1 In the first treatise, O Theophilus, I spoke about all the things that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 until the day when he was taken up, after having given commandments by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen;
3 to whom he also, after having suffered, he presented himself alive with many indubitable proofs, appearing to them for forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God.
4 And while they were together, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said to them, you heard from me.
5 For John certainly baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in not many days.
6 Then those who had gathered together asked him, saying, Lord, will you restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?
7 And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his sole power;
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
9 And when he had said these things, when they saw him, he was taken up, and a cloud met him, and hid him from their sight.
10 And as they stood with their eyes fixed on heaven, while he was going away, behold, two men stood by them in white garments,
11 who also said to them, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have seen him go into heaven.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, on their way to a Sabbath.
13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where Peter and James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas brother of James dwelt.
14 All these persevered unanimously in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary the mother of Jesus, and with her brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brethren (and those gathered together were about one hundred and twenty in number), and said:
16 Men and brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David about Judas, who was a guide to those who arrested Jesus,
17 and was numbered with us, and had a part in this ministry.
18 So this man with the wages of his iniquity acquired a field, and falling headlong, he burst in half, and all his insides poured out.
19 And he was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language, Akeldama, which means, Field of Blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let his habitation be made desolate, and let no one dwell in it; and: Let another take his office.
21 It is necessary, therefore, that of these men who have been together with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, one be made a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they pointed out two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, whose surname was Justus, and Matthias.
24 And praying, they said: You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two you have chosen,
25 to take the part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell by transgression, to go to his own place. .
26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all unanimous together.
2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting;
3 and cloven tongues appeared to them, like fire, settling on each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak.
5 Then there lived in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this noise was made, the multitude gathered together; and they were confused, because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
7 And they were astonished and amazed, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galileans?
8 How then do we hear them each speaking in our own language in which we were born?
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and we who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea, in Cappadocia, in Pontus and in Asia,
10 in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the regions of Africa beyond Cyrene, and Romans residing here , both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs, we hear them speak in our languages the wonders of God.
12 And they were all astonished and perplexed, saying one to another, What does this mean?
13 But others, mocking, said, They are full of new wine.
14 Then Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke to them, saying: Men of the Jews, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and hear my words.
15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 And in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy; Your young men will see visions, And your old men will dream dreams;
18 And I will certainly pour out my Spirit on my male and female servants in those days, and they will prophesy.
19 And I will give wonders in heaven above, And signs in the earth below, Blood and fire and vapor of smoke;
20 The sun will turn into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord comes, Great and manifest;
21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazarene, a man approved by God among you with the wonders and wonders and signs that God did among you through him, as you yourselves know;
23 This man, delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you captured and killed by the hands of wicked men, crucifying him;
24 whom God raised up, releasing the pangs of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.
25 For David says of him: I saw the Lord always before me; Because he is at my right hand, I will not be moved.
26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue rejoiced, And even my flesh will rest in hope;
27 For you will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You made me know the ways of life; You will fill me with joy with your presence.
29 Men and brethren, it may be freely told to you of the patriarch David, that he died and was buried, and his grave is with us to this day.
30 But being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn to him with an oath that of his descendants, as to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne,
31 seeing it beforehand, he spoke of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul She was not left in Hades, nor did her flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore, being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend to heaven; but he himself says: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand,
35 Until I make your enemies your footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know most assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, Lord and Christ.
37 When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the other apostles, Men and brothers, what shall we do?
38 Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is for you, and for your children, and for all who are far off; for as many as the Lord our God will call.
40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying: Be saved from this perverse generation.
41 So those who received his word were baptized; and about three thousand people were added that day.
42 And they continued in the doctrine of the apostles, in fellowship with one another, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every person; and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 All who believed were together, and had all things in common;
45 And they sold their property and goods, and distributed it to all according to each one’s need.
46 And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate together with joy and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily to the church those who were to be saved.
1 Peter and John went up to the temple together at the ninth hour, that of prayer.
2 And a man lame from birth was brought, whom they placed every day at the door of the temple called the Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.
3 When this man saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he begged them to give him alms.
4 Peter, with John, fixing his eyes on him, said to him: Look at us.
5 Then he was attentive to them, hoping to receive something from them.
6 But Peter said, I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have I give to you; In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk.
7 And taking him by the right hand he lifted him up; and immediately his feet and ankles became firm;
8 and jumping up, he stood up and walked; and he entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
10 And they recognized him that he was the one who sat begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with astonishment and horror at what had happened to him.
11 And having hold of Peter and John the lame man who had been healed, all the people, astonished, gathered together with them at the porch called Solomon’s.
12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people: Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? or why do you set your eyes on us, as if by our power or mercy we had made this one walk?
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his Son Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, when he had decided to set him free.
14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked that a murderer be given to you,
15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
16 And by faith in his name, this one whom you see and know has confirmed his name; and the faith that is through him has given him this complete healing in the presence of all of you.
17 But now, brothers, I know that you have done it out of ignorance, as have your rulers.
18 But God has thus fulfilled what he had previously announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that his Christ would suffer.
19 Therefore, repent and convert, so that your sins may be blotted out; so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
20 and he may send Jesus Christ, who was announced to you before;
21 whom heaven must surely receive until the times of restoration of all things, of which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old.
22 For Moses said to the fathers, The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me; you will hear him in all things that he speaks to you;
23 and every soul that does not hear that prophet will be uprooted from the people.
24 And all the prophets from Samuel onward, who have spoken, have also announced these days.
25 You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham: In your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.
26 To you first, God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you, so that each of you might turn from his iniquity.
1 As they spoke to the people, the priests with the chief of the temple guard, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 resentful that they were teaching the people, and announcing in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in prison until the next day, because it was already late.
4 But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 It came to pass on the next day that the rulers, the elders, and the scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,
6 and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of the family of the high priests;
7 And putting them in the middle, they asked them: By what power, or in what name, have you done this?
8 Then Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, said to them: Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel:
9 Since we are questioned today about the benefit done to a sick man, how he was healed,
10 let it be known to all. you, and all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead, through him this man stands before you healthy.
11 This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the head of the corner.
12 And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
13 Then seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and knowing that they were men without letters and of the common people, they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
14 And seeing the man who had been healed, standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 Then they ordered them to leave the council; and they conferred among themselves,
16 saying, What shall we do with these men? For truly a manifest sign has been made by them, known to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17 However, so that it does not spread further among the people, let us threaten them not to speak from now on to any man in this name.
18 And calling them, they commanded them that they should in no wise speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, Judge whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God;
20 because we cannot stop saying what we have seen and heard.
twenty-oneThey then threatened them and released them, not finding any way to punish them, for the sake of the people; because everyone glorified God for what had been done,
22 since the man on whom this miracle of healing had been done was over forty years old.
23 And when they were released, they came to their own people and related everything that the chief priests and the elders had told them.
24 And when they heard it, they raised their voices with one accord to God, and said: Sovereign Lord, you are the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them;
25 for by the mouth of David your servant you said: Why do the nations riot, and why do the people think vain things?
26 The kings of the earth were gathered together, and the princes were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For truly, Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were united in this city against your holy Son Jesus, whom you anointed,
28 to do whatever your hand and your counsel had previously determined to happen.
29 And now, Lord, look at their threats, and grant to your servants that they may speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand so that healings and signs and wonders may be done through the name of your holy Son Jesus.
31 When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered together shook; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of God boldly.
32 And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; and no one claimed to be his own of anything that he possessed, but they had all things in common.
33 And with great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.
34 So there was no needy among them; because all who owned lands or houses sold them, and brought the price of what was sold,
35 and laid it at the feet of the apostles; and it was distributed to each one according to his need.
36 Then Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated, Son of Consolation), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
37 since he had an estate, sold it and brought the price and laid it at the feet of the apostles.
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold an estate,
2 and took from the price, his wife also knowing it; and bringing only a part of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 And Peter said, Ananias, why did Satan fill your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep from the price of the inheritance?
4 By keeping it, did it not remain with you? and sold, was it not in your power? Why did you put this in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell and died. And great fear came upon all who heard it.
6 And the young men rose up, wrapped him up, and took him out and buried him.
7 After a period of about three hours had passed, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Then Peter said to him, Tell me, did you sell the property for so long? And she said: Yes, meanwhile.
9 And Peter said unto him, Why did ye agree to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, at the door are the feet of those who buried your husband, and they will carry you out.
10 Immediately she fell at his feet, and she expired; and when the young men entered, they found her dead; and they took her out of her, and buried her next to her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon all who heard these things.
12 And by the hand of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
13 Of the rest, no one dared to join them; but the people praised them greatly.
14 And those who believed in the Lord increased more, both men and women in great numbers;
15 so much so that they took the sick out into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, so that as Peter passed by, at least his shadow would fall on some of them.
16 And even from the neighboring cities many came to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and tormented by unclean spirits; and they were all healed.
17 Then the high priest stood up and all those who were with him, that is, the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy;
18 And they laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison.
19 But an angel of the Lord, opening the prison doors at night and bringing them out, said,
20 Go, stand in the temple, and announce to the people all the words of this life.
21 When they heard this, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. Meanwhile, the high priest and those who were with him came, and called together the council and all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent them to the prison to be brought.
