea: for he had a vow. ¹⁹And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself went into the synagogue, and discoursed with the Jews. ²⁰But when they were importunate with him to prolong his stay among them, he consented not; ²¹but took his leave of them, saying, I must by any means keep the approaching feast at Jerusalem: but I mean to return to you again, if God so please. So he sailed from Ephesus. ²²And landing at Cesarea, he went up, and having saluted the church at Jerusalem, he went down to Antioch. ²³And after making some stay, he departed, passing in regular order through the Galatian district, and Phrygia, confirming all the disciples.

²⁴Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, a man of eloquence, who was powerful in the Scriptures, had come to Ephesus. ²⁵He was instructed in the way of the Lord: and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught very diligently the things concerning the Lord, though knowing only the baptism of John. ²⁶So this man began to speak with great boldness in the synagogue: but when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him home with them, and more accurately expounded to him the way of the Lord. ²⁷And when he wished to pass over to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; who arriving, contributed much to confirm those who believed through grace. ²⁸For he strenuously argued with the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

[CHAP. XIX.]

NOW it came to pass that during the time Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, after passing through the upper provinces, came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples, ²said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not even heard if the Holy Ghost is given. ³And he asked them, Into what then were ye baptised? And they replied, Into John’s baptism. ⁴Then said Paul, John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, That they should believe on him who was coming after him, that is, in Christ Jesus. ⁵Now when they heard it, they were baptised into the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶And Paul laying on them his hands, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. ⁷And the men were in all about twelve. ⁸And entering into the synagogue, he spake boldly during three months, reasoning and persuading the things that concern the kingdom of God. ⁹And when some were hardened, and infidel, speaking evil of the way before the people, he withdrew from them, and separated the disciples, discoursing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. ¹⁰And this he did for two years; so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. ¹¹And God wrought by the hands of Paul extraordinary miracles; ¹²so that even from his skin there were brought handkerchiefs and aprons unto the diseased, and their disorders were chased from them, and the evil spirits came out of them.

¹³Then certain of the Jews, who went about as exorcists, attempted to make mention of the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. ¹⁴And they were seven sons of Sceva a Jew, a chief priest, who did this. ¹⁵Then the evil spirit replied, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? ¹⁶And the man sprang upon them, in whom was the evil spirit, and getting the mastery over them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. ¹⁷And this was known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who dwelt at Ephesus: and fear fell on them all, and they magnified the name of the Lord. ¹⁸And many of those who believed came, confessing and declaring their practices. ¹⁹And many of those who practised magical arts brought the books, and burned them before all men; and they calculated the prices of them, and found them worth fifty thousand pieces of silver. ²⁰So mightily did the word of God increase and prevail.

²¹Now when these things were accomplished, Paul purposed by the Spirit, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, That after I have been there, I must see Rome also. ²²Then he dispatched into Macedonia two of those who attended upon him, Timothy and Erastus; while he himself continued a while longer in Asia. ²³And there happened at that time no small disturbance about this way. ²⁴For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made little temples in silver to represent that of Diana, brought to the artificers no small gain; ²⁵whom collecting together, with the workmen also of such trinkets, he said, Sirs, ye know that by this employment we make our advantageous livelihood: ²⁶and ye see and hear how not only at Ephesus, but almost through all Asia, this fellow Paul, by his persuasions, hath perverted a vast multitude, affirming that they are not gods which are made with hands: ²⁷so that not only is this our trade in danger of falling into contempt, but also that this temple of the great goddess Diana should be counted as nothing, and that henceforth also her magnificence should be utterly destroyed, whom all Asia and the whole world worshippeth. ²⁸On hearing this then, and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. ²⁹And the whole city was filled with confusion; and they rushed unanimously into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travelling companions. ³⁰But though Paul wished to go in to the people, the disciples would not permit him. ³¹And some of the Asiarchs also, who were his friends, sent unto him, admonishing him not to venture himself into the theatre. ³²So they were crying out some one thing and some another: for the assembly was a scene of confusion, and the greater part knew not on what account they were collected together. ³³Then out of the crowd they brought forward Alexander, the Jews pushing him on: and Alexander, waving his hand, would fain have addressed his apology to the people. ³⁴But when they knew he was a Jew, one shout burst from all, crying for about the space of two hours, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

³⁵Then the recorder having quieted the multitude, said, Men of Ephesus, who indeed is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is wholly devoted to the great goddess Diana, and to the image which fell down from Jupiter? ³⁶These things being then incontrovertible, it becomes you to be quiet, and to do nothing with precipitation. ³⁷For ye have brought hither these men, neither robbers of the temple, nor blasphemers of your goddess. ³⁸If then indeed Demetrius and the artificers that are with him have a charge against any man, the courts are held, and there are proconsuls: let them implead one another. ³⁹And if ye have any dispute about other matters, it shall be terminated in a lawful assembly, ⁴⁰For we are even in danger of being called to account for this day’s insurrection, there being no cause on account of which we can justify this tumultuary concourse: ⁴¹and so saying, he dissolved the assembly.

