titude; and, when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

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

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

37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee who said, Canst thou speak Greek?

38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers ?

39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beseech thee suffer me to speak unto the people.

40 And, when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people; and, when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, CHAP. XXII.

Paul declareth how he was converted, 25 and escapeth Scourging by the privilege of a Roman.

MEN, brethren, & fathers, hear ye my defence which Í incke now unto you,

2 (And when they heard

how he was

that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence; and he saith,)

3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,a and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

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

5 As 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 went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus, about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

unto

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

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

to me,

9 And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and

.

a Gamaliel, a celebrated doctor or teacher of the Jewish law.

b This way, those who embraced the Christian religion.`

were afraid: but they heard not the voice of him that spake

to me.

10 And 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.

11 And 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.

12 And one Ananias, a devout man, according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up

upon him.

14 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One,c and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

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

16 And, now why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, call ing on the name of the Lord.

17 And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusalem,even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;

18 And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get

That Just One, Jesus Christ.
25*

he is bound.

thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

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

20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

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

22 And they gave him audience d unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth; for it is not fit, that he should live. and cast off their clothes, and 23 And as they cried out, threw dust into the air,

24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by seourging; that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

25 And, as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the eenturion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman,e and uncondemned?

d Gave bim audience, gave attention. e Roman, &c. Here Paul calls himself a Roman; in verse 3d a Jew. To reconcile one claim with the other, it may be observed, that Paul was by nation a Jew, and by a certain privilege was still born a Roman citizen. See Chapter vi. 37.

26 When the centurion heard that, he went & told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.

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

28 And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained ĺ this freedom. And Paul said, But I was free-born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him, which should have examined him; and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

30 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, & brought Paul down, and set him before them.

CHAP. XXIII. 1 Paul pleadeth his cause: 7 dissension among his aceusers: he is sent to Felix. AND Paul, earnestly bebolding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

3 Then Paul said unto him,

God shall smite thee, thou whited wall; for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest?

5 Then said Paul, I wist not,a brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees,b he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the multitude was divided.

8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

9 And there arose a great cry; and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man; if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

but

10 And when there arose

a I wist not, I was not aware. b Sadducees & Pharisees. See intro duction, pp. 6, 7.

a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

12 And, when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, That they would neither eat nor drink, till they had killed Paul.

13 And they were more than forty, which had made this conspiracy.

14 And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing, until we have slain Paul.

15 Now, therefore, ye with the council signify to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him; and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle, and told Paul.

17 Then Paul called one

to take Paul.

of the centurions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain; for he hath a certain thing to tell him.

18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee.

19 Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me?

20 And he said, The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly.

21 But do not thou yield unto them; for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him; and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee.

22 So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man, that thou hast shewed these things to me.

23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make 1eady two hundred soldiers to go to Cesarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred,

Paul is sent to Felix.

at the third hour of the night :c 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.

25 And he wrote a letter after this manner;

26 Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting.

27 This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them; Then came I with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

28 And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council; 29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

30 And when it was told me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee, what they had against him. Farewell.

31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris.d

32 On the morrow they left.

;

1

CHAP. XXIV. Paul accused by Tertullus, 10 answereth for himself: 24 preacheth Christ to the governor and his wife: 27 he is left in prison.

AND after five days Ananias the high priest descended a with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

2 And when, he was called forth, Tertullus began to ac cuse him, saying, Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,b

e Cesarea, see Acts viii. 40.

f Judgment-ball, a court or palace. Probably Paul was kept in some solitary apartment of it, designed for a kind of prison, as is usual in such places.

a Descended from Jerusalem. b Thy providence, government or administration.