22 But when the officers arrived, they did not find them in prison; Then they returned and gave notice,
23 saying, Indeed, we have found the prison closed securely, and the guards outside standing before the doors; but when we opened, we found no one inside.
24 When the high priest and the chief of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they doubted what this would lead to.
25 But one came and gave them this news: Behold, the men whom you put in prison are in the temple, and they teach the people.
26 Then the chief of the guard went with the officers, and brought them without violence, because they feared being stoned by the people.
27 When they had brought them, they presented them to the council, and the high priest asked them,
28 saying, Did we not strictly command you not to teach in that name? And now you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you want to cast that man’s blood on us.
29 Peter and the apostles answered and said, We must obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging on a tree.
31 Him God has exalted with his right hand as a Prince and Savior, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are your witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey him.
33 When they heard this, they became angry and wanted to kill them.
34 Then a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, revered by all the people, stood up in the council, commanding that the apostles be taken outside for a moment,
35 and then he said, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you are going to do regarding to these men.
36 For before these days Theudas arose, saying that he was someone. A number of about four hundred men joined him; but he was killed, and all who obeyed him were scattered and brought to nothing.
37 After him, Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and led many people after him. He also perished, and all those who obeyed him were scattered.
38 And now I say to you: Depart from these men, and leave them; because if this advice or this work is of men, it will vanish;
39 but if it is from God, you cannot destroy it; you may not be found fighting against God.
40 And they agreed with him; And calling the apostles, after scourging them, they told them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and they set them free.
41 And they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer disgrace for the Name’s sake.
42 And every day, in the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and preaching Jesus Christ.
1 In those days, as the number of the disciples increased, there was a murmuring among the Greeks against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
2 Then the twelve called together the multitude of the disciples, and said, It is not right that we should leave the word of God, and serve at tables.
3 Therefore, brothers, look for among you seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we will entrust with this work.
4 And we will persist in prayer and in the ministry of the word.
5 The whole crowd was pleased with the proposal; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch;
6 whom they presented before the apostles, who, praying, laid hands on them.
7 And the word of the Lord grew, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem; Many of the priests also obeyed the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Then some rose up from the synagogue called the freedmen, and from those from Cyrene, from Alexandria, from Cilicia, and from Asia, disputing with Stephen.
10 But they could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.
11 Then they bribed some to say that they had heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.
12 And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes; and attacking, they snatched him away, and brought him to the council.
13 And they set up false witnesses who said, This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and against the law;
14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs that Moses gave us.
15 Then all who were sitting in the council, looking at him, saw his face like the face of an angel.
1 The high priest then said, Is this so?
2 And he said, Men, brothers and fathers, hear: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, while he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,
3 and said to him, Go out from your country and from your kindred, and come to the land that I will show you.
4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran; And from there, after his father died, God transferred him to this land, where you now live.
5 And he did not give him an inheritance in it, not even to set a foot; but he promised him that he would give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him, while he had no son yet.
6 And God said to him thus: That his descendants would be strangers in a strange land, and that they would be reduced to bondage and ill-treated for four hundred years.
7 But I will judge, said God, the nation whose servants they will be; and after this they will go out and serve me in this place.
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to the twelve patriarchs.
9 The patriarchs, moved by envy, sold Joseph into Egypt; but God was with him,
10 and delivered him from all his troubles, and gave him grace and wisdom before Pharaoh king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his house.
11 Then came a famine in all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation; and our parents could not find food.
12 When Jacob heard that there was wheat in Egypt, he sent to our fathers the first time.
13 And in the second, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and the lineage of Joseph was revealed to Pharaoh.
14 And sending Joseph, he brought for his father Jacob, and all his kindred, to the number of seventy-five persons.
15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he died, and our fathers also;
16 Which were carried to Shechem, and laid in the tomb, which Abraham bought for money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 But when the time of the promise approached, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
18 until another king arose in Egypt who did not know Joseph.
19 This king, using cunning with our people, mistreated our parents, so that they would expose their children to death, so that they would not spread.
20 At that same time Moses was born, and was pleasing to God; and he was raised three months in his father’s house.
twenty-oneBut being exposed to death, Pharaoh’s daughter took him in and raised him as her own son.
22 And Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was powerful in his words and deeds.
23 When he had reached the age of forty years, it came to his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 And when he saw one who was mistreated, he defended him, and smiting the Egyptian, he avenged the oppressed.
25 But he thought that his brothers understood that God would give them freedom by his hand; but they had not understood it that way.
26 And the next day he came to some of them who were quarreling, and put them to rest, saying, Men, you are brothers, why do you mistreat one another?
27 Then he who mistreated his neighbor rejected him, saying, Who made you ruler and judge over us?
28 Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?
29 When Moses heard this word, he fled and lived as a stranger in the land of Midian, where he fathered two sons.
30 After forty years, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of fire from a bush.
31 Then Moses, looking, marveled at the vision; And as he approached to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him:
32 I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses, trembling, did not dare to look.
33 And the Lord said to him, Take off the shoes from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.
34 Surely I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. Now come, I will send you to Egypt.
35 This Moses, whom they had rejected, saying, Who made you ruler and judge? God sent him as ruler and deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, having done wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 This is Moses who said to the children of Israel: The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you from among your brothers, like me; you will hear from him.
38 This is that Moses who was in the congregation in the desert with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, and who received words of life to give us;
39 whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected him, and in their hearts they returned to Egypt,
40 when they said to Aaron, Make us gods to go before us; because we do not know what has happened to this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt.
41 Then they made a calf, and offered sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands.
42 And God turned away, and gave them over to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets: Did you offer me victims and sacrifices In the wilderness for forty years, house of Israel?
43 But you carried the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Renphan, figures that you made for yourselves to worship. So I will transport you beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, as God had commanded when he told Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen.
45 Which, received in turn by our fathers, they brought in with Joshua when they took possession of the land of the Gentiles, whom God expelled from the presence of our fathers, until the days of David.
46 This man found favor with God, and asked to provide a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him a house;
48 Although the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
49 Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me? says the Lord; Or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?
51 Hard-necked, and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; Like your parents, so do you.
52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Just One, of whom you have now been the deliverers and slayers;
53 you who received the law by angels, and did not keep it.
54 When they heard these things, they became angry in their hearts, and gnashed their teeth against him.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looking up to heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
56and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
57 Then they, shouting loudly, covered their ears, and attacked him together.
58 And they cast him out of the city, and stoned him; and the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, while he called and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he fell on his knees and cried with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. And having said this, he slept.
1 And Saul consented to his death. On that day there was a great persecution against the church that was in Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the lands of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And godly men carried Stephen to bury, and made great weeping over him.
3 And Saul devastated the church, and entering from house to house, he dragged off men and women, and delivered them to prison.
4 But those who were scattered went everywhere proclaiming the gospel.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.
6 And the people, with one accord, listened attentively to the things that Philip said, hearing and seeing the signs that he did.
7 For from many who had unclean spirits, they came out with loud voices; and many paralytics and lame people were healed;
8 so there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a man named Simon, who used to practice magic in that city, and he had deceived the people of Samaria, pretending to be some great man.
10 To him all, from the least to the greatest, listened attentively, saying, This is the great power of God.
11 And they paid attention to him, because he had deceived them for a long time with his magic tricks.
12 But when they believed Philip proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women were baptized.
13 Simon himself also believed, and having been baptized, he was always with Philip; And seeing the signs and great miracles that were done, he was amazed.
14 When the apostles who were in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John there;
15 who, when they came, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit;
16 for it had not yet come upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus.
17 Then they laid 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 whoever I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.
20 Then Peter said to him, May your money perish with you, because you have thought that the gift of God is obtained with money.
21 You have no part or lot in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray to God, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you;
23 because I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the prison of wickedness.
24 Then Simon answered and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which you have said may come upon me.
25 And they, having testified and spoken the word of God, returned to Jerusalem, and in many towns of the Samaritans proclaimed the gospel.
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go south by the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, which is desert.
27 Then he arose and went. And it came to pass that an Ethiopian, an eunuch, an official of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all his treasures, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
28 returned sitting in his chariot, and reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, Come near and join yourself to that chariot.
30 Philip came and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, But do you understand what you read?
31 He said: And how can I, unless someone teaches me? And he begged Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 The passage of Scripture that he read was this: Like a sheep he was led to death; And like a dumb lamb before its shearer, So he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was not done to him; But his generation, who will count it? Because she was taken from the earth his life.
34 The eunuch answered and said to Philip, Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this; of himself, or of someone else?
35 Then Philip, opening his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached to him the gospel of Jesus.
36 And as they went along the road, they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Here is water; What prevents me from being baptized?
37 Philip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may well. And answering, he said: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip found himself in Azotus; And passing by, he proclaimed the gospel in all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.
1 Saul, still breathing threats and death against the disciples of the Lord, came to the high priest,
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any men or women of this Way, he could bring them prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 But as he went along the way, it came to pass, as he came near Damascus, that suddenly a brightness of light from heaven surrounded him;
4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
5 He said: Who are you, Lord? And he said to him: I am Jesus, whom you persecute; It is hard for you to kick against the sting.
6 He, trembling and fearing, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? And the Lord said to him, Arise and enter the city, and you will be told what you must do.
