Acts 21-28

New American Bible (Revised Edition)

Chapter 21

Arrival at Tyre. ^1 [a]When we had taken leave of them we set sail, made a straight run for Cos, and on the next day for Rhodes, and from there to Patara. ² Finding a ship crossing to Phoenicia, we went on board and put out to sea. ³ We caught sight of Cyprus but passed by it on our left and sailed on toward Syria and put in at Tyre where the ship was to unload cargo. ⁴ There we sought out the disciples and stayed for a week. They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to embark for Jerusalem. ⁵ At the end of our stay we left and resumed our journey. All of them, women and children included, escorted us out of the city, and after kneeling on the beach to pray, ⁶ we bade farewell to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.

Arrival at Ptolemais and Caesarea. ⁷ We continued the voyage and came from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and stayed a day with them. ⁸ On the next day we resumed the trip and came to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,^[b] and stayed with him.^{(A) 9} He had four virgin daughters gifted with prophecy. ¹⁰ We had been there several days when a prophet named Agabus^[c] came down from Judea. ^11 (B)He came up to us, took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, “Thus says the holy Spirit: This is the way the Jews will bind the owner of this belt in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles.”^{[d] 12} When we heard this, we and the local residents begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? I am prepared not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ^14 (C)Since he would not be dissuaded we let the matter rest, saying,^(D) “The Lord’s will be done.”^[e]

Paul and James in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ After these days we made preparations for our journey, then went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea came along to lead us to the house of Mnason, a Cypriot, a disciple of long standing, with whom we were to stay. ^17 [f]When we reached Jerusalem the brothers welcomed us warmly. ¹⁸ The next day, Paul accompanied us on a visit to James, and all the presbyters were present. ¹⁹ He greeted them, then proceeded to tell them in detail what God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ They praised God when they heard it but said to him, “Brother, you see how many thousands of believers there are from among the Jews, and they are all zealous observers of the law. ²¹ They have been informed that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to abandon Moses and that you are telling them not to circumcise their children or to observe their customary practices. ²² What is to be done? They will surely hear that you have arrived. ^23 [g]So do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.^{(E) 24} Take these men and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses^[h] that they may have their heads shaved. In this way everyone will know that there is nothing to the reports they have been given about you but that you yourself live in observance of the law. ^25 (F)As for the Gentiles who have come to believe, we sent them our decision that they abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage.”^{[i] 26} So Paul took the men, and on the next day after purifying himself together with them entered the temple to give notice of the day when the purification would be completed and the offering made for each of them.^(G)

Paul’s Arrest. ²⁷ When the seven days were nearly completed, the Jews from the province of Asia noticed him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd, and laid hands on him, ^28 (H)shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help us. This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and what is more, he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this sacred place.”^{[j] 29} For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him and supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. ³⁰ The whole city was in turmoil with people rushing together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. ³¹ While they were trying to kill him, a report reached the cohort commander^[k] that all Jerusalem was rioting. ³² He immediately took soldiers and centurions and charged down on them. When they saw the commander and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. ³³ The cohort commander came forward, arrested him, and ordered him to be secured with two chains; he tried to find out who he might be and what he had done. ³⁴ Some in the mob shouted one thing, others something else; so, since he was unable to ascertain the truth because of the uproar, he ordered Paul to be brought into the compound. ³⁵ When he reached the steps, he was carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob, ^36 [l](I)for a crowd of people followed and shouted, “Away with him!”

³⁷ Just as Paul was about to be taken into the compound, he said to the cohort commander, “May I say something to you?” He replied, “Do you speak Greek? ³⁸ So then you are not the Egyptian^[m] who started a revolt some time ago and led the four thousand assassins into the desert?”^{(J) 39} Paul answered, “I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; I request you to permit me to speak to the people.” ⁴⁰ When he had given his permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people; and when all was quiet he addressed them in Hebrew.^[n]

Chapter 22

Paul’s Defense Before the Jerusalem Jews.^{[o] 1} “My brothers and fathers, listen to what I am about to say to you in my defense.” ² When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew they became all the more quiet. And he continued, ³ “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. At the feet of Gamaliel I was educated strictly in our ancestral law and was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.^{(K) 4} I persecuted this Way to death, binding both men and women and delivering them to prison.^{(L) 5} Even the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify on my behalf. For from them I even received letters to the brothers and set out for Damascus to bring back to Jerusalem in chains for punishment those there as well.

