Armenian Apostolic Church Library Online

1. The former treatise I made, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus

began both to do and to teach,

2 until the day in which he was received up, after that he had given

commandment through the Holy Spirit unto the apostles whom he had chosen:

3 To whom he also showed himself alive after his passion by many proofs,

appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things

concerning the kingdom of God:

4 and, being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart

from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, [said

he,] ye heard from me.:

5 For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the

Holy Spirit not many days hence.

6. They therefore, when they were come together, asked him, saying, Lord,

dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know times or seasons,

which the Father hath set within His own authority.

8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and

ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria,

and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken

up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

10 And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold,

two men stood by them in white apparel;

11 who also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven?

this Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven shall so come in like

manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.

12. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which

is nigh unto Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey off.

13 And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where

they were abiding; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and

Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James [the son] of Alphaeus, and Simon the

Zealot, and Judas [the son] of James.

14 These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, with the

women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15. And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren, and

said (and there was a multitude of persons [gathered] together, about a

hundred and twenty),

16 Brethren, it was needful that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which

the Holy Spirit spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who

was guide to them that took Jesus.

17 For he was numbered among us, and received his portion in this

ministry.

18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and

falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed

out.

19 And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in

their language that field was called Akeldama, that is, The field of

blood.)

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made

desolate, And let no man dwell therein: and, His office let another take.

21 Of the men therefore that have companied with us all the time that the

Lord Jesus went in and went out among us,

22 beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received

up from us, of these must one become a witness with us of his resurrection.

23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was surnamed

Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all

men, show of these two the one whom thou hast chosen,

25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas

fell away, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they gave lots for them; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he

was numbered with the eleven apostles.

1. And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in

one place.

2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a

mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire;

and it sat upon each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with

other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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

nation under heaven.

6 And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were

confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying, Behold, are not all

these that speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?

9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in

Judaea and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,

10 in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about

Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty

works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another,

What meaneth this?

13 But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.

14. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake

forth unto them, [saying], Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at

Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words.

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is [but] the third

hour of the day.

16 but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of My

Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And

your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams:

18 Yea and on My servants and on My handmaidens in those days Will I pour

forth of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth

beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before

the day of the Lord come, That great and notable [day].

21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord

shall be saved.

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved

of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him

in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;

23 him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge

of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay:

24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was

not possible that he should be holden of it.

25 For David saith concerning him, I beheld the Lord always before my

face; For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh

also shall dwell in hope:

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give

thy Holy One to see corruption.

28 Thou madest known unto me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of

gladness with thy countenance.

29 Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he

both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day.

30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath

to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set [one] upon his throne;

31 he foreseeing [this] spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that

neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

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

33 Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received

of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this,

which ye see and hear.

34 For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The

Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath

made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.

37. Now when they heard [this,] they were pricked in their heart, and said

unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?

38 And Peter [said] unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of

you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye

shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are

afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.

40 And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying,

Save yourselves from this crooked generation.

41 They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added

[unto them] in that day about three thousand souls.

42. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching and

fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done

through the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45 and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all,

according as any man had need.

46 And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple,

and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and

singleness of heart,

47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added

to them day by day those that were saved.

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

[being] the ninth [hour].

2 And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried,

whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful,

to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked to receive

an alms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but what I have, that give

I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and raised him up: and immediately

his feet and his ankle-bones received strength.

8 And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk; and he entered with them

into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

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

10 and they took knowledge of him, that it was he that sat for alms at

the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and

amazement at that which had happened unto him.

11 And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them

in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

12. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel,

why marvel ye at this man? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by

our own power or godliness we had made him to walk?

13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our

fathers, hath glorified his Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied

before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to release him.

14 But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to

be granted unto you,

15 and killed the Prince of life; whom God raised from the dead; whereof

we are witnesses.

16 And by faith in his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye

behold and know: yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this

perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also

your rulers.

18 But the things which God foreshowed by the mouth of all the prophets,

that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.

19 Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted

out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the

Lord;

20 and that he may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you,

[even] Jesus:

21 whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all

things, whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been

from of old.

22 Moses indeed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from

among your brethren, like unto me. To him shall ye hearken in all things

whatsoever he shall speak unto you.

23 And it shall be, that every soul that shall not hearken to that

prophet, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.

24 Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as

many as have spoken, they also told of these days.

25 Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made

with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the

families of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Servant, sent him to bless

you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.

1. And as they spake unto the people, the priests and the captain of the

temple and the Sadducees came upon them,

2 being sore troubled because they taught the people, and proclaimed in

Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in ward unto the morrow: for

it was now eventide.

4 But many of them that heard the word believed; and the number of the

men came to be about five thousand.

5. And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and

scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem;

6 and Annas the high priest [was there], and Caiaphas, and John, and

Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest.

7 And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what power,

or in what name, have ye done this?

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said unto them, Ye rulers of

the people, and elders,

9 if we this day are examined concerning a good deed done to an impotent

man, by what means this man is made whole;

10 be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the

name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from

the dead, [even] in him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11 He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was

made the head of the corner.

12 And in none other is there salvation: for neither is there any other

name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved.

13 Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived

that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took

knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man that was healed standing with them, they could say

nothing against it.

15. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they

conferred among themselves,

16 saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable

miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that dwell in

Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them,

that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

18 And they called them, and charged them not to speak at all nor teach

in the name of Jesus.

19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in

the sight of God to hearken unto you rather than unto God, judge ye:

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

21 And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, finding

nothing how they might punish them, because of the people; for all men

glorified God for that which was done.

22 For the man was more than forty years old, on whom this miracle of

healing was wrought.

23. And being let go, they came to their own company, and reported all

that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.

24 And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one

accord, and said, O Lord, thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and

the sea, and all that in them is:

25 who by the Holy Spirit, [by] the mouth of our father David thy

servant, didst say, Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples imagine vain

things?

26 The kings of the earth set themselves in array, And the rulers were

gathered together, Against the Lord, and against his Anointed:

27 for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou

didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the

peoples of Israel, were gathered together,

28 to do whatsoever thy hand and thy council foreordained to come to

pass.

29 And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings: and grant unto thy

servants to speak thy word with all boldness,

30 while thy stretchest forth thy hand to heal; and that signs and

wonders may be done through the name of thy holy Servant Jesus.

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were

gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they

spake the word of God with boldness.

32. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and soul:

and not one [of them] said that aught of the things which he possessed was

his own; but they had all things common.

33 And with great power gave the apostles their witness of the

resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

34 For neither was there among them any that lacked: for as many as were

possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the

things that were sold,

35 and laid them at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto

each, according as any one had need.

36 And Joseph, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being

interpreted, Son of exhortation), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

37 having a field, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the

apostles' feet.

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

possession,

2 and kept back [part] of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and

brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the

Holy Spirit, and to keep back [part] of the price of the land?

4 While it remained, did it not remain thine own? and after it was sold,

was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in

thy heart? thou has not lied unto men, but unto God.

5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down and gave up the ghost: and

great fear came upon all that heard it.

6 And the young men arose and wrapped him round, and they carried him out

and buried him.

