Chapter 1
1 In my first book, Theophilus, I recounted all the subsequent acts and teachings of Jesus,
2 until the day when, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles whom he had chosen, he was taken up into heaven.
3 To them also, after his suffering, he showed himself full of life, giving them many convincing proofs, appearing to them over forty days, and speaking to them about the kingdom of God.
4 One day when he was at table with them, he instructed them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, "which," he told them, "you have heard from my mouth;
5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.«
6 So they gathered together and asked him, »Lord, has the time come when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?«
7 He answered them, »It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be clothed with power, and you will testify about me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.«
9 After he had spoken thus, he was lifted up in their presence, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 And as they were gazing intently up into the sky while he was moving away, suddenly two men dressed in white appeared beside them,
11 And they said, »Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken from among you into heaven, will come back in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.«
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.
13 When they arrived, they went up to the upper room, where they usually sat: they were Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judah, brother of James.
14 All of them, with one accord, devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Married, mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days, Peter stood up among the brothers (they were gathered together, about one hundred and twenty in number) and said to them:
16 »My brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke through David concerning Judas, the guide of those who arrested Jesus;
17 because he was one of us and shared in our ministry.
18 (This man acquired a field with the wages of his crime, and having rushed forward, broke in the middle, and all his entrails spilled out.
19 This fact is so well known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that this field has been named in their language Haceldama, that is, field of blood.)
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: “May his dwelling be desolate, and may no one inhabit it!” And elsewhere: “May another take his office!”
21 Therefore, it is necessary that, from among the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus lived among us,
22 From the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, one of them must become with us a witness of his resurrection.«
23 They presented two men: Joseph, called Barsabbas and surnamed the righteous, and Matthias.
24 And they began to pray, saying, »Lord, you who know the hearts of all, show us which of these two you have chosen.”
25 to occupy, in this ministry of the apostleship, the place that Judas left by his crime to go to his own place.«
26 They cast lots for their names: and the lot fell on Matthias, who was added to the eleven Apostles.
Chapter 2
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a strong wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit enabled them.
5 Now among the Jews residing in Jerusalem there were godly men from every nation under heaven.
6 When they heard this noise, they came running in a crowd, and they were all beside themselves because each one heard them speaking their own language.
7 Surprised and astonished, they said, »Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?”
8 How is it that we hear them each speaking the particular idiom of our native country?
9 All of us—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene, Romans passing through here,
11 Whether Jews or proselytes, Cretans and Arabs, we hear them proclaiming the wonders of God in our own languages.«
12 They were all amazed, and, not knowing what to think, they said to one another, »What could this be?«
13 Others mockingly said, "They are full of new wine."»
14 Then Peter, standing up with the Eleven, raised his voice and said to them, »Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and listen carefully to what I say:
15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day.
16 What you see is what was foretold by the prophet Joel:
17 »In the last days, says the Lord, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
18 Yes, in those days I will pour out my Spirit on my servants, both men and women, and they will prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and swirling smoke;
20 The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
22 Children of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God through miracles, miracles and the signs which he performed through him in your midst, as you yourselves know;
23 This man was handed over according to God’s unchanging plan and foreknowledge, and you crucified him and put him to death by the hands of lawless men.
24 God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.
25 For David says of him: »I kept the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, so that I would not be shaken.
26 That is why my heart is in joy, and my tongue will rejoice, and my body also will rest in hope;
27 For you will not leave my soul in the realm of the dead, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have shown me the paths of life, and you will fill me with joy by showing me your face.«
29 My brothers, let me tell you frankly about the patriarch David, that he died, that he was buried, and that his tomb is still among us today.
30 Because he was a prophet, and knew that God had promised him on oath to place a son of his own blood on his throne,
31 is the resurrection of Christ, whom he foresaw, saying that his soul would not be left in the realm of the dead, and that his flesh would not see corruption.
32 This is the Jesus whom God raised from the dead; we are all witnesses of it.
33 And now that he has been taken up to heaven at the right hand of God, and has received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this Spirit which you see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend into heaven; but he himself said, »The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.«
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.«
37 Their hearts were pierced by this saying, and they said to Peter and the other apostles, »Brothers, what shall we do?«
38 Peter answered them, »Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”.
39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.«
40 And with many other words he urged and exhorted them, saying, »Save yourselves from the midst of this perverse generation.«
41 Those who received Peter's message were baptized; and that day the number of disciples increased by about three thousand.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ preaching, to the meetings, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
43 And fear was in all souls, and many wonders and miracles were being done by the Apostles.
44 All those who believed were together and had everything in common.
45 They sold their lands and possessions, and distributed the proceeds among all, according to each person’s needs.
46 Every day, all together, they attended the temple, and breaking their bread in their homes, they ate their food with gladness and sincerity,
47 praising God and having the favor of all the people. And the Lord added daily to the number of those who were in the way of salvation.
Chapter 3
1 Peter and John went up (together) to the temple for the ninth hour prayer.
2 Now there was a man, lame from birth, who was being carried. Every day he was placed near the temple gate, called the Beautiful Gate, so that he could beg alms from those entering the temple.
3 When this man saw Peter and John about to go in, he asked them for alms.
4 Peter and John fixed their eyes on him and said, »Look at us.«
5 He looked at them carefully, expecting to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said to him, »I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.«
7 And taking him by the hand, he helped him to his feet. At that very moment, his legs and feet became strong;
8 He leaped to his feet and began to walk. Then he entered the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.
9 All the people saw him walking and praising God.
10 And recognizing that it was the very same man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, they were amazed and beside themselves at what had happened to him.
11 As he did not leave Peter and John, all the astonished people ran to them at the portico called Solomon's.
12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people, »Children of Israel, why are you amazed at this? And why do you stare at us as though by our own power or piety we had made this man walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of your fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, even though he had decided to release him.
14 You have denied the Holy and Righteous One, and have sought mercy for a murderer.
15 You killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are all witnesses of this.
16 It is because of the faith received from him that his name has strengthened the man whom you see and know; it is the faith that comes from him that has worked this perfect healing in the sight of you all.
17 I know, brothers, that you acted in ignorance, as did your rulers.
18 But in this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer.
19 Repent therefore and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,
20 so that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the one appointed for you, Jesus Christ,
21 which heaven must receive until the days of the restoration of all things, which God spoke of long ago by the mouth of his holy prophets.
22 Moses said, »The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers; you shall listen to him in all that he tells you.
23 And whoever does not listen to this prophet will be cut off from among the people.»
24 All the prophets who have spoken since Samuel have also foretold these days.
25 You are the children of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers when he said to Abraham, »Through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.«
26 God, having raised up his Son, sent him first to you to bless you, when each of you turns from your iniquities.
Chapter 4
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees arrived.,
2 were dissatisfied with what they were teaching the people and proclaiming in the person of Jesus the resurrection deaths.
3 They seized them and threw them into prison until the next day; for it was already evening.
4 However, many of those who heard this speech believed, and the number of men increased to about five thousand.
5 The next day, their leaders, the Elders and the Scribes, assembled in Jerusalem,
6 with Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all those who were of the papal family.
7 And having brought the Apostles before them, they asked them, »By what power or in whose name did you do this?«
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, »Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:
9 If we are asked today about a benefit granted to a disabled person, to know how this man was healed,
10 Know this well, all you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands before you fully healed.
11 This Jesus is the stone that you rejected from the building, which has become the cornerstone.
12 And salvation is found in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.«
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, knowing that they were uneducated, ordinary men, they were astonished; and at the same time they recognized them as having been with Jesus.
14 But when they saw the man who had been healed standing near them, they had nothing to say in reply.
15 Having brought them out of the Sanhedrin, they began to deliberate among themselves,
16 saying: »What shall we do to these men? That they have performed a great miracle, this is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 But to prevent this matter from spreading further among the people, let us warn them with threats not to speak in that name to anyone from now on.«
18 And having called them back, they strictly forbade them to speak and to teach in the name of Jesus.
19 Peter and John answered them, »Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.
20 For us, we cannot help but say what we have seen and heard.«
21 Then they threatened them and released them, not knowing how to punish them because of the people, since everyone was praising God for all that had just happened.
22 For the man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.
23 Released, they went to their brothers and told them everything that the chief priests and the elders had told them.
24 When the brothers heard this, they all raised their voices to God, saying, »Sovereign Lord, you made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
25 It is you who have spoken [by the Holy Spirit], by the mouth of [our father] David, your servant: »Why have the nations trembled, and the peoples formed vain plots?
26 The kings of the earth have risen up; the rulers have conspired against the Lord and against his Christ.»
27 Truly, in this city, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, have conspired against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed.,
28 to do what your hand and your council had decided beforehand.
29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant to your servants to proclaim your word with all boldness,
30 by stretching out your hand to heal, and to perform miracles and wonders, through the name of your holy servant Jesus.«
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together was shaken: they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God boldly.
32 The multitude of the faithful were of one heart and one soul; no one called what he possessed his own, but everything was held in common among them.
33 With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Savior Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
34 For there was no one needy among them: all those who owned land or houses sold them
35 and brought the proceeds to the Apostles' feet; then it was distributed to each one, according to his needs.
36 A Levite from Cyprus, Joseph, surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which translates as Son of Consolation),
37 owned a field; he sold it, brought the money and laid it at the feet of the Apostles.
Chapter 5
1 But a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a property,
2 and having, together with her, kept back some of the prize money, he brought the rest and laid it at the feet of the Apostles.
3 Peter said to him, »Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds from the purchase of this land?
4 Could you not have kept it without selling it? And after you sold it, were you not the owner of the money? How could you have conceived such a plan? You have not lied to men, but to God.«
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died, and all who heard about it were filled with great fear.
6 The young men got up, wrapped the body, and carried it away to bury it.
7 About three hours later, Ananias' wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her, »Tell me, is this the price you sold your field for?» »Yes,« she replied, “that is the price.”