⁶ “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me.^{(M) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’^{(N) 8} I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’^{(O) 9} My companions saw the light but did not hear the voice of the one who spoke to me.^{(P) 10} I asked, ‘What shall I do, sir?’ The Lord answered me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about everything appointed for you to do.’^{(Q) 11} Since I could see nothing because of the brightness of that light, I was led by hand by my companions and entered Damascus.^(R)

^12 (S)“A certain Ananias, a devout observer of the law, and highly spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³ came to me and stood there and said, ‘Saul, my brother, regain your sight.’ And at that very moment I regained my sight and saw him. ¹⁴ Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors designated you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the sound of his voice; ¹⁵ for you will be his witness^[p] before all to what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name.’

¹⁷ “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry, leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ But I replied, ‘Lord, they themselves know that from synagogue to synagogue I used to imprison and beat those who believed in you.^{(T) 20} And when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I myself stood by giving my approval and keeping guard over the cloaks of his murderers.’^{(U) 21} Then he said to me,^(V) ‘Go, I shall send you far away to the Gentiles.’”^[q]

Paul Imprisoned. ^22 (W)They listened to him until he said this, but then they raised their voices and shouted, “Take such a one as this away from the earth. It is not right that he should live.”^{[r] 23} And as they were yelling and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the cohort commander ordered him to be brought into the compound and gave instruction that he be interrogated under the lash to determine the reason why they were making such an outcry against him. ^25 (X)But when they had stretched him out for the whips, Paul said to the centurion on duty, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and has not been tried?”^{[s] 26} When the centurion heard this, he went to the cohort commander and reported it, saying, “What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ Then the commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he answered. ²⁸ The commander replied, “I acquired this citizenship for a large sum of money.” Paul said, “But I was born one.” ²⁹ At once those who were going to interrogate him backed away from him, and the commander became alarmed when he realized that he was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.

Paul Before the Sanhedrin. ³⁰ The next day, wishing to determine the truth about why he was being accused by the Jews, he freed him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene. Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Chapter 23

¹ Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have conducted myself with a perfectly clear conscience before God to this day.”^{(Y) 2} The high priest Ananias^[t] ordered his attendants to strike his mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you,^[u] you whitewashed wall. Do you indeed sit in judgment upon me according to the law and yet in violation of the law order me to be struck?”^{(Z) 4} The attendants said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?” ⁵ Paul answered, “Brothers, I did not realize he was the high priest. For it is written,^(AA) ‘You shall not curse a ruler of your people.’”^[v]

⁶ Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees, so he called out before the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees; [I] am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”^{(AB) 7} When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the group became divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.^{(AC) 9} A great uproar occurred, and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party stood up and sharply argued, “We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” ¹⁰ The dispute was so serious that the commander, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, ordered his troops to go down and rescue him from their midst and take him into the compound. ^11 [w](AD)The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

Transfer to Caesarea. ¹² When day came, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were more than forty who formed this conspiracy. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves by a solemn oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵ You, together with the Sanhedrin, must now make an official request to the commander to have him bring him down to you, as though you meant to investigate his case more thoroughly. We on our part are prepared to kill him before he arrives.” ¹⁶ The son of Paul’s sister, however, heard about the ambush; so he went and entered the compound and reported it to Paul. ¹⁷ Paul then called one of the centurions^[x] and requested, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to report to him.” ¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the commander and explained, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked that I bring this young man to you; he has something to say to you.” ¹⁹ The commander took him by the hand, drew him aside, and asked him privately, “What is it you have to report to me?” ²⁰ He replied, “The Jews have conspired to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they meant to inquire about him more thoroughly, ²¹ but do not believe them. More than forty of them are lying in wait for him; they have bound themselves by oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are now ready and only wait for your consent.” ²² As the commander dismissed the young man he directed him, “Tell no one that you gave me this information.”