7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not

knowing what was done, came in.

8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so

much. And she said, Yea, for so much.

9 But Peter [said] unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to

try the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them that have buried thy

husband are at the door, and they shall carry thee out.

10 And she fell down immediately at his feet, and gave up the ghost: and

the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and

buried her by her husband.

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

these things.

12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought

among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.

13 But of the rest durst no man join himself to them: howbeit the people

magnified them;

14 and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of them

and women;

15 insomuch that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and

laid them on beds and couches, that, as Peter came by, at the least his

shadow might overshadow some one of them.

16 And there also came together the multitudes from the cities round

about Jerusalem, bring sick folk, and them that were vexed with unclean

spirits: and they were healed every one.

17. But the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him (which is

the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy,

18 and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public ward.

19 But an angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought

them out, and said,

20 Go ye, and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words

of this Life.

21 And when they heard [this], they entered into the temple about

daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with

him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of

Israel, and sent to the prison-house to have them brought.

22 But the officers that came found them not in the prison; and they

returned, and told,

23 saying, The prison-house we found shut in all safety, and the keepers

standing at the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.

24 Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these

words, they were much perplexed concerning them whereunto this would grow.

25 And there came one and told them, Behold, the men whom ye put in the

prison are in the temple standing and teaching the people.

26. Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them, [but]

without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And

the high priest asked them,

28 saying, We strictly charged you not to teach in this name: and behold,

ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man's

blood upon us.

29 But Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather

than men.

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

tree.

31 Him did God exalt with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour,

to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

32 And we are witnesses of these things; and [so is] the Holy Spirit,

whom God hath given to them that obey him.

33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and minded to

slay them.

34 But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a

doctor of the law, had in honor of all the people, and commanded to put the

men forth a little while.

35 And he said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves as

touching these men, what ye are about to do.

36 For before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to be

somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves:

who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came to

nought.

37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the enrolment,

and drew away [some of the] people after him: he also perished; and all, as

many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.

38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone:

for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be overthrown:

39 but if it is of God, ye will not be able to overthrow them; lest haply

ye be found even to be fighting against God.

40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles unto

them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus,

and let them go.

41 They therefore departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing

that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the Name.

42 And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and

to preach Jesus [as] the Christ.

1. Now in these days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying,

there arose a murmuring of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because

their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and

said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God, and serve

tables.

3 Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good

report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this

business.

4 But we will continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the

word.

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a

man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and

Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch;

6 whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid

their hands upon them.

7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples

multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests

were obedient to the faith.

8. And Stephen, full of grace and power, wrought great wonders and signs

among the people.

9 But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called [the

synagogue] of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the

Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and Asia, disputing with Stephen.

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

he spake.

11 Then they suborned men, who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous

words against Moses, and [against] God.

12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and

came upon him, and seized him, and brought him into the council,

13 and set up false witnesses, who said, This man ceaseth not to speak

words against this holy place, and the law:

14 for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy

this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us.

15 And all that sat in the council, fastening their eyes on him, saw his

face as it had been the face of an angel.

1. And the high priest said, Are these things so?

2 And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared

unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in

Haran,

3 and said unto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and

come into the land which I shall show thee.

4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and

from thence, when his father was dead, [God] removed him into this land,

wherein ye now dwell:

5 and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his

foot on: and he promised that he would give it to him in possession, and to

his seed after him, when [as yet] he had no child.

6 And God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange

land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and treat them ill,

four hundred years.

7 And the nation to which they shall be in bondage will I judge, said

God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.

8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so [Abraham] begat

Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac [begat] Jacob, and

Jacob the twelve patriarchs.

9 And the patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph, sold him into

Egypt: and God was with him,

10 and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and

wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt

and all his house.

11 Now there came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great

affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance.

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent forth our

fathers the first time.

13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and

Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh.

14 And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his

kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

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

16 and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that

Abraham bought for a price in silver of the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17. But as the time of the promise drew nigh which God vouchsafed unto

Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

18 till there arose another king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

19 The same dealt craftily with our race, and ill-treated our fathers,

that they should cast out their babes to the end they might not live.

20 At which season Moses was born, and was exceeding fair; and he was

nourished three months in his father's house.

21 and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and

nourished him for her own son.

22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he

was mighty in his words and works.

23 But when he was well-nigh forty years old, it came into his heart to

visit his brethren the children of Israel.

24 And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged

him that was oppressed, smiting the Egyptian:

25 and he supposed that his brethren understood that God by his hand was

giving them deliverance; but they understood not.

26 And the day following he appeared unto them as they strove, and would

have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong

one to another?

27 But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made

thee a ruler and a judge over us?

28 Wouldest thou kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?

29 And Moses fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of

Midian, where he begat two sons.

30. And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel appeared to him in the

wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.

31 And when Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near

to behold, there came a voice of the Lord,

32 I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of

Jacob. And Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

33 And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet: for the

place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people that is in Egypt, and

have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now

come, I will send thee into Egypt.

35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a

judge? him hath God sent [to be] both a ruler and a deliverer with the hand

of the angel that appeared to him in the bush.

36 This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt,

and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

37 This is that Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, A prophet

shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me.

38 This is he that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel

that spake to him in the Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received

living oracles to give unto us:

39 to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them,

and turned back in their hearts unto Egypt,

40 saying unto Aaron, Make us gods that shall go before us: for as for

this Moses, who led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is

become of him.

41 And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the

idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.

42. But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is

written in the book of the prophets, Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and

sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?

43 And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of the god

Rephan, The figures which ye made to worship them: And I will carry you

away beyond Babylon.

44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness,

even as he appointed who spake unto Moses, that he should make it according

to the figure that he had seen.

45 Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with Joshua when

they entered on the possession of the nations, that God thrust out before

the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;

46 who found favor in the sight of God, and asked to find a habitation

for the God of Jacob.

47 But Solomon built him a house.

48 Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in [houses] made with hands; as

saith the prophet,

49 The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet: What

manner of house will ye build Me? saith the Lord: Or what is the place of

My rest?

50 Did not my hand make all these things?

51. Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always

resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.

52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? and they killed

them that showed before of the coming of the Righteous One; of whom ye have

now become betrayers and murderers;

53 ye who received the law as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not.

54. Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they

gnashed on him with their teeth.

55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up stedfastly into

heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of

God,

56 and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man

standing on the right hand of God.

57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and

rushed upon him with one accord;

58 and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses

laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon [the Lord], and saying, Lord

Jesus, receive my spirit.

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this

sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1. And Saul was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a

great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem; and they were

all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except

the apostles.

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

3 But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and dragging

men and women committed them to prison.

4. They therefore that were scattered abroad, went about preaching the

word.

5 And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them

the Christ.

6 And the multitudes gave heed with one accord unto the things that were

spoken by Philip, when they heard, and saw the signs which he did.

7 For [from] many of those that had unclean spirits, they came out,

crying with a loud voice: and many that were palsied, and that were lame,

were healed.

8 And there was much joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who beforetime in the city

used sorcery, and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was

some great one:

10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying,

This man is that power of God which is called Great.