9 Then Peter said to him, »How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of the young men who buried your husband are striking the threshold; they are about to bury you also.«
10 At that very moment, she fell at the Apostle's feet and died. The young men came in and found her dead; they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 Great fear spread throughout the whole church and among all who heard about this event.
12 Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s portico;
13 No one else dared to join them, but the people praised them highly.
14 Every day the number of men and women who believed in the Lord increased,
15 so that we brought the sick in the streets, and they were placed on beds or mats, so that when Peter passed by, at least his shadow would cover some of them.
16 So crowds came from the surrounding towns to Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all were healed.
17 Then the high priest and all his followers, namely the party of the Sadducees, stood up, filled with jealousy;
18 And having arrested the Apostles, they threw them into a prison public.
19 But an angel of the Lord, having opened the gates of the night prison, made them leave, saying:
20 »Go, stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all these words of life.«
21 When they heard this, they went early in the morning into the temple and began to teach.
However, the high priest and his followers, having gathered together, assembled the council and all the elders of the children of Israel, and they sent to the prison search for the Apostles.
22 The satellites went, and not having found them in the prison, They returned and gave their report,
23 saying, "We have found the prison The gates were carefully locked, and the guards were standing in front of them; but after opening them, we found no one inside.«
24 When the high priest, the commander of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were greatly perplexed about the prisoners, not knowing what they could be.
25 At that moment someone came and said to them, »Those whom you had put in prison, There they are in the temple, teaching the people.«
26 The commander immediately surrendered with his agents, and brought them in without violence, for they feared being stoned by the people.
27 Having brought them in, he presented them before the Sanhedrin, and the high priest questioned them,
28 saying, »We expressly forbade you to teach this name, yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to bring this man’s blood upon us!«
29 Peter and the Apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree.
31 God exalted him to his right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness sins.
32 And we are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.«
33 Exasperated by what they had just heard, the members of the council were of the opinion that they should be put to death.
34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, revered by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the Apostles be put outside for a little while,
35 He said, »Children of Israel, be careful what you do to these men.
36 For not long ago Theodas appeared, claiming to be someone of note; about four hundred men rallied to him: he was killed, and all those who had followed him were scattered and brought to nothing.
37 After him Judas the Galilean arose at the time of the census, and he attracted people to his party: he also perished, and all his followers were scattered.
38 Now this is my advice to you: Leave these people alone and let them go. If this idea or this work is of human origin, it will fail of itself;
39 But if it comes from God, you cannot destroy it. Do not risk having fought against God himself.«
40 They agreed with his opinion, and having called the Apostles back, they had them flogged; then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and released them.
41 The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.
42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease to proclaim Jesus as the Christ.
Chapter 6
1 In those days, when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenists raised complaints against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily care.
2 Then the Twelve, having gathered together the multitude of the disciples, said to them, »It is not fitting that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.
3 Therefore, brothers, choose from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, to whom we may entrust this office;
4 and we will devote ourselves entirely to prayer and to the ministry of the word.«
5 This speech pleased the whole assembly, and they elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.
6 They were presented to the apostles, and the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them.
7 The word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a multitude of priests became obedient to the faith.
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, performed wonders and great signs among the people.
9 Some members of the synagogue called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, and of that of the Cyrenians and Alexandrians, with Jews from Cilicia and Asia, came to dispute with him;
10 but they could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
11 Then they bribed some people who said, "We heard him utter blasphemous words against Moses and against God."»
12 So they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and together they rushed upon him, seized him and dragged him into the Sanhedrin.
13 And they produced false witnesses, who said, »This man never stops speaking words against the holy place and against the Law.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the institutions that Moses gave us.«
15 As all those who sat in the council had their eyes fixed on Stephen, his face appeared to them like that of an angel.
Chapter 7
1 The high priest asked him, »Is that so?«
2 Stephen answered, »My brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he came to live in Haran,
3 and said to him, »Leave your country and your people, and go to the land that I will show you.«
4 So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after the death of his father, God caused him to migrate to this land where you now live.
5 And he gave him no property in that land, not even a place to set foot; but he promised him, at a time when the patriarch had no children, that he would give it to him and his descendants after him as a possession.
6 God spoke thus: »His descendants will dwell in a foreign land; they will be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.
7 But I will judge the nation that held them captive, says the Lord. Afterward, they will come out and serve me in this place.»
8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham, after he had begotten Isaac, circumcised him on the eighth day; Isaac begot and circumcised Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs.
9 Driven by jealousy, the patriarchs sold Joseph to be taken to Egypt. But God was with him,
10 and he delivered him from all his trials, and gave him grace and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who put him in charge of Egypt and of all his house.
11 Now there was a famine throughout the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan. The distress was great, and our fathers could not find anything to eat.
12 Jacob, having heard that there was food in Egypt, sent our fathers there for the first time.
13 And the second time, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and Pharaoh knew what his origin was.
14 Then Joseph sent for his father Jacob and all his family, seventy-five persons in all.
15 And Jacob went down to Egypt, where he died, as did our fathers.
16 And they were carried to Shechem, and laid in the tomb which Abraham had bought with money from the sons of Hamor, in Shechem.
17 As the time drew near for the fulfillment of the promise God had sworn to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
18 until another king appeared in that country who did not know Joseph.
19 This king, using trickery against our race, mistreated our fathers, to the point of making them expose their children, so that they would not live.
20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in the sight of God; he was nourished three months in his father’s house.
21 And when he had been exposed, Pharaoh's daughter took him in and raised him as her son.
22 Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in speech and deed.
23 When he reached the age of forty, it came into his mind to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 He saw one who was being insulted; taking up his defense, he avenged the oppressed by killing the Egyptian.
25 Now he thought that his brothers would understand that God was granting them deliverance through his hand; but they did not THE They didn't understand.
26 The following day, having met two who were fighting, he urged them to peace saying, "Men, you are brothers: why mistreat one another?"»
27 But the one who was mistreating his neighbor rejected him, saying, »Who made you a ruler and judge over us?”
28 Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?«
29 At this word, Moses fled and went to live in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.
30 Forty years later, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the flame of a burning bush.
31 When Moses saw this, he was filled with amazement, and as he approached to look more closely, the voice of the Lord came to him:
32 »I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.» — And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
33 Then the Lord said to him, »Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
34 »I have indeed seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. Now come, and I will send you to Egypt.”
35 This Moses, whom they had denied, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge?"—this is the one whom God sent as a ruler and a deliverer, with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 It was he who brought them out, performing wonders and miracles in the land of Egypt, in the Red Sea, and in the desert for forty years.
37 This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, »God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers [: listen to him].«
38 It was he who, in the midst of the assembly in the wilderness, conferring with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, received living oracles to transmit to us.
39 Our ancestors, far from obeying him, rejected him, and returned in their hearts to Egypt,
40 They said to Aaron, »Make us gods who will go before us, for as for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.«
41 So they made a golden calf, and they offered a sacrifice to the idol and rejoiced in the work of their hands.
42 But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: »Did you offer me sacrifices and offerings for forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel…?
43 You have carried the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Raiphan, these images that you made to worship! Therefore I will carry you off beyond Babylon.»
44 Our fathers in the desert had the tabernacle of the testimony, as commanded by him who told Moses to build it according to the pattern he had seen.
45 Having received it of Moses, our fathers brought it, under the leadership of Joshua, when they conquered the land from the nations that God drove out before them, and he remained there until the days of David.
46 This king found favor with God, and asked to build a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 Nevertheless, it was Solomon who built a temple for him.
48 But the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, according to the word of the prophet:
49 »Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of dwelling will you build for me, says the Lord, or what will be the place of my rest?”
50 "Was it not my hand that did all these things?"
51 You stubborn men, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers were, so you are.
52 What prophet did your fathers not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One; and you, today, have betrayed him and put him to death.
53 You who received the Law, in consideration of the angels who commanded you, and you did not keep it!… «
54 When they heard these words, their hearts were filled with rage, and they gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But Stephen, who was full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of his Father.
56 And he said, »Look, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.«
57 Then the Jews raised a loud cry, covered their ears, and all rushed at him together.
58 And having dragged him out of the city, they stoned him. The witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, saying, »Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!«
60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, »Lord, do not hold this sin against them.» After saying this, he fell asleep [in the Lord].
However, Saul had approved of Stephen's murder.
Chapter 8
1 On the same day a violent persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.
2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned greatly over him.
3 And Saul ravaged the church; entering the houses, he dragged out the men and women, and had them thrown into prison.
4 Those who were scattered went throughout the land proclaiming the word.
5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and preached Christ there.
6 And the crowds listened attentively to what Philip said, as they heard and saw miracles that he was doing.
7 For unclean spirits, crying out with loud voices, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed or lame were also healed,
8 and there was great joy in that city.
9 Now there was already a man there named Simon, who practiced magic, and amazed the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.
10 Everyone, young and old, had become attached to him. This man, they said, is the Virtue of God, the one that is called the Great.
11 They had therefore become attached to him, because, for a long time, he had seduced them with his enchantments.
12 But when they believed Philip, who proclaimed to them the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Simon himself believed, and having been baptized, he joined Philip, and miracles and the great wonders he witnessed filled him with amazement.
14 When the apostles who were in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they arrived at the Samaritans' house, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For he had not yet come down on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, »Give me this power also, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.«
20 But Peter said to him, »May your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be obtained with money!”
21 You have absolutely no part in this favor, because your heart is not pure before God.
22 Repent therefore of your iniquity, and pray to the Lord that he may forgive you, if possible, the intent of your heart.
23 For I see that you are in bitter gall and in the bonds of sin.«
24 Simon replied, »Pray to the Lord yourselves for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.«
25 As for them, after bearing witness and preaching the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news in many Samaritan villages.