7 And the men who were with Saul stood amazed, hearing the voice indeed, but seeing no one.
8 Then Saul rose from the ground, and opening his eyes, he saw no one; So, taking him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus,
9 where he remained without sight for three days, and he did not eat or drink.
10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, to whom the Lord said in a vision, Ananias. And he answered: Here I am, Lord.
11 And the Lord said to him, Arise, and go to the street called Straight, and search in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus; for behold, he prays,
12 and he has seen in vision a man named Ananias, who comes in and lays his hands on him so that he may receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how many evils he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
14 and even here he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.
15 The Lord said to him, Go, for this is a chosen instrument for me, to bear my name in the presence of the Gentiles, and of kings, and of the children of Israel;
16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.
17 Then Ananias went and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Spirit. Holy.
18 And immediately they fell from his eyes like scales, and he immediately received sight; and getting up, he was baptized.
19 And having taken food, he regained strength. And Saul remained for some days with the disciples who were in Damascus.
20 Immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues, saying that this was the Son of God.
21 And all who heard him were astonished, and said, Is not this he who laid waste in Jerusalem those who called on this name, and for this reason he came hither, to bring them prisoners before the chief priests?
22 But Saul tried much harder, and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that Jesus was the Christ.
23 After many days, the Jews decided in council to kill him;
24 But his schemes came to Saul’s attention. And they guarded the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then his disciples took him by night and let him down the wall, hanging him in a basket.
26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he was trying to join the disciples; but everyone was afraid of him, not believing that he was his disciple.
27 Then Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them in Jerusalem; and he went in and out,
29 and he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord, and disputed with the Greeks; but they tried to kill him.
30 When the brothers heard this, they took him to Caesarea and sent him to Tarsus.
31 Then the churches had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria; and they were built up, walking in the fear of the Lord, and they increased, strengthened by the Holy Spirit.
32 It came to pass that Peter, visiting everyone, also came to the saints who lived in Lydda.
33 And he found there one named Aeneas, who had been in bed for eight years, for he was paralyzed.
34 And Peter said to him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; Get up and make your bed. And immediately he stood up.
35 And all those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.
36 There was then in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which translated means Dorcas. She abounded in good works and alms that she did.
37 And it came to pass in those days that she became sick and died. After washing her, they put her in a room.
38 And as Lydda was near Joppa, her disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, to beseech him, Do not delay in coming to us.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the hall, where all the widows surrounded him, crying and showing the tunics and dresses that Dorcas made when he was with them.
40 Then, bringing everyone out, Peter knelt down and prayed; and turning to his body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 And he, giving her her hand, lifted her up; Then he, calling the saints and her widows, presented her alive.
42 This was known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
43 And it came to pass that she stayed many days in Joppa in the house of a certain Simon, a tanner.
1 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of the company called the Italian,
2 who was pious and feared God with all his household, and who gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always.
3 He saw clearly in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, that an angel of God came to him and said to him, Cornelius.
4 And he, looking intently at him, and being afraid, said, What is it, Lord? And he said to him: Your prayers and your alms have gone up as a memorial before God.
5 So now send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is surnamed Peter.
6 This man lodges in the house of a certain Simon a tanner, who has his house by the sea; He will tell you what you need to do.
7 When the angel who was speaking with Cornelius had gone, he called two of his servants, and a devoted soldier of those who assisted him;
8 whom he sent to Joppa, after he had told them everything.
9 The next day, as they were on the road and approached the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray, about the sixth hour.
10 And he was very hungry, and wanted to eat; But while they were preparing something for him, an ecstasy came over him;
11 And he saw heaven opened, and something descended like a great sheet, which, tied by the four corners, was lowered to the earth;
12 in which were all the four-legged animals of the land and reptiles and birds of the air.
13 And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter, kill and eat.
14 Then Peter said, Lord, no; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean.
15 The voice returned to him the second time: What God has cleansed, do not call common.
16 This was done three times; and that canvas was collected again in heaven.
17 And while Peter was perplexed within himself as to what the vision that he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, who, inquiring about Simon’s house, came to the gate.
18 And knocking, they asked if there lived there a Simon whose surname was Peter.
19 And while Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you.
20 Therefore arise and go down, and do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.
21 Then Peter, going down to the men who were sent by Cornelius, said to them, Behold, I am he whom you seek; What is the reason why you have come?
22They said: Cornelius the centurion, a righteous man who feared God, and who had a good report throughout the nation of the Jews, has received instructions from a holy angel to have you come to his house to hear your words.
23 Then, bringing them in, he entertained them. And the next day, getting up, he went with them; and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.
24 The next day they entered Caesarea. And Cornelius was waiting for them, having summoned his closest relatives and friends.
25 When Peter entered, Cornelius came out to meet him, and fell down at his feet and worshiped.
26 But Peter lifted him up, saying, Arise, for I myself am also a man.
27 And speaking with him, he went in, and found many gathered together.
28 And he said to them: You know how abominable it is for a Jewish man to associate with or approach a foreigner; But God has shown me that I should call no man common or unclean;
29 Therefore, when I was called, I came without answering. So I ask: For what reason have you made me come?
30 Then Cornelius said: Four days ago at this time I was fasting; And at the ninth hour, as I was praying in my house, I saw a man in a shining garment stand before me,
31 and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms have been remembered before God.
32 Send therefore to Joppa, and bring for Simon who is surnamed Peter, who dwells in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea; and when he comes, he will speak to you.
33 So then I sent for you; and you have done well to come. Now, then, all of us are here in the presence of God, to hear everything that God has commanded you.
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I understand that God is no respecter of persons,
35 but in every nation he is pleased with him who fears him and does righteousness.
36 God sent a message to the children of Israel, announcing the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ; this is Lord of all.
37 You know what was spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after the baptism that John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all the oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses of all the things that Jesus did in the land of Judea and in Jerusalem; who was killed by hanging on a tree.
40 God raised him up on the third day, and caused him to be revealed;
41 not to all the people, but to the witnesses whom God had ordained beforehand, to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one whom God has made Judge of the living and the dead.
43 Of this all the prophets bear witness, that all who believe in him will receive forgiveness of sins through his name.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the speech.
45 And the faithful of the circumcision who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues, and magnifying God.
47Then Peter answered: Can anyone prevent water from being baptized, who have also received the Holy Spirit like us?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
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 went up to Jerusalem, those who were of the circumcision disputed with him,
3 saying, Why have you entered the house of uncircumcised men, and have eaten with them?
4 Then Peter began to tell them in order what had happened, saying:
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw a vision in ecstasy; something similar to a great sheet that descended, which was lowered from heaven by the four corners and came to me.
6 When I fixed my eyes on him, I considered and saw quadrupeds of the land, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying to me, Arise, Peter, kill and eat.
8 And I said, Lord, no; for no common or unclean thing ever entered my mouth.
9 Then the voice answered me from heaven a second time: What God has cleansed, do not call common.
10 And this was done three times, and everything was taken up again to heaven.
11 And behold, immediately three men came to the house where I was, sent to me from Caesarea.
12 And the Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the house of a man,
13 who told us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood up and said to him, “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, who His nickname is Pedro;
14 He will speak to you words by which you and all your house will be saved.
15 And when I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them also, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then I remembered what was said by the Lord, when he said: John indeed baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.
17 If God then gave them the same gift as he did to us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that could hinder God?
18 Then when they heard these things, they were silent and glorified God, saying, So God has also given the Gentiles repentance leading to life!
19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that occurred on the occasion of Stephen passed over as far as Phenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one but only to the Jews.
20 But there were among them men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they entered Antioch, also spoke to the Greeks, proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22 The news of these things reached the ears of the church that was in Jerusalem; and they sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.
23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and exhorted everyone to remain faithful to the Lord with a purpose of heart.
24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And a great multitude was added to the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; and finding him, he brought him to Antioch.
26 And they gathered there a whole year with the church, and taught many people; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
27 In those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
28 And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and made it known by the Spirit that a great famine would come throughout the entire inhabited land; which happened in the time of Claudius.
29 Then the disciples, each one according to what he had, determined to send help to the brothers who lived in Judea;
30 which they did, sending him to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
1 At that same time King Herod laid hands on some of the church to mistreat them.
2 And he killed James, John’s brother, with the sword.
3 And seeing that this had pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Those were the days of unleavened bread.
4 And having taken him prisoner, he put him in prison, giving him four groups of four soldiers each, to guard him; and he intended to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
5 So Peter was kept in prison; but the church made constant prayers to God for him.
6 And when Herod was going to take him out, that same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards in front of the door guarded the prison.
7 And behold, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the prison; And touching Peter on the side, he woke him up, saying, Get up quickly. And his chains fell from his hands.
8 The angel said to him, Gird yourself, and tie your sandals. And he did so. And he said to him, Wrap yourself in your cloak and follow me.
9 And he went out and followed him; But he did not know that what the angel did was true, but he thought he saw a vision.
10 Having passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that led into the city, which opened for them of itself; and when they left, they crossed a street, and immediately the angel departed from him.
11 Then Peter, coming to himself, said, Now I truly understand that the Lord has sent his angel, and he has delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all that the people of the Jews were waiting for.
12 And having considered this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13 When Peter knocked at the door of the courtyard, a girl named Rode came out to listen,
14 who, when she recognized Peter’s voice, for joy did not open the door, but ran inside and gave the news that Peter was at hand. door.