11 And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed

them with his sorceries.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the

kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men

and women.

13 And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with

Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.

14. Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had

received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might

receive the Holy Spirit:

16 for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been

baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

18 Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands

the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,

19 saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, he

may receive the Holy Spirit.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, because thou

hast thought to obtain the gift of God with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not

right before God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps

the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee.

23 For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of

iniquity.

24 And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of

the things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the

Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of

the Samaritans.

26. But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go

toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza: the

same is desert.

27 And he arose and went: and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of

great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all

her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship;

28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the

prophet Isaiah.

29 And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this

chariot.

30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and

said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

31 And he said, How can I, except some one shall guide me? And he

besought Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, He was

led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb,

So he openeth not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: His generation who

shall declare? For his life is taken from the earth.

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom

speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other?

35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture,

preached unto him Jesus.

36 And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the

eunuch saith, Behold, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

37 [And Philip said, If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest.

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.]

38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down

into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught

away Philip; and the eunuch saw him no more, for he went on his way

rejoicing.

40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached the

gospel to all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

1. But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples

of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

2 and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he

found any that were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them

bound to Jerusalem.

3 And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus:

and suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven:

4 and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul,

Saul, why persecutest thou me?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he [said], I am Jesus whom thou

persecutest:

6 but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou

must do.

7 And the men that journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing the

voice, but beholding no man.

8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw

nothing; and they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.

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

10. Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the

Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I [am here],

Lord.

11 And the Lord [said] unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is

called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a

man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth;

12 and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands

on him, that he might receive his sight.

13 But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how

much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem:

14 and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that

call upon thy name.

15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto

me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of

Israel:

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

17 And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands

on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, [even] Jesus, who appeared unto thee

in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy

sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

18 And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he

received his sight; and he arose and was baptized;

19 and he took food and was strengthened. And he was certain days with

the disciples that were at Damascus.

20 And straightway in the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus, that he is the

Son of God.

21 And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in

Jerusalem made havoc of them that called on this name? and he had come

hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the chief

priests.

22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews that

dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

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

kill him:

24 but their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates also

day and night that they might kill him:

25 but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the

wall, lowering him in a basket.

26 And when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the

disciples: and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a

disciple.

27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared

unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to

him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

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

29 preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed

against the Grecian Jews; but they were seeking to kill him.

30 And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and

sent him forth to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace,

being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of

the Holy Spirit, was multiplied.

32. And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down

also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda.

33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept his bed

eight years; for he was palsied.

34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ healeth thee: arise and

make thy bed. And straightway he arose.

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

the Lord.

36. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by

interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and

almsdeeds which she did.

37 And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died: and

when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.

38 And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter

was there, sent two men unto him, entreating him, Delay not to come on unto

us.

39 And Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought

him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and

showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.

40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and prayed; and turning

to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes; and when she

saw Peter, she sat up.

41 And he gave her his hand, and raised her up; and calling the saints

and widows, he presented her alive.

42 And it became known throughout all Joppa: and many believed on the

Lord.

43 And it came to pass, that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon a

tanner.

1. Now [there was] a certain man in Caesarea, Cornelius by name, a

centurion of the band called the Italian [band],

2 a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much

alms to the people, and prayed to God always.

3 He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day,

an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cornelius.

4 And he, fastening his eyes upon him, and being affrighted, said, What

is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up

for a memorial before God.

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

6 he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side.

7 And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of

his household-servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him

continually;

8 and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

9. Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto

the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour:

10 and he became hungry, and desired to eat: but while they made ready,

he fell into a trance;

11 and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending,

as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth:

12 wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of

the earth and birds of the heaven.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is

common and unclean.

15 And a voice [came] unto him again the second time, What God hath

cleansed, make not thou common.

16 And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up

into heaven.

17 Now while Peter was much perplexed in himself what the vision which he

had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having

made inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate,

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

lodging there.

19. And while Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him,

Behold, three men seek thee.

20 But arise, and get thee down, and go with them, nothing doubting: for

I have sent them.

21 And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye

seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come?

22 And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righteous man and one that

feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned

[of God] by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words

from thee.

23 So he called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow he arose and

went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied

him.

24 And on the morrow they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius was

waiting for them, having called together his kinsmen and his near friends.

25 And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and

fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.

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

27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and findeth many come together:

28 and he said unto them, Ye yourselves know how it is an unlawful thing

for a man that is a Jew to join himself or come unto one of another nation;

and [yet] unto me hath God showed that I should not call any man common or

unclean:

29 wherefore also I came without gainsaying, when I was sent for. I ask

therefore with what intent ye sent for me.

30 And Cornelius said, Four days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the

ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in

bright apparel,

31 and saith, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in

remembrance in the sight of God.

32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call unto thee Simon, who is surnamed

Peter; he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side.

33 Forthwith therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou

art come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to

hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.

34. And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is

no respecter of persons:

35 but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is

acceptable to him.

36 The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good

tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all.) --

37 that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all

Judaea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38 [even] Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit

and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were

oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of

the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom also they slew, hanging him on a tree.

40 Him God raised up the third day, and gave him to be made manifest,

41 not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of

God, [even] to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this

is he who is ordained of God [to be] the Judge of the living and the dead.

43 To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one

that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.

44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them

that heard the word.

45 And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as

came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift

of the Holy Spirit.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered

Peter,

47 Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who

have received the Holy Spirit as well as we?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then

prayed they him to tarry certain days.

1. Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea heard that the

Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the

circumcision contended with him,

3 saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.

4 But Peter began, and expounded [the matter] unto them in order, saying,

5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, a

certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by

four corners; and it came even unto me:

6 upon which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw the

fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and creeping things and

birds of the heaven.

7 And I heard also a voice saying unto me, Rise, Peter; kill and eat.

8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath ever

entered into my mouth.

9 But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God hath

cleansed, make not thou common.

10 And this was done thrice: and all were drawn up again into heaven.

11 And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we

were, having been sent from Caesarea unto me.

12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these

six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man's house:

13 and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and

saying, Send to Joppa, and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter;

14 who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and

all thy house.

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

at the beginning.

16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, John indeed

baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

17 If then God gave unto them the like gift as [he did] also unto us,

when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I could

withstand God?

18 And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified

God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto

life.

19. They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that

arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch,

speaking the word to none save only to Jews.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they

were come to Antioch, spake unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number that

believed turned unto the Lord.

22 And the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which

was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch:

23 who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad; and he

exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the

Lord:

24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith: and

much people was added unto the Lord.

25 And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul;

26 and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to

pass, that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the

church, and taught much people, and that the disciples were called

Christians first in Antioch.

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

Antioch.

28 And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the

Spirit that there should be a great famine over all the world: which came

to pass in the days of Claudius.

29 And the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to

send relief unto the brethren that dwelt in Judea:

30 which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas

and Saul.

1. Now about that time Herod the king put forth his hands to afflict

certain of the church.

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

3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter

also. And [those] were the days of unleavened bread.

4 And when he had taken him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to

four quarternions of soldiers to guard him; intending after the Passover to

bring him forth to the people.

