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Acts Contemporary English Version (CEV)

chapter 1

     1Theophilus, I first wrote to you about all that Jesus did and taught from the very first 2until he was taken up

     to heaven. But before he was taken up, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen with the help of the

     Holy Spirit. 3For forty days after Jesus had suffered and died, he proved in many ways that he had been

     raised from death. He appeared to his apostles and spoke to them about God's kingdom. 4While he was still

     with them, he said:

     Don't leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has

     promised to do. 5John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

     Jesus Is Taken to Heaven

     6While the apostles were still with Jesus, they asked him, "Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king

     again?" 7Jesus said to them, "You don't need to know the time of those events that only the Father controls.

     8But the Holy Spirit will come upon you and give you power. Then you will tell everyone about me in

     Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world." 9After Jesus had said this and while they

     were watching, he was taken up into a cloud. They could not see him, 10but as he went up, they kept

     looking up into the sky.

     Suddenly two men dressed in white clothes were standing there beside them. 11They said, "Why are you men

     from Galilee standing here and looking up into the sky? Jesus has been taken to heaven. But he will come

     back in the same way that you have seen him go."

     Someone To Take the Place of Judas

     12-13The Mount of Olives was about half a mile from Jerusalem. The apostles who had gone there were

     Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon,

     known as the Eager One, and Judas the son of James. After the apostles returned to the city, they went

     upstairs to the room where they had been staying.

     14The apostles often met together and prayed with a single purpose in mind. The women and Mary the

     mother of Jesus would meet with them, and so would his brothers. 15One day there were about one hundred

     twenty of the Lord's followers meeting together, and Peter stood up to speak to them. 16-17He said: My

     friends, long ago by the power of the Holy Spirit, David said something about Judas, and what he said has

     now happened. Judas was one of us and had worked with us, but he brought the mob to arrest Jesus. 18Then

     Judas bought some land with the money he was given for doing that evil thing. He fell headfirst into the field.

     His body burst open, and all his insides came out. 19When the people of Jerusalem found out about this, they

     called the place Akeldama, which in the local language means "Field of Blood."

     20In the book of Psalms it says,

     "Leave his house empty,

     and don't let anyone

     live there."

     It also says,

     "Let someone else

     have his job."

     21-22So we need someone else to help us tell others that Jesus has been raised from death. He must also be

     one of the men who was with us from the very beginning. He must have been with us from the time the Lord

     Jesus was baptized by John until the day he was taken to heaven.

     23Two men were suggested: One of them was Joseph Barsabbas, known as Justus, and the other was

     Matthias. 24Then they all prayed, "Lord, you know what everyone is like! Show us the one you have chosen

     25to be an apostle and to serve in place of Judas, who got what he deserved." 26They drew names, and

     Matthias was chosen to join the group of the eleven apostles.

chapter 2

     The Coming of the Holy Spirit

     1On the day of Pentecost all the Lord's followers were together in one place. 2Suddenly there was a noise

     from heaven like the sound of a mighty wind! It filled the house where they were meeting. 3Then they saw

     what looked like fiery tongues moving in all directions, and a tongue came and settled on each person there.

     4The Holy Spirit took control of everyone, and they began speaking whatever languages the Spirit let them

     speak. 5Many religious Jews from every country in the world were living in Jerusalem. 6And when they heard

     this noise, a crowd gathered. But they were surprised, because they were hearing everything in their own

     languages. 7They were excited and amazed, and said:

     Don't all these who are speaking come from Galilee? 8Then why do we hear them speaking our very own

     languages? 9Some of us are from Parthia, Media, and Elam. Others are from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia,

     Pontus, Asia, 10Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, parts of Libya near Cyrene, Rome, 11Crete, and Arabia. Some of

     us were born Jews, and others of us have chosen to be Jews. Yet we all hear them using our own languages

     to tell the wonderful things God has done.

     12Everyone was excited and confused. Some of them even kept asking each other, "What does all this

     mean?"

     13Others made fun of the Lord's followers and said, "They are drunk."

     Peter Speaks to the Crowd

     14Peter stood with the eleven apostles and spoke in a loud and clear voice to the crowd:

     Friends and everyone else living in Jerusalem, listen carefully to what I have to say! 15You are wrong to think

     that these people are drunk. After all, it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16But this is what God had the

     prophet Joel say,

     17"When the last days come,

     I will give my Spirit

     to everyone.

     Your sons and daughters

     will prophesy.

     Your young men

     will see visions,

     and your old men

     will have dreams.