15 And they said to her: You are crazy. But she claimed that was her. Then they said: It is his angel!
16 But Peter persisted in calling; and when they opened and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, making a sign to them with his hand to be silent, told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. And he said, Make this known to James and to the brethren. And he left, and went to another place.
18 After daylight, there was no small commotion among the soldiers about what had become of Peter.
19 But Herod, having searched for him without finding him, after questioning the guards, ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
20 And Herod was angry with those of Tire and Sidon; But they came to him in agreement, and having bribed Blastus, who was the king’s chief waiter, they asked for peace, because his territory was supplied by the king’s.
21 And on an appointed day, Herod, dressed in royal robes, sat in court and harangued them.
22 And the people cheered, shouting: Voice of God, and not of man!
23 Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he did not give glory to God; and he died, eaten by worms.
24 But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul, having completed their service, returned from Jerusalem, also taking with them John, who was surnamed Mark.
1 Then there were in the church that was in Antioch, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As these ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.
3 Then, having fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.
4 Then they, sent by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had Juan as an assistant.
6 And having crossed the whole island to Paphos, they found a certain magician, a false prophet, a Jew, named Barjesus,
7 who was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. Calling Barnabas and Saul, he wanted to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas, the magician (for that is how his name is translated), resisted them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9 Then Saul, who is also Paul, full of the Holy Spirit, fixing his eyes on him,
10 said: Oh, full of all deceit and all wickedness, son of the devil, enemy of all righteousness! Will you not cease to disturb the right ways of the Lord?
11 Now therefore, behold, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind, and you will not see the sun for a while. And immediately darkness and darkness fell upon him; and walking around him, he looked for someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, marveling at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Having set sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions arrived at Perga in Pamphylia; But John left them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 They passed from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia; And they went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to say to them: Men and brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.
16 Then Paul, standing up, making a sign of silence with his hand, said: Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people, while they were strangers in land of Egypt, and with a raised arm he brought them out of it.
18 And for a time about forty years he endured them in the wilderness;
19 And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them his territory as an inheritance.
20 Afterwards, about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges until the prophet Samuel.
21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22 When he was removed, he raised up David as their king, of whom he also testified, saying: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all that I desire.
23 From his descendants, and according to the promise, God raised up Jesus to be the Savior of Israel.
24 Before his coming, John preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 But when John finished his course, he said, Who do you think I am? I am not he; But behold, one comes after me whose shoes I am not worthy to untie.
26 Men and brothers, sons of the seed of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent to you.
27 For the inhabitants of Jerusalem and their rulers, not knowing Jesus or the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath day, fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And without finding a cause worthy of death in him, they asked Pilate to kill him.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written about him, they took him from the tree and laid him in the tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead.
31 And he appeared for many days to those who had gone up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses before the people.
32 And we also preach to you the gospel of that promise made to our fathers,
33 which God has fulfilled to their children, to us, by raising Jesus from the dead; as it is also written in the second psalm: You are my son, today I have begotten you.
34 And as to his raising him from the dead to never return to corruption, he said it thus: I will give you the faithful mercies of David.
35 Therefore he also says in another psalm: You will not allow your Holy One to see corruption.
36 For David, having served his own generation according to the will of God, slept, and was gathered to his fathers, and saw corruption.
37 But he whom God raised up saw no corruption.
38 Know this, then, men and brothers, that through him forgiveness of sins is announced to you,
39 and that from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses, everyone who believes is justified in him.
40 Take heed therefore, lest what is spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 Look, O despisers, and be astonished, and be gone; For I do a work in your days, a work that you will not believe if someone tells it to you.
42 When they left the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles begged them to speak to them about these things on the next Sabbath day.
43 And when the congregation had been dismissed, many of the Jews and the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to persevere in the grace of God.
44 On the next Sabbath day, almost the entire city gathered to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were filled with jealousy, and they refuted what Paul said, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas, speaking boldly, said, To you indeed it was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first; but since you reject it, and do not judge yourselves worthy of eternal life, behold, we return to the Gentiles.
47 For thus has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may be a salvation to the ends of the earth.
48The Gentiles, hearing this, rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord, and all who were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord spread throughout that province.
50 But the Jews instigated pious and distinguished women, and the rulers of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their borders.
51 Then they shook off the dust from their feet and came to Iconium.
52 And the disciples were full of joy and of the Holy Spirit.
1 And it came to pass at Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and spoke in such a manner that a great multitude of Jews, and also of Greeks, believed.
2 But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up and corrupted the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.
3 Therefore they stayed there for a long time, speaking boldly, trusting in the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 And the people of the city were divided: some were with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
5 But when the Jews and the Gentiles, together with their rulers, set out to insult them and stone them,
6 having heard about it, they fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to all the surrounding region,
7 and there they preached the gospel.
8 And a certain man from Lystra was sitting, crippled in his feet, lame from birth, who had never walked.
9 He heard Paul speaking, who, fixing his eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice, Stand up straight on your feet. And he jumped, and walked.
11 Then the people, seeing what Paul had done, raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language: Gods in the likeness of men have come down to us.
12 And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul, Mercury, because this was the one who spoke.
13 And the priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of the city, brought bulls and garlands before the gates, and together with the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices.
14 When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard it, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting
15 and saying, Men, why do you do this? We also are men like you, who announce to you that you should turn from these vanities to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
16 In ages past he has let all people go in their own ways;
17 although he did not leave himself without testimony, doing good, giving us rain from heaven and fruitful times, filling our hearts with sustenance and joy.
18 And saying these things, they could hardly prevent the crowd from offering sacrifice to them.
19 Then came some Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the crowd, and having stoned Paul, dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead.
20 But the disciples surrounded him, and he arose and entered the city; and the next day he set out with Barnabas for Derbe.
21 And after preaching the gospel to that city and making many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium and to Antioch,
22 confirming the spirit of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying to them: It is necessary that through many tribulations let us enter the kingdom of God.
23 And they appointed elders in each church, and having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 Then passing through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Athaliah.
26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had accomplished.
27 And when they came and gathered the church together, they told how great things God had done for them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
1 Then some who came from Judea taught the brothers: Unless you are circumcised according to the ritual of Moses, you cannot be saved.
2 As Paul and Barnabas had no small argument and quarrel with them, it was arranged that Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders, to discuss this matter.
3 Therefore, having been led by the church, they passed through Phenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brothers.
4 And when they came to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they related all the things that God had done for them.
5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees, who had believed, stood up and said, “We must circumcise them, and command them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 And the apostles and the elders gathered together to consider this matter.
7 And after much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them: Men and brothers, you know how some time ago God chose that the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel through my mouth and believe.
8 And God, who knows the hearts, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave them to us;
9 and made no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now then, why do you put God to the test by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But we believe that by the grace of the Lord Jesus we will be saved, just as they were.
12 Then the whole crowd fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul telling how great signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 And when they were silent, James answered and said, Men and brethren, hear me.
14 Simon has told how God visited the Gentiles for the first time, to take from them a people for his name.
15 And with this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written:
16 After this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will repair its ruins, And I will raise it up again,
17 So that the rest of men may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles, who are called by my name,
18 Says the Lord, who makes all this known from ancient times.
19 Therefore I judge that the Gentiles who turn to God should not be troubled,
20 but that it be written to them that they should depart from the defilements of idols, from fornication, from strangulation, and from blood.
21 Because Moses from ancient times has had someone in every city preach it in the synagogues, where it is read every Sabbath day.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas who was surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers;
23 and write through them: The apostles and the elders and the brothers, to the brothers among the Gentiles who are in Antioch, in Syria and in Cilicia, greetings.
24 Because we have heard that some who have gone out from us, to whom We gave no command, have troubled you with words, troubling your souls, commanding you to be circumcised and to keep the law,
25 It seemed good to us, having reached an agreement, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have exposed their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 So we sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you the same thing by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, not to impose on you any burden other than these necessary things:
29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from drowning, and from fornication; of which things if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Have a good time.
30 So those who were sent went down to Antioch, and assembling the congregation, they delivered the letter;
31 having read which, they rejoiced at the consolation.
32 And Judas and Silas, since they were also prophets, consoled and confirmed the brothers with abundance of words.
33 And spending some time there, they were sent away in peace by the brethren, to return to those who had sent them.
34 But it seemed good to Silas to stay there.
35 And Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching the word of the Lord and preaching the gospel with many others.
36 After a few days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return to visit the brothers in all the cities where we have proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are.
37 And Barnabas wanted them to take with them John, who was surnamed Mark;
38 But it did not seem right to Paul to take with him the one who had left them from Pamphylia, and he had not gone with them to the work.
39 And there was such disagreement among them, that they separated one from another; Barnabas, taking Mark, sailed to Cyprus,
40 and Paul, choosing Silas, left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord,
41 and passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
1 Then he came to Derbe and Lystra; and behold, there was a certain disciple there named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but of a Greek father;
2 and the brothers who were in Lystra and Iconium gave good testimony of him.
3 Paul wanted this man to go with him; And taking him, he circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those places; because everyone knew that his father was Greek.
4 And as they passed through the cities, they gave them the ordinances that the apostles and the elders who were in Jerusalem had agreed upon, to keep them.