5. Peter therefore was kept in the prison: but prayer was made earnestly

of the church unto God for him.

6 And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was

sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and guards before the

door kept the prison.

7 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in

the cell: and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying, Rise up

quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.

8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And

he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow

me.

9 And he went out, and followed; and he knew not that it was true which

was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.

10 And when they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto

the iron gate that leadeth into the city; which opened to them of its own

accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and

straightway the angel departed from him.

11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a truth,

that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of

Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.

12 And when he had considered [the thing], he came to the house of Mary

the mother of John whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered

together and were praying.

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

named Rhoda.

14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for joy, but

ran in, and told that Peter stood before the gate.

15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed

that it was even so. And they said, It is his angel.

16 But Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened, they saw him,

and were amazed.

17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace,

declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison.

And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he

departed, and went to another place.

18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers,

what was become of Peter.

19 And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the

guards, and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down

from Judaea to Caesarea, and tarried there.

20. Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon: and they

came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's

chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was

fed from the king's country.

21 And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on

the throne, and made an oration unto them.

22 And the people shouted, [saying], The voice of a god, and not of a

man.

23 And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not

God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled

their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark.

1. Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets and

teachers, Barnabas, and Symeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,

and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 And as they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said,

Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

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

they sent them away.

4. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia;

and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

5 And when they were at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the

synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John as their attendant.

6 And when they had gone through the whole island unto Paphos, they found

a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus;

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of understanding. The

same called unto him Barnabas and Saul, and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation)

withstood them, seeking to turn aside the proconsul from the faith.

9 But Saul, who is also [called] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit,

fastened his eyes on him,

10 and said, O full of all guile and all villany, thou son of the devil,

thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right

ways of the Lord?

11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be

blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a

mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the

hand.

12 Then the proconsul, when he saw was was done, believed, being

astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in

Pamphylia: and John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem.

14. But they, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch of Pisidia; and

they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the

synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of

exhortation for the people, say on.

16 And Paul stood up, and beckoning with the hand said, Men of Israel,

and ye that fear God, hearken:

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the

people when they sojourned in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm led he

them forth out of it.

18 And for about the time of forty years as a nursing-father bare he them

in the wilderness.

19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave

[them] their land for an inheritance, for about four hundred and fifty

years:

20 and after these things he gave [them] judges until Samuel the prophet.

21 And afterward they asked for a king: and God gave unto them Saul the

son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years.

22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king; to

whom also he bare witness and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a

man after My heart, who shall do all My will.

23 Of this man's seed hath God according to promise brought unto Israel a

Saviour, Jesus;

24 when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of

repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I

am? I am not [he]. But behold, there cometh one after me the shoes of whose

feet I am not worthy to unloose.

26 Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that

fear God, to us is the word of this salvation sent forth.

27 For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew

him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath,

fulfilled [them] by condemning [him].

28 And though they found no cause of death [in him], yet asked they of

Pilate that he should be slain.

29 And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they

took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.

30 But God raised him from the dead:

31 and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from

Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people.

32 And we bring you good tidings of the promise made unto the fathers,

33 that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised

up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this

day have I begotten thee.

34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to

return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy

and sure [blessings] of David.

35 Because he saith also in another [psalm], Thou wilt not give Thy Holy

One to see corruption.

36 For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of

God, fell asleep, and was laid unto unto his fathers, and saw corruption:

37 but he whom God raised up saw no corruption.

38 Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is

proclaimed unto you remission of sins:

39 and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from

which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon [you] which is spoken in the

prophets:

41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; For I work a work in

your days, A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto

you.

42. And as they went out, they besought that these words might be spoken

to them the next sabbath.

43 Now when the synagogue broke up, many of the Jews and of the devout

proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, urged them to

continue in the grace of God.

44 And the next sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to

hear the word of God.

45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy,

and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

46 And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary

that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it

from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the

Gentiles.

47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], I have set thee for a

light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the

uttermost part of the earth.

48 And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word

of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

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

50 But the Jews urged on the devout women of honorable estate, and the

chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and

Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders.

51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto

Iconium.

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

Acts 14

1. And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the

synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude both of Jews and

of Greeks believed.

2 But the Jews that were disobedient stirred up the souls of the

Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren.

3 Long time therefore they tarried [there] speaking boldly in the Lord,

who bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to

be done by their hands.

4 But the multitude of the city was divided; and part held with the Jews,

and part with the apostles.

5 And when there was made an onset both of the Gentiles and of the Jews

with their rulers, to treat them shamefully and to stone them,

6 they became aware of it, and fled unto the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra

and Derbe, and the region round about:

7 and there they preached the gospel.

8. And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple

from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

9 The same heard Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes upon him, and seeing

that he had faith to be made whole,

10 said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped up

and walked.

11 And when the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their

voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in

the likeness of men.

12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, because he was

the chief speaker.

13 And the priest of Jupiter whose [temple] was before the city, brought

oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the

multitudes.

14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their

garments, and sprang forth among the multitude, crying out

15 and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like

passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from

these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and

the sea, and all that in them is:

16 who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in

their own ways.

17 And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and

gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with

food and gladness.

18 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from

doing sacrifice unto them.

19. But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having

persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the

city, supposing that he was dead.

20 But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered

into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas to Derbe.

21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many

disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch,

22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in

the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the

kingdom of God.

23 And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had

prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had

believed.

24 And they passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

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

26 and thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed

to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they

rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a

door of faith unto the Gentiles.

28 And they tarried no little time with the disciples.

Acts 15

1. And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren,

[saying], Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be

saved.

2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with

them, [the brethren] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of

them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this

question.

3 They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed

through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the

Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church

and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had

done with them.

5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed,

saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the

law of Moses.

6. And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of

this matter.

7 And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto

them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you,

that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and

believe.

8 And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy

Spirit, even as he did unto us;

9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts

by faith.

10 Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon

the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to

bear?

11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord

Jesus, in like manner as they.

12 And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas

and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the

Gentiles through them.

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren,

hearken unto me:

14 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out

of them a people for his name.

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

16 After these things I will return, And I will build again the

tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins

thereof, And I will set it up:

17 That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles,

upon whom my name is called,

18 Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.

19 Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the

Gentiles turn to God;

20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of

idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.

21 For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach

him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

22. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole

church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with

Paul and Barnabas; [namely], Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men

among the brethren:

23 and they wrote [thus] by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren,

unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia,

greeting:

24 Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have

troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no

commandment;

25 it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men

and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus

Christ.

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell

you the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no

greater burden than these necessary things:

29 that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and

from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep

yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.

30 So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having

gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.

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

32 And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the

brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

33 And after they had spent some time [there], they were dismissed in

peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth.

34 [But it seemed good unto Silas to abide there.]

35 But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the

word of the Lord, with many others also.

36. And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and

visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the

Lord, [and see] how they fare.

37 And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called

Mark.

38 But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them

from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

39 And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one

from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto

Cyprus;

40 but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren

to the grace of the Lord.