[CHAP. XX.]

THEN after the tumult was quieted, Paul called to him the disciples, and taking his leave, departed to go into Macedonia. ²And passing through those parts, and having exhorted them with much discourse, he went into Greece. ³And after three months stay, as the Jews were lying in wait for him, when he was just embarking for Syria, he determined to return through Macedonia. ⁴And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater a Berean; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, Asiatics. ⁵These going before tarried for us at Troas. ⁶And we sailed from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came to them to Troas after five days; where we stayed seven days. ⁷And on the first day of the week, when the disciples were assembled to break bread, Paul preached unto them (ready to depart on the morrow), and extended his discourse until midnight. ⁸Now there were many lamps in the upper room, where they were assembled. ⁹And a certain youth named Eutytchus, who sat in the window, fell into a profound sleep: as Paul discoursed much longer than usual, quite overpowered with sleep, he fell down from a third story, and was taken up dead. ¹⁰But Paul came down, and fell upon him, and taking him in his arms, said, Trouble not yourselves, for his life is yet in him. ¹¹And when he had gone up, and broken bread, and eaten, and conversed a long time, even to the break of day, he then departed. ¹²And they brought the lad alive, and were comforted exceedingly.

¹³Then we going before to the ship, sailed for Assos, intending there to take in Paul: for so he had ordered, meaning himself to walk thither. ¹⁴And when he met us at Assos, we took him up, and came to Mytelene. ¹⁵And sailing from thence, on the following day we advanced over against Chios; and the next day we touched at Samos, and staying at Trogyllium, the day following we came to Miletus. ¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, that he might not spend the time in Asia: for he hastened on, if it was possible for him, to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. ¹⁷So he sent to Ephesus from Miletus, and called the presbyters of the church to attend him. ¹⁸And when they were come unto him, he said unto them,

Ye know, from the very first day in which I entered into Asia, how I have been among you at every season, ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility, and with many tears and trials, which have befallen me through the lying in wait of the Jews: ²⁰and that I have suppressed nothing which could conduce to your profiting; not desisting from preaching to you, and teaching you in public, and from house to house, ²¹repeatedly urging both on Jews and Greeks repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²And now behold I am going, bound by the Spirit, unto Jerusalem, not knowing what things shall there befal me: ²³only this, that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and tribulation await thee. ²⁴Yet I make no account of any suffering, nor regard my life as of any value to myself, farther than as I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord, to testify fully the Gospel of the grace of God. ²⁵And now behold, I know that ye shall see my face no more, even ye all, among whom I have gone in and out preaching the kingdom of God. ²⁶Wherefore I appeal to you this day as witnesses that I am pure from the blood of all men. ²⁷For I have concealed nothing, so as not repeatedly to declare to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you bishops, to feed as shepherds the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For this I know, that after my departure there will come among you grievous wolves, not sparing the flock: ³⁰Yea, from among yourselves shall men arise, speaking perverting doctrines, to draw away disciples after them. ³¹Therefore watch, remembering that for three years, by night and by day, I have never ceased with tears to admonish every individual. ³²And now, brethren, I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to finish the superstructure, and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³The silver, or gold, or apparel of no man have I coveted: ³⁴but ye yourselves know that these hands have by labour furnished necessaries for my own wants, and for those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I have set you the example, that so labouring hard ye ought to help the infirm, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

³⁶And when he had spoken these things, he fell on his knees, and prayed with them all. ³⁷And all of them shed floods of tears, and fell upon Paul’s neck, and kissed him again and again, ³⁸most peculiarly afflicted at that word which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more: and they accompanied him unto the ship.

[CHAP. XXI.]