     18In those days I will give

     my Spirit to my servants,

     both men and women,

     and they will prophesy.

     19I will work miracles

     in the sky above

     and wonders

     on the earth below.

     There will be blood and fire

     and clouds of smoke.

     20The sun will turn dark,

     and the moon

     will be as red as blood

     before the great

     and wonderful day

     of the Lord appears.

     21Then the Lord

     will save everyone

     who asks for his help."

     22Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by

     having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this. 23God had already planned and decided

     that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross.

     24But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power. 25What David

     said are really the words of Jesus,

     "I always see the Lord

     near me,

     and I will not be afraid

     with him at my right side.

     26Because of this,

     my heart will be glad,

     my words will be joyful,

     and I will live in hope.

     27The Lord won't leave me

     in the grave.

     I am his holy one,

     and he won't let

     my body decay.

     28He has shown me

     the path to life,

     and he makes me glad

     by being near me."

     29My friends, it is right for me to speak to you about our ancestor David. He died and was buried, and his

     tomb is still here. 30But David was a prophet, and he knew that God had made a promise he would not break.

     He had told David that someone from his own family would someday be king.

     31David knew this would happen, and so he told us that Christ would be raised to life. He said that God would

     not leave him in the grave or let his body decay. 32All of us can tell you that God has raised Jesus to life!

     33Jesus was taken up to sit at the right side of God, and he was given the Holy Spirit, just as the Father had

     promised. Jesus is also the one who has given the Spirit to us, and that is what you are now seeing and

     hearing. 34David didn't go up to heaven. So he wasn't talking about himself when he said, "The Lord told my

     Lord to sit at his right side, 35until he made my Lord's enemies into a footstool for him." 36Everyone in Israel

     should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to

     death on a cross.

     37When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Friends,

     what shall we do?"

     38Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven.

     Then you will be given the Holy Spirit. 39This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord

     God will choose, no matter where they live."

     40Peter told them many other things as well. Then he said, "I beg you to save yourselves from what will

     happen to all these evil people." 41On that day about three thousand believed his message and were

     baptized. 42They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They

     also broke bread and prayed together.

     Life among the Lord's Followers

     43Everyone was amazed by the many miracles and wonders that the apostles worked. 44All the Lord's

     followers often met together, and they shared everything they had. 45They would sell their property and

     possessions and give the money to whoever needed it. 46Day after day they met together in the temple.

     They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, 47while praising God.

     Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

chapter 3

     Peter and John Heal a Lame Man

     1The time of prayer was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and Peter and John were going into the temple.

     2A man who had been born lame was being carried to the temple door. Each day he was placed beside this

     door, known as the Beautiful Gate. He sat there and begged from the people who were going in.

     3The man saw Peter and John entering the temple, and he asked them for money. 4But they looked straight

     at him and said, "Look up at us!"

     5The man stared at them and thought he was going to get something. 6But Peter said, "I don't have any

     silver or gold! But I will give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, get up and start

     walking." 7Peter then took him by the right hand and helped him up.

     At once the man's feet and ankles became strong, 8and he jumped up and started walking. He went with

     Peter and John into the temple, walking and jumping and praising God. 9Everyone saw him walking around and

     praising God. 10They knew that he was the beggar who had been lying beside the Beautiful Gate, and they

     were completely surprised. They could not imagine what had happened to the man.

     Peter Speaks in the Temple

     11While the man kept holding on to Peter and John, the whole crowd ran to them in amazement at the place

     known as Solomon's Porch. 12Peter saw that a crowd had gathered, and he said: Friends, why are you

     surprised at what has happened? Why are you staring at us? Do you think we have some power of our own?

     Do you think we were able to make this man walk because we are so religious? 13The God that Abraham,

     Isaac, Jacob, and our other ancestors worshiped has brought honor to his Servant Jesus. He is the one you

     betrayed. You turned against him when he was being tried by Pilate, even though Pilate wanted to set him

     free. 14You rejected Jesus, who was holy and good. You asked for a murderer to be set free, 15and you killed

     the one who leads people to life. But God raised him from death, and all of us can tell you what he has done.

     16You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in

     Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.

     17My friends, I am sure that you and your leaders didn't know what you were doing. 18But God had his

     prophets tell that his Messiah would suffer, and now he has kept that promise. 19So turn to God! Give up

     your sins, and you will be forgiven. 20Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He

     will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. 21But Jesus must stay in heaven until God makes all things new, just

     as his holy prophets promised long ago.