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

1. And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple

was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father

was a Greek.

2 The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and

Iconium.

3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised

him because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that

his father was a Greek.

4 And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them

the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that

were at Jerusalem.

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

daily.

6. And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been

forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

7 and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into

Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not;

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

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of

Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia,

and help us.

10 And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth

into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to

them.

11 Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to

Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;

12 and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first

of the district, a [Roman] colony: and we were in this city tarrying

certain days.

13 And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side,

where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake

unto the women that were were come together.

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of

Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to

give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.

15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying,

If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and

abide [there]. And she constrained us.

16. And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a

certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters

much gain by soothsaying.

17 The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are

servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you the way of salvation.

18 And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned

and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come

out of her. And it came out that very hour.

19 But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they

laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before

the rulers,

20 and when they had brought them unto the magistrates, they said, These

men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,

21 and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to

observe, being Romans.

22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates

rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods.

23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into

prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:

24 who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison,

and made their feet fast in the stocks.

25. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto

God, and the prisoners were listening to them;

26 and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of

the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened,

and every one's bands were loosed.

27 And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors

open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the

prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we

are all here.

29 And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell

down before Paul and Silas,

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

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved,

thou and thy house.

32 And they spake the word of the Lord unto him, with all that were in

his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;

and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.

34 And he brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and

rejoiced greatly, with all his house, having believed in God.

35. But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, Let

those men go.

36 And the jailor reported the words to Paul, [saying], The magistrates

have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace.

37 But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned,

men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us

out privily? Nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.

38 And the sergeants reported these words unto the magistrates: and they

feared when they heard that they were Romans;

39 and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out,

they asked them to go away from the city.

40 And they went out of the prison, and entered into [the house] of

Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and

departed.

1. Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to

Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

2 and Paul, as his custom was, went in unto them, and for three sabbath

days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

3 opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise

again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, [said he,] I proclaim unto

you, is the Christ.

4 And some of them were persuaded, and consorted with Paul and Silas, and

of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

5 But the Jews, being moved with jealousy, took unto them certain vile

fellows of the rabble, and gathering a crowd, set the city on an uproar;

and assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them forth to the

people.

6 And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren

before the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world

upside down are come hither also;

7 whom Jason hath received: and these all act contrary to the decrees of

Caesar, saying that there is another king, [one] Jesus.

8 And they troubled the multitude and the rulers of the city, when they

heard these things.

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

go.

10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto

Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the

Jews.

11 Now these were more noble than those in Thesslonica, in that they

received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures

daily, whether these things were so.

12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the Greek women of honorable

estate, and of men, not a few.

13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God

was proclaimed of Paul at Beroea also, they came thither likewise, stirring

up and troubling the multitudes.

14 And then immediately the brethren sent forth Paul to go as far as to

the sea: and Silas and Timothy abode there still.

15 But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens: and

receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timothy that they should come to him

with all speed, they departed.

16. Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked

within him as he beheld the city full of idols.

17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with Jews and the devout persons, and

in the marketplace every day with them that met him.

18 And certain also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered

him. And some said, What would this babbler say? others, He seemeth to be a

setter forth of strange gods: because he preached Jesus and the

resurrection.

19 And they took hold of him, and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying,

May we know what this new teaching is, which is spoken by thee?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know

therefore what these things mean.

21 (Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their

time in nothing else, but either to tell or to hear some new thing.)

22. And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of

Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious.

23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I

found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What

therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.

24 The God that made the world and all things therein, he, being Lord of

heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 neither is he served by men's hands, as though he needed anything,

seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 and he made of one every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the

earth, having determined [their] appointed seasons, and the bounds of their

habitation;

27 that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find

him, though he is not far from each one of us:

28 for in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain even of

your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the

Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of

man.

30 The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth

men that they should all everywhere repent:

31 inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world

in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given

assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked; but

others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again.

33 Thus Paul went out from among them.

34 But certain men clave unto him, and believed: among whom also was

Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

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

2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race,

lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had

commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome: and he came unto them;

3 and because he was of the same trade, he abode with them, and they

wrought, for by their trade they were tentmakers.

4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and

Greeks.

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was

constrained by the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

6 And when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook out his

raiment and said unto them, Your blood [be] upon your own heads; I am

clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.

7. And he departed thence, and went into the house of a certain man named

Titus Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the

synagogue.

8 And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all

his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.

9 And the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid,

but speak and hold not thy peace:

10 for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to harm thee: for I

have much people in this city.

11 And he dwelt [there] a year and six months, teaching the word of God

among them.

12. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose

up against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat,

13 saying, This man persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law.

14 But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews,

If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked villany, O ye Jews, reason

would that I should bear with you:

15 but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look

to it yourselves; I am not minded to be a judge of these matters.

16 And he drove them from the judgment-seat.

17 And they all laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and

beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for for none of these

things.

18. And Paul, having tarried after this yet many days, took his leave of

the brethren, and sailed thence for Syria, and with him Priscilla and

Aquila: having shorn his head in Cenchreae; for he had a vow.

19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there: but he himself

entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

20 And when they asked him to abide a longer time, he consented not;

21 but taking his leave of them, and saying, I will return again unto you

if God will, he set sail from Ephesus.

22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and saluted the church,

and went down to Antioch.

23 And having spent some time [there], he departed, and went through the

region of Galatia, and Phyrgia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

24. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent

man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the scriptures.

25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent

in spirit, he spake and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus,

knowing only the baptism of John:

26 and he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and

Aquila heard him, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way

of God more accurately.

27 And when he was minded to pass over into Achaia, the brethren

encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him: and when he was

come, he helped them much that had believed through grace;

28 for he powerfully confuted the Jews, [and that] publicly, showing by

the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

1. And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having

passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain

disciples:

2 and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed?

And they [said] unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy

Spirit was [given].

3 And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into

John's baptism.

4 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying

unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him,

that is, on Jesus.

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

Jesus.

6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on

them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

7 And they were in all about twelve men.

8. And he entered into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of

three months, reasoning and persuading [as to] the things concerning the

kingdom of God.

9 But when some were hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way

before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples,

reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.

10 And this continued for the space of two years; so that all they that

dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

12 insomuch that unto the sick were carried away from his body

hankerchiefs or aprons, and the evil spirits went out.

13. But certain also of the strolling Jews, exorcists, took upon them to

name over them that had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus,

saying, I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

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

this.

15 And the evil spirit answered and said unto them, Jesus I know, and

Paul I know, but who are ye?

16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and mastered

both of them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that

house naked and wounded.

17 And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, that dwelt at

Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was

magnified.

18 Many also of them that had believed came, confessing, and declaring

their deeds.

19 And not a few of them that practised magical arts brought their books

together and burned them in the sight of all; and they counted the price of

them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So mightily grew the word of the Lord and prevailed.

21. Now after these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when

he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying,

After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

22 And having sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him,

Timothy and Erastus, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

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

24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver

shrines of Diana, brought no little business unto the craftsmen;

25 whom he gathered together, with the workmen of like occupation, and

said, Sirs, ye know that by this business we have our wealth.

