Chapter 6

021:024 Associate with these men and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they can shave their heads. Then everybody will know that there is no truth in these stories about you, but that in your own actions you yourself scrupulously obey the Law.

021:025 But as for the Gentiles who have accepted the faith, we have communicated to them our decision that they are carefully to abstain from anything sacrificed to an idol, from blood, from what is strangled, and from fornication."

021:026 So Paul associated with the men; and the next day, having purified himself with them, he went into the Temple, giving every one to understand that the days of their purification were finished, and there he remained until the sacrifice for each of them was offered.

021:027 But, when the seven days were nearly over, the Jews from the province of Asia, having seen Paul in the Temple, set about rousing the fury of all the people against him.

021:028 They laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! help! This is the man who goes everywhere preaching to everybody against the Jewish people and the Law and this place. And besides, he has even brought Gentiles into the Temple and has desecrated this holy place."

021:029 (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and imagined that Paul had brought him into the Temple.)

021:030 The excitement spread through the whole city, and the people rushed in crowds to the Temple, and there laid hold of Paul and began to drag him out; and the Temple gates were immediately closed.

021:031 But while they were trying to kill Paul, word was taken up to the Tribune in command of the battalion, that all Jerusalem was in a ferment.

021:032 He instantly sent for a few soldiers and their officers, and came down among the people with all speed. At the sight of the Tribune and the troops they ceased beating Paul.

021:033 Then the Tribune, making his way to him, arrested him, and, having ordered him to be secured with two chains, proceeded to ask who he was and what he had been doing.

021:034 Some of the crowd shouted one accusation against Paul and some another, until, as the uproar made it impossible for the truth to be ascertained with certainty, the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

021:035 When Paul was going up the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob;

021:036 for the whole mass of the people pressed on in the rear, shouting, "Away with him!"

021:037 When he was about to be taken into the barracks, Paul said to the Tribune, "May I speak to you?" "Do you know Greek?" the Tribune asked.

021:038 "Are you not the Egyptian who some years ago excited the riot of the 4,000 cut-throats, and led them out into the Desert?"

021:039 "I am a Jew," replied Paul, "belonging to Tarsus in Cilicia, and am a citizen of no unimportant city. Give me leave, I pray you, to speak to the people."

021:040 So with his permission Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people to be quiet; and when there was perfect silence he addressed them in Hebrew.

022:001 "Brethren and fathers," he said, "listen to my defence which I now make before you."

022:002 And on hearing him address them in Hebrew, they kept all the more quiet; and he said,

022:003 "I am a Jew, born at Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I was carefully trained at the feet of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers, and, like all of you to-day, was zealous for God.

022:004 I persecuted to death this new faith, continually binding both men and women and throwing them into prison;

022:005 as the High Priest also and all the Elders can bear me witness. It was, too, from them that I received letters to the brethren in Damascus, and I was already on my way to Damascus, intending to bring those also who had fled there, in chains to Jerusalem, to be punished.

022:006 "But on my way, when I was now not far from Damascus, about noon a sudden blaze of light from Heaven shone round me.

022:007 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, "`Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'

022:008 "`Who art thou, Lord?' I asked. "`I am Jesus, the Nazarene,' He replied, `whom you are persecuting.'

022:009 "Now the men who were with me, though they saw the light, did not hear the words of Him who spoke to me.

022:010 And I asked, "`What am I to do, Lord?' "And the Lord said to me, "`Rise, and go into Damascus. There you shall be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.'

022:011 "And as I could not see because the light had been so dazzling, those who were with me had to lead me by the arm, and so I came to Damascus.

022:012 "And a certain Ananias, a pious man who obeyed the Law and bore a good character with all the Jews of the city,

022:013 came to me and standing at my side said, "`Brother Saul, recover your sight.' "I instantly regained my sight and looked up at him.

022:014 Then he said, `The God of our forefathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the righteous One and hear Him speak.

022:015 For you shall be a witness for Him, to all men, of what you have seen and heard.

022:016 And now why delay? Rise, get yourself baptized, and wash off your sins, calling upon His name.'

022:017 "After my return to Jerusalem, and while praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance.