5 So the churches were established in the faith, and increased in number every day.
6 And as they passed through Phrygia and the province of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
7 And when they came to Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia, but the Spirit did not allow them.
8 And passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.
9 And a vision was shown to Paul at night: a Macedonian man stood, beseeching him, saying, Come over to Macedonia and help us.
10 When he saw the vision, we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, believing that God was calling us to preach the gospel to them.
11 So setting sail from Troas, we came directly to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis;
12 and from there to Philippi, which is the first city in the province of Macedonia, and a colony; and we were in that city for a few days.
13 And one Sabbath day we went out from the gate, by the river, where prayer was usually made; and sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered together.
14 Then a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart so that she would pay attention to what Paul said.
15 And when she and her family were baptized, she begged us, saying, If you have judged that I am faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay. And she made us stay.
16 It happened that while we were going to prayer, a girl who had a spirit of divination met us, and she brought great profit to her master by guessing.
17 This she, following Paul and us, cried out, saying: These men are servants of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of salvation.
18 And he did this for many days; but displeasing Paul, he turned and said to her spirit: I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And she left at that same hour.
19 But when their masters saw that the hope of their gain had gone out, they arrested Paul and Silas, and brought them into the forum before the authorities;
20 And presenting them to the magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, trouble our city,
21 and teach customs which it is not lawful for us to receive or to do, since we are Romans.
22 And the people gathered against them; and the magistrates, tearing their clothes, ordered them to be flogged with rods.
23 After they had beaten them greatly, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them safe.
24 Who, having received this command, put them into the innermost dungeon, and secured their feet in the stocks.
25 But at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying, singing hymns to God; and the prisoners heard them.
26 Then suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains were loosed.
27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he took out his sword and was going to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had fled.
28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here.
29 He then, asking for light, rushed in, and trembling, fell down at the feet of Paul and Silas;
30 And bringing them out, he said to them, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 They said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your house.
32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.
33 And he, taking them at that same hour of the night, washed their wounds; and immediately he was baptized with all his people.
34 And bringing them into his house, he set a table for them; and he rejoiced with all his house that he had believed God.
35 When it was day, the magistrates sent officers to say, Release those men.
36 And the jailer told Paul these words: The magistrates have sent word that you should be released; so now come out, and go in peace.
37 But Paul said to them: After you publicly flogged us without a judicial sentence, being Roman citizens, you threw us into prison, and now you cast us out secretly? No, by the way, but let them come and take us out themselves.
38 And the officers reported these words to the magistrates, who were afraid when they heard that they were Romans.
39 And when they came, they besought them; and bringing them out, they asked them to leave the city.
40 Then, leaving the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they comforted them, and departed.
1 Passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
2 And Paul, as he was accustomed, went to them, and reasoned with them for three days of rest,
3 declaring and expounding through the Scriptures, that it was necessary that the Christ should suffer, and rise from the dead; and that Jesus, whom I announce to you, he said, is the Christ.
4 And some of them believed, and joined together with Paul and Silas; and of the pious Greeks a great number, and noble women not a few.
5 Then the Jews who disbelieved, being jealous, took with them some idlers, evil men, and gathering a mob, they stirred up the city; and attacking Jason’s house, they tried to get them out to the people.
6 But not finding them, they brought Jason and some brothers before the authorities of the city, crying, These who turn the whole world upside down have also come here;
7 whom Jason has received; and all of these contravene Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, Jesus.
8 And they stirred up the people and the city authorities when they heard these things.
9 But having obtained security from Jason and the rest, they released them.
10 Immediately the brothers sent Paul and Silas to Berea by night. And when they had arrived, they entered the synagogue of the Jews.
11 And these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with all eagerness, searching the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
12 So many of them believed, including Greek women of distinction, and not a few men.
13 When the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was also proclaimed in Berea by Paul, they went there and also stirred up the crowds.
14 But immediately the brothers sent Paul to go toward the sea; and Silas and Timothy stayed there.
15 And those who had been in charge of leading Paul brought him to Athens; and having received orders for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as they could, they went out.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was inflamed when he saw the city given over to idolatry.
17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout, and in the square every day with those who gathered together.
18 And some philosophers of the Epicureans and Stoics disputed with him; and some said: What does this palaver mean? And others: He seems to be a preacher of new gods; because he preached to them the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And taking him, they brought him to the Areopagus, saying, Can we know what this new teaching is of which you speak?
20 For you bring strange things to our ears. So we want to know what this means.
21 (For all the Athenians and the foreigners residing there were interested in nothing else except in saying or hearing something new.)
22 Then Paul, standing in the middle of the Areopagus, said: Men of Athens, in everything I observe that you are very religious;
23 For as I passed by and looked at your sanctuaries, I also found an altar on which was this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, whom you worship without knowing him, he is the one I announce to you.
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by human hands,
25 nor is he honored by human hands, as if he needed anything; for he is the one who gives to all life and breath and all things.
26 And from one blood he has made all the race of men, so that they may dwell on all the face of the earth; and he has predetermined for them the order of times, and the limits of his habitation;
27 so that they may seek God, if in any way, by groping, they can find him, although certainly he is not far from each one of us.
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as some of your own poets have also said: For we are his offspring.
29 Being, then, the offspring of God, we should not think that Divinity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a sculpture of art and the imagination of men.
30 But God, having overlooked the times of this ignorance, now commands all men everywhere to repent;
31 because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he appointed, giving faith to all by raising him from the dead.
32 But when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and others said, We will hear you about this again.
33 And so Paul went out from among them.
34 But some believed and gathered together with him; among whom was Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
1 After these things, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had just come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to them,
3 and since he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together, since their trade was making tents.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.
5 And when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul was fully devoted to the preaching of the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
6 But when these opposed and blasphemed, he said to them, shaking off his clothes: Your blood be on your own head; I clean; From now on I will go to the Gentiles.
7 And leaving there, he went to the house of one named Justus, a God-fearer, which was by the synagogue.
8 And Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
9 Then the Lord said to Paul in a night vision: Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not be silent;
10 because I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to harm you, because I have many people in this city.
11 And he stayed there a year and six months, teaching them the word of God.
12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to court,
13 saying, “This man persuades men to honor God against the law.”
14 And as Paul began to speak, Gallio said to the Jews: If it were some great wrong or crime, O Jews, according to law I would tolerate you.
15 But if they are questions of words, and of names, and of your law, you see; because I don’t want to be the judge of these things.
16 And he drove them out of the court.
17 Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the court; but Gallio was given nothing of it.
18 But Paul, having stayed there for many days, then took leave of the brothers and sailed to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shaved his head at Cenchrea, because he had made a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and he left them there; And entering the synagogue, he argued with the Jews,
20 who begged him to stay with them longer; but he did not agree,
21but he took leave of them, saying: It is necessary that in any case I keep the coming festival in Jerusalem; but I will return to you again, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 Having arrived at Caesarea, he went up to greet the church, and then went down to Antioch.
23 And after he had remained there for some time, he went out, going through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, confirming all his disciples.
24 Then there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, powerful in the Scriptures.
25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being of a fervent spirit, he spoke and taught diligently concerning the Lord, although he only knew the baptism of John.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue; But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him more exactly the way of God.
27 And when he wanted to go over to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him, and wrote to the disciples to receive him; And when he arrived there, he was of great benefit to those who by grace had believed;
28 for he with great vehemence publicly refuted the Jews, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
1 Now it came to pass, while Apollos was in Corinth, that Paul, after traveling through the upper regions, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,
2 he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said to him, We have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.
3 Then he said, Into what then were you baptized? They said: At the baptism of John.
4 Paul said: John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in him who would come after him, that is, in Jesus the Christ.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them; and they spoke in tongues, and they prophesied.
7 There were in all about twelve men.
8 And when Paul entered the synagogue, he spoke boldly for three months, arguing and persuading about the kingdom of God.
9 But some being hardened and not believing, cursing the Way before the crowd, Paul departed from them and separated the disciples, arguing every day in the school of one named Tyrannus.
10 So he continued for two years, so that all who lived in Asia, Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord Jesus.
11 And God performed extraordinary miracles by the hand of Paul,
12 in such a way that even the cloths or aprons from their bodies were taken to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out.
13 But some of the Jews, traveling exorcists, attempted to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus upon those who had evil spirits, saying, I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.
14 There were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, chief priest, who did this.
15 But the evil spirit answered and said, I know Jesus, and I know who Paul is; but you, who are you?
16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaping upon them and overpowering them, was stronger than them, so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.
17 And this was known to all who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks; and they were all afraid, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many of those who had believed came, confessing and giving an account of their deeds.
19 Likewise many of those who had practiced magic brought the books and burned them before everyone; And when they counted the price, they found that it was fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 Thus the word of the Lord grew and prevailed powerfully.
twenty-oneAfter these things had passed, Paul purposed in spirit to go to Jerusalem, after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying: After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
22 And sending two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he remained for a time in Asia.
23 There was at that time no small disturbance about the Way.
24 For a silversmith named Demetrius, who made little temples of Diana out of silver, gave no small profit to the craftsmen;
25 To whom, gathered together with the workers of the same trade, he said: Men, you know that from this trade we obtain our wealth;
26 But you see and hear that this Paul, not only in Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, has turned away many people by persuasion, saying that those made with hands are not gods.