26 And ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout

all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that

they are no gods, that are made with hands:

27 and not only is there danger that this our trade come into disrepute;

but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana be made of no account,

and that she should even be deposed from her magnificence whom all Asia and

the world worshippeth.

28 And when they heard this they were filled with wrath, and cried out,

saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesus.

29 And the city was filled with the confusion: and they rushed with one

accord into the theatre, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of

Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel.

30 And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples

suffered him not.

31 And certain also of the Asiarchs, being his friends, sent unto him and

besought him not to adventure himself into the theatre.

32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was

in confusion; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

33 And they brought Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him

forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made a

defense unto the people.

34 But when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice about

the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

35 And when the townclerk had quieted the multitude, he saith, Ye men of

Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians

is temple-keeper of the great Diana, and of the [image] which fell down

from Jupiter?

36 Seeing then that these things cannot be gainsaid, ye ought to be

quiet, and to do nothing rash.

37 For ye have brought [hither] these men, who are neither robbers of

temples nor blasphemers of our goddess.

38 If therefore Demetrius, and the craftsmen that are with him, have a

matter against any man, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls: let

them accuse one another.

39 But if ye seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in

the regular assembly.

40 For indeed we are in danger to be accused concerning this day's riot,

there being no cause [for it]: and as touching it we shall not be able to

give account of this concourse.

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

1. And after the uproar ceased, Paul having sent for the disciples and

exhorted them, took leave of them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

2 And when he had gone through those parts, and had given them much

exhortation, he came into Greece.

3 And when he had spent three months [there,] and a plot was laid against

him by Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he determined to return

through Macedonia.

4 And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater of Beroea, [the son]

of Pyrrhus; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius

of Derbe, and Timothy; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.

5 But these had gone before, and were waiting for us at Troas.

6 And we sailed away from Phillipi after the days of unleavened bread,

and came unto them to Troas in five days, where we tarried seven days.

7. And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to

break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow;

and prolonged his speech until midnight.

8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered

together.

9 And there sat in the window a certain young man named Eutychus, borne

down with deep sleep; and as Paul discoursed yet longer, being borne down

by his sleep he fell down from the third story, and was taken up dead.

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Make ye

no ado; for his life is in him.

11 And when he was gone up, and had broken the bread, and eaten, and had

talked with them a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.

12 And they brought the lad alive, and were not a little comforted.

13. But we going before to the ship set sail for Assos, there intending to

take in Paul: for so had he appointed, intending himself to go by land.

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

15 And sailing from thence, we came the following day over against Chios;

and the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after we came to Miletus.

16 For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, that he might not have

to spend time in Asia; for he was hastening, if it were possible for him,

to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost.

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

the church.

18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye yourselves know,

from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with

you all the time,

19 serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and with

trials which befell me by the plots of the Jews;

20 how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable,

and teaching you publicly, and from house to house,

21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith

toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

22 And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing

the things that shall befall me there:

23 save that the Holy Spirit testifieth unto me in every city, saying

that bonds and afflictions abide me.

24 But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I

may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord

Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching

the kingdom, shall see my face no more.

26 Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood

of all men.

27 For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God.

28 Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy

Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he

purchased with his own blood.

29 I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among

you, not sparing the flock;

30 and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse

things, to draw away the disciples after them.

31 Wherefore watch ye, remembering that by the space of three years I

ceased not to admonish every one night and day with tears.

32 And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is

able to build [you] up, and to give [you] the inheritance among all them

that are sanctified.

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

34 Ye yourselves know that these hands ministered unto my necessities,

and to them that were with me.

35 In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring ye ought to help

the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself

said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

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

37 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,

38 sorrowing most of all for the word which he had spoken, that they

should behold his face no more. And they brought him on his way unto the

ship.

1. And when it came to pass that were parted from them and had set sail,

we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and

from thence unto Patara:

2 and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard,

and set sail.

3 And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand,

we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade

her burden.

4 And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these

said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.

5 And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed

and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us

on our way till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the beach, we

prayed, and bade each other farewell;

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

7 And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais;

and we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

8. And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea: and entering

into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode

with him.

9 Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.

10 And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea a

certain prophet, named Agabus.

11 And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and

hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem

bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands

of the Gentiles.

12 And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place

besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

13 Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I

am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of

the Lord Jesus.

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

Lord be done.

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

16 And there went with us also [certain] of the disciples from Caesarea,

bringing [with them] one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we

should lodge.

17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the

elders were present.

19 And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which

God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.

20 And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him,

Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them

that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:

21 and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all

the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to

circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs.

22 What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that thou art come.

23 Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a

vow on them;

24 these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them,

that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth

in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that

thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.

25 But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving

judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols,

and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them

went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification,

until the offering was offered for every one of them.

27. And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia,

when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid

hands on him,

28 crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men

everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he

brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place.

29 For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian,

whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid

hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors

were shut.

31 And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief

captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

32 And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them:

and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off

beating Paul.

33 Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded

him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had

done.

34 And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he

could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought

into the castle.

35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the

soldiers for the violence of the crowd;

36 for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with

him.

37 And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the

chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know

Greek?

38 Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to

sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the

Assassins?

39 But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean

city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people.

40 And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs,

beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great

silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,

1. Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.

2 And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language,

they were the more quiet: and he saith,

3. I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at

the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law

of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:

4 and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into

prisons both men and women.

5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the

elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed

to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to

be punished.

6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto

Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round

about me.

7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul,

Saul, why persecutest thou me?

8 And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of

Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

9 And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not

the voice of him that spake to me.

10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise,

and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which

are appointed for thee to do.

11 And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the

hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of

by all the Jews that dwelt there,

13 came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive

thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his

will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

15 For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast

seen and heard.

16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy

sins, calling on his name.

17 And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while

I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

18 and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of

Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.

19 And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in

every synagogue them that believed on thee:

20 and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was

standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew

him.

21 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto

the Gentiles.

22. And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their

voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit

that he should live.

23 And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust

into the air,

24 the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding

that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause

they so shouted against him.

25 And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the

centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a

Roman, and uncondemned?

26 And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told

him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.

27 And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a

Roman? And he said, Yea.

28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this

citizenship. And Paul said, But I am [a Roman] born.

29 They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from

him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a

Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was

accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all

the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before

them.

1. And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have

lived before God in all good conscience until this day.

2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite

him on the mouth.

3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: and

sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be

smitten contrary to the law?

4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

5 And Paul said, I knew not, brethren, that he was high priest: for it is

written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of thy people.

6. But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other

Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of

Pharisees: touching the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in

question.

7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees

and Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor

spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

9 And there arose a great clamor: and some of the scribes of the

Pharisees part stood up, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man:

and what if a spirit hath spoken to him, or an angel?

10 And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing

lest Paul should be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go

down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the castle.

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good

cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou

bear witness also at Rome.

12. And when it was day, the Jews banded together, and bound themselves

under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had

killed Paul.

