¹³ Now ^(A)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ^14 (B)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. ^(C)Have no fear of them, ^(D)nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but ^(E)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, ^(F)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and ^(G)respect,

Bondservants and Masters

^5 (A)Bondservants,^[a] obey your earthly masters^[b] with fear and trembling, ^(B)with a sincere heart, ^(C)as you would Christ, ⁶ not by the way of eye-service, as ^(D)people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ^8 (E)knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, ^(F)whether he is a bondservant or is free.

^14 (A)“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ^15 (B)Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so ^(C)that^[a] they may see your good works and ^(D)give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸ And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be ^(A)a Christian?”^{[a] 29} And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day ^(B)might become such as I am—except for ^(C)these chains.”

²¹ Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, ^(A)you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this ^(B)injury and loss. ²² Yet now I urge you to ^(C)take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³ For this very night ^(D)there ^(E)stood before me ^(F)an angel of the God ^(G)to whom I belong and ^(H)whom I worship, ²⁴ and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; ^(I)you must stand before Caesar. And behold, ^(J)God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ²⁵ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. ²⁶ But ^(K)we must ^(L)run aground on some island.”

²⁷ When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. ²⁸ So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms.^[a] A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms.^{[b] 29} And fearing that we might ^(M)run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰ And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered ^(N)the ship's boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, ³¹ Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it go.

³³ As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. ³⁴ Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength,^[c] for ^(O)not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” ³⁵ And when he had said these things, he took bread, and ^(P)giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶ Then they all ^(Q)were encouraged and ate some food themselves. ³⁷ (We were in all 276^{[d] (R)}persons in the ship.)

³⁰ He lived there two whole years at his own expense,^[a] and ^(A)welcomed all who came to him, ^31 (B)proclaiming ^(C)the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ^(D)with all boldness and ^(E)without hindrance.