27 And not only is there a danger that this business of ours will come to disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be esteemed for nothing, and the majesty of her whom all Asia, and the entire world, venerates, will begin to be destroyed.
28 When they heard these things, they were filled with anger and shouted, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
29 And the city was filled with confusion, and together they rushed into the theater, snatching Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s companions.
30 And when Paul wanted to go out to the people, the disciples would not let him.
31 Also some of the authorities of Asia, who were friends of his, sent him a message, begging him not to appear at the theater.
32 Some then shouted one thing, and others another; because the crowd was confused, and most of them did not know why they had gathered.
33 And they brought Alexander out of the crowd, the Jews pushing him. Then Alexander, asking for silence with his hand, wanted to speak in his defense before the people.
34 But when they learned that he was a Jew, they all shouted with one voice for almost two hours: Great is Diana of the Ephesians!
35 Then the clerk, when he had pacified the crowd, said, Men of Ephesus, and who is the man that does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the guardian of the temple of the great goddess Diana, and of the image that came from Jupiter?
36 Since this cannot be contradicted, you must be calm and do nothing hastily.
37 Because you have brought these men, without being sacrilegious or blaspheming of your goddess.
38 If Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a lawsuit against anyone, audiences are granted, and there are proconsuls; accuse each other.
39 And if you demand something else, it can be decided in a legitimate assembly.
40 Because there is a danger that we will be accused of sedition for this today, since there is no cause for which we can give reason for this contest.
41 And having said this, he dismissed the assembly.
1 After the commotion had ceased, Paul called his disciples, and having exhorted and embraced them, he said goodbye and left to go to Macedonia.
2 And after traveling through those regions, and exhorting them with many words, he came to Greece.
3 After having been there three months, and the Jews having laid traps for him when he embarked for Syria, he made the decision to return through Macedonia.
4 And Sopater of Berea, Aristarchus and Second of Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, accompanied him to Asia; and from Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5 These, having gone ahead, waited for us at Troas.
6 And we, after the days of unleavened bread, sailed from Philippi, and in five days we joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
7 On the first day of the week, when the disciples were gathered together to break bread, Paul taught them, having to leave the next day; and he prolonged the speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together;
9 And a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting at the window, fallen into a deep sleep, while Paul was speaking at length, overcome with sleep he fell from the third story below, and was picked up dead.
10 Then Paul came down and fell upon him, and embracing him, said, Do not be alarmed, for he is alive.
11 After he had gone up and broken bread and eaten, he spoke at length until dawn; and so he left.
12 And they carried the young man alive, and were greatly comforted.
13 We, going ahead to embark, sailed to Asón to pick up Paul there, since he had determined so, wanting to go by land.
14 When he met us at Ashon, taking him on board, we came to Mytilene.
15 Sailing from there, the next day we arrived before Chio, and the next day we took port at Samos; and having stopped at Trogilius, the next day we arrived at Miletus.
16 Because Paul had decided to pass by Ephesus, so as not to stop in Asia, since he was hastening to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost, if possible.
17 So sending from Miletus to Ephesus, he called for the elders of the church.
18 When they came to him, he said to them: You know how I have behaved among you all the time, from the first day I entered Asia,
19 serving the Lord with all humility, and with many tears, and trials that came to me through the snares of the Jews;
20 and since I have shied away from nothing that was useful, from announcing and teaching you, publicly and from home,
21 testifying to Jews and Gentiles about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Now, behold, I am bound in spirit and go to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there;
23 except that the Holy Spirit bears witness to me in all cities, saying that prisons and tribulations await me.
24 But I pay no attention to anything, nor do I count my life precious to myself, provided that I finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
25 And now, behold, I know that none of you, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face any more.
26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am clean from the blood of all;
27 for I have not shied away from announcing to you the whole counsel of God.
28 Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over 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 ravenous wolves will enter among you and will not spare the flock.
30 And from yourselves men will arise who speak perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.
31 Therefore, be vigilant, remembering that for three years, night and day, I have not ceased to warn each person with tears.
32 And now, brothers, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those who are sanctified.
33 I have coveted neither silver nor gold nor anyone’s clothing.
34 But you know that for what was necessary to me and to those who are with me, these hands have served me.
35 In everything I have taught you that, by working in this way, you should help those in need, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said: It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36 When he had said these things, he fell on his knees and prayed with them all.
37 Then there was great weeping among all; and they fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him,
38 being greatly grieved by the word he spoke, that they would no longer see his face. And they accompanied him to the ship.
1 After separating from them, we set sail and headed directly to Kos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.
2 And finding a ship passing to Phenicia, we embarked and set sail.
3 When we sighted Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed to Syria, and arrived at Tyre, because the ship had to unload there.
4 And when the disciples were found, we remained there seven days; and they told Paul by the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.
5 When those days were over, we left, all of us accompanying ourselves, with their wives and children, to the outside of the city; and kneeling on the beach, we pray.
6 And we embraced one another, and went into the ship, and they returned to their homes.
7 And we completed the navigation, leaving Tire and arriving at Ptolemais; and having greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for a day.
8 The next day, Paul and we who were with him left, we went to Caesarea; And entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we posed with him.
9 This man had four maiden daughters who prophesied.
10 And while we remained there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea,
11 who came to see us, took Paul’s girdle, and tying his feet and hands, said, This is what the Holy Spirit says: This is how the Jews in Jerusalem will bind. to the man whose girdle it is, and they will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.
12 When we heard this, we and those of that place begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, “What are you doing weeping and breaking my heart? For I am willing not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14 And since we could not persuade him, we desisted, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
15 After those days, having made the preparations, we went up to Jerusalem.
16 And some of the disciples also came with us from Caesarea, bringing with them one named Mnason, from Cyprus, an ancient disciple, with whom we would stay.
17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us with joy.
18 And the next day Paul came with us to see James, and all the elders were gathered together;
19 To whom, after he had greeted them, he told them one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard it, they glorified God, and said to him: You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed; and all are zealous for the law.
21 But it has been reported to them concerning you, that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to apostatize from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children, nor to observe the customs.
22 What is there then? The multitude will surely gather, for they will hear that you have come.
23 Do, therefore, what we tell you: There are four men among us who have an obligation to fulfill their vow.
24 Take them with you, purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they shave their heads; and everyone will understand that there is nothing of what they were told about you, but that you also walk orderly, keeping the law.
25 But as for the Gentiles who have believed, we have written to them directing them not to keep any of these things; only that they abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from drowning, and from fornication.
26 Then Paul took those men with him, and the next day, having purified himself with them, he entered the temple, to announce the fulfillment of the days of purification, when the offering was to be presented for each of them.
27 But when the seven days were almost over, some Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the entire crowd and laid hands on him,
28 shouting: Men of Israel, help! This is the man who everywhere teaches everyone against the people, the law and this place; and besides this, he has brought Greeks into the temple, and has desecrated this holy place.
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus in the city with him, whom they thought Paul had brought into the temple.
30 So the whole city was moved, and the people gathered together; and seizing Paul, they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately closed the doors.
31 And as they sought to kill him, the tribune of the company was told that the entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar.
32 He then took soldiers and centurions and ran to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
33 Then the tribune came and seized him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and asked who he was and what he had done.
34 But among the crowd, some shouted one thing, and others another; and since he could not understand anything true because of the commotion, he ordered him to be taken to the fortress.
35 When he reached the steps, it happened that he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd;
36 for the multitude of the people came after him, shouting, “Death!”
37 When they began to take Paul into the fortress, he said to the tribune: May I tell you something? And he said: Do you know Greek?
38 Are you not that Egyptian who raised a rebellion before these days, and brought out four thousand assassins into the desert?
39 Then Paul said, I am a Jewish man from Tarsus, a citizen of a not insignificant city in Cilicia; but I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.
40 And when he permitted him, Paul, standing on the steps, made a sign with his hand to the people. And there being great silence, he spoke in the Hebrew language, saying:
1 Men, brothers and fathers, hear now my defense before you.
2 And when they heard that he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, they became more silent. And he said to them:
3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but raised in this city, taught at the feet of Gamaliel, strictly according to the law of our fathers, zealous for God, as you all are today. .
4 I pursued this Way to the point of death, arresting and delivering men and women to prisons;
5 as the high priest is also my witness, and all the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brothers, and I went to Damascus to bring prisoners to Jerusalem also those who were there, so that they might be punished.
6 But it happened that as I was coming near Damascus, about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven surrounded me;
7 And I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?
8 I then answered: Who are you, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you persecute.
9 And those who were with me truly saw the light, and were terrified; but they did not understand the voice of the one who spoke to me.
10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me: Arise and go to Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you are commanded to do.
11 And since I could not see because of the glory of the light, led by the hand of those who were with me, I came to Damascus.
12 Then one named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who had a good report among all the Jews who lived there,
13 came to me and came to me and said, Brother Saul, receive your sight. And at that same hour I regained my sight and looked at him.
14 And he said, The God of our fathers has chosen you, that you may know his will, and see the Righteous One, and hear the voice of his mouth.
15 For you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.
16 Now then, why do you stop? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.
17 And it happened to me, when I returned to Jerusalem, that as I was praying in the temple, an ecstasy came upon me.
18 And I saw him saying to me, Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly; for they will not receive your testimony about me.