AND tearing ourselves away from them, when we had set sail, we came in a direct course to Coos, and the day after to Rhodes, and from thence to Patara. ²And finding a ship passing over to Phenice, we went on board and set sail: ³and coming in sight of Cyprus, and leaving it on the left, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to discharge her cargo. ⁴And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: and they said to Paul, by the Spirit, that he should not go up unto Jerusalem. ⁵But when we had stayed out those days, we departed, and went on our journey, all of them attending us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the sea shore, we joined in prayer; ⁶and embracing one another, we went on ship-board, and they returned to their own homes, ⁷So completing our voyage, we arrived from Tyre at Ptolemais, and saluting the brethren, tarried with them one day. ⁸And on the morrow we who were Paul’s companions departed with him, and went to Cæsarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist (who was one of the seven deacons), we abode with him. ⁹Now this man had four maiden daughters endued with the gift of prophecy. ¹⁰And as we tarried there several days, there came down a certain prophet from Judea named Agabus. ¹¹And coming to us, he took Paul’s girdle, and binding both his own hands and feet together, said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, The man, whose girdle this is, shall the Jews bind in like manner at Jerusalem, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. ¹²Then when we heard these things, both we and all who were in the place, besought him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³But Paul replied, Why do ye thus—weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not only to be bound, but to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁴And when he could not be persuaded, we desisted, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

¹⁵Then after those days, packing up our baggage, we went up to Jerusalem: ¹⁶and there went also with us some disciples from Cæsarea, bringing one Mnason a Cyprian, an ancient disciple, at whose house we were to lodge. ¹⁷And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the brethren received us with delight. ¹⁸And on the morrow Paul went in with us unto James: and all the presbyters were present. ¹⁹And after embracing them, he related every particular of the things which God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry. ²⁰And they, when they heard it, glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many myriads there are of Jews who have believed; and they are all zealots for the law: ²¹And they have been informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews, who are among the Gentiles, apostacy from Moses, saying, That they should not circumcise the children, nor walk after the usual practices. ²²What then is to be done? The multitude must certainly be assembled; for they will hear that thou art come. ²³Do this therefore which we say to thee: we have four men, who have a vow upon themselves; ²⁴them take with thee, be purified with them, and be at the same expence as they, that they may shave their heads: and all men will know that there is no truth in the things reported of thee, but that thou thyself walkest orderly and observest the law. ²⁵Concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have already written, deciding that they should observe no such thing, except that they should guard themselves from idol sacrifices, and blood, and what is strangled, and from whoredom.

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the following day being purified with them, he entered into the temple, declaring when the days of their purification would be completed, in order whereunto an oblation was to be offered for every one of them. ²⁷But as the seven days were now drawing to their period, some Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple, excited all the populace to tumult, and laid hands upon him, ²⁸crying out, Men of Israel, help! This is the man, who, by his preaching, sets all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place: yea and more still, hath brought Greeks into the temple, and defiled this holy place: ²⁹(for they had before seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, whom they imagined that Paul had introduced into the temple.) ³⁰And the whole city was in motion, and there was a concourse of people assembled: and laying hands on Paul, they dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. ³¹And as they were attempting to murder him, the report reached the military tribune of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³²Who instantly taking soldiers and centurions ran down unto them: and when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.

³³Then the tribune approaching him, laid hold on him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; and asked who he was, and what he had done. ³⁴Then some among the multitude bellowed out one thing, and some another: so unable to know the certainty of the case because of the tumult, he ordered him to be brought into the fortress. ³⁵But when he was on the stairs, it happened that he was borne up by the soldiers, because of the press of the crowd. ³⁶For a multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him! ³⁷And when he was just ready to be carried into the fortress, Paul said to the military tribune, May I be permitted to speak a word to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek? ³⁸Art not thou certainly that Egyptian who some time since raised a sedition, and led out into the desert four thousand cutthroats? ³⁹But Paul replied, I am indeed a Jew, a man of Tarsus, of Cilicia, a citizen of no contemptible city: and, I entreat thee, permit me to speak to the people. ⁴⁰So having his permission, Paul standing on the stairs, waved his hand to the people. And profound silence being obtained, he spake to them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

[CHAP. XXII.]

MEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my apology which I now offer unto you. ²Then when they heard that he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence: and he said, ³I am indeed a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but educated in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed accurately in the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as ye all are this day: ⁴so much so that I persecuted this way unto death, binding and delivering up to prisons both men and women. ⁵As also the high-priest will bear me witness, and all the body of elders: from whom also having received letters unto the brethren, I went unto Damascus, to bring those who were there in chains unto Jerusalem, that they might be punished. ⁶But as I went and drew nigh to Damascus, at noon-day, suddenly there shone a great light from heaven around me. ⁷And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said to me, I am Jesus the Nazarean, whom thou persecutest. ⁹Now they who were with me saw the light indeed, and were terrified; but the voice of him that spake to me heard they not. ¹⁰Then I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Arise, go into Damascus; and there information shall be given thee of all things which are ordained for thee to do.

