Acts 21–26

And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we ^acame with a straight course unto ^bCos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: ²and finding a ship sailing over unto ^cPhenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. ³Now when we had discovered ^dCyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into ^eSyria, and landed at ^fTyre: for ^gthere the ship was to unlade her burden. ⁴And finding ^hdisciples, we tarried there seven days: who said to Paul ⁱthrough the Spirit, that he should not ^kgo up to Jerusalem. ⁵And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way; and they all ^lbrought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city: and we ^mkneeled down on the shore, and prayed. ⁶And when we had ^mmtaken our leave one of another, we took ship; and they returned ⁿhome again. ⁷And when we had finished our course from ^fTyre, we came to ^oPtolemais, and saluted ^pthe brethren, and abode with them one day. ⁸And the next day we ^qthat were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto ^rCesarea: and we entered into the house of ^sPhilip ^tthe evangelist, which was one ^sof the seven; and abode with him. ⁹And the same man had four daughters, virgins, ^uwhich did prophesy. ¹⁰And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain ^xprophet, named ^yAgabus. ¹¹And when he was come unto us, he took Paul’s ^zgirdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith ^athe Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. ¹²And when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not to ^bgo up to Jerusalem. ¹³Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, ^cbut also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, ^dThe will of the Lord be done. ¹⁵And after those days we took up our ^ecarriages, and ^bwent up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶There went with us also certain of the ^fdisciples of ^gCesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of ^hCyprus, an old ^fdisciple, with whom we should lodge.

¹⁷And when we were come to Jerusalem, ⁱthe brethren ^kreceived us gladly. ¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us unto ^lJames; and all ^mthe elders were present. ¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he ⁿdeclared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by ^ohis ministry. ²⁰And when they heard it, they ^pglorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all ^qzealous of the law: ²¹and they ^rare informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the ^scustoms. ²²What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. ²³Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have ^ua vow on them; ²⁴them take, and ^tpurify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may ^ushave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof ^rthey were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. ²⁵As touching the Gentiles which believe, ^xwe have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. ²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day ^tpurifying himself with them ^yentered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that ^zan offering should be offered for every one of them. ²⁷And when ^athe seven days were almost ended, ^bthe Jews which were of ^cAsia, ^bdwhen they saw him in the temple, ^estirred up all the people, and ^flaid hands on him, ²⁸crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and ^gthe law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and ^hhath polluted this holy place. ²⁹(For they had seen before with him in the city ⁱTrophimus an ^kEphesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) ³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ^lran together: and ^mthey took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut. ³¹And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto ⁿthe chief captain of the ^oband, that all Jerusalem ^ewas in an uproar. ^32pWho immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them: and when they saw ⁿthe chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. ³³Then ⁿthe chief captain came near, and took him, and commanded him ^qto be bound with ^rtwo chains; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. ³⁴And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into ^sthe castle. ³⁵And when he came upon ^tthe stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. ³⁶For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, ^uAway with him.

³⁷And as Paul was to be led into ^sthe castle, he said unto the ⁿchief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek? ^38vArt not thou that Egyptian, which before these days ^wmadest an uproar, and leddest out into ^xthe wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? ³⁹But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of ^yTarsus, a city in ^zCilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. ⁴⁰And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on ^tthe stairs, and ^abeckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in ^bthe Hebrew tongue, saying,

XXII.^aMen, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. ²(And when they heard that he spake in ^bthe Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,) ³I am verily a man which am ^ca Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city ^dat the feet of ^eGamaliel, and taught according to ^fthe perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and ^gwas zealous towards God, ^has ye all are this day. ⁴And ⁱI persecuted ^kthis way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. ⁵As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all ^lthe estate of the elders: ^mfrom whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there, bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. ⁶ⁿAnd it came to pass that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. ⁷And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? ⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. ⁹And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they ^oheard not the voice of him that spake to me. ¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. ¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. ¹²And ^pone Ananias, a ^qdevout man according to the law, ^rhaving a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, ^13scame unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. ¹⁴And he said, ^tThe God of our fathers hath ^uchosen thee, that thou shouldest ^wknow his will, and ^xsee that ^yJust One, and shouldest ^zhear the voice of his mouth. ¹⁵For thou shalt be his ^awitness ^bunto all men of what ^cthou hast seen and heard. ¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? arise, and ^dbe baptized, and ^ewash away thy sins, ^fcalling on the name of the Lord. ¹⁷And it came to pass that, ^gwhen I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in ^ha trance; ¹⁸and ⁱsaw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: ^kfor they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. ¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that ^lI imprisoned and ^mbeat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: ²⁰and when the blood of thy ⁿmartyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and ^oconsenting unto his death, and ^pkept the raiment of them that slew him. ²¹And he said unto me, Depart: ^qfor I will send thee ^rfar hence unto the Gentiles.

²²And they gave him audience unto this word, and then ^slift up their voices, and said, ^tAway with such a fellow from the earth: for ^uit is not fit that he should live. ²³And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air, ²⁴the chief captain commanded him to be brought into ^xthe castle, and bade that he should be ^yexamined by scourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. ²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a ^zRoman, and ^zuncondemned? ²⁶When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest: for this man is a Roman. ²⁷Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. ²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum ^aobtained I this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free born. ²⁹Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him: and the chief captain also ^bwas afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from ^chis bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their ^dcouncil to appear, and brought Paul ^edown,…