022:018 I saw Jesus, and He said to me, "`Make haste and leave Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.'

022:019 "`Lord,' I replied, `they themselves well know how active I was in imprisoning, and in flogging in synagogue after synagogue those who believe in Thee;

022:020 and when they were shedding the blood of Stephen, Thy witness, I was standing by, fully approving of it, and I held the clothes of those who were killing him.'

022:021 "`Go,' He replied; `I will send you as an Apostle to nations far away.'"

022:022 Until they heard this last statement the people listened to Paul, but now with a roar of disapproval they cried out, "Away with such a fellow from the earth! He ought not to be allowed to live."

022:023 And when they continued their furious shouts, throwing their clothes into the air and flinging dust about,

022:024 the Tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and be examined by flogging, in order to ascertain the reason why they thus cried out against him.

022:025 But, when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul said to the Captain who stood by, "Does the Law permit you to flog a Roman citizen--and one too who is uncondemned?"

022:026 On hearing this question, the Captain went to report the matter to the Tribune. "What are you intending to do?" he said. "This man is a Roman citizen."

022:027 So the Tribune came to Paul and asked him, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

022:028 "I paid a large sum for my citizenship," said the Tribune. "But I was born free," said Paul.

022:029 So the men who had been on the point of putting him under torture immediately left him. And the Tribune, too, was frightened when he learnt that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

022:030 The next day, wishing to know exactly what charge was being brought against him by the Jews, the Tribune ordered his chains to be removed; and, having sent word to the High Priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble, he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

023:001 Then Paul, fixing a steady gaze on the Sanhedrin, said, "Brethren, it is with a perfectly clear conscience that I have discharged my duties before God up to this day."

023:002 On hearing this the High Priest Ananias ordered those who were standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

023:003 "Before long," exclaimed Paul, "God will strike you, you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me in accordance with the Law, and do you yourself actually break the Law by ordering me to be struck?"

023:004 "Do you rail at God's High Priest?" cried the men who stood by him.

023:005 "I did not know, brethren," replied Paul, "that he was the High Priest; for it is written, `Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of Thy people.'"

023:006 Noticing, however, that the Sanhedrin consisted partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees, he called out loudly among them, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees. It is because of my hope of a resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial."

023:007 These words of his caused an angry dispute between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly took different sides.

023:008 For the Sadducees maintain that there is no resurrection, and neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge the existence of both.

023:009 So there arose a great uproar; and some of the Scribes belonging to the sect of the Pharisees sprang to their feet and fiercely contended, saying, "We find no harm in the man. What if a spirit has spoken to him, or an angel----!"

023:010 But when the struggle was becoming violent, the Tribune, fearing that Paul would be torn to pieces by the people, ordered the troops to go down and take him from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

023:011 The following night the Lord came and stood at Paul's side, and said, "Be of good courage, for as you have borne faithful witness about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."

023:012 Now, when daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and solemnly swore not to eat or drink till they had killed Paul.

023:013 There were more than forty of them who bound themselves by this oath.

023:014 They went to the High Priests and Elders and said to them, "We have bound ourselves under a heavy curse to take no food till we have killed Paul.

023:015 Now therefore you and the Sanhedrin should make representations to the Tribune for him to bring him down to you, under the impression that you intend to inquire more minutely about him; and we are prepared to assassinate him before he comes near the place."

023:016 But Paul's sister's son heard of the intended attack upon him. So he came and went into the barracks and told Paul about it;

023:017 and Paul called one of the Captains and said, "Take this young man to the Tribune, for he has information to give him."

023:018 So he took him and brought him to the Tribune, and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me to him and begged me to bring this youth to you, because he has something to say to you."

023:019 Then the Tribune, taking him by the arm, withdrew out of the hearing of others and asked him, "What have you to tell me?"

023:020 "The Jews," he replied, "have agreed to request you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin to-morrow for the purpose of making yourself more accurately acquainted with the case.

023:021 I beg you not to comply; for more than forty men among them are lying in wait for him, who have solemnly vowed that they will neither eat nor drink till they have assassinated him; and even now they are ready, in anticipation of receiving that promise of you."