¹¹Then as I could no longer see through the dazzling brightness of that light, led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus. ¹²And one Ananias, a religious man according to the law, and in high repute with all the Jews dwelling there, ¹³came to me, and standing by me, said, Brother Saul, recover sight. And the same hour I looked up at him. ¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers hath predestinated thee to know his will, and to see the Just One, and to hear a voice from his mouth. ¹⁵For thou shalt be a witness for him to all men, of the things which thou hast seen and heard. ¹⁶And now why delay? arise, to be baptised, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

¹⁷Now it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance; ¹⁸and beheld him saying to me, Make haste, and depart quickly from Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony of me. ¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that I was imprisoning and scourging from synagogue to synagogue those who believe on thee: ²⁰and when the blood of Stephen thy martyr was shed, I myself even stood by, and took delight in his execution, and guarded the garments of those who slew him. ²¹And he said to me, Go: for I will send thee forth to the Gentiles afar off.

²²And they gave him audience to this sentence, and lifted up their voice, saying, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. ²³So when they began raising a vast clamour, and stripping off their garments, and casting dust into the air, ²⁴the military tribune commanded him to be brought into the fortress, ordering that he should be put to the question by scourging; that he might know for what cause they clamoured so loudly against him. ²⁵So as they were tying him up for the thongs, Paul said to the centurion standing by him, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen, and uncondemned? ²⁶And when the centurion heard this, he came and told the military tribune, saying, Consider what you are going to do: for this man is a Roman citizen. ²⁷Then the tribune came, and said to him, Tell me, art thou a Roman citizen? And he said, Yes. ²⁸And the tribune replied, With a large sum of money I purchased this citizenship. And Paul said, But I enjoy it as my birthright. ²⁹Immediately then they who were about to put him to the question, withdrew from him: and indeed the tribune dreaded the consequences, when he knew that he was a Roman citizen, that he had even gone so far as to bind him. ³⁰So on the morrow, desirous to know of a certainty what it was of which he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from the bonds, and commanded the high-priest and all the sanhedrim to appear, and bringing Paul down, set him before them.

[CHAP. XXIII.]

THEN Paul, looking earnestly at the sanhedrim, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience unto God even to this day.

²Then the high-priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

³Then said Paul unto him, God is ready to smite thee, thou whited wall: for art thou sitting to judge me according to the law, and violating that law, commandest me to be smitten?

⁴Then they who stood by, said, Revilest thou God’s high-priest? ⁵And Paul said, I had not observed, brethren, that he was high-priest: for it is written, “Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people ^[47].”

⁶Now when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried in the sanhedrim, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead am I brought to this bar.

⁷So when he had said this, a great dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. ⁸For the Sadducees say indeed, that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both. ⁹And a great clamour arose: and the scribes rising up who were of the party of the Pharisees, contended stoutly, saying, We find no fault in this man: but if a spirit have spoken to him, or an angel, let us not fight against God. ¹⁰Then a great tumult arising, the tribune, apprehensive that Paul might be pulled in pieces by them, commanded the guard to go down, and take him by force from the midst of them, and bring him into the fortress.

¹¹And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good courage, Paul: for as thou hast borne testimony of the things concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear a testimony at Rome also.

¹²Then as soon as it was day, some of the Jews forming a conspiracy, bound themselves under the direst imprecation, declaring that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³Now there were more than forty who had on oath formed this conspiracy. ¹⁴So they came to the high-priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves by the direst imprecation, to taste nothing till we have killed Paul. ¹⁵Now therefore do ye with the sanhedrim give notice to the military tribune, that to-morrow he bring him down to you, as if intending to make more accurate inquiries into the things concerning him: but we, ere he come nigh, are ready to kill him.

¹⁶Now Paul’s sister’s son having heard of their lying in wait, came, and entering into the fortress told Paul. ¹⁷Then Paul calling to him one of the centurions, said, Carry this young man to the tribune: for he hath something to communicate to him. ¹⁸Then he took him, and brought him to the tribune, and said, The prisoner Paul calling me to him, entreated me to bring this young man to thee, having something to say to thee. ¹⁹Hereupon the tribune taking him by the hand, and leading him aside, inquired, What is it that thou hast to communicate to me? ²⁰And he said, The Jews have agreed together to entreat thee that to-morrow thou wouldest bring down Paul into the sanhedrim, as about to make some more accurate inquiry concerning him. ²¹But do not thou consent to them: for more than forty men of them are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under an anathema, neither to eat nor drink till they have killed him: and now they are in readiness, waiting only to procure the promise from thee.

²²Hereupon the tribune dismissed the youth, with an injunction, not to mention it to any body that thou hast discovered these things to me. ²³And calling to him two certain persons of the centurions, he said, Get ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cæsarea, and seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night; ²⁴and provide beasts, that setting Paul thereon, you may convey him safely to Felix the governor.