13 And they were more than forty that made this conspiracy.

14 And they came to the chief priests and the elders, and said, We have

bound ourselves under a great curse, to taste nothing until we have killed

Paul.

15 Now therefore do ye with the council signify to the chief captain that

he bring him down unto you, as though ye would judge of his case more

exactly: and we, before he comes near, are ready to slay him.

16 But Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, and he came and

entered into the castle and told Paul.

17 And Paul called unto him one of the centurions, and said, Bring this

young man unto the chief captain; for he hath something to tell him.

18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and saith, Paul

the prisoner called me unto him, and asked me to bring this young man unto

thee, who hath something to say to thee.

19 And the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside asked him

privately, What is it that thou hast to tell me?

20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring down Paul

tomorrow unto the council, as though thou wouldest inquire somewhat more

exactly concerning him.

21 Do not thou therefore yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him

of them more than forty men, who have bound themselves under a curse,

neither to eat nor to drink till they have slain him: and now are they

ready, looking for the promise from thee.

22 So the chief captain let the young man go, charging him, Tell no man

that thou hast signified these things to me.

23 And he called unto him two of the centurions, and said, Make ready two

hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten,

and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night:

24 and [he bade them] provide beasts, that they might set Paul thereon,

and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

25 And he wrote a letter after this form:

26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent governor Felix, greeting.

27 This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be slain of them,

when I came upon them with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned

that he was a Roman.

28 And desiring to know the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought

him down unto their council:

29 whom I found to be accused about questions of their law, but to have

nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

30 And when it was shown to me that there would be a plot against the

man, I sent him to thee forthwith, charging his accusers also to speak

against him before thee.

31 So the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul and brought him

by night to Antipatris.

32 But on the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned

to the castle:

33 and they, when they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the

governor, presented Paul also before him.

34 And when he had read it, he asked of what province he was; and when he

understood that he was of Cilicia,

35 I will hear thee fully, said he, when thine accusers also are come:

and he commanded him to be kept in Herod's palace.

1. And after five days the high priest Ananias came down with certain

elders, and [with] an orator, one Tertullus; and they informed the governor

against Paul.

2 And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing

that by thee we enjoy much peace, and that by the providence evils are

corrected for this nation,

3 we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with

all thankfulness.

4 But, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I entreat thee to hear us

of thy clemency a few words.

5 For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of

insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of

the sect of the Nazarenes:

6 who moreover assayed to profane the temple: on whom also we laid hold:

[and we would have judged him according to our law.

7 But the chief captain Lysias came, and with great violence took him

away out of our hands,

8 commanding his accusers to come before thee.] from whom thou wilt be

able, by examining him thyself, to take knowledge of all these things

whereof we accuse him.

9 And the Jews also joined in the charge, affirming that these things

were so.

10. And when the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, Paul answered,

Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this

nation, I cheerfully make my defense:

11 Seeing that thou canst take knowledge that it is not more than twelve

days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem:

12 and neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man or

stirring up a crowd, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city.

13 Neither can they prove to thee the things whereof they now accuse me.

14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the Way which they call a

sect, so serve I the God of our fathers, believing all things which are

according to the law, and which are written in the prophets;

15 having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that

there shall be a resurrection both of the just and unjust.

16 Herein I also exercise myself to have a conscience void of offence

toward God and men always.

17 Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings:

18 amidst which they found me purified in the temple, with no crowd, nor

yet with tumult: but [there were] certain Jews from Asia--

19 who ought to have been here before thee, and to make accusation, if

they had aught against me.

20 Or else let these men themselves say what wrong-doing they found when

I stood before the council,

21 except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing among them,

Touching the resurrection of the dead I am called in question before you

this day.

22. But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred

them, saying, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will

determine your matter.

23 And he gave order to the centurion that he should be kept in charge,

and should have indulgence; and not to forbid any of his friends to

minister unto him.

24 But after certain days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a

Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ

Jesus.

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the

judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, Go thy way for this

time; and when I have a convenient season, I will call thee unto me.

26 He hoped withal that money would be given him of Paul: wherefore also

he sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.

27 But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius

Festus; and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

1. Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went

up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

2 And the chief priests and the principal men of the Jews informed him

against Paul; and they besought him,

3 asking a favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem;

laying a plot to kill him on the way.

4 Howbeit Festus answered, that Paul was kept in charge at Caesarea, and

that he himself was about to depart [thither] shortly.

5 Let them therefore, saith he, that are of power among you go down with

me, and if there is anything amiss in the man, let them accuse him.

6 And when he had tarried among them not more than eight or ten days, he

went down unto Caesarea; and on the morrow he sat on the judgment-seat, and

commanded Paul to be brought.

7 And when he was come, the Jews that had come down from Jerusalem stood

round about him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they

could not prove;

8 while Paul said in his defense, Neither against the law of the Jews,

nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.

9 But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and

said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things

before me?

10 But Paul said, I am standing before Caesar's judgment-seat, where I

ought to be judged: to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou also very

well knowest.

11 If then I am a wrong-doer, and have committed anything worthy of

death, I refuse not to die; but if none of those things is [true] whereof

these accuse me, no man can give me up unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Thou

hast appealed unto Caesar: unto Caesar shalt thou go.

13. Now when certain days were passed, Agrippa the King and Bernice

arrived at Caesarea, and saluted Festus.

14 And as they tarried there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before

the King, saying, There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

15 about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders

of the Jews informed [me], asking for sentence against him.

16 To whom I answered, that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up

any man, before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and have

had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

17 When therefore they were come together here, I made no delay, but on

the next day sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought.

18 Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of

such evil things as I supposed;

19 but had certain questions against him of their own religion, and of

one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

20 And I, being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, asked

whether he would go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these matters.

21 But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor,

I commanded him to be kept till I should send him to Caesar.

22 And Agrippa [said] unto Festus, I also could wish to hear the man

myself. To-morrow, saith he, thou shalt hear him.

23 So on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp,

and they were entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and

principal men of the city, at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.

24 And Festus saith, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with

us, ye behold this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews made suit

to me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any

longer.

25 But I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death: and as he

himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him.

26 Of whom I have no certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I

have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa,

that, after examination had, I may have somewhat to write.

27 For it seemeth to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not withal

to signify the charges against him.

1. And Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself.

Then Paul stretched forth his hand, and made his defense:

2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before

thee this day touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews:

3 especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions which

are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

4 My manner of life then from my youth up, which was from the beginning

among mine own nation and at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;

5 having knowledge of me from the first, if they be willing to testify,

that after the straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6 And now I stand [here] to be judged for the hope of the promise made of

God unto our fathers;

7 unto which [promise] our twelve tribes, earnestly serving [God] night

and day, hope to attain. And concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews,

O king!

8 Why is it judged incredible with you, if God doth raise the dead?

9 I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to

the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10 And this I also did in Jerusalem: and I both shut up many of the

saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and

when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11 And punishing them oftentimes in all the synagogues, I strove to make

them blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them

even unto foreign cities.

12. Whereupon as I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission

of the chief priests,

13 at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the

brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with

me.

14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto

me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard

for thee to kick against the goad.

15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom

thou persecutest.