023:022 So the Tribune sent the youth home, cautioning him. "Do not let any one know that you have given me this information," he said.

023:023 Then, calling to him two of the Captains, he gave his orders. "Get ready two hundred men," he said, "to march to Caesarea, with seventy cavalry and two hundred light infantry, starting at nine o'clock to-night."

023:024 He further told them to provide horses to mount Paul on, so as to bring him safely to Felix the Governor.

023:025 He also wrote a letter of which these were the contents:

023:026 "Claudius Lysias to his Excellency, Felix the Governor: all good wishes.

023:027 This man Paul had been seized by the Jews, and they were on the point of killing him, when I came upon them with the troops and rescued him, for I had been informed that he was a Roman citizen.

023:028 And, wishing to know with certainty the offense of which they were accusing him, I brought him down into their Sanhedrin,

023:029 and I discovered that the charge had to do with questions of their Law, but that he was accused of nothing for which he deserves death or imprisonment.

023:030 But now that I have received information of an intended attack upon him, I immediately send him to you, directing his accusers also to state before you the case they have against him."

023:031 So, in obedience to their orders, the soldiers took Paul and brought him by night as far as Antipatris.

023:032 The next day the infantry returned to the barracks, leaving the cavalry to proceed with him;

023:033 and, the cavalry having reached Caesarea and delivered the letter to the Governor, they brought Paul also to him.

023:034 Felix, after reading the letter, inquired from what province he was; and being told "from Cilicia,"

023:035 he said, "I will hear all you have to say, when your accusers also have come." And he ordered him to be detained in custody in Herod's Palace.

024:001 Five days after this, Ananias the High Priest came down to Caesarea with a number of Elders and a pleader called Tertullus. They stated to the Governor the case against Paul.

024:002 So Paul was sent for, and Tertullus began to impeach him as follows: "Indebted as we are," he said, "to you, most noble Felix, for the perfect peace which we enjoy, and for reforms which your wisdom has introduced to this nation,

024:003 in every instance and in every place we accept them with profound gratitude.

024:004 But--not to detain you too long--I beg you in your forbearance to listen to a brief statement from us.

024:005 For we have found this man Paul a source of mischief and a disturber of the peace among all the Jews throughout the Empire, and a ringleader in the heresy of the Nazarenes.

024:006 He even attempted to profane the Temple, but we arrested him.

024:007 []

024:008 You, however, by examining him, will yourself be able to learn the truth as to all this which we allege against him."

024:009 The Jews also joined in the charge, maintaining that these were facts.

024:010 Then, at a sign from the Governor, Paul answered, "Knowing, Sir, that for many years you have administered justice to this nation, I cheerfully make my defence.

024:011 For you have it in your power to ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship in Jerusalem;

024:012 and that neither in the Temple nor in the synagogues, nor anywhere in the city, did they find me disputing with any opponent or collecting a crowd about me.

024:013 Nor can they prove the charges which they are now bringing against me.

024:014 But this I confess to you--that in the way which they style a heresy, I worship the God of our forefathers, believing everything that is taught in the Law or is written in the Prophets,

024:015 and having a hope directed towards God, which my accusers themselves also entertain, that before long there will be a resurrection both of the righteous and the unrighteous.

024:016 This too is my own earnest endeavour--always to have a clear conscience in relation to God and man.

024:017 "Now after an interval of several years I came to bring alms to my nation, and to offer sacrifices.

024:018 While I was busy about these, they found me in the Temple purified, with no crowd around me and no uproar; but there were certain Jews from the province of Asia.

024:019 They ought to have been here before you, and to have been my prosecutors, if they have any charge to bring against me.

024:020 Or let these men themselves say what misdemeanour they found me guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin,

024:021 unless it was in that one expression which I made use of when I shouted out as I stood among them, "`The resurrection of the dead is the thing about which I am on my trial before you to-day.'"

024:022 At this point Felix, who was fairly well informed about the new faith, adjourned the trial, saying to the Jews, "When the Tribune Lysias comes down, I will enter carefully into the matter."

024:023 And he gave orders to the Captain that Paul was to be kept in custody, but be treated with indulgence, and that his personal friends were not to be prevented from showing him kindness.