²⁵And he wrote a letter containing this form of words:

²⁶Claudius Lysias to his excellence the governor Felix, greeting.

²⁷This person had been seized by the Jews, and was ready to be slain by them: but coming on them with the guard, I rescued him out of their hands, having understood that he was a Roman citizen. ²⁸And desirous of knowing the crime of which they accused him, I brought him down into their sanhedrim ²⁹and found him accused of some disputed points of their law; but to have no charge laid against him worthy of death or of bonds. ³⁰But it being discovered to me that a design was forming against the man’s life by the Jews, immediately I sent him to thee, commanding his accusers also to produce what they have against him before thee. Farewel.

³¹Hereupon then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night unto Antipatris. ³²And on the morrow, leaving the horsemen to go on with him, they returned to the fortress. ³³So when they came to Cæsarea, and had delivered the letter to the governor, they presented Paul also to him. ³⁴Then when the governor had read it, and asked of what province he was, and understood he was of Cilicia; ³⁵I will give thee a thorough hearing, said he, when thy accusers are also come hither. And he commanded them to be kept under guard in Herod’s prætorium.

[CHAP. XXIV.]

SO after five days Ananias the high-priest went down with the elders, and a certain rhetorician, Tertullus, who made their appearance before the governor against Paul. ²And he being summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,

Since by thee we enjoy so much peace, and such noble acts are happily performed for this nation by thy provident administration, ³always and in all places we acknowledge it, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. ⁴Now that I may not be unnecessarily tedious to thee, I entreat thee to hear us briefly with thy wonted candour. ⁵For we found this fellow a pest to society, and exciting sedition among all the Jews throughout the whole world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazareans: ⁶who even attempted to profane the temple: we seized him therefore, and intended to judge him according to our own law. ⁷But Lysias the tribune came, and with great violence took him out of our hands, ⁸commanding his accusers to appear before thee: whereby thou mayest thyself be able after examination to know the certainty of those things whereof we accuse him.

⁹Then the Jews also joined in affirming, that these things were so.

¹⁰But Paul (the governor having made him a sign to speak) replied,

Knowing that for so many years thou hast been the judge of this nation, I with the more confidence offer my defence respecting the matters which concern me: ¹¹as thou mayest be ascertained, that it is not more than twelve days ago since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. ¹²And neither in the temple found they me disputing with any man, nor raising any sedition among the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: ¹³neither can they produce any proof of the facts of which they accuse me. ¹⁴But this I confess to thee, that after the way which they call a sect, so worship I the God of our ancestors, believing all things that are written in the law, and in the prophets: ¹⁵and having hope in God, the same which they also profess to look for, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust. ¹⁶For this cause indeed I exert my utmost care to keep my conscience ever unoffending towards God and towards man. ¹⁷Now after many years absence I was returned bringing alms to my countrymen, and oblations to the temple. ¹⁸In the discharge of which offices certain Jews of Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with a multitude, nor with any tumult. ¹⁹Who ought to have appeared before thee, and prefer their accusation, if they had any thing against me. ²⁰Or let the persons themselves here present say, if they found any thing criminal in me, when I stood before the sanhedrim, ²¹except for this one sentence, which I uttered aloud when I was standing among them, For the resurrection of the dead am I this day judged by you.

²²When Felix then heard these things he put them off, (for he knew very exactly all that related to that way,) saying, When Lysias the tribune is come down, I will inquire thoroughly into the matters between you. ²³And he commanded the centurion that Paul should be safe kept, yet have no close confinement, and not to hinder any of his friends from supplying his wants, or visiting him.

²⁴Now after some days, Felix returning with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jewess, sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ²⁵And as he discoursed of righteousness, and temperance, and the judgment which is ready to be revealed, Felix being greatly terrified, replied, Go, for the present, I will some time hence take another opportunity of calling for thee. ²⁶Indeed he had also entertained hope that money would be given him by Paul, in order to release him: wherefore he sent for him the oftener, and conversed with him. ²⁷But when two years were ended, Felix had Portius Festus appointed for his successor: and willing to curry favour with the Jews, Felix left Paul in chains.

[CHAP. XXV.]

WHEN Festus then was come into the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Cæsarea. ²And the high-priest and the principal persons among the Jews informed him against Paul, and entreated him, ³begging it as a favour from him, that he would send him back to Jerusalem, lying in wait for him to kill him on the road. ⁴Then Festus answered, that Paul should be kept in custody at Cæsarea, and that he himself was going thither shortly. ⁵Let therefore, said he, those among you who are able, go down with me, and accuse him, if there be anything criminal in this man.

