Acts 26–28

Chapter 26

Then Agrippa said to Paul: Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul, stretching forth his hand, began to make his answer.

²I think myself happy, O king Agrippa, that I am to answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews.

³Especially as thou knowest all, both customs and questions, that are among the Jews. Wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴And my life indeed from my youth, which was from the beginning among my own nation in Jerusalem, all the Jews do know:

⁵Having known me from the beginning (if they will give testimony) that according to the most sure sect of our religion I lived, a Pharisee.

⁶And now for the hope of the promise that was made by God to the fathers, do I stand subject to judgment:

⁷Unto which, our twelve tribes, serving night and day, hope to come. For which hope, O king, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸Why should it be thought a thing incredible that God should raise the dead?

⁹And I indeed did formerly think that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

¹⁰Which also I did at Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority of the chief priests. And when they were put to death, I brought the sentence.

¹¹And oftentimes punishing them, in every synagogue, I compelled them to blaspheme: and being yet more mad against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

¹²Whereupon, when I was going to Damascus with authority and permission of the chief priest,

¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that were in company with me.

¹⁴And when we were all fallen down on the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew tongue: Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.

¹⁵And I said: Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord answered: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But rise up and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared to thee, that I may make thee a minister and a witness of those things which thou hast seen and of those things wherein I will appear to thee,

¹⁷Delivering thee from the people and from the nations unto which now I send thee:

¹⁸To open their eyes, that they may be converted from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a lot among the saints, by the faith that is in me.

¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not incredulous to the heavenly vision.

²⁰But to them first that are at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and unto all the country of Judea, and to the Gentiles did I preach, that they should do penance and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance.

²¹For this cause, the Jews, when I was in the temple, having apprehended me, went about to kill me.

²²But being aided by the help of God, I stand unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other thing than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come to pass:

²³That Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead and should shew light to the people and to the Gentiles.

²⁴As he spoke these things and made his answer, Festus said with a loud voice: Paul, thou art beside thyself: much learning doth make thee mad.

²⁵And Paul said: I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I speak words of truth and soberness.

²⁶For the king knoweth of these things, to whom also I speak with confidence. For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For neither was any of these things done in a corner.

²⁷Believest thou the prophets, O king Agrippa? I know that thou believest.

²⁸And Agrippa said to Paul: In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.

²⁹And Paul said: I would to God that both in a little and in much, not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, should become such as I also am, except these bands.

³⁰And the king rose up, and the governor and Bernice and they that sat with them.

³¹And when they were gone aside, they spoke among themselves, saying: This man hath done nothing worthy of death or of bands.

³²And Agrippa said to Festus: This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed to Caesar.

Chapter 27

And when it was determined that he should sail into Italy and that Paul, with the other prisoners, should be delivered to a centurion, named Julius, of the band Augusta,

²Going on board a ship of Adrumetum, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia, Aristarchus, the Macedonian of Thessalonica, continuing with us.

³And the day following, we came to Sidon. And Julius, treating Paul courteously, permitted him to go to his friends and to take care of himself.

⁴And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵And sailing over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Lystra, which is in Lycia.

⁶And there, the centurion, finding a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy, removed us into it.

⁷And when for many days we had sailed slowly and were scarce come over against Gnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed near Crete by Salmone.

⁸And with much ado sailing by it, we came into a certain place, which is called Good-havens, nigh to which was the city of Thalassa.

⁹And when much time was spent and when sailing now was dangerous, because the fast was now past, Paul comforted them,

¹⁰Saying to them: Ye men, I see that the voyage beginneth to be with injury and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.

¹¹But the centurion believed the pilot and the master of the ship, more than those things which were said by Paul.

¹²And whereas it was not a commodious haven to winter in, the greatest part gave counsel to sail thence, if by any means they might reach Phenice, to winter there, which is a haven of Crete, looking towards the southwest and northwest.

¹³And the south wind gently blowing, thinking that they had obtained their purpose, when they had loosed from Asson, they sailed close by Crete.

¹⁴But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroaquilo.

¹⁵And when the ship was caught and could not bear up against the wind, giving up the ship to the winds, we were driven.

¹⁶And running under a certain island that is called Cauda, we had much work to come by the boat.

¹⁷Which being taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship: and fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they let down the sail yard and so were driven.

¹⁸And we, being mightily tossed with the tempest, the next day they lightened the ship.

¹⁹And the third day they cast out with their own hands the tacking of the ship.

²⁰And when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and no small storms lay on us, all hope of our being saved was now taken away.

²¹And after they had fasted a long time, Paul standing forth in the midst of them, said: You should indeed, O ye men, have hearkened unto me and not have loosed from Crete and have gained this harm and loss.

²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but only of the ship.

²³For an angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, stood by me this night,

²⁴Saying: Fear not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar; and behold, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.

²⁵Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall so be, as it hath been told me.

²⁶And we must come unto a certain island.

²⁷But after the fourteenth night was come, as we were sailing in Adria, about midnight, the shipmen deemed that they discovered some country.

²⁸Who also sounding, found twenty fathoms: and going on a little further, they found fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Then fearing lest we should fall upon rough places, they cast four anchors out of the stern: and wished for the day.

³⁰But as the shipmen sought to fly out of the ship, having let down the boat into the sea, under colour, as though they would have cast anchors out of the forepart of the ship,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers: Except these stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.

³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat and let her fall off.

³³And when it began to be light, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying: This day is the fourteenth day that you have waited and continued fasting, taking nothing.

³⁴Wherefore, I pray you to take some meat for your health’s sake: for there shall not an hair of the head of any of you perish.

³⁵And when he had said these things, taking bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of them all. And when he had broken it, he began to eat.

³⁶Then were they all of better cheer: and they also took some meat.

³⁷And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, casting the wheat into the sea.

³⁹And when it was day, they knew not the land. But they discovered a certain creek that had a shore, into which they minded, if they could, to thrust in the ship.

⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves to the sea, loosing withal the rudder bands. And hoisting up the mainsail to the wind, they made towards shore.

⁴¹And when we were fallen into a place where two seas met, they run the ship aground. And the forepart indeed, sticking fast, remained unmoveable: but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the sea.

⁴²And the soldiers’ counsel was that they should kill the prisoners, lest any of them, swimming out should escape.

⁴³But the centurion, willing to save Paul, forbade it to be done. And he commanded that they who could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and save themselves and get to land.

⁴⁴And the rest, some they carried on boards and some on those things that belonged to the ship. And so it came to pass that every soul got safe to land.

Chapter 28

And…