024:024 Not long after this, Felix came with Drusilla his wife, a Jewess, and sending for Paul, listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.

024:025 But when he dealt with the subjects of justice, self-control, and the judgement which was soon to come, Felix became alarmed and said, "For the present leave me, and when I can find a convenient opportunity I will send for you."

024:026 At the same time he hoped that Paul would give him money; and for this reason he sent for him the oftener to converse with him.

024:027 But after the lapse of fully two years Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus; and being desirous of gratifying the Jews, Felix left Paul still in prison.

025:001 Festus, having entered on his duties as governor of the province, two days later went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

025:002 The High Priests and the leading men among the Jews immediately made representations to him against Paul, and begged him--

025:003 asking it as a favour, to Paul's prejudice--to have him brought to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him on the way.

025:004 Festus, however, replied that Paul was in custody in Caesarea, and that he was himself going there very soon.

025:005 "Therefore let those of you," he said, "who can come, go down with me, and impeach the man, if there is anything amiss in him."

025:006 After a stay of eight or ten days in Jerusalem--not more-- he went down to Caesarea; and the next day, taking his seat on the tribunal, he ordered Paul to be brought in.

025:007 Upon Paul's arrival, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood round him, and brought many grave charges against him which they were unable to substantiate.

025:008 But, in reply, Paul said, "Neither against the Jewish Law, nor against the Temple, nor against Caesar, have I committed any offence whatever."

025:009 Then Festus, being anxious to gratify the Jews, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and there stand your trial before me on these charges?"

025:010 "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal," replied Paul, "where alone I ought to be tried. The Jews have no real ground of complaint against me, as in fact you yourself are beginning to see more clearly.

025:011 If, however, I have done wrong and have committed any offence for which I deserve to die, I do not ask to be excused that penalty. But if there is no truth in what these men allege against me, no one has the right to give me up to them as a favour. I appeal to Caesar."

025:012 Then, after conferring with the Council, Festus replied, "To Caesar you have appealed: to Caesar you shall go."

025:013 A short time after this, Agrippa the king and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay a complimentary visit to Festus;

025:014 and, during their rather long stay, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. "There is a man here," he said, "whom Felix left a prisoner,

025:015 about whom, when I went to Jerusalem, the High Priests and the Elders of the Jews made representations to me, begging that sentence might be pronounced against him.

025:016 My reply was that it is not the custom among the Romans to give up any one for punishment before the accused has had his accusers face to face, and has had an opportunity of defending himself against the charge which has been brought against him.

025:017 "When, therefore, a number of them came here, the next day I took my seat on the tribunal, without any loss of time, and ordered the man to be brought in.

025:018 But, when his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with the misdemeanours of which I had been suspecting him.

025:019 But they quarrelled with him about certain matters connected with their own religion, and about one Jesus who had died, but-- so Paul persistently maintained--is now alive.

025:020 I was at a loss how to investigate such questions, and asked Paul whether he would care to go to Jerusalem and there stand his trial on these matters.

025:021 But when Paul appealed to have his case kept for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him to be kept in prison until I could send him up to Caesar."

025:022 "I should like to hear the man myself," said Agrippa. "to-morrow," replied Festus, "you shall." Accordingly, the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came in state

025:023 and took their seats in the Judgement Hall, attended by the Tribunes and the men of high rank in the city; and, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

025:024 Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you see here the man about whom the whole nation of the Jews made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

025:025 I could not discover that he had done anything for which he deserved to die; but as he has himself appealed to the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.

025:026 I have nothing very definite, however, to tell our Sovereign about him. So I have brought the man before you all-- and especially before you, King Agrippa--that after he has been examined I may find something which I can put into writing.

025:027 For, when sending a prisoner to Rome, it seems to me to be absurd not to state the charges against him."

026:001 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have permission to speak about yourself." So Paul, with outstretched arm, proceeded to make his defence.

026:002 "As regards all the accusations brought against me by the Jews," he said, "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa, in being about to defend myself to-day before you,

026:003 who are so familiar with all the customs and speculations that prevail among the Jews; and for this reason, I pray you, give me a patient hearing.