²³ Then he summoned two of the centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready to go to Caesarea by nine o’clock tonight,^[y] along with seventy horsemen and two hundred auxiliaries. ²⁴ Provide mounts for Paul to ride and give him safe conduct to Felix the governor.” ²⁵ Then he wrote a letter with this content: ^26 [z]“Claudius Lysias to his excellency the governor Felix, greetings.^{[aa] 27} This man, seized by the Jews and about to be murdered by them, I rescued after intervening with my troops when I learned that he was a Roman citizen.^{(AE) 28} I wanted to learn the reason for their accusations against him so I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹ I discovered that he was accused in matters of controversial questions of their law and not of any charge deserving death or imprisonment.^{(AF) 30} Since it was brought to my attention that there will be a plot against the man, I am sending him to you at once, and have also notified his accusers to state [their case] against him before you.”

³¹ So the soldiers, according to their orders, took Paul and escorted him by night to Antipatris. ³² The next day they returned to the compound, leaving the horsemen to complete the journey with him. ³³ When they arrived in Caesarea they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him. ³⁴ When he had read it and asked to what province he belonged, and learned that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, “I shall hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that he be held in custody in Herod’s praetorium.

Chapter 24

Trial Before Felix. ¹ Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an advocate, a certain Tertullus, and they presented formal charges against Paul to the governor. ² When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, “Since we have attained much peace through you, and reforms have been accomplished in this nation through your provident care, ³ we acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with all gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to detain you further, I ask you to give us a brief hearing with your customary graciousness. ^5 (AG)We found this man to be a pest; he creates dissension among Jews all over the world and is a ringleader of the sect of the Nazoreans.^{[ab] 6} He even tried to desecrate our temple, but we arrested him.^(AH) [⁷ ]^{[ac] 8} If you examine him you will be able to learn from him for yourself about everything of which we are accusing him.” ⁹ The Jews also joined in the attack and asserted that these things were so.

^10 [ad]Then the governor motioned to him to speak and Paul replied, “I know that you have been a judge over this nation for many years and so I am pleased to make my defense before you. ¹¹ As you can verify, not more than twelve days have passed since I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor anywhere in the city did they find me arguing with anyone or instigating a riot among the people. ¹³ Nor can they prove to you the accusations they are now making against me. ¹⁴ But this I do admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors and I believe everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.^{(AI) 15} I have the same hope in God as they themselves have that there will be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.^{(AJ) 16} Because of this, I always strive to keep my conscience clear before God and man.^{(AK) 17} After many years, I came to bring alms for my nation and offerings.^{(AL) 18} While I was so engaged, they found me, after my purification, in the temple without a crowd or disturbance.^{(AM) 19} But some Jews from the province of Asia, who should be here before you to make whatever accusation they might have against me— ²⁰ or let these men themselves state what crime they discovered when I stood before the Sanhedrin, ²¹ unless it was my one outcry as I stood among them, that ‘I am on trial before you today for the resurrection of the dead.’”^(AN)

²² Then Felix, who was accurately informed about the Way, postponed the trial, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I shall decide your case.” ²³ He gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that he should not prevent any of his friends from caring for his needs.

Captivity in Caesarea. ^24 [ae]Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He had Paul summoned and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁵ But as he spoke about righteousness and self-restraint and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, “You may go for now; when I find an opportunity I shall summon you again.” ²⁶ At the same time he hoped that a bribe would be offered him by Paul, and so he sent for him very often and conversed with him.