     22Moses said, "The Lord your God will choose one of your own people to be a prophet, just as he chose me.

     Listen to everything he tells you. 23No one who disobeys that prophet will be one of God's people any longer."

     24Samuel and all the other prophets who came later also spoke about what is now happening. 25You are

     really the ones God told his prophets to speak to. And you were given the promise that God made to your

     ancestors. He said to Abraham, "All nations on earth will be blessed because of someone from your family."

     26God sent his chosen Son to you first, because God wanted to bless you and make each one of you turn

     away from your sins.

chapter 4

     Peter and John Are Brought in Front of the Council

     1The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some

     Sadducees arrived. 2These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead

     would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. 3It was already late in the afternoon,

     and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. 4But a lot of people who had heard the

     message believed it. So by now there were about five thousand followers of the Lord.

     5The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. 6The high

     priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family.

     7They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked,

     "By what power and in whose name have you done this?"

     8Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders:

     9You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a crippled man was healed. 10But there is

     something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of

     the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. 11He

     is the stone that you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. 12Only

     Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.

     13The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles

     were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain that these men had been with

     Jesus. 14But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there

     with the apostles.

     15The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, 16"What

     can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't

     happen. 17But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the

     name of Jesus." 18So they called the two apostles back in and told them that they must never, for any

     reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.

     19Peter and John answered, "Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? 20We cannot keep

     quiet about what we have seen and heard."

     21-22The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them

     go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than forty years old, and everyone was praising God

     for what had happened.

     Peter and Others Pray for Courage

     23As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything that the chief

     priests and the leaders had said to them. 24When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed

     together and said:

     Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25And by the Holy Spirit you spoke

     to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:

     "Why are all the Gentiles

     so furious?

     Why do people

     make foolish plans?

     26The kings of earth

     prepare for war,

     and the rulers

     join together

     against the Lord

     and his Messiah."

     27Here in Jerusalem, Herod and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then

     they turned against your holy Servant Jesus, your chosen Messiah. 28They did what you in your power and

     wisdom had already decided would happen. 29Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us

     brave enough to speak your message. 30Show your mighty power, as we heal people and work miracles and

     wonders in the name of your holy Servant Jesus.

     31After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke

     God's message.

     Sharing Possessions

     32The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions

     were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. 33In a powerful way the apostles told

     everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers, 34and no one went in need of

     anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money 35to the apostles. Then

     they would give the money to anyone who needed it. 36-37Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a

     piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles

     called him Barnabas, which means "one who encourages others."

chapter 5

     Peter Condemns Ananias and Sapphira

     1Ananias and his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property. 2But they agreed to cheat and keep some of the

     money for themselves.

     So when Ananias took the rest of the money to the apostles, 3Peter said, "Why has Satan made you keep

     back some of the money from the sale of the property? Why have you lied to the Holy Spirit? 4The property

     was yours before you sold it, and even after you sold it, the money was still yours. What made you do such a

     thing? You didn't lie to people. You lied to God!"

     5As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened. 6Some

     young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.

     7Three hours later Sapphira came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband. 8Peter asked

     her, "Tell me, did you sell the property for this amount?"

     "Yes," she answered, "that's the amount."

     9Then Peter said, "Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord's Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by

     the door, and they will carry you out!" 10At once she fell at Peter's feet and died.

     When the young men came back in, they found Sapphira lying there dead. So they carried her out and buried

     her beside her husband. 11The church members were afraid, and so was everyone else who heard what had

     happened.

     Peter's Unusual Power

     12The apostles worked many miracles and wonders among the people. All of the Lord's followers often met in

     the part of the temple known as Solomon's Porch. 13No one outside their group dared join them, even though

     everyone liked them very much. 14Many men and women started having faith in the Lord. 15Then sick people

     were brought out to the road and placed on cots and mats. It was hoped that Peter would walk by, and his

     shadow would fall on them and heal them. 16A lot of people living in the towns near Jerusalem brought those

     who were sick or troubled by evil spirits, and they were all healed.

     Trouble for the Apostles

     17The high priest and all the other Sadducees who were with him became jealous. 18They arrested the

     apostles and put them in the city jail. 19But that night an angel from the Lord opened the doors of the jail

     and led the apostles out. The angel said, 20"Go to the temple and tell the people everything about this new

     life." 21So they went into the temple before sunrise and started teaching.