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, »Get up and go south to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a desert road.«
27 He got up and left. And behold, an Ethiopian, a eunuch, minister of Candace, queen of Ethiopia, and superintendent of all her treasures, had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 He returned, and, sitting on a chariot, he read the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Spirit said to Philip, »Go up and stand beside that chariot.«
30 Philip ran up to him, and when he heard the Ethiopian reading from the prophet Isaiah, he said to him, »Do you understand what you are reading?«
31 He replied, »How can I, unless someone guides me?» And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this: »Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation his judgment was completed. As for his generation, who can recount it? For his life was cut off from the earth.«
34 The eunuch said to Philip, »Please, who is the prophet talking about? Himself or someone else?«
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this passage, told him about Jesus.
36 As they walked along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, »Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?«
37 [Philip replied, "If you believe with all your heart, it is possible." "I believe," the eunuch replied, "that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."]
38 So he made his chariot stop, and Philip went down with him into the water and baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, and went on his way rejoicing.
40 As for Philip, he was in Azotus, from where he went to Caesarea, evangelizing all the towns through which he passed.
Chapter 9
1 However, Saul, still breathing threats and death against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any people of that faith, men or women, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.
3 As he was on his journey and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, »Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?«
5 He answered, »Who are you, Lord?» And the Lord said, »I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [It is not good for you to kick against the goad.]«
6 Trembling and terrified, he said, »Lord, what do you want me to do?» The Lord answered him, »Get up and go into the city, and there you will be told what you must do.«
7 The men who were with him stood amazed, for they heard the sound of the voice but saw no one.
8 Saul got up from the ground, and although his eyes were open, he could see nothing; they took him by the hand and led him to Damascus;
9 And he was there three days without seeing, and without eating or drinking.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, »Ananias!» He answered, »Here I am, Lord.«
11 And the Lord said to him, »Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man named Saul of Tarsus, for he is praying.«
12 (And he saw in a vision a man named Ananias, who came in and laid his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.)
13 Ananias answered, »Lord, I have heard from many about all the harm this man has done to your saints in Jerusalem.
14 And here, the chief priests have full authority to bind with chains all who call on your name.«
15 But the Lord said to him, »Go, for this man is an instrument I have chosen to carry my name before the nations, before kings, and before the children of Israel;
16 and I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.«
17 Ananias went to the house and laid his hands on Saul, saying, »Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.«
18 At that very moment, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. He got up and was baptized;
19 and after he had eaten some food, his strength returned to him.
Saul spent a few days with the disciples who were in Damascus,
20 and immediately he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
21 All who heard it were amazed and said, »Isn’t this the man who persecuted those who call on this name in Jerusalem? And hasn’t he come here to lead them in chains to the chief priests?«
22 However, Saul felt his courage redouble, and he confounded the Jews of Damascus, demonstrating to them that Jesus is the Christ.
23 After a considerable amount of time, the Jews formed a plan to kill him,
24 But their plot came to Saul's attention. The gates were guarded day and night in order to put him to death.
25 But the disciples took him during the night and lowered him down through the wall in a basket.
26 He went to Jerusalem and sought to associate with the disciples, but they all feared him, not believing that he was a disciple of Jesus.
27 Then Barnabas took him with him and brought him to the Apostles, and told them how on the road Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and with what courage he had, in Damascus, preached the name of Jesus.
28 From then on Saul went in and out with them in Jerusalem, and spoke boldly in the name of the Lord.
29 He also addressed the Hellenists and argued with them; but they sought to put him to death.
30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him to Caesarea, from where they sent him to Tarsus.
31 The church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and flourished in the fear of the Lord and was encouraged by the Holy Spirit.
32 Now it came to pass that Peter, visiting the saints from city to city, went down to those who dwelt in Lydda.
33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been lying on a bed for eight years: he was paralyzed.
34 Peter said to him, »Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your own bed.» And immediately he got up.
35 All the inhabitants of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, in Greek Dorcas: she was rich in good works and gave generously to the poor.
37 She fell ill at that time, and died. After washing her, they laid her in an upper room.
38 Since Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with this plea: »Do not delay in coming to us.«
39 Peter got up and went with them. As soon as he arrived, they led him into the upper room, and all the widows surrounded him, weeping, and showing him the tunics and garments that Dorcas had made while she was with them.
40 Peter sent everyone out, knelt down and prayed; then, turning towards the dead body, he said, »Tabitha, get up!» She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
41 Peter reached out his hand to her and helped her to her feet. Then he called together the saints and the widows and presented her to them alive.
42 This wonder became known throughout the city of Joppa, and a great number believed in the Lord.
43 Peter stayed for some time in Joppa, with a tanner named Simon.
Chapter 10
1 There was in Caesarea a man named Cornelius, a centurion in the Italian cohort,
2 Religious and God-fearing, as was his entire household, he gave much alms to the people and prayed to God constantly.
3 In a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw an angel of God who came to him and said, »Cornelius!«
4 Fixing his eyes on the angel and seized with fear, he cried out, »What is it, Lord?» The angel answered him, »Your prayers and your alms have ascended before God as a memorial.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and bring back a certain Simon, surnamed Peter;
6. He is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is located near the sea.«
7 When the angel who spoke to him had left, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who were attached to his person,
8 and after telling them everything, he sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as the messengers were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof at about the sixth hour to pray.
10 Then, being hungry, he desired to eat. While his meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance:
11 he saw heaven opened, and something like a large sheet coming down from it, gathered at its four corners and coming down to earth;
12 Inside were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and birds of the air.
13 And a voice said to him, »Get up, Peter; kill and eat.«
14 Peter answered, »Oh no, Lord! For I have never eaten anything profane or unclean.«
15 And a voice spoke to him again: »What God has made pure, do not call profane.«
16 This was done three times, and immediately afterwards the sheet was lifted up into the sky.
17 Now Peter was searching within himself what the vision which he had seen might mean, and behold, the men sent by Cornelius, having inquired about the house of Simon, came to the gate;
18 and having called, they asked if this was where Simon, surnamed Peter, was staying.
19 And as Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, »Behold, three men are looking for you.
20 Get up, go downstairs and go with them without fear, for it is I who have sent them.«
21 Immediately Peter went down to them and said, »I am the one you are looking for. What brings you here?«
22 They replied, »Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, commended by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and listen to your words.«
23 So Peter brought them in and lodged them. The next day he got up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
24 They entered Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them, and he had invited his relatives and close friends.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius went to meet him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, »Get up; I too am a man.«
27 And while he was talking with him, he went in and found a large crowd gathered together.
28 He said to them, »You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; but God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
29 So I came without hesitation as soon as you sent for me. I therefore ask you to tell me why you have summoned me.«
30 Cornelius replied: »For the past four days I have been fasting and praying in my house at the ninth hour; suddenly a man dressed in a dazzling robe appeared before me, and said to me:
31 »Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and God has remembered your alms.”.
32 »So send to Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea. [He will come and speak to you.]”
33 I immediately sent to you, and you did well to come. Now we are all gathered before God to hear everything that God has commanded you to tell us.«
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, »Truly I know that God does not show favoritism,
35 but in every nation he who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 He sent the word to the children of Israel, announcing peace through Jesus Christ: he is Lord of all.
37 You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning with Galilee, after the baptism that John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
39 As for us, we are witnesses of everything he did in the countryside of Judea and in Jerusalem. Then they put him to death by hanging him on a tree.
40 But God raised him from the dead on the third day and enabled him to be seen,
41 not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen beforehand by God, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that this is the one whom God has appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.«
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the word.
45 The believers from the circumcision group who were with Peter were completely amazed when they saw that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard these people speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said:
47 »Can we refuse baptismal water to these men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?«
48 And he commanded that they be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. After this they asked him to stay a few days.
Chapter 11
1 The apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.
2 And when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers rebuked him,
3 saying, »You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them!«
4 Peter, taking the floor, began to explain to them, in a continuous manner, what had happened.
5 "I was praying," he said, "in the city of Joppa, and I had a vision in my ecstasy: something like a large sheet, held by its four corners, was coming down from heaven and coming toward me.
6 Fixing my eyes on this sheet, I considered it, and I saw on it the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the air.
7 I also heard a voice saying to me, »Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
8 I answered, »Oh no, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.”
9 For the second time a voice came from heaven: “What God has made clean, do not call profane.”
10 This happened three times; then everything was taken up into heaven.
11 At that very moment three men appeared at the house where we were; they had been sent to me from Caesarea.
12 The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six brothers accompanied me, and we entered the house of Cornelius.
13 This man told us how he had seen the angel appear to him in his house, saying: Send to Joppa, and bring back Simon, who is called Peter;
14 He will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.
15 When I began to speak to them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
16 And I remembered the Lord’s words: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
17 If then God gave them the same grace as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to be able to stand against God?«
18 When they heard this, they calmed down and glorified God, saying, »So then, God has granted repentance to the Gentiles, so that they may live.«
19 However, those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, the island of Cyprus, and to Antioch, announcing the word to no one except the Jews alone.
20 However, there were some men among them from Cyprus and Cyrene who, having come to Antioch, They also addressed the Greeks, and proclaimed the Lord Jesus to them.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
22 When the news reached the ears of the faithful of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain steadfast in the Lord with their hearts.
24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was joined to the Lord.
25 Barnabas then went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.
26 Now it came to pass that for a whole year they held meetings in that church and taught great multitudes. This was so at Antioch that, for the first time, the disciples received the name of Christians.
27 In those days, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and announced by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the earth; and indeed it took place during the reign of Claudius.
29 The disciples decided to send help, each according to their ability, to the brothers who lived in Judea:
30 which they did. This relief was sent to the Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Chapter 12
1 Around this time, King Herod arrested some members of the Church to mistreat them;
2 he put James, the brother of John, to death with the sword.
3 Seeing that this pleased the Jews, he also ordered Peter's arrest: this was during the days of Unleavened Bread.
4 When he had it in his power, he threw it into prison, and placed him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each, with the intention of bringing him before the people after Passover.
5 While Peter was thus kept in the prison, The Church continued to offer prayers to God for him.
6 Now on the very night of the day on which Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, and sentries were standing guard at the gate. prison.
7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison. The angel struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, »Get up quickly!» and the chains fell from his hands.