²⁷ Two years passed and Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.^[af]

Chapter 25

Appeal to Caesar. ¹ Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem ² where the chief priests and Jewish leaders presented him their formal charges against Paul.^[ag] They asked him ³ as a favor to have him sent to Jerusalem, for they were plotting to kill him along the way. ⁴ Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody in Caesarea and that he himself would be returning there shortly. ⁵ He said, “Let your authorities come down with me, and if this man has done something improper, let them accuse him.”

⁶ After spending no more than eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and on the following day took his seat on the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought in. ⁷ When he appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him and brought many serious charges against him, which they were unable to prove. ⁸ In defending himself Paul said, “I have committed no crime either against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” ^9 [ah]Then Festus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the Jews, said to Paul in reply, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there stand trial before me on these charges?” ¹⁰ Paul answered, “I am standing before the tribunal of Caesar; this is where I should be tried. I have committed no crime against the Jews, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I have committed a crime or done anything deserving death, I do not seek to escape the death penalty; but if there is no substance to the charges they are bringing against me, then no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then Festus, after conferring with his council, replied, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go.”

Paul Before King Agrippa. ¹³ When a few days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice^[ai] arrived in Caesarea on a visit to Festus. ¹⁴ Since they spent several days there, Festus referred Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There is a man here left in custody by Felix.^{(AO) 15} When I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and demanded his condemnation. ¹⁶ I answered them that it was not Roman practice to hand over an accused person before he has faced his accusers and had the opportunity to defend himself against their charge. ¹⁷ So when [they] came together here, I made no delay; the next day I took my seat on the tribunal and ordered the man to be brought in. ^18 (AP)His accusers stood around him, but did not charge him with any of the crimes I suspected. ¹⁹ Instead they had some issues with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ Since I was at a loss how to investigate this controversy, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and there stand trial on these charges. ²¹ And when Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.” ²² Agrippa said to Festus, “I too should like to hear this man.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great ceremony and entered the audience hall in the company of cohort commanders and the prominent men of the city and, by command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ And Festus said, “King Agrippa and all you here present with us, look at this man about whom the whole Jewish populace petitioned me here and in Jerusalem, clamoring that he should live no longer. ²⁵ I found, however, that he had done nothing deserving death, and so when he appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write about him to our sovereign; therefore I have brought him before all of you, and particularly before you, King Agrippa, so that I may have something to write as a result of this investigation. ²⁷ For it seems senseless to me to send up a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”

Chapter 26

King Agrippa Hears Paul. ¹ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may now speak on your own behalf.” So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. ^2 [aj]“I count myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am to defend myself before you today against all the charges made against me by the Jews, ³ especially since you are an expert in all the Jewish customs and controversies. And therefore I beg you to listen patiently. ⁴ My manner of living from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my people^[ak] and in Jerusalem, all [the] Jews know. ^5 (AQ)They have known about me from the start, if they are willing to testify, that I have lived my life as a Pharisee, the strictest party of our religion. ^6 (AR)But now I am standing trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors. ⁷ Our twelve tribes hope to attain to that promise as they fervently worship God day and night; and on account of this hope I am accused by Jews, O king. ⁸ Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead? ^9 (AS)I myself once thought that I had to do many things against the name of Jesus the Nazorean, ¹⁰ and I did so in Jerusalem. I imprisoned many of the holy ones with the authorization I received from the chief priests, and when they were to be put to death I cast my vote against them.^{(AT) 11} Many times, in synagogue after synagogue, I punished them in an attempt to force them to blaspheme; I was so enraged against them that I pursued them even to foreign cities.