⁶And after staying with them more than ten days, he went down to Cæsarea; and on the morrow seated on the bench, commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷And on his appearing, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem surrounded him, and laid many and heavy accusations against Paul, which they were not able to prove. ⁸But he pleaded in his defence, That neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Cæsar, have I committed the least offence.

⁹Then Festus, desirous of ingratiating himself with the Jews, replying to Paul, said, Wilt thou go up unto Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?

¹⁰Then said Paul, I am standing before the tribunal of Cæsar, where I have a right to be judged: against the Jews I have committed no offence, as thou also clearly perceivest. ¹¹For indeed if I have committed any crime, or done aught worthy of death, I object not to be put to death: but if there is nothing in those things whereof they accuse me, no man dare gratify them by abandoning me to them. ¹²I appeal unto Cæsar.

Then Festus, after conferring with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed to Cæsar? to Cæsar shalt thou go.

¹³Now when some days were passed, Agrippa and Bernice came to Cæsarea to salute Festus. ¹⁴And as their stay there was extended to a considerable time, Festus communicated to the king Paul’s affairs, saying, There is a certain man left by Felix, a prisoner: ¹⁵against whom when I was at Jerusalem, the high-priest and the elders of the Jews appeared, desiring judgment against him. ¹⁶To whom I replied, That it was not customary for Romans to give up any man gratuitously to destruction, before that the person accused should have his accusers produced face to face, and be allowed opportunity to defend himself against the charge. ¹⁷When therefore they were come here together, making no demur, the very next day I sat on the tribunal, and commanded the man to be brought. ¹⁸Against whom his accusers standing forth, brought no charge of such things as I expected: ¹⁹but only pleaded against him certain disputes about their own mode of religious worship, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰But being in doubt respecting a question of this sort, I demanded if he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things. ²¹But Paul appealing that he should be reserved for the cognizance of Augustus, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I should send him to Cæsar.

²²Then Agrippa said to Festus, I wish also myself to hear the man. He said, To-morrow thou shalt hear him.

²³On the morrow therefore, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with a very splendid retinue, and were entered into the place of audience, with the military tribunes, and the men of superior eminence in the city, then at the order of Festus Paul was produced.

²⁴And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all you, sirs, who are present with us, behold the man, concerning whom the whole multitude of the Jews have set upon me, both at Jerusalem and in this place, clamouring that he ought not to live a moment longer. ²⁵But finding on inquiry that he had done nothing worthy of death, and he himself indeed having appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him. ²⁶Respecting whom I have nothing determinate to write to my sovereign. Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, king Agrippa, that on a fresh examination taken, I might have something to write. ²⁷For it appears to me highly unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also signify the charges against him.

[CHAP. XXVI.]

THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand, began his defence: ²I count myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am about to address my defence to thee this day concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews: ³especially as thou art skilled both in all the customs, and questions which respect the Jews: wherefore I beg the favour of thee to hear me patiently.

⁴The manner of my life even from my youth, which from its beginning was spent amidst my own nation at Jerusalem, know indeed all the Jews; ⁵who previously knew me a long while ago, (if they chose to bear testimony,) that according to the most precise sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ⁶And this moment for the hope of the promise made of God to our fathers am I standing here to be judged: ⁷which promise our twelve tribes, with fervour night and day worshipping God, hope to attain. For which hope, king Agrippa, I am criminated by the Jews.

⁸What! is it judged a thing incredible by you, that God should raise the dead?

⁹I indeed then thought in myself, that I ought to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus the Nazarean. ¹⁰Which also I did at Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were killed, I gave my vote against them. ¹¹And in every synagogue oftentimes punishing them, I compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly maddened with rage against them, I persecuted them even to the cities that are without. ¹²In which pursuits, even as I was going to Damascus with authority and a commission from the chief priests, ¹³at midday, O king, I saw on the road a light from heaven, beyond the splendour of the sun, shining around myself and those who were travelling with me. ¹⁴And as we were all fallen prostrate on the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is difficult for thee to kick against the goads. ¹⁵Then I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he replied, I am Jesus whom thou art persecuting. ¹⁶Notwithstanding, arise, and stand on thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, to ordain thee both a minister and a witness of the things which thou hast seen, and of those which I will shew thee; ¹⁷delivering thee both from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom now I send thee, ¹⁸to open their eyes, to convert them from darkness to light, and from the dominion of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance with those who are sanctified by faith which is in me. ¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: ²⁰but preached first to those at Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, practicing works worthy of repentance.