8 The angel said to him, »Put on your belt and sandals.» He did so, and the angel added, »Wrap your cloak around yourself and follow me.«
9 Peter went out and followed him, not knowing that what was being done by the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.
10 When they had passed the first watch, then the second, they came to the iron gate which leads into the city: it opened of its own accord before them; they went out and entered a street, and immediately the angel left him.
11 Then, having come to his senses, Peter se He said, »Now I see that the Lord has truly sent his angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.«
12 After a moment of reflection, he headed towards the house of Married, the mother of John, nicknamed Mark, where a large assembly was praying.
13 He knocked on the vestibule door and a servant girl named Rhode came over to listen.
14 As soon as she recognized Peter's voice, in her joy, instead of opening the door, she ran inside and announced that Peter was at the door.
15 They said to her, »You are crazy.» But she maintained that it was so; and they said, »It is her angel.«
16 But Peter kept knocking; and when they opened the door to him, they were astonished at him.
17 But Peter motioned them to be quiet and told them how the Lord had delivered him from the prison, and he added, »Go and tell James and the brothers.» Then he went out and left for another place.
18 When day broke, there was great commotion among the soldiers, to find out what had become of Peter.
19 Herod sent for him, and not finding him, he interrogated the guards and had them led away to their execution. Then he left Judea and returned to Caesarea, where he stayed.
20 Herod was at odds with the Tyrians and the Sidonians; they came together to him, and having won over Blastus, his chamberlain, they asked him peace, because their country derived its sustenance from the king's lands.
21 On the appointed day, Herod, clothed in royal robes, and seated on his throne, addressed them;
22 And the people cried out, »This is the voice of a god, and not of a man!«
23 At that very moment, an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he had not given glory to God. And he died, eaten by worms.
24 However, the word of God continued to spread and to bring forth new disciples.
25 Barnabas and Saul, having completed their ministry, returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, surnamed Mark.
Chapter 13
1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers, namely Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said to them, »Separate Saul and Barnabas for me from the work to which I have called them.«
3 Then, after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
4 So Saul and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Spirit to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to the island of Cyprus.
5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them to assist them in their ministry.
6 Having traveled all over the island as far as Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false Jewish prophet, named Barjesus,
7 who lived with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a wise man. The latter, having summoned Barnabas and Saul, expressed a desire to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas, the magician — for that is the meaning of his name — opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul, also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on the magician,
10 He said to him, »You son of the devil, full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
11 Now behold, the hand of God is upon you; you shall be blind, deprived for a time of the sight of the sun.» Immediately thick darkness fell upon him, and he looked about seeking someone to lay his hand upon him.
12 At the sight of this prodigy, the proconsul believed, deeply struck by the teaching of the Lord.
13 Paul and his companions, having sailed from Paphos, went to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 They, going on beyond Perga, went to Antioch from Pisidia, and having entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down.
15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, »Brothers, if you have any exhortation to address to the people, speak.«
16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand, he said, »Children of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.
17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers. He glorified this people during their stay in Egypt, and brought them out of it with his mighty arm.
18 For nearly forty years, he took care of it in the desert.
19 Then, having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he put him in possession of their territory.
20 After that, for about four hundred and fifty years, he gave him judges until the prophet Samuel.
21 Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul, son of Cish, of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22 Then, having rejected him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he gave this testimony: “I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.”
23 From his offspring God, according to his promise, brought forth for Israel a Savior, Jesus.
24 Before his coming, John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel;
25 And when he had finished his course, he said: I am not he whom you think I am; but behold, after me comes he whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.
26 My brothers, children of the race of Abraham, and you who fear God, it is to you that this message of salvation has been sent.
27 For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their officials, having rejected Jesus and the oracles of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by their judgment,
28 and having found nothing in him that deserved death, they asked Pilate to put him to death.
29 And when they had accomplished all that was written of him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead; and for several days he appeared to those
31 who had gone up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and who are now his witnesses to the people.
32 We also announce to you that the promise made to our fathers,
33 God has accomplished it for us, their children, by raising Jesus from the dead, according to what is written in the second Psalm: You are my Son, today I have begotten you.
34 That God raised him from the dead so that he will not return to corruption, is what he declared when he said: I will give you the divine favors promised to David, favors which are assured.
35 — That is why he also says elsewhere: You shall not allow your Holy One to see corruption.
36 Now David, after he had fulfilled the purposes of God while he lived, fell asleep, and was gathered to his fathers, and saw corruption.
37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see corruption.
38 Therefore, my brothers, know this: it is through him that forgiveness You are told about sins, and about all kinds of defilement, which you were not justified from by the law of Moses,
39 Whoever believes in it is justified by it.
40 Therefore, beware lest what is said in the Prophets happen to you:
41 »See, you disdainful men, be astonished and perish! For I am going to do a work in your days, a work you would not believe if someone told you.«
42 When they went out, they were asked to speak on the same subject the following Sabbath.
43 And after the assembly, many Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, and they spoke with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The following Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of God.
45 When the Jews saw all this, they were filled with jealousy, and blasphemed, contradicting everything Paul said.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly: »It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.
47 For the Lord has commanded us: «I have appointed you to be a light for the nations, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”
48 When the Gentiles heard these words, they rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers.
49 And the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole land.
50 But the Jews, having stirred up women Proselytes of the upper class and the leaders of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory.
51 Then Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium.
52 However, the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 14
1 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas also went into the Jewish synagogue and spoke there, so that a great multitude of Jews and Greeks embraced the faith.
2 But the Jews who remained unbelieving stirred up and embittered the minds of the Gentiles against their brothers.
3 They stayed for quite some time, speaking boldly, supported by the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace by wonders and miracles that he gave them to do.
4 The whole city was divided; some were for the Jews, others for the Apostles.
5 But when the Gentiles and the Jews, with their leaders, moved forward to insult and stone them,
6 When the Apostles learned of this, they fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding countryside, and proclaimed the good news there.
7 There was a man in Lystra who was crippled in his legs, who sat down because he was lame from birth and had never walked.
8 He listened to Paul speaking; and Paul, having fixed his eyes on him and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
9 said in a loud voice, »Stand up straight on your feet.» Immediately he jumped up and was walking.
10 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices and said in the Lycaonian language, »The gods have come down to us in human form!«
11 And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury, because it was he who spoke.
12 Moreover, the priest of the temple of Jupiter, who was at the entrance to the city, brought bulls with ribbons before the gates, and wanted, as did the crowd, to offer a sacrifice.
13 When the Apostles Paul and Barnabas heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd;
14 And with a loud voice they said, »O men, why are you doing this? We too are men subject to the same weaknesses as you; we tell you that you must leave these vanities and turn to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
15 This God, in past ages, allowed all nations to follow their own ways,
16 Yet he did not cease to bear witness to himself, doing good, sending rain from heaven and favorable seasons, giving us food in abundance and filling our hearts with joy.«
17 Despite these words, they could only with difficulty prevent the people from offering them a sacrifice.
18 Then Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the people, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.
19 But the disciples surrounded him, and he got up and went back into the city.
The next day, he left for Derbé with Barnabé.
20 When they had evangelized that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
21 strengthening the spirit of the disciples, exhorting them to persevere in the faith, and saying that it is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.
22 They appointed elders in each church, after praying and fasting, and commended them to the Lord, in whom they had believed.
23 Then, crossing Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia,
24 and after proclaiming the word of God in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
25 From there they set sail for Antioch, from where they had departed, having been commended to the grace of God for the work they had just accomplished.
26 As soon as they arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done for them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
27 And they remained at Antioch long enough with the disciples.
Chapter 15
1 Now some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers this doctrine: »Unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.«
2 So Paul and Barnabas had a dispute and a sharp disagreement with them, and it was decided that Paul and Barnabas, with some others of their number, should go up to Jerusalem to the Apostles and Elders to discuss this question.
3 After being accompanied by the Church, they continued their journey through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, which caused great joy to all the brothers.
4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the Church, the Apostles and the Elders, and they reported all that God had done for them.
5 Then some of the party of the Pharisees, who had believed, stood up and said that the Gentiles should be circumcised and commanded to observe the law of Moses.
6 The apostles and elders gathered together to consider this matter.
7 After a long discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, »My brothers, you know that God chose me from among you long ago so that through my mouth the Gentiles might hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the hearts, testified in their favor, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he gave us;
9 He made no distinction between them and us, having purified their hearts by faith.
10 Why then are you testing God now, by placing on the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we believe we are saved, just as they are.«
12 The whole assembly remained silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul, who recounted everything miracles and the wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 When they had finished speaking, James spoke up and said, »Brothers, listen to me.
14 Simon related how God first took care to bring out from among the Gentiles a people who bore his name.
15 The words of the prophets agree with this purpose, as it is written:
16 After that I will return and rebuild the tent of David that lies fallen on the ground; I will repair its ruins and raise it up,
17 so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the nations that are called by my name, says the Lord, who does these things.
18 The work of the Lord is known from all eternity.
19 Therefore, I am of the opinion that we should not disturb those among the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20 Let them only be written to, that they must abstain from things polluted by idols, from uncleanness, from meat strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses has had preachers in every city from many generations, and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.«
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and elders, and to the whole church, to choose some of their own and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; they chose Jude, surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, prominent figures among the brothers.
23 They entrusted them with a letter worded as follows:
»"The Apostles, the Elders, and the brothers, to the brothers among the Gentiles who are at Antioch, in Syria And greetings to Cilicia!
24 Having heard that some of our people came without any mandate from us to disturb you with words that unsettled your souls,
25 We gathered together and decided it was right to choose delegates and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 these men who risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 So we have Judah and Silas, deputies, who will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to impose on you any burden beyond what is necessary, namely,
29 Abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled meat, and from impurity. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell.«
30 Having therefore taken their leave, the deputies went to Antioch, They gathered all the faithful and handed them the letter.