¹² “On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. ^13 (AU)At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions.^{(AV) 14} We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?^(AW) It is hard for you to kick against the goad.’^{[al] 15} And I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.^{(AX) 16} Get up now, and stand on your feet.^(AY) I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen [of me] and what you will be shown.^{[am] 17} I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you,^{(AZ) 18} to open their eyes^[an] that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me.’^(BA)

¹⁹ “And so, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. ²⁰ On the contrary, first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works giving evidence of repentance. ^21 (BB)That is why the Jews seized me [when I was] in the temple and tried to kill me. ^22 (BC)But I have enjoyed God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here testifying to small and great alike, saying nothing different from what the prophets and Moses foretold,^{[ao] 23} that the Messiah must suffer^[ap] and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”^(BD)

Reactions to Paul’s Speech. ²⁴ While Paul was so speaking in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, “You are mad, Paul; much learning is driving you mad.” ²⁵ But Paul replied, “I am not mad, most excellent Festus; I am speaking words of truth and reason. ²⁶ The king knows about these matters and to him I speak boldly, for I cannot believe that [any] of this has escaped his notice; this was not done in a corner.^{[aq] 27} King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?^[ar] I know you believe.” ²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You will soon persuade me to play the Christian.” ²⁹ Paul replied, “I would pray to God that sooner or later not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am except for these chains.”

³⁰ Then the king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and the others who sat with them. ^31 [as]And after they had withdrawn they said to one another, “This man is doing nothing [at all] that deserves death or imprisonment.” ³² And Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^(BE)

Chapter 27

Departure for Rome. ^1 [at]When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, they handed Paul and some other prisoners over to a centurion named Julius of the Cohort Augusta.^{[au] 2} We went on board a ship from Adramyttium bound for ports in the province of Asia and set sail. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.^{(BF) 3} On the following day we put in at Sidon where Julius was kind enough to allow Paul to visit his friends who took care of him. ⁴ From there we put out to sea and sailed around the sheltered side of Cyprus because of the headwinds, ⁵ and crossing the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia we came to Myra in Lycia.

Storm and Shipwreck. ⁶ There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship that was sailing to Italy and put us on board. ⁷ For many days we made little headway, arriving at Cnidus only with difficulty, and because the wind would not permit us to continue our course we sailed for the sheltered side of Crete off Salmone. ⁸ We sailed past it with difficulty and reached a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea.

⁹ Much time had now passed and sailing had become hazardous because the time of the fast^[av] had already gone by, so Paul warned them,^{(BG) 10} “Men, I can see that this voyage will result in severe damage and heavy loss not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our lives.” ¹¹ The centurion, however, paid more attention to the pilot and to the owner of the ship than to what Paul said. ¹² Since the harbor was unfavorably situated for spending the winter, the majority planned to put out to sea from there in the hope of reaching Phoenix, a port in Crete facing west-northwest, there to spend the winter.

¹³ A south wind blew gently, and thinking they had attained their objective, they weighed anchor and sailed along close to the coast of Crete. ¹⁴ Before long an offshore wind of hurricane force called a “Northeaster” struck. ¹⁵ Since the ship was caught up in it and could not head into the wind we gave way and let ourselves be driven. ¹⁶ We passed along the sheltered side of an island named Cauda and managed only with difficulty to get the dinghy under control. ¹⁷ They hoisted it aboard, then used cables to undergird the ship. Because of their fear that they would run aground on the shoal of Syrtis, they lowered the drift anchor and were carried along in this way. ¹⁸ We were being pounded by the storm so violently that the next day they jettisoned some cargo, ¹⁹ and on the third day with their own hands they threw even the ship’s tackle overboard. ²⁰ Neither the sun nor the stars were visible for many days, and no small storm raged. Finally, all hope of our surviving was taken away.

²¹ When many would no longer eat, Paul stood among them and said, “Men, you should have taken my advice and not have set sail from Crete and you would have avoided this disastrous loss. ²² I urge you now to keep up your courage; not one of you will be lost, only the ship. ²³ For last night an angel of the God to whom [I] belong and whom I serve stood by me ²⁴ and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You are destined to stand before Caesar; and behold, for your sake, God has granted safety to all who are sailing with you.’^{(BH) 25} Therefore, keep up your courage, men; I trust in God that it will turn out as I have been told. ²⁶ We are destined to run aground on some island.”

