Acts 21-22

Acts 21

¹And when it came to pass that were parted from them and had set sail, we came with a straight course unto Cos, and the next day unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara:

²and having found a ship crossing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard, and set sail.

³And when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed unto Syria, and landed at Tyre; for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

⁴And having found the disciples, we tarried there seven days: and these said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.

⁵And when it came to pass that we had accomplished the days, we departed and went on our journey; and they all, with wives and children, brought us on our way till we were out of the city: and kneeling down on the beach, we prayed, and bade each other farewell;

⁶and we went on board the ship, but they returned home again.

⁷And when we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day.

⁸And on the morrow we departed, and came unto Caesarea: and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we abode with him.

⁹Now this man had four virgin daughters, who prophesied.

¹⁰And as we tarried there some days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.

¹¹And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

¹²And when we heard these things, both we and they of that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.

¹⁵And after these days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶And there went with us also [certain] of the disciples from Caesarea, bringing [with them] one Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we should lodge.

¹⁷And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he rehearsed one by one the things which God had wrought among the Gentiles through his ministry.

²⁰And they, when they heard it, glorified God; and they said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of them that have believed; and they are all zealous for the law:

²¹and they have been informed concerning thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the customs.

²²What is it therefore? They will certainly hear that thou art come.

²³Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men that have a vow on them;

²⁴these take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges for them, that they may shave their heads: and all shall know that there is no truth in the things whereof they have been informed concerning thee; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, keeping the law.

²⁵But as touching the Gentiles that have believed, we wrote, giving judgment that they should keep themselves from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication.

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them went into the temple, declaring the fulfilment of the days of purification, until the offering was offered for every one of them.

²⁷And when the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him,

²⁸crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man that teacheth all men everywhere against the people, and the law, and this place; and moreover he brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath defiled this holy place.

²⁹For they had before seen with him in the city Trophimus the Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

³⁰And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they laid hold on Paul, and dragged him out of the temple: and straightway the doors were shut.

³¹And as they were seeking to kill him, tidings came up to the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

³²And forthwith he took soldiers and centurions, and ran down upon them: and they, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, left off beating Paul.

³³Then the chief captain came near, and laid hold on him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and inquired who he was, and what he had done.

³⁴And some shouted one thing, some another, among the crowd: and when he could not know the certainty for the uproar, he commanded him to be brought into the castle.

³⁵And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the crowd;

³⁶for the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, Away with him.

³⁷And as Paul was about to be brought into the castle, he saith unto the chief captain, May I say something unto thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?

³⁸Art thou not then the Egyptian, who before these days stirred up to sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the Assassins?

³⁹But Paul said, I am a Jew, of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city: and I beseech thee, give me leave to speak unto the people.

⁴⁰And when he had given him leave, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with the hand unto the people; and when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Acts 22

¹Brethren and fathers, hear ye the defence which I now make unto you.

²And when they heard that he spake unto them in the Hebrew language, they were the more quiet: and he saith,

³I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as ye all are this day:

⁴and I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

⁵As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and journeyed to Damascus to bring them also that were there unto Jerusalem in bonds to be punished.

⁶And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and drew nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁷And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

⁸And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.

⁹And they that were with me beheld indeed the light, but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

¹⁰And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me I came into Damascus.

¹²And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well reported of by all the Jews that dwelt there,

¹³came unto me, and standing by me said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And in that very hour I looked up on him.

¹⁴And he said, The God of our fathers hath appointed thee to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear a voice from his mouth.

¹⁵For thou shalt be a witness for him unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,

¹⁸and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.

¹⁹And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:

²⁰and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.

²¹And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.

²²And they gave him audience unto this word; and they lifted up their voice, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.

²³And as they cried out, and threw off their garments, and cast dust into the air,

²⁴the chief captain commanded him be brought into the castle, bidding that he should be examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they so shouted against him.

²⁵And when they had tied him up with the thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

²⁶And when the centurion heard it, he went to the chief captain and told him, saying, What art thou about to do? for this man is a Roman.

²⁷And the chief captain came and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? And he said, Yea.

²⁸And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this citizenship. And Paul said, But I am [a Roman] born.

²⁹They then that were about to examine him straightway departed from him: and the chief captain also was afraid when he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰But on the morrow, desiring to know the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.