31 It was read aloud and everyone was happy with the consolation it contained.
32 Judah and Silas, who were themselves prophets, spoke many times to the brothers, encouraging and strengthening them.
33 After a stay of some time, they were dismissed by the brothers, with wishes of peace to those who had sent them.
34 However, Silas thought it best to stay, and Judah went to Jerusalem alone.
35 Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others.
36 After a few days, Paul said to Barnabas, »Let us go back and visit the brothers in the various towns where we preached the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.«
37 Barnabas also wanted to take John, surnamed Mark;
38 But Paul thought it best not to take as a companion a man who had left them from Pamphylia, and who had not been working with them.
39 This disagreement was so great that they parted ways; and Barnabas took Mark and sailed with him to Cyprus.
40 Paul chose Silas and departed, commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
41 He traveled the Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the Churches.
Chapter 16
1 Paul then went to Derbe and then to Lystra. There was a disciple there named Timothy, the son of a Jewish Christian woman and a Greek father.
2 His brothers from Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
3 Paul wanted to take him with him, and having taken him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who were in those regions; for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.
4 As they went through the towns, they taught the faithful to observe the decisions of the Apostles and Elders of Jerusalem.
5 And the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily.
6 When they had traveled throughout Phrygia and Galatia, the Holy Spirit prevented them from preaching the word in Asia,
7 They arrived at the borders of Mysia, and they were preparing to enter Bithynia; but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do so.
8 Then, having quickly crossed Mysia, they went down to Troas.
9 During the night Paul had a vision: a Macedonian man stood before him and begged him, »Come over to Macedonia and help us!«
10 After this vision of Paul, we immediately sought to go to Macedonia, certain that God had called us to proclaim the good news there.
11 Having therefore set sail from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.
12 From there we went to Philippi, which is the first city in this part of Macedonia and a colony. We stayed in that city for a few days.
13 On the Sabbath day, we went outside the gate to the bank of a river, where we thought was the place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there.
14 Now in the audience was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. She was a God-fearing woman, and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.
15 When she and her family had been baptized, she asked us, »If you have judged that I have faith in the Lord, come into my house and stay there.» And she persuaded us.
16 One day as we were going to prayer, we met a young slave girl who had a Python spirit and brought great profit to her masters through her divinations.
17 She began to follow Paul and us, shouting, »These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.«
18 She did this for several days. When Paul was distressed by it, he turned and said to the spirit, »I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.» And it came out at once.
19 When the girl’s owners saw their hope of gain vanish, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the agora before the magistrates.
20 And having brought them to the generals, they said, »These men are disturbing our city. They are Jews;
21 They preach customs which we Romans are not permitted to receive or follow.«
22 At the same time the crowd rose up against them, and the generals, having torn off their clothes, ordered that they be beaten with rods.
23 After they had been severely beaten, they had them put in prison, recommending to the jailer to keep them safe.
24 The jailer, having received this order, put them in one of the inner dungeons, and placed their feet in stocks.
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison They were shaken; at the same instant, all the doors opened and the bonds of all the prisoners fell away.
27 The jailer, having awakened and seeing the gates of the prison open, drew his sword, and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had fled.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, »Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!«
29 Then the jailer, having asked for light, rushed in and, trembling, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas; then
30 He brought them out and said, »Sirs, what must I do to be saved?«
31 They replied, »Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and your household.«
32 And they spoke the word of God to him and to all who were in the house.
33 Taking them with him at that hour of the night, he washed their wounds, and immediately afterwards he and all his family were baptized.
34 Then he brought them up into his house and served them food, rejoicing with all his family that they had believed in God.
35 When day broke, the generals sent the lictors who said, "Set these men free."»
36 The jailer told Paul, »The officials have sent orders to release you; come out now and go in peace.«
37 But Paul said to the officers, »They publicly flogged us, Romans, without trial, and threw us into the grievance chambers.” prison, And now they're making us leave in secret! It won't be like that. Let them come themselves.
38 to set us free.» The lictors reported these words to the strategists, who were frightened to learn that these men were Romans.
39 So they came and exhorted them, and they set them free, asking them to leave the city.
40 Upon exiting the prison, Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house, and after seeing and encouraging the brothers, they left.
Chapter 17
1 After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, Paul and Silas arrived at Thessalonica, where the synagogue of the Jews was.
2 As was his custom, Paul went in, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with them. Beginning with the Scriptures,
3 He explained and established that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead; and, he said, »this Messiah is Christ Jesus, whom I am proclaiming to you.«
4 Some Jews were persuaded, and they joined Paul and Silas, as well as a large number of God-fearing Gentiles, and quite a number of leading women.
5 But the Jews, filled with jealousy, recruited some wicked people from the dregs of the population, stirred up a mob, and caused an uproar in the city. Then they rushed to Jason’s house and sought Paul and Silas to bring them before the people.
6 When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the politarchs, shouting, »These men who have turned the world upside down have also come here,
7 and Jason received them. They are all in violation of Caesar's edicts, saying that there is another king, Jesus.«
8 They thus stirred up the people and the political leaders who were listening to them.
9 And it was only after receiving a guarantee from Jason and the others that they let them go.
10 The brothers, without delay, sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived in that city, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 These men were of nobler character than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures every day to see if what they were being taught was true.
12 Many of them, and, among the Greeks, many high-ranking women and many men, embraced the faith.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that Paul was also preaching the word of God in Berea, they came there again to agitate the people.
14 Then the brothers immediately sent Paul away to the sea; but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea.
15 Those who were leading Paul accompanied him as far as Athens; then, instructed to send word to Silas and Timothy to come and join him as soon as possible, they returned.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he felt a deep indignation in his soul at the sight of this city full of idols.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing men, and every day in the Agora with those he met.
18 Now some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers having conferred with him, some said, "What does this sower of words want from us?" Others, hearing him preach Jesus and the resurrection, They said, "It seems he has come to announce foreign deities to us."»
19 And having taken him with them, they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, »May we know what this new teaching is that you are teaching?
20 For you are telling us strange things; we would like to know what they are.«
21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners residing in the city spent their time doing nothing but telling or listening to news.
22 Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, spoke thus: »Men of Athens, I perceive that in every respect you are exceedingly religious.
23 For as I passed by, I looked at the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. The one whom you worship without knowing, I have come to proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with human hands;
25 He is not served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and everything else.
26 From one man he brought forth all mankind to populate the face of the whole earth, having determined for each nation the duration of its existence and the boundaries of its territory,
27 so that people may seek him and find him as if groping, though he is not far from any one of us,
28 For in him we live and move and have our being; and, as some of your own poets have also said… of his race we are.
29 Since we are therefore of God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human art and genius.
30 God overlooked those times of ignorance, but now commands all people everywhere to repent;
31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed and approved among all, by raising him from the dead.«
32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them scoffed, while others said, "We will hear you about this again."»
33 So Paul withdrew from among them.
34 Some people, however, joined him and believed; among them were Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Chapter 18
1 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2 There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them;
3 and since he practiced the same trade, he stayed with them and worked there: they were tentmakers.
4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, he devoted himself entirely to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
6 But when they opposed him and reviled him, Paul shook out his clothes and said to them, »Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it; from now on I will go to the Gentiles.«
7 And leaving there, he went to the house of a man named Justus, a God-fearing man, whose house was next to the synagogue.
8 Now Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household; and a great number of Corinthians, when they heard Paul, believed also and were baptized.
9 During the night, the Lord said to Paul in a vision: »Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.
10 For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, for I have many people in this city.«
11 Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and six months, teaching the word of God.
12 Now, when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews unanimously rose up against Paul and brought him before the tribunal,
13 saying, »This man persuades men to worship contrary to the Law.«
14 As Paul opened his mouth to reply, Gallio said to the Jews, »If it were a matter of some crime or serious wrongdoing, I would listen to you as is only right, O Jews.
15 But since these are discussions about doctrine, names, and your law, that is your own business; I do not want to be a judge of these things.«
16 And he sent them away from the tribunal.
17 Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him before the tribunal, but Gallio did not care.
18 Paul stayed in Corinth for quite some time longer; then, having said goodbye to the brothers, he sailed for the Syria, with Priscilla and Aquila, after having his head shaved at Cenchreae, in accordance with a vow.
19 He arrived at Ephesus and left his companions there. He himself went into the synagogue and conversed with the Jews,
20 who begged him to prolong his stay. But he did not consent,
21 And he took leave of them, saying, »[I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem.] I will return to you, God willing.» And he departed from Ephesus.
22 Having landed at Caesarea, he went up in Jerusalem, greeted the church and went down to Antioch.
23 After spending some time there, Paul set out and traveled successively through the country of the Galatians and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man well versed in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with a fervent heart he taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John.
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Priscilla and Aquila, having heard him, took him aside and explained to him the way of the Lord more fully.
27 And since he wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers approved of him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he was of great help to those who had believed through grace,
28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Chapter 19
1 Now while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul, having traveled through the highlands, arrived at Ephesus. Having met some disciples,
2 He said to them, »Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?» They answered him, »We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.»
3 »Then what baptism did you receive?» Paul asked. They said, »John’s baptism.«
4 Paul then said, »John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus.«
5 When they heard these words, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.
7 There were about twelve of them in all.
8 Then Paul entered the synagogue, and for three months spoke there with great boldness, persuasively reasoning about the kingdom of God.
9 But, as some remained hardened and unbelieving, denouncing the way of the Lord before the people, he separated himself from them, took the disciples aside, and reasoned daily in the school of a man named Tyrannus.
10 He did this for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles through Paul,
12 to the point that it was applied to the sick handkerchiefs and belts that had touched his body, and the illnesses left them, and the evil spirits were driven out.
13 Some of the Jewish exorcists who roamed the country also tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, »I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.«
14 Now there were seven sons of Sceva, the Jewish high priest, who were engaged in this practice.
15 The evil spirit answered them, »I know Jesus and I know about Paul, but who are you?«
16 And the man who was possessed by the evil spirit fell upon them, overpowered them, and mistreated them so badly that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
17 When this happened, all the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus were informed, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was glorified.