19 I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and scourged those who believed in you in all the synagogues;
20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, I myself was also present, and consented to his death, and kept the clothes of those who killed him.
21 But he said to me, Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.
22 And they heard him even this word; Then they raised their voices, saying, Take such a man out of the land, for it is not fitting that he should live.
23 And as they shouted and threw their clothes and threw dust into the air,
24 the tribune ordered them to take him into the fortress, and ordered that he be examined with lashes, to find out why they cried out against him like this.
25 But when they had bound him with thongs, Paul said to the centurion who was present, Is it lawful for you to flog a Roman citizen who has not been condemned?
26 When the centurion heard this, he went and told the tribune, saying, What are you going to do? Because this man is a Roman citizen.
27 The tribune came and said to him, Tell me, are you a Roman citizen? He said: Yes.
28 The tribune answered: I acquired this citizenship with a large sum. Then Paul said: But I am from birth.
29 So immediately those who were going to torment him departed from him; And even the tribune, knowing that he was a Roman citizen, was also afraid because he had tied him up.
30 The next day, wanting to know for certain the reason for which the Jews were accusing him, he released him from his chains, and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to come, and bringing Paul out, he presented him before them.
1 Then Paul, looking intently at the council, said: Men and brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience to this day.
2 Ananias the high priest then ordered those standing by him to hit him on the mouth.
3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, whitewashed wall!” Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and breaking the law do you order me to be beaten?
4 Those who were present said: Do you revile the high priest of God?
5 Paul said, I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest; for it is written: You shall not curse a prince of your people.
6 Then Paul, noticing that one part was Sadducees and the other Pharisees, raised his voice in the council: Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; about hope and the resurrection of the dead I am judged.
7 When he said this, there was a disagreement between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees affirm these things.
9 And there was a great shout; And the scribes of the Pharisees stood up and argued, saying, We find no evil in this man; that if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel, let us not resist God.
10 And there being great dissension, the tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered soldiers to come down and snatch him from their midst, and take him to the fortress.
11 The next night the Lord appeared to him and said: Be of good courage, Paul, for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.
12 When the day came, some of the Jews hatched a plot and took an oath under a curse, saying that they would not eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13 There were more than forty who had made this conspiracy,
14 who went to the chief priests and the elders and said, We have sworn under a curse not to taste anything until we have killed Paul.
15 Now therefore, you, with the council, request the tribune to bring him before you tomorrow, as if you wish to inquire into something more certain about him; and we will be ready to kill him before he arrives.
16 But Paul’s sister’s son, hearing about the trap, went and entered the fortress, and told Paul.
17 Paul called one of the centurions and said, Take this young man to the tribune, for he has a certain warning to give him.
18 He then took him and brought him to the tribune, and said: The prisoner Paul called me and begged me to bring this young man to you, for he has something to speak to you.
19 The tribune, taking him by the hand and withdrawing from him, asked him: What do you have to say to me?
20 He said to him: The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the council tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire something more certain about him.
21 But do not believe them; because more than forty of their men are lying in wait for him, who have sworn under a curse not to eat or drink until they have killed him; and now they are ready waiting for your promise.
22 Then the tribune dismissed the young man, ordering him not to tell anyone that he had given him notice of this.
23 And calling two centurions, he ordered them to prepare for the third hour of the night two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen, to go to Caesarea;
24 and that they should prepare horses on which, putting Paul, they would carry him safely to Felix the governor.
25 And he wrote a letter in these terms:
26 Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
27 This man, who had been apprehended by the Jews and whom they were going to kill, I rescued by going with the troops, having learned that he was a Roman citizen.
28 And wanting to know the reason why they accused him, I took him to their council;
29 and I found that they accused him of matters of their law, but that he had no crime worthy of death or imprisonment.
30 But when I was informed of the plots that the Jews had laid against this man, I immediately sent him to you, also instructing his accusers to try before you what they have against him. Have a good time.
31 And the soldiers, taking Paul as they were ordered, brought him to Antipatris by night.
32 And the next day, leaving the horsemen to go with him, they returned to the fortress.
33 When they came to Caesarea and gave the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul before him.
34 And the governor, having read the letter, asked what province he was from; and having understood that he was from Cilicia,
He 35 said to him: I will hear you when your accusers come. And he ordered them to guard him in Herod’s praetorium.
1 Five days later, Ananias the high priest came down with some of the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus, and they appeared before the governor against Paul.
2 And when he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: Since because of you we enjoy great peace, and many things are well governed in the people by your prudence,
3 O most excellent Felix, we receive him at all times and in all places with all gratitude.
4 But in order not to bother you any longer, I beg you to hear us briefly according to your equity.
5 For we have found this man to be a plague, and a promoter of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a leader of the sect of the Nazarenes.
6 He also attempted to desecrate the temple; and having arrested him, we wanted to judge him according to our law.
7 But the tribune Lysias intervened and took him out of our hands with great violence,
8 commanding his accusers to come to you. You yourself, then, when you judge him, will be able to inform yourself of all these things of which we accuse him.
9 The Jews also confirmed, saying that everything was so.
10 When the governor signaled to Paul to speak, he replied: Because I know that you have been judge of this nation for many years, I will make my defense with good courage.
11 As you can ascertain, it has not been more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem;
12 and they did not find me disputing with anyone, nor stirring up the crowd; neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues nor in the city;
13 Nor can they prove to you the things of which they now accuse me.
14 But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call heresy, so I serve the God of my fathers, believing all things that are written in the law and in the prophets;
15 having hope in God, which they also have, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and of the unrighteous.
16 And for this reason I always try to have a conscience without offense before God and before men.
17 But after a few years, I came to give alms to my nation and present offerings.
18 While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me cleansed in the temple, not with crowds or commotion.
19 They should appear before you and accuse me, if they have anything against me.
20 Or let these themselves say whether they found anything wrong with me when I appeared before the council,
21 Unless I stood among them and cried out with a loud voice: Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am judged today by you.
22 Then Felix, having heard these things, being well informed of this Way, postponed them, saying: When the tribune Lysias descends, I will finish learning about your matter.
23 And he ordered the centurion to guard Paul, but to grant him some freedom, and not to prevent any of his people from serving him or coming to him.
24 A few days later, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, who was a Jew, and she called Paul and heard him about faith in Jesus Christ.
25 But as Paul discoursed about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix was terrified, and said, Now go; But when I have a chance I will call you.
26 He also hoped that Paul would give him money to release him; For this reason, he often made him come and talk to him.
27 But after two years Felix received Porcius Festus as his successor; And Felix, wanting to ingratiate himself with the Jews, left Paul prisoner.
1 So when Festus arrived in the province, he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem three days later.
2 And the chief priests and the most influential of the Jews came before him against Paul, and besought him,
3 asking against him, as a favor, that he would bring him to Jerusalem; They were preparing a trap to kill him on the way.
4 But Festus replied that Paul was being guarded in Caesarea, whither he himself would soon depart.
5 Those of you who are able, he said, go down with me, and if there is any crime in this man, accuse him.
6 And staying among them no more than eight or ten days, when he came to Caesarea, the next day he sat in court, and ordered that Paul be brought.
7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come from Jerusalem surrounded him, bringing many serious accusations against him, which they could not prove;
8 Paul argued in his defense: Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned in anything.
9 But Festus, desiring to please himself with the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10 Paul said: I stand before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I must be judged. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you know very well.
11 For if I have done any wrong, or anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; But if there is none of the things they accuse me of, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.
12 Then Festus, having spoken with the council, answered, You have appealed to Caesar; You will go to Caesar.
13 After a few days, King Agrippa and Berenice came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
14 And when they were there many days, Festus told the king the cause of Paul, saying, A man has been left prisoner by Felix,
15 concerning whom, when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews came before me. , calling for condemnation against him.
16 To these I replied that it is not the custom of the Romans to hand anyone over to death before the accused has his accusers before him, and he can defend himself against the accusation.
17 So, when they came here together, without any delay, the next day, sitting in court, I ordered the man to be brought.
18 And while the accusers were present, they brought no charges of what I suspected,
19 but that they had certain questions against him concerning his religion, and of a certain Jesus, already dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive.
20 I, doubting a similar question, asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things.
21 But as Paul appealed to be reserved for the knowledge of Augustus, I ordered that he be kept in custody until I sent him to Caesar.
22 Then Agrippa said to Festus, I would also like to hear that man. And he said to him: Tomorrow you will hear him.
23 The next day, Agrippa and Berenice came with great pomp, and entered the audience with the tribunes and leading men of the city, by order of Festus Paul was brought.
24 Then Festus said, King Agrippa, and all the men who are here together with us, here is this man, concerning whom the whole multitude of the Jews have sued me in Jerusalem and here, crying that he should live no longer.
25 But I, finding that he has done nothing worthy of death, and since he himself appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him to him.
26 Since I have nothing certain to write to my lord, I have brought him before you, and especially before you, O King Agrippa, so that after examining him, I may have something to write.
27 Because it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner and not report the charges against him.
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul: You are permitted to speak for yourself. Paul then, stretching out his hand, began his defense thus:
2 I count myself blessed, O King Agrippa, that I have to defend myself before you today against all the things of which I am accused by the Jews.
3 Mainly because you know all the customs and issues that exist among the Jews; Therefore I ask you to listen to me with patience.