²⁷ On the fourteenth night, as we were still being driven about on the Adriatic Sea, toward midnight the sailors began to suspect that they were nearing land. ²⁸ They took soundings and found twenty fathoms; a little farther on, they again took soundings and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹ Fearing that we would run aground on a rocky coast, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. ³⁰ The sailors then tried to abandon ship; they lowered the dinghy to the sea on the pretext of going to lay out anchors from the bow. ³¹ But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.” ³² So the soldiers cut the ropes of the dinghy and set it adrift.

³³ Until the day began to dawn, Paul kept urging all to take some food. He said, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting, going hungry and eating nothing. ³⁴ I urge you, therefore, to take some food; it will help you survive. Not a hair of the head of anyone of you will be lost.” ³⁵ When he said this, he took bread,^[aw] gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat.^{(BI) 36} They were all encouraged, and took some food themselves. ³⁷ In all, there were two hundred seventy-six of us on the ship. ³⁸ After they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

³⁹ When day came they did not recognize the land, but made out a bay with a beach. They planned to run the ship ashore on it, if they could. ⁴⁰ So they cast off the anchors and abandoned them to the sea, and at the same time they unfastened the lines of the rudders, and hoisting the foresail into the wind, they made for the beach. ⁴¹ But they struck a sandbar and ran the ship aground. The bow was wedged in and could not be moved, but the stern began to break up under the pounding [of the waves]. ⁴² The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners so that none might swim away and escape, ⁴³ but the centurion wanted to save Paul and so kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to the shore, ⁴⁴ and then the rest, some on planks, others on debris from the ship. In this way, all reached shore safely.

Chapter 28

Winter in Malta. ¹ Once we had reached safety we learned that the island was called Malta. ² The natives showed us extraordinary hospitality; they lit a fire and welcomed all of us because it had begun to rain and was cold. ³ Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire when a viper, escaping from the heat, fastened on his hand. ⁴ When the natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must certainly be a murderer; though he escaped the sea, Justice^[ax] has not let him remain alive.” ⁵ But he shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no harm. ⁶ They were expecting him to swell up or suddenly to fall down dead but, after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.^{(BJ) 7} In the vicinity of that place were lands belonging to a man named Publius, the chief of the island. He welcomed us and received us cordially as his guests for three days. ⁸ It so happened that the father of Publius was sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and, after praying, laid his hands on him and healed him. ⁹ After this had taken place, the rest of the sick on the island came to Paul and were cured. ¹⁰ They paid us great honor and when we eventually set sail they brought us the provisions we needed.

Arrival in Rome. ¹¹ Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the Dioscuri^[ay] as its figurehead. ¹² We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days, ¹³ and from there we sailed round the coast and arrived at Rhegium. After a day, a south wind came up and in two days we reached Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers and were urged to stay with them for seven days. And thus we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers from there heard about us and came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On seeing them, Paul gave thanks to God and took courage. ¹⁶ When he entered Rome,^[az] Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Testimony to Jews in Rome. ^17 [ba]Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them, “My brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or our ancestral customs, I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem.^{(BK) 18} After trying my case the Romans wanted to release me, because they found nothing against me deserving the death penalty.^{(BL) 19} But when the Jews objected, I was obliged to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no accusation to make against my own nation.^{(BM) 20} This is the reason, then, I have requested to see you and to speak with you, for it is on account of the hope of Israel^[bb] that I wear these chains.”^{(BN) 21} They answered him, “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor has any of the brothers arrived with a damaging report or rumor about you. ²² But we should like to hear you present your views, for we know that this sect is denounced everywhere.”^(BO)

²³ So they arranged a day with him and came to his lodgings in great numbers. From early morning until evening, he expounded his position to them, bearing witness to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the prophets. ²⁴ Some were convinced by what he had said, while others did not believe. ^25 [bc]Without reaching any agreement among themselves they began to leave; then Paul made one final statement. “Well did the holy Spirit speak to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, saying:

^28 (BQ)Let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” [²⁹ ]^[bd]

^30 [be]He remained for two full years in his lodgings. He received all who came to him, ³¹ and with complete assurance and without hindrance he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.