18 A large number of those who had believed came confessing and declaring their deeds.
19 And among those who had indulged in superstitious practices, many brought their books and burned them before all the people: when they estimated the value of these books, they found fifty thousand pieces of silver:
20 so great was the word of the Lord, and so powerful was his!
21 After this, Paul resolved to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. »After I have been there,« he said to himself, “I must also see Rome.”
22 He sent two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, and he himself remained in Asia for some time.
23 At that time a great uproar arose concerning the way of the Lord.
24 A goldsmith named Demetrius made small temples of Diana out of silver, and provided his workers with a considerable profit.
25 Having gathered them together, along with those of the same trade, he said to them: »My friends, you know that our well-being depends on this industry;
26 And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but also in almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods.
27 It is therefore to be feared not only that our industry will fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be held in contempt, and even that the majesty of her whom Asia and the whole world revere will be reduced to nothing.«
28 At these words, filled with anger, they began to shout: »Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!«
29 Soon the city was filled with confusion. They all went together to the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who had accompanied Paul on his journey.
30 Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but the disciples prevented him.
31 Some of the Asiarchs, who were his friends, even sent to him, urging him not to appear at the theatre.
32 A thousand different cries were heard there; for disorder reigned in the assembly, and most did not know why they had gathered.
33 Then Alexander was brought forward by the Jews from the crowd. He signaled with his hand that he wanted to speak to the people.
34 But when they realized that he was a Jew, they all shouted with one voice for about two hours, »Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!«
35 The grammatist, having finally calmed the crowd, said: "Ephesians, what man does not know that the city of Ephesus is devoted to the worship of the great Diana and her statue that fell from heaven?
36 This being indisputable, you must remain calm and do nothing rashly;
37 for these men whom you have brought here are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of your goddess.
38 If Demetrius and those in his industry have a complaint against someone, there are days for hearings and proconsuls: let each one present his grievances.
39 If you have any other matter to settle, it will be decided in the legal assembly.
40 Indeed, we risk being accused of sedition for what happened today, for there is no reason that allows us to justify this gathering.» Having spoken thus, he dismissed the assembly.
Chapter 20
1 When the uproar had ceased, Paul gathered the disciples together, took leave of them, and departed for Macedonia.
2 He traveled throughout that region, giving many exhortations to the disciples, and then went to Greece,
3 where he spent three months. He was preparing to set sail for the Syria, when the Jews set traps for him. Then he decided to return to Macedonia.
4 He had to accompany him as far as Asia Sopater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus, Aristarchus and Secundus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
5 These men went ahead and waited for us at Troas.
6 As for us, after the days of Unleavened Bread, we embarked at Philippi, and after five days we joined them at Troas, where we spent seven days.
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together for the breaking of bread, Paul, who was to leave the next day, spoke with the disciples, and prolonged his discourse until midnight.
8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were assembled.
9 Now a young man named Eutycus was sitting on the windowsill. During Paul's long speech, he fell into a deep sleep, and, overcome by sleep, he fell from the third floor; he was picked up dead.
10 But Paul went down, knelt over him, and embraced him, saying, »Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.«
11 Then he went up again, broke bread and ate, and talked a long time longer, until daybreak; after that, he left.
12 As for the young man, he was brought back alive, which was a source of great comfort.
13 For our part, we set sail ahead by sea for Assos, where we were to pick up Paul; this was as he had instructed; for he was to make the journey on foot.
14 When he had joined us at Assos, we took him on board, and we sailed to Mytilene.
15 From there, continuing by sea, we arrived the next day off the coast of Chios. The following day, we sailed towards Samos, and, [after spending the night at Trogyllus], we arrived the next day at Miletus.
16 Paul had decided to pass by Ephesus without stopping there, so as not to waste time in Asia. For he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
17 Now from Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus to summon the elders of that church.
18 When they had gathered around him, he said to them, »You know how, from the first day I set foot in Asia, I have always dealt with you,
19 serving the Lord in all humility, amidst the tears and trials that the Jews' traps brought me;
20 how I have not withheld from you anything that was advantageous to you, not failing to preach and to instruct you publicly and privately;
21 announcing to Jews and Gentiles the return to God through penance and faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
22 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me;
23 unless the Holy Spirit assures me that chains and persecutions await me from city to city.
24 But I consider it of no account, and I value life for myself, if only I may finish my race and complete the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to proclaim the good news of the grace of God.
25 Yes, I know that you will no longer see my face, O all of you among whom I have passed about preaching the kingdom of God.
26 Therefore I testify to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all;
27 For I have not hidden anything from you the whole purpose of God.
28 Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of the Lord, which he purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 And indeed, from among your own number men will arise, teaching perverse doctrines, in order to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore, be watchful, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish each one of you with tears.
32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to complete the building and to give you the inheritance with all those who are sanctified.
33 I have not coveted anyone's silver, gold, or clothing.
34 You yourselves know that these hands provided for my needs and those of the people who were with me.
35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, «It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
36 After he had spoken thus, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37 They all burst into tears, throwing themselves on Paul's neck, kissing him,
38 They were especially distressed by what he had said: »You will never see my face again.» And they accompanied him to the ship.
Chapter 21
1 After tearing ourselves away from their embraces, we set sail and went straight to Kos; the next day we reached Rhodes, then Patara.
2 There, having found a ship making the crossing to Phoenicia, we boarded it and set sail.
3 Having arrived within sight of Cyprus, we left the island to the left, heading towards the Syria, and we landed at Tyre, where the ship was to unload its cargo.
4 We found the disciples, and we stayed there seven days; and they told Paul, by the Spirit of God, not to go up to Jerusalem.
5 But after seven days we made our way to leave, and all of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us outside the city. We knelt on the shore to pray;
6 Then, after saying goodbye, we boarded the ship, while they returned home.
7 For us, having completed our voyage, we went from Tyre to Ptolemais, and having greeted the brothers, we spent a day with them.
8 We left the next day and arrived at Caesarea.
Having entered the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, we stayed with him.
9 He had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.
10 As we were in this city A few days ago, a prophet named Agabus arrived from Judea.
11 When he came to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands with it, and said, »This is what the Holy Spirit says: The owner of this belt will be bound in Jerusalem by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles.«
12 When we heard these words, we and the faithful at Caesarea urged Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then he answered, »Why are you weeping like this and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to wear chains, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.«
14 When he remained unmoved, we stopped urging him, saying, »The Lord’s will be done!«
15 After those days, having finished our preparations, we went up to Jerusalem.
16 Some disciples from Caesarea also came with us, bringing with them a man named Mnason from the island of Cyprus, a long-time disciple, with whom we were to stay.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers received us with joy.
18 The next day, Paul went with us to James' house, and all the elders gathered there.
19 After embracing them, he recounted in detail all that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they glorified God and said to Paul, »You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all are zealous for the Law.
21 Now they have heard of you that you teach the Jews scattered among the Gentiles to separate themselves from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children and not to conform to the customs.
22 What then should we do? Without a doubt, a crowd will gather, because they will know of your arrival.
23 Do what we tell you. We have here four men who have made a vow;
24 Take them, purify yourself with them, and pay the expenses for them sacrifices, so that they may shave their heads. Then everyone will know that the reports made about you are worthless, and that you too are keeping the Law.
25 As for the Gentiles who believed, We wrote to them after We had decided [that they have nothing like it to observe, except] that they must abstain from food offered to idols, blood, strangled animals, and fornication.«
26 Then Paul took these men with him, and after purifying himself, he entered the temple the next day with them, to announce that the days of the Nazirite vow had ended, and he came there until the sacrifice had been offered for each of them.
27 As the seven days were drawing to a close, the Jews from Asia, seeing Paul in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting:
28 »Children of Israel, help! This is the man who preaches everywhere and to everyone against the people, against the Law, and against this place; he has even brought pagans into the temple and desecrated this holy place.«
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus with him in the city, and they believed that Paul had brought him into the temple.
30 Immediately the whole city was in an uproar, and the people came running from all sides; they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and the gates were immediately shut.
31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.
32 He immediately summoned soldiers and centurions and rushed to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the tribune approached, seized him and had him bound with two chains; then he asked who he was and what he had done.
34 But in that crowd, some were shouting one thing, others another. Since he could not learn anything for certain because of the tumult, he ordered him to be taken into the fortress.
35 When Paul was on the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd.
36 For the crowds followed, shouting, »Kill him!«
37 As Paul was being brought into the fortress, he said to the tribune, »May I say something to you?» “Do you know Greek?” replied the tribune.
38 So you are not the Egyptian who recently revolted and led four thousand assassins into the desert?«
39 Paul said to him, »I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a city of considerable renown. Please allow me to speak to the people.«
40 When the tribune gave him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, motioned to the people. A profound silence fell, and Paul, speaking in Hebrew, addressed them thus:
Chapter 22
1 »My brothers and fathers, listen to what I now have to say in my defense.»
2 When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even more silent.
3 And Paul said, »I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia; but I was brought up in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict knowledge of the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God, as you all are today.
4 It was I who persecuted this sect to the point of death, loading them with chains and throwing them into prison men and women:
5 The high priest and all the elders are witnesses of this. Having even received letters from them for the brothers, I left for Damascus in order to bring those who were there in chains to Jerusalem, and to punish them.
6 But as I was on my way, and already near Damascus, suddenly, about noon, a bright light from heaven shone around me.
7 I fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
8 I answered, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said to me, “I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.”.
9 Those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
10 Then I said, “What should I do, Lord?” And the Lord answered me, “Get up, go to Damascus, and there you will be told everything you must do.”.
11 And as I could no longer see because of the brightness of that light, those who were with me took me by the hand, and I arrived in Damascus.
12 Now there was a devout man according to the Law, named Ananias, who was well spoken of by all the Jews of the city,
13 came to me, and coming near to me, said to me, “Saul, my brother, receive your sight.” And at that very moment I saw him.
14 Then he said, “The God of our fathers predestined you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his mouth.
15 For you will be a witness to him before all men of the things that you have seen and heard.
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and cleansed of your sins, calling on his name.