4 My life, therefore, from my youth, which I spent from the beginning in my nation, in Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews;
5 who also know that from the beginning, if they wish to testify, according to the most rigorous sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.
6 And now, because of the hope of the promise that God made to our fathers, I am called to judgment;
7 promise whose fulfillment they hope our twelve tribes will achieve, constantly serving God day and night. For this hope, O King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
8 What! Is it considered incredible among you that God raises the dead?
9 I had certainly believed it my duty to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth;
10 which I also did in Jerusalem. I locked up many of the saints in prisons, having received powers from the chief priests; and when they killed them, I gave my vote.
11 And many times, punishing them in all the synagogues, I forced them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly angry with them, I pursued them even into foreign cities.
12 While I was busy with this, I was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
13 when at noon, O king, as I was walking along the road, I saw a light from heaven surpassing the brightness of the sun, which surrounded me. and those who were with me.
14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, saying in the Hebrew language: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the sting.
15 I then said: Who are you, Lord? And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom you persecute.
16 But arise, and stand on your feet; for for this purpose I have appeared to you, to make you a minister and witness of the things which you have seen, and of those in which I will appear to you,
17 delivering you from your people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,
18 to that you may open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive, through faith in me, forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified.
19 Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but I announced first to those in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and throughout all the land of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and convert. to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21 Because of this the Jews, seizing me in the temple, tried to kill me.
22 But having obtained help from God, I continue to this day, bearing witness to both small and great, saying nothing except those things which the prophets and Moses said would happen:
23 That the Christ would suffer and be the first of the resurrection of the dead, to announce light to the people and the Gentiles.
24 As he said these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice: You are mad, Paul; the many letters drive you crazy.
25 But he said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I speak words of truth and reason.
26 For the king knows these things, before whom I also speak with all confidence. Because I don’t think he ignores any of this; Well, this has not been done in some corner.
27 Do you believe, O King Agrippa, the prophets? I know what you believe.
28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuaded me to be a Christian.
29 And Paul said: Would to God that by a little or a great deal, not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become just as I am, except for these chains!
30 When he had said these things, the king, and the governor, and Berenice, and those who sat with them, stood up;
31 And when they went aside, they talked among themselves, saying, This man has done nothing worthy of death or imprisonment.
32 And Agrippa said to Festus: This man might have been set free, if he had not appealed to Caesar.
1 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, of the Augusta company.
2 And embarking on an Adramitenian ship that was going to touch at the ports of Asia, we set sail, Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, being with us.
3 The next day we arrived at Sidon; and Julio, treating Pablo humanely, allowed him to go to his friends, to be cared for by them.
4 And setting sail from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.
5 Having crossed the sea in front of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we arrived at Myra, a city in Lycia.
6 And when the centurion found there an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, he embarked us on it.
7 Sailing slowly for many days, and barely reaching Cnidus, because the wind prevented us, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmon.
8 And passing along it with difficulty, we came to a place called Good Harbors, near which was the city of Lasea.
9 And after a long time had passed, and the navigation being already dangerous, because the fast had already passed, Paul admonished them,
10 saying to them: Men, I see that the navigation is going to be with damage and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our people.
11 But the centurion gave more credit to the pilot and the master of the ship than to what Paul said.
12 And the port being uncomfortable for wintering, the majority agreed to also set sail from there, in case they could arrive at Phenice, a port in Crete that faces the northeast and southeast, and winter there.
13 And with a breeze blowing from the south, it seemed to them that they already had what they wanted, they weighed anchor and sailed along the coast of Crete.
14 But not long afterward a hurricane wind called Euroclidon hit the ship.
15 And the ship being taken away, and not being able to turn head to the wind, we abandoned ourselves to it and let ourselves be carried away.
16 And having run to the lee of a small island called Clauda, with difficulty we were able to pick up the skiff.
17 And once they got on board, they used reinforcements to gird the ship; and being afraid of hitting Sirte, they lowered their sails and drifted.
18 But being attacked by a furious storm, the next day they began to clear,
19 and on the third day we threw away the ship’s rigging with our own hands.
20 And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and harassed by no small storm, we had already lost all hope of being saved.
21 Then Paul, as it had been a long time since we had eaten, stood among them and said: It would certainly have been good, men, if you had listened to me and not set sail from Crete only to receive this loss and loss.
22 But now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.
23 For this night the angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve has been with me,
24 saying, Paul, do not be afraid; it is necessary that you appear before Caesar; and behold, God has given you all who sail with you.
25 Therefore, men, be of good cheer; because I trust in God that it will be as I have been told.
26 However, it is necessary that we land on some island.
27 When the fourteenth night came, and they were taken across the Adriatic Sea, at midnight the sailors suspected that they were close to land;
28 And when they took sound, they found twenty fathoms; and passing a little further, sounding again, they found fifteen fathoms.
29 And fearing that they might hit rocks, they cast four anchors in the stern, and were eager for daylight.
30 Then the sailors tried to escape from the ship, and launching the skiff into the sea, they pretended to want to drop the anchors from the bow.
31 But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, Unless these remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.
32 Then the soldiers cut the boat’s ropes and let it drift away.
33 When it began to dawn, Paul exhorted everyone to eat, saying: This is the fourteenth day that you have watched and fasted, eating nothing.
34 Therefore, I beseech you, eat for your health; for not even a hair of the head of any of you will perish.
35 And having said this, he took the bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and breaking it, began to eat.
36 Then everyone, having a better spirit, also ate.
37 And all the people in the ship were two hundred and seventy-six.
38 And when they were satisfied, they lightened the ship, throwing the wheat into the sea.
39 When it was day, they did not recognize the land, but they saw an inlet that had a beach, in which they agreed to beach the ship, if they could.
40 So cutting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, also loosening the ropes from the rudder; and hoisting the headsail to the wind, they headed towards the beach.
41 But hitting a place with two waters, they ran the ship aground; and the bow, stuck, remained motionless, and the stern opened with the violence of the sea.
42 Then the soldiers agreed to kill the prisoners, so that none would escape by swimming.
43 But the centurion, wanting to save Paul, prevented them from this attempt, and ordered those who could swim to lie down first and go ashore;
44 and the rest, part in tables, part in things of the ship. And so it came to pass that they were all saved by going ashore.
1 Once we were safe, we learned that the island was called Malta.
2 And the natives treated us with no little humanity; because by lighting a fire, they welcomed us all, because of the rain that fell, and the cold.
3 Then when Paul had gathered some dry branches, he threw them into the fire; and a viper, fleeing from the heat, latched onto his hand.
4 When the natives saw the viper hanging from his hand, they said to one another: Surely this man is a murderer, whom, having escaped from the sea, justice does not allow to live.
5 But he shook off the viper in the fire and suffered no harm.
6 They were waiting for him to swell up, or drop dead suddenly; But having waited a long time, and seeing that no harm came to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
7 In those places there were properties of the main man of the island, named Publius, who received us and hosted us solicitously for three days.
8 And it came to pass that Publius’s father was in bed, sick with fever and dysentery; And Paul came in to see him, and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him, and healed him.
9 When this was done, the others also who had diseases on the island came and were healed;
10 who also honored us with much attention; and when we set sail, they loaded us with the necessary things.
11 After three months, we set sail on an Alexandrian ship that had wintered on the island, whose flag was Castor and Pollux.
12 And when we arrived at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.
13 From there, coasting around, we arrived at Reggio; and another day later, with the south wind blowing, we arrived on the second day at Puteoli,
14 where, having found brothers, they begged us to stay with them seven days; and then we went to Rome,
15 from where the brothers, hearing about us, went out to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns; And when Paul saw them, he thanked God and took breath.
16 When we arrived in Rome, the centurion handed the prisoners over to the military prefect, but Paul was allowed to live separately, with a soldier to guard him.
17 And it came to pass, three days later, that Paul called together the leaders of the Jews, and to them, when they were assembled, he said, I, men and brethren, having done nothing against the people, nor against the customs of our fathers, have been delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans;
18 who, having examined me, wanted to release me, because there was no cause of death in me.
19 But the Jews being opposed, I was forced to appeal to Caesar; not because he has something to accuse my nation of.
20 So for this reason I have called you to see you and speak to you; for for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
21 Then they said to him: We have not received letters from Judea about you, nor has any of the brothers come who has reported or spoken evil about you.
22 But we would like to hear from you what you think; because it is known to us that this sect is spoken against everywhere.
23 And when he had appointed him a day, many came to him at the inn, to whom he declared and testified the kingdom of God from morning until evening, persuading them about Jesus, both by the law of Moses and by the prophets.
24 And some assented to what was said, but others did not believe.
25 And since they were not in agreement among themselves, as they were leaving, Paul said to them this word: The Holy Spirit spoke well through the prophet Isaiah to our fathers, saying:
26 Go to this people and say to them, By hearing you will hear, and not you will understand; And seeing ye shall see, and not perceive;
27 For the heart of this people is thickened, And they have heard hard with their ears, And they have closed their eyes, Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And be converted, And I them Heal.
28 Know therefore that this salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles; and they will hear.
29 And when he had said this, the Jews departed, having a great discussion among themselves.
30 And Paul remained two whole years in a rented house, and received all who came to him,
31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ, openly and without hindrance.