²¹Because of these things, the Jews seizing me in the temple, attempted to kill me on the spot. ²²Having however obtained help from God, unto this day, I stand witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing but what both the prophets and Moses said should come to pass: ²³that the Messiah should suffer, and that he being the first who should rise from the dead, should display light to the people, and to the Gentiles.

²⁴As thus he was proceeding in his defence, Festus with a loud voice said, Paul, thou art raving; much reading hath driven thee to madness.

²⁵But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but utter words of truth and sobriety. ²⁶For the king is well acquainted with these things, before whom also I speak with the greatest freedom. For I am persuaded that none of these events have escaped his notice; for this thing was not done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa! believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

²⁸Then Agrippa said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. ²⁹And Paul replied, would to God, that not only thou, but also that all who are hearing me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these chains.

³⁰So when he had thus spoken, the king arose, and the governor, and Bernice, and they who sat with him, ³¹and retiring, conversed together, saying, This man hath done nothing worthy of death, or of chains.

³²And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been discharged, if he had not appealed to Cæsar.

[CHAP. XXVII.]

NOW as it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan cohort. ²And embarking in a ship of Adrymittium, ready to sail for the coast of Asia, we proceeded on our voyage, Aristarchus a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. ³And the next day we arrived at Sidon: and Julius treated Paul with the greatest humanity, and permitted him to go to his friends, to enjoy the benefit of their care. ⁴And taking our departure from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵And traversing the sea opposite to Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶And the centurion finding there a ship of Alexandria bound for Italy, he put us on board of it.

⁷Then for many days making very slow way, and scarce reaching over against Knidos, the wind not favouring us, we coasted Crete, opposite Cape Salmone: ⁸and weathering it with difficulty, we came to a certain place called, The fair havens; near to which is the city Lasea. ⁹And much time being consumed, and sailing now becoming dangerous, because the fast was already past, Paul admonished them, ¹⁰saying unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be attended with much damage and loss, not only of the cargo and of the ship, but danger of our lives also. ¹¹But the centurion paid more attention to the master and to the pilot than to the things which were spoken by Paul. ¹²And the harbour not being well situated for a winter station, the greater part advised to sail from thence, if they possibly could reach as far as Phenice to pass the winter, a harbour open to the south-west and north-west. ¹³So when the south wind blew softly, supposing they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor, and kept near the coast of Crete. ¹⁴But not long after a hurricane wind, called Euroclydon, drove us towards the island, ¹⁵and the ship becoming ungovernable, and unable to bear up in the eye of the wind, we gave up the attempt, and let her drive. ¹⁶And running under a little island called Clauda, it was with difficulty we were able to come at the boat: ¹⁷which when they had hoisted out, they used all helps, carrying ropes round the ship’s bottom; and fearing lest they should run on the quick-sands, they lowered the mast, and so were driven. ¹⁸And being exceedingly tossed with the storm, we the next day threw out the cargo. ¹⁹And the third day with our own hands we threw overboard the tackling of the vessel. ²⁰So when neither sun nor stars had appeared for many days, and no small tempest beating on us, all hope of our being preserved was entirely taken from us.

²¹Now after being a long while without food, then stood up Paul in the midst of them, and said, Ye ought, my friends, to have been persuaded by me, and not have sailed from Crete, and got this loss and damage. ²²Yet even now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³For there stood by me this night an angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, ²⁴saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Cæsar: and behold! God hath graciously given thee all who are sailing with thee. ²⁵Wherefore, sirs, cheer up: for I believe God that it will be so, exactly as he hath spoken to me. ²⁶But we must be cast on a certain island.

²⁷Now as the fourteenth night was passing, whilst we were driving about in the Adriatic sea, about midnight the sailors imagined that some land was near to them: ²⁸and sounding, had twenty fathoms; then passing on a little farther, and sounding again, they had fifteen fathoms. ²⁹And fearing lest they might run on some rocky coast, they cast out four anchors astern, and wished eagerly for the day to break.

³⁰Now as the sailors were seeking to escape out of the ship, and had hoisted out the boat into the sea, under pretence as if they were going to carry out anchors a-head, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these men abide in the ship, ye cannot be preserved. ³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

³³And while they waited until the day should break, Paul exhorted them all to take some nourishment, saying, To day, expecting the fourteenth day, ye are continuing without food, taking nothing. ³⁴Wherefore I exhort you to take some food, for this is for your preservation: for a hair shall not fall from the head of any one of you. ³⁵And so saying, and taking a loaf, he gave thanks to God before them all, and breaking it, began to eat. ³⁶Then were they all cheered up, and they too took refreshment.