17 When I returned to Jerusalem, while I was praying in the temple, I was suddenly in the Spirit,
18 And I saw the Lord saying to me, “Hurry and leave Jerusalem as quickly as possible, because the testimony you will give about me will not be accepted there.”
19 Lord, I replied, they themselves know that I was having put in prison and to beat with rods in the synagogues those who believed in you,
20 And when the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I myself was present, giving my approval along with the others, and guarding the garments of those who were stoning him.
21 Then he said to me, «Go, I want to send you to distant nations.”
22 The Jews had listened to him until these words; then they raised their voices, saying, »Remove such a man from the earth; he is not worthy to live!«
23 And as they shouted loudly, throwing off their cloaks and hurling dust into the air,
24 The tribune ordered that Paul be brought into the fortress and that he be interrogated by whipping, in order to find out why they were shouting against him in this way.
25 The soldiers had already bound him with straps when Paul said to the centurion who was standing there, »Are you permitted to flog a Roman citizen who has not even been condemned?«
26 At these words, the centurion went to the tribune to warn him, and said, »What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen.«
27 The tribune came and said to Paul, »Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?» »Yes,» he replied;
28 And the tribune replied: "I paid a very high price for this citizenship." — "And I," said Paul, "have it by birth."»
29 Immediately those who were about to interrogate him withdrew; and the tribune also became afraid when he learned that Paul was citizen Roman and that he had him bound.
30 The next day, wanting to know exactly what the Jews were accusing him of, he had his bonds removed, and gave orders to the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble; then, having brought Paul down, he placed him in the midst of them.
Chapter 23
1 Paul, looking intently at the Sanhedrin, said: »My brothers, I have conducted myself before God to this day in all integrity and a good conscience…«
2 The high priest Ananias ordered his satellites to strike him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, »Surely God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the Law, and yet you defy the Law by ordering me to be struck!«
4 The people on hand said, »You are insulting God’s high priest!«
5 Paul replied, »My brothers, I did not know that he was a high priest; for it is written: «You shall not revile a ruler of your people.’”
6 Paul, knowing that some of the assembly were Sadducees and others Pharisees, cried out in the Sanhedrin: »Brothers and sisters, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; it is because of the hope in the resurrection of the dead for whom I am put on trial.«
7 As soon as he had spoken these words, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel and spirit, while the Pharisees affirm both.
9 So there was a noisy commotion, and some scribes of the party of the Pharisees stood up and began a heated debate, saying, »We find no fault in this man; if a spirit or an angel had spoken to him?«
10 As the discord grew greater, the tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered soldiers to go down and take him away from among them and bring him back into the fortress.
11 The following night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, »Take courage! Just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, you must also testify about me in Rome.«
12 As soon as day broke, the Jews plotted and swore an oath against themselves not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who had joined this conspiracy.
14 They went to the chief priest and the elders and said, »We have solemnly sworn not to eat any food until we have killed Paul.
15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin should approach the tribune, so that he may bring him before you, as if you wish to examine his case more thoroughly; and we are ready to kill him on the way.«
16 When Paul’s sister’s son learned of the plot, he ran to the fortress and informed Paul.
17 He summoned one of the centurions and said to him, »Bring this young man to the tribune, for he has something to tell him.«
18 The centurion took the young man with him and brought him to the tribune, saying, »The prisoner Paul asked me to bring you this young man who has something to tell you.«
19 The tribune took him by the hand, and having drawn him aside, he asked him: "What do you have to tell me?"»
20 He replied: »The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow, under the pretext of examining his case more thoroughly.
21 Do not listen to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him, and have bound themselves with curses not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready and are only waiting for your command.«
22 The tribune sent this young man away, after recommending that he not tell anyone that he had made this report to him.
23 And having called two centurions, he said to them, »Get ready, at the third hour of the night, two hundred soldiers with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, to go to Caesarea.
24 Also prepare horses for Paul to ride on, so that he may be safely taken to Governor Felix.«
25 He had written a letter worded as follows:
26 » Claude Lysias, to the very excellent Governor Felix, greetings.
27 The Jews had seized this man and were about to kill him, when I came along with soldiers and snatched him from their hands, having learned that he was a Roman.
28 Wanting to know what crime they were accusing him of, I brought him before their assembly,
29 and I found that he was accused concerning matters relating to their law, but had committed no crime deserving of death or the prison.
30 Having been informed that the Jews were plotting against him, I immediately sent him to you, informing his accusers that they must answer to you concerning him. [Farewell.]«
31 So the soldiers, having taken Paul according to the order they had received, brought him during the night to Antipatris.
32 The next day, leaving the riders to continue along the road with the prisoner, they returned to the fortress.
33 When they arrived in Caesarea, the horsemen delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.
34 The governor, after reading the letter, asked from which province Paul was, and learning that he was from Cilicia:
35 "I will hear you," he said, "when your accusers come." And he ordered him to be kept in Herod's praetorium.
Chapter 24
1 Five days later, the high priest Ananias arrived, along with some elders and a certain rhetorician named Tertullus; they brought a complaint against Paul to the governor.
2 When he was summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him in these terms: »Enjoying profound peace, thanks to you, excellent Felix, and to the reforms that your foresight has brought about in favor of this nation,
3 we always and everywhere welcome them with complete gratitude.
4 But, so as not to delay you any longer, I beg you to listen to us for a moment with your usual kindness.
5 We have found this man: he is a pestilent person, a troublemaker among the Jews throughout the world, a leader of the sect of the Nazarenes,
6 and who even tried to desecrate the temple; so we arrested him. [and we wanted to judge him according to our law.
7 But the tribune Lysias arrived and violently snatched it from our hands,
8 and he ordered that his accusers come before you]. You yourself will be able, by questioning him, to learn from his own lips all the things of which we accuse him.«
9 The Jews joined in this accusation, maintaining that things were this way.
10 After the governor had signaled him to speak, Paul replied:
»"It is with confidence that I speak to justify myself, because I know that you have governed this nation for several years.".
11 It has been no more than twelve days, you can be sure, since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.
12 And I was not seen in the temple speaking to anyone, nor stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues,
13 either in the city; and they cannot prove what they now accuse me of.
14 I confess to you that I serve the God of our fathers according to the religion they call a sect, believing everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets,
15 and having this hope in God, as they themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the sinners.
16 Therefore I too strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and men.
17 So I have come, after many years, to give alms to my fellow countrymen and to present offerings.
18 It was then that I was found in the temple, after my consecration, without any crowd or commotion,
19 by certain Jews from Asia; it was up to them to appear before you as accusers, if they had anything to reproach me with.
20 Or let them say what crime they found me guilty of when I appeared before the Sanhedrin,
21 unless I am accused of a crime for this one word that I spoke aloud in their presence: It is because of the resurrection of the dead whom I am now brought to trial before you.«
22 Felix, who was well acquainted with this religion, adjourned them, saying, "When the tribune Lysias arrives, I will thoroughly investigate your case."»
23 And he gave orders to the centurion to keep Paul, but to allow him some freedom, and not to prevent any of his people from serving him.
24 A few days later, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was Jewish. Having summoned Paul, he heard him speak about faith in Jesus Christ.
25 But when Paul began to speak about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix, frightened, said, »Go away for now; I will call you back at the first opportunity.«
26 He hoped at the same time that Paul would give him money; so he called him in quite frequently to talk with him.
27 Two years passed in this way, and Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and, desiring to be pleasing to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.
Chapter 25
1 Festus, having therefore arrived in his province, went up three days later from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
2 The chief priests and the leading Jews came to him to bring charges against Paul. With much earnestness
3 They asked him as a favor, with a hostile intent towards the Apostle, to have him transferred to Jerusalem; they were preparing an ambush to kill him on the way.
4 Festus replied that Paul was being held in Caesarea and that he himself would soon return there.
5 »Those of you who are qualified to do so,« he added, “should come down with me, and if there are charges against this man, let them accuse him.”
6 After spending only eight or ten days in Jerusalem, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day, having taken his seat on the judgment seat, he brought Paul in.
7 When he was brought in, the Jews who came from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious accusations against him, which they could not prove.
8 Paul said in his defense: »I have done nothing wrong, neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar.«
9 Festus, wanting to please the Jews, said to Paul, »Do you want to go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?«
10 Paul replied, »I am standing before Caesar’s tribunal, where I must be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well.”.
11 If I have committed any injustice or outrage deserving of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is no basis for their accusations, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.«
12 Then Festus, after conferring with his council, replied: »You have appealed to Caesar, you shall go to Caesar.«
13 A few days later King Agrippa and Berenice arrived in Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 After they had been there for several days, Festus brought Paul's case to the king, saying, "There is here a man whom Félix left prisoner.
15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him, demanding his condemnation.
16 I replied to them that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand over a man before confronting the accused with his accusers and giving him the means to justify himself against what he is accused of.
17 So they came here, and without delay I took my place the next day on my tribunal, and I ordered that this man be brought to me.
18 The accusers, having presented themselves, did not impute to him any of the crimes that I supposed;
19 But they had disputes with him concerning their particular religion and about a certain Jesus, who died but whom Paul claimed was alive.
20 As I was embarrassed to investigate these matters, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.
21 But when Paul appealed, so that his case might be brought before the emperor, I ordered him to be detained until I could send him to Caesar.«
22 Agrippa said to Festus, "I too would have liked to hear this man." "Tomorrow," replied Festus, "you will hear him."»
23 The next day, Agrippa and Berenice arrived in great pomp. When they were in the audience hall with the tribunes and the leading people of the city, Paul was brought in by order of Festus.
24 And Festus said: »King Agrippa, and all of you who are present with us, you have before you the man about whom the Jews have come in large numbers to speak to me either in Jerusalem or here, shouting that he should no longer be allowed to live.
25 For my part, having recognized that he had done nothing deserving of death, and having himself appealed to the emperor, I resolved to send him to him.