16 But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared

unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things

wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto

thee;

17 delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I

send thee,

18 to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from

the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an

inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.

19 Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly

vision:

20 but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and

throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they

should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21 For this cause the Jews seized me in the temple, and assayed to kill

me.

22 Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this

day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the

prophets and Moses did say should come;

23 how that the Christ must suffer, [and] how that he first by the

resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to

the Gentiles.

24. And as he thus made his defense, Festus saith with a loud voice, Paul,

thou art mad; thy much learning is turning thee mad.

25 But Paul saith, I am not mad, most excellent Festus; but speak forth

words of truth and soberness.

26 For the king knoweth of these things, unto whom also I speak freely:

for I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him; for this

hath not been done in a corner.

27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.

28 And Agrippa [said] unto Paul, With but little persuasion thou wouldest

fain make me a Christian.

29 And Paul [said], I would to God, that whether with little or with

much, not thou only, but also all that hear me this day, might become such

as I am, except these bonds.

30 And the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat

with them:

31 and when they had withdrawn, they spake one to another, saying, This

man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds.

32 And Agrippa said unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty,

if he had not appealed unto Caesar.

1. And when it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they

delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of

the Augustan band.

2 And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail unto

the places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian

of Thessalonica, being with us.

3 And the next day we touched at Sidon: and Julius treated Paul kindly,

and gave him leave to go unto his friends and refresh himself.

4 And putting to sea from thence, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus,

because the winds were contrary.

5 And when we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and

Pamphylia, we came to Myra, [a city] of Lycia.

6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy;

and he put us therein.

7 And when we had sailed slowly many days, and were come with difficulty

over against Cnidus, the wind not further suffering us, we sailed under the

lee of Crete, over against Salmone;

8 and with difficulty coasting along it we came unto a certain place

called Fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea.

9 And when much time was spent, and the voyage was now dangerous, because

the Fast was now already gone by, Paul admonished them,

10 and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with

injury and much loss, not only of the lading and the ship, but also of our

lives.

11 But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the

ship, than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

12. And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part

advised to put to sea from thence, if by any means they could reach

Phoenix, and winter [there; which is] a haven of Crete, looking northeast

and south-east.

13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained

their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close in shore.

14 But after no long time there beat down from it a tempestuous wind,

which is called Euraquilo:

15 and when the ship was caught, and could not face the wind, we gave way

[to it,] and were driven.

16 And running under the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were

able, with difficulty, to secure the boat:

17 and when they had hoisted it up, they used helps, under-girding the

ship; and, fearing lest they should be cast upon the Syrtis, they lowered

the gear, and so were driven.

18 And as we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began

to throw the [the freight] overboard;

19 and the third day they cast out with their own hands the tackling of

the ship.

20 And when neither sun nor stars shone upon [us] for many days, and no

small tempest lay on [us,] all hope that we should be saved was now taken

away.

21. And when they had been long without food, then Paul stood forth in the

midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not

have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss.

22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer; for there shall be no loss

of life among you, but [only] of the ship.

23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God whose I am, whom

also I serve,

24 saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must stand before Caesar: and lo, God

hath granted thee all them that sail with thee.

25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be

even so as it hath been spoken unto me.

26 But we must be cast upon a certain island.

27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven to and fro

in the [sea of] Adria, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were

drawing near to some country:

28 and they sounded, and found twenty fathoms; and after a little space,

they sounded again, and found fifteen fathoms.

29 And fearing lest haply we should be cast ashore on rocky ground, they

let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for the day.

30 And as the sailors were seeking to flee out of the ship, and had

lowered the boat into the sea, under color as though they would lay out

anchors from the foreship,

31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in

the ship, ye cannot be saved.

32 Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let her fall

off.

33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take some

food, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye wait and continue

fasting, having taken nothing.

34 Wherefore I beseech you to take some food: for this is for your

safety: for there shall not a hair perish from the head of any of you.

35 And when he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God

in the presence of all; and he brake it, and began to eat.

36 Then were they all of good cheer, and themselves also took food.

37 And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen

souls.

38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out

the wheat into the sea.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they perceived a

certain bay with a beach, and they took counsel whether they could drive

the ship upon it.

40 And casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same

time loosing the bands of the rudders; and hoisting up the foresail to the

wind, they made for the beach.

41 But lighting upon a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel

aground; and the foreship struck and remained unmoveable, but the stern

began to break up by the violence [of the waves].

42 And the soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any [of

them] should swim out, and escape.

43 But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stayed them from their

purpose; and commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves

overboard, and get first to the land;

44 and the rest, some on planks, and some on [other] things from the

ship. And so it came to pass, that they all escaped safe to the land.

1. And when we were escaped, then we knew that the island was called

Melita.

2 And the barbarians showed us no common kindness; for they kindled a

fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the

cold.

3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the

fire, a viper came out by reason of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

4 And when the barbarians saw the [venomous] creature hanging from his

hand, they said one to another, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom,

though he hath escaped from the sea, yet Justice hath not suffered to live.

5 Howbeit he shook off the creature into the fire, and took no harm.

6 But they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead

suddenly: but when they were long in expectation and beheld nothing amiss

came to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

7 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief

man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and entertained us three

days courteously.

8 And it was so, that the father of Publius lay sick of fever and

dysentery: unto whom Paul entered in, and prayed, and laying his hands on

him healed him.

9 And when this was done, the rest also that had diseases in the island

came, and were cured:

10 who also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on

board such things as we needed.

11. And after three months we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had

wintered in the island, whose sign was The Twin Brothers.

12 And touching at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

13 And from thence we made a circuit, and arrived at Rhegium: and after

one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli;

14 where we found brethren, and were entreated to tarry with them seven

days: and so we came to Rome.

15 And from thence the brethren, when they heard of us, came to meet us

as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw,

he thanked God, and took courage.

16 And when we entered into Rome, Paul was suffered to abide by himself

with the soldier that guarded him.

17. And it came to pass, that after three days he called together those

that were the chief of the Jews: and when they were come together, he said

unto them, I, brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or

the customs of our fathers, yet was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into

the hands of the Romans:

18 who, when they had examined me, desired to set me at liberty, because

there was no cause of death in me.

19 But when the Jews spake against it, I was constrained to appeal unto

Caesar; not that I had aught whereof to accuse my nation.

20 For this cause therefore did I entreat you to see and to speak with

[me]: for because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.

21 And they said unto him, We neither received letters from Judaea

concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren come hither and report or

speak any harm of thee.

22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning

this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.

23. And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his

lodging in great number; to whom he expounded [the matter,] testifying the

kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of

Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening.

24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that

Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Spirit through Isaiah the

prophet unto your fathers,

26 saying, Go thou unto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall hear,

and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no

wise perceive:

27 For this peoples heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of

hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest, haply they should perceive

with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart,

And should turn again, And I should heal them.

28 Be it known therefore unto you, that this salvation of God is sent

unto the Gentiles: they will also hear.

29 [And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, having much

disputing among themselves.]

30. And he abode two whole years in his own hired dwelling, and received

all that went in unto him,

31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the

Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him.