³⁷Now all the souls which were in the ship amounted to two hundred seventy-six: ³⁸and having made a hearty meal, they lightened the vessel, throwing the wheat into the sea. ³⁹And when the day broke, they knew not the land: but they observed a certain creek with a beach, into which they resolved, if they could, to run the vessel aground. ⁴⁰And weighing the anchors, they committed her to the sea, and loosing at the same time the chains of the rudders, and hoisting the foresail to the breeze, they made for the beach. ⁴¹But falling on a shoal where two currents met, they ran the ship aground; and the forecastle stuck fast, and remained immoveable, but the stern was stove in by the violence of the waves. ⁴²Then the soldiers’ design was to have murdered the prisoners, lest any of them should swim ashore and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, desirous to preserve Paul, withheld them from their purpose, and commanded those who were able to swim to jump overboard first, and reach the land: ⁴⁴and that the rest should make the attempt, some on planks, and some on the floating materials of the ship: and in this manner so it was that they all safely reached the shore.

[CHAP. XXVIII.]

AND being safe landed, we then understood that the island was called Melita. ²And the rude people treated us with singular humanity; for, lighting a fire, they received us all, because of the violent rain, and because of the cold. ³But as Paul was gathering up a faggot of sticks, and laying them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

⁴Now when the rude people saw the venomous animal hanging from his hand, they said one to another, Surely this man is a murderer, whom though preserved from the sea, righteous vengeance suffereth not to live. ⁵But he then shaking off the venomous animal into the fire, suffered no manner of inconvenience. ⁶Now they expected that a violent inflammation would ensue, or that he would have fallen suddenly dead: but when, after waiting a considerable time, they saw no inconvenience arise to him, they changed their opinion, and said that he was a divinity.

⁷Now in the vicinity of that place was the estate of the principal person on the island, named Publius, who received us into his house, and lodged us with great humanity three days. ⁸And it so happened that the father of Publius was then confined to his bed with an attack of fever and dysentery: unto whom Paul went in, and after praying, laid his hands upon him, and healed him. ⁹This then being the case, all the rest also who had diseases in the island came to him, and were healed. ¹⁰Then they honoured us with many tokens of respect; and when we were about to sail, laid in for us every necessary store. ¹¹And after three months stay we sailed in a ship which had wintered in the island, from Alexandria, whose sign was Castor and Pollux: ¹²and proceeding on our voyage to Syracuse, we tarried there three days: ¹³from whence we came round, and arrived opposite to Rhegium; and after one day the south wind arising, we came in two more to Puteoli: ¹⁴where finding brethren, we were solicited by them to tarry seven days; and so we went for Rome. ¹⁵And the brethren from thence, when they heard of our motions, came out to meet us as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns: whom when Paul saw, he gave thanks to God, and felt fresh courage.

¹⁶And when we were come to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard; but he permitted Paul to have an apartment by himself, with a soldier only who guarded him.

¹⁷Now it came to pass that after three days Paul called together the principal persons of the Jews. And when they were assembled, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have done nothing contrary to the people and the customs of our ancestors, yet have I been delivered up a prisoner into the hands of the Romans. ¹⁸Who, after a full examination, would have discharged me, because there was not the least cause found in me for death. ¹⁹But when the Jews opposed it, I was constrained to appeal unto Cæsar; not that I have any accusation to bring against my countrymen. ²⁰For this cause therefore have I invited you hither, to see and to converse with you; for on account of the hope of Israel am I bound with this chain.

²¹Then they said to him, We have neither received letters concerning thee from Judea, nor hath any one of the brethren who is arrived reported or spoken any thing evil of thee. ²²But we think it highly proper to hear from thee what thy sentiments are; for indeed as to this sect, it is well known to us that everywhere it meets with opposition.

²³Then having fixed a day with him, still more of them came to him at his lodging, to whom bearing his testimony, he set forth the kingdom of God, and persuaded them of the things relating to Jesus, both out of the law of Moses and the prophets, from morning until evening: ²⁴and some were convinced by the things which were spoken, but others continued in their unbelief. ²⁵So being divided in sentiment among themselves, they broke up, Paul adding one word, That well had the Holy Ghost spoken by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers, ²⁶saying, Go to this people, and say, “In hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, yet in nowise perceive. ²⁷For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and with their ears they are thick of hearing, and their eyes have they shut; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and become converts, and I should heal them^[48].” ²⁸Be it known therefore unto you, that to the Gentiles is the salvation of God sent, and they will hear. ²⁹And when he had thus spoken, the Jews went away, and had much disputing among themselves.

³⁰But Paul abode two whole years in his own hired apartment, and received all who came to him, ³¹preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all freedom of discourse, and without the least interruption.

[THE]

EPISTLE of PAUL the APOSTLE,

TO THE

ROMANS.