26 Since I have nothing specific to write to the emperor about him, I have brought him before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this audience I may write my report.
27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without also stating what he is accused of.«
Chapter 26
1 Agrippa said to Paul, »You have the floor for your defense.» Then Paul stretched out his hand and gave his defense, saying:
2 "I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, to have to justify myself before you today against all the accusations brought against me by the Jews;
3 because you know their customs and their controversies better than anyone. I therefore ask you to listen to me patiently.
4 My life, from the early days of my youth, is known to all the Jews, since it took place in Jerusalem, in the midst of my nation.
5 Knowing me for so long, they know, if they wish to bear witness, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the most austere sect of our religion.
6 And now I stand on trial because I have hope in the promise God made to our ancestors,
7. A promise whose fulfillment our twelve tribes await, serving God tirelessly, night and day. It is for this hope, O king, that the Jews accuse me!
8 Does it therefore seem incredible to you that God raises the dead?
9 I too had believed that I should oppose with all my might the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
10 This is what I did in Jerusalem; I put a great number of saints in prison, having received the authority of the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my approval.
11 Often, going through all the synagogues and persecuting them, I forced them to blaspheme; and my fury growing ever greater, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
12 As I was going to Damascus with full authority and a mandate from the chief priests,
13 At midday I saw on the road, O king, a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions.
14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.”
15 “Who are you, Lord?” I cried. And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”.
16 But get up, and stand up farm on your feet, for I have appeared to you, in order to appoint you minister and witness of the things which you have seen and of those in which I will appear to you again.
17 I have brought you out from among this people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you,
18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, and so, by faith in me, receive the forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified.
19 Therefore, King Agrippa, I did not resist the heavenly vision;
20 But first I preached to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem, and throughout Judea, and among the Gentiles, repentance and conversion to God, through the practice of works worthy of penance.
21 That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.
22 So it is by God’s help that I have stood to this day, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing other than what Moses and the prophets foretold,
23 knowing that Christ had to suffer, and that, having risen first from the dead, he would proclaim light to the people and to the Gentiles… «
24 As he was speaking thus in his defense, Festus said aloud, »You are talking nonsense, Paul; your great learning is deluding your mind.«
25 »I am not being unreasonable, most excellent Festus,” Paul replied; “I am speaking the language of truth and wisdom.
26 The king is aware of these things, and I speak freely to him about them, persuaded that he is not ignorant of any of them; for none of this has happened in secret.
27 Do you believe in the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you do.«
28 Agrippa said to Paul, »You almost persuade me to become a Christian.»
29 »Whether by a little or by much,« Paul replied, “would to God that not only you, but also all those who are listening to me right now, were as I am, except for these chains!”
30 Then the king stood up, and with him the governor, Berenice, and all their retinue.
31 When they had withdrawn, they said to one another, »This man has done nothing deserving of death or punishment.” prison.«
32 And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could have been released if he hadn't appealed to Caesar."»
Chapter 27
1 When it was decided that we should go by sea to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, of the cohort Augusta.
2 We boarded a ship of Adramyttium which was to sail along the coasts of Asia, and we weighed anchor, having with us Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, who treated Paul kindly, allowed him to go to his friends and receive their care.
4 Having left there, we sailed along the coast of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 After crossing the sea that washes Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra, in Lycia.
6 The centurion having found there a ship from Alexandria sailing for Italy, he had us board it.
7 For several days we sailed slowly, and it was not without difficulty that we reached the latitude of Cnidus, where the wind did not allow us to land. We passed below the island of Crete, on the side of Salmone,
8 and following the coast with difficulty, we arrived at a place called Bons-Ports, near which was the town of Laséa.
9 A considerable amount of time had passed, and the voyage was becoming dangerous, for the period of fasting was already over. Paul made representations to the crew:
10 »My friends,« he told them, “I see that the voyage cannot be undertaken without danger and serious damage, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our persons.”
11 But the centurion had more confidence in what the pilot and the ship's captain said than in Paul's words.
12 And as the port was not good for wintering, most were of the opinion to put to sea again and try to reach, to spend the winter, Phoenicia, port of Crete which faces Africus and Corus.
13 A light south wind began to blow; believing themselves in control of executing their plan, they weighed anchor and sailed closer to the coasts of Crete.
14 But soon a fierce wind, named Euraquilon, unleashed itself upon the island.
15 The ship was swept away, unable to fight the hurricane, and we let ourselves drift.
16 We quickly passed below a small island, named Cauda, and we had a lot of trouble getting the longboat back up.
17 When it had been hoisted, the sailors, resorting to all means of salvation, surrounded the ship, and in fear of running aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the sails and let themselves go.
18 As we were being violently battered by the storm, the cargo was thrown overboard the next day,
19 and the following day we launched the ship's rigging there with our own hands.
20 For several days, neither the sun nor the stars appeared, and the storm continued to rage violently: all hope of salvation had vanished.
21 For a long time no one had eaten. Paul then stood up among them and said to them, »You should have listened to me, my friends, and not left Crete, thus sparing yourselves this peril and loss.
22 However, I urge you to take courage, for none of you will lose your life; only the ship will be lost.
23 This very night an angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve, appeared to me,
24 and said to me, Paul, do not be afraid; you must stand trial before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who sail with you.
25 Therefore, take courage, my friends; for I trust in God that it will be just as I was told.
26 We must be shipwrecked on an island.«
27 On the fourteenth night, as we were being tossed about in the Adriatic, the sailors suspected, around the middle of the night, that we were approaching some land.
28 Immediately casting the probe, they found twenty fathoms; a little further on, they cast it again, and found fifteen.
29 Fearing they would strike reefs, they dropped four anchors from the stern and waited impatiently for daylight.
30 But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship, and had already, under the pretext of dropping anchors near the bow, launched the longboat,
31 Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, »If these men do not remain on the ship, you are all lost.«
32 Then the soldiers cut the mooring lines of the longboat and let it fall.
33 While waiting for the day, Paul urged everyone to eat: »Behold,” he said to them, “this is the fourteenth day that you have been anxiously fasting and have not eaten anything.
34 I therefore urge you to eat, for this is essential for your salvation; not one of you will lose a hair of your head.«
35 Having said this, he took bread, and after giving thanks to God in front of them all, he broke it and began to eat.
36 And all of them, regaining their courage, ate as well.
37 In total, there were two hundred and seventy-six people on the building.
38 When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the provisions into the sea.
39 When day came, they did not recognize the coast; but having seen a bay which had a sandy beach, they resolved to run the ship aground, if they could.
40 So they cut the anchor lines and left them in the sea; at the same time they released the rudder attachments, set the mizzen sail to windward and headed towards the beach.
41 But having touched down on a tongue of land, they ran aground; the bow sank and remained motionless, while the stern broke apart under the force of the waves.
42 The soldiers were of the opinion that the prisoners should be killed, lest one of them escape by swimming.
43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who knew how to swim to jump into the water first and reach land,
44 and the others were instructed to place themselves on planks or on wreckage of the ship. And so all reached the shore safe and sound.
Chapter 28
1 Once saved, we recognized that the island was called Malta. The barbarians treated us with uncommon kindness;
2 They gathered us all around a large fire they had lit, because of the rain that had come, and the cold.
3 Paul gathered some brushwood and threw it into the fire, and a viper, which the heat drove out, fastened itself to his hand.
4 When the barbarians saw the reptile hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "Without a doubt, this man is a murderer; for after he was saved from the sea, Divine Justice did not want to let him live."»
5 He, however, shook the viper into the fire and suffered no harm.
6 The barbarians expected to see him swell up or suddenly fall dead. But after waiting a long time, seeing that no harm came to him, they changed their minds and said: He is a god.
7 In the vicinity, there were lands belonging to the island's most important personage, named Publius, who received us and gave us lodging for three days.hospitality the friendliest.
8 Publius’ father was then lying sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul went to visit him, and after praying, he laid his hands on him and healed him.
9 Then all the other sick people on the island came to him, and they were healed.
10 We were given great honors when we left, and we were provided with what we needed.
11 After a stay of three months, we embarked on a ship from Alexandria which had spent the winter on the island; it bore the Dioscuri as its ensign.
12 Having landed at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.
13 From there, following the coast, we reached Reggio, and the next day, with the wind blowing from the south, we arrived in two days at Pozzuoli;
14 We found some brothers there who asked us to spend seven days with them; then we left for Rome.
15 When the brothers from that city heard about our arrival, they came to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. Paul, seeing them, gave thanks to God and was filled with confidence.
16 When we arrived in Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself with a soldier to guard him.
17 Three days later, Paul summoned the leaders of the Jews, and when they came, he said to them, »My brothers, I have done nothing against the people or against the customs of our fathers, yet I am a prisoner, and have been handed over to the Romans from Jerusalem.
18 After questioning me, they wanted to release me, because there was nothing in me that deserved death.
19 But the Jews opposed it, and I was forced to appeal to Caesar, not that I had any intention of accusing my nation.
20 That is why I asked to see you and speak with you; for it is because of the hope of Israel that I wear this chain.«
21 They answered him, »We have received no letter from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who returned from there reported or said anything unfavorable about you.
22 But we would like to hear from you what you think; for we know that this sect is encountering opposition everywhere.«
23 Having spent the day with him, they came in greater numbers to him where he was staying. Paul explained to them, with earnest words, the kingdom of God, trying to persuade them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. The discussion lasted from morning until evening.
24 Some were convinced by what he said, but others did not believe.
25 As they were leaving, disagreeing with each other, Paul added only these words: »This is indeed the word that the Holy Spirit spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah:
26 Go to this people, and say to them: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
27 For this people's heart has grown callous; they have hardened their ears and closed their eyes, so that they may not see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, turn, and receive salvation from me.
28 Therefore, know that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will receive it with meekness.«
29 [When he had spoken thus, the Jews went away, arguing sharply among themselves.]
30 Paul stayed two whole years in a house he had rented. He received all who came to visit him,
31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ, with all freedom and without hindrance.