     The high priest and his men called together their council, which included all of Israel's leaders. Then they

     ordered the apostles to be brought to them from the jail. 22The temple police who were sent to the jail did

     not find the apostles. They returned and said, 23"We found the jail locked tight and the guards standing at

     the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in, we didn't find anyone there." 24The captain of the

     temple police and the chief priests listened to their report, but they did not know what to think about it.

     25Just then someone came in and said, "Right now those men you put in jail are in the temple, teaching the

     people!" 26The captain went with some of the temple police and brought the apostles back. But they did not

     use force. They were afraid that the people might start throwing stones at them.

     27When the apostles were brought before the council, the high priest said to them, 28"We told you plainly

     not to teach in the name of Jesus. But look what you have done! You have been teaching all over Jerusalem,

     and you are trying to blame us for his death."

     29Peter and the apostles replied:

     We don't obey people. We obey God. 30You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But the God our ancestors

     worshiped raised him to life 31and made him our Leader and Savior. Then God gave him a place at his right

     side, so that the people of Israel would turn back to him and be forgiven. 32We are here to tell you about all

     this, and so is the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to everyone who obeys God. 33When the council members

     heard this, they became so angry that they wanted to kill the apostles. 34But one of the members was the

     Pharisee Gamaliel, a highly respected teacher. He ordered the apostles to be taken out of the room for a little

     while. 35Then he said to the council:

     People of Israel, be careful what you do with these men. 36Not long ago Theudas claimed to be someone

     important, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed. All his followers were scattered, and

     that was the end of that.

     37Later, when the people of our nation were being counted, Judas from Galilee showed up. A lot of people

     followed him, but he was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

     38So I advise you to stay away from these men. Leave them alone. If what they are planning is something of

     their own doing, it will fail. 39But if God is behind it, you cannot stop it anyway, unless you want to fight

     against God.

     The council members agreed with what he said, 40and they called the apostles back in. They had them

     beaten with a whip and warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they let them go.

     41The apostles left the council and were happy, because God had considered them worthy to suffer for the

     sake of Jesus. 42Every day they spent time in the temple and in one home after another. They never stopped

     teaching and telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

chapter 6

     Seven Leaders for the Church

     1A lot of people were now becoming followers of the Lord. But some of the ones who spoke Greek started

     complaining about the ones who spoke Aramaic. They complained that the Greek-speaking widows were not

     given their share when the food supplies were handed out each day.

     2The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, "We should not give up preaching

     God's message in order to serve at tables. 3My friends, choose seven men who are respected and wise and

     filled with God's Spirit. We will put them in charge of these things. 4We can spend our time praying and

     serving God by preaching." 5This suggestion pleased everyone, and they began by choosing Stephen. He had

     great faith and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they chose Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas,

     and also Nicolaus, who worshiped with the Jewish people in Antioch. 6These men were brought to the

     apostles. Then the apostles prayed and placed their hands on the men to show that they had been chosen to

     do this work. 7God's message spread, and many more people in Jerusalem became followers. Even a large

     number of priests put their faith in the Lord.

     Stephen Is Arrested

     8God gave Stephen the power to work great miracles and wonders among the people. 9But some Jews from

     Cyrene and Alexandria were members of a group who called themselves "Free Men." They started arguing with

     Stephen. Some others from Cilicia and Asia also argued with him. 10But they were no match for Stephen, who

     spoke with the great wisdom that the Spirit gave him. 11So they talked some men into saying, "We heard

     Stephen say terrible things against Moses and God!" 12They turned the people and their leaders and the

     teachers of the Law of Moses against Stephen. Then they all grabbed Stephen and dragged him in front of

     the council.

     13Some men agreed to tell lies about Stephen, and they said, "This man keeps on saying terrible things about

     this holy temple and the Law of Moses. 14We have heard him claim that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this

     place and change the customs that Moses gave us." 15Then all the council members stared at Stephen. They

     saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

chapter 7

     Stephen's Speech

     1The high priest asked Stephen, "Are they telling the truth about you?"

     2Stephen answered:

     Friends, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia,

     before he had moved to Haran. 3God told him, "Leave your country and your relatives and go to a land that I

     will show you." 4Then Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran.

     After his father died, Abraham came and settled in this land where you now live. 5God didn't give him any part

     of it, not even a square foot. But God did promise to give it to him and his family forever, even though

     Abraham didn't have any children. 6God said that Abraham's descendants would live for a while in a foreign

     land. There they would be slaves and would be mistreated four hundred years. 7But he also said, "I will punish

     the nation that makes them slaves. Then later they will come and worship me in this place."

     8God said to Abraham, "Every son in each family must be circumcised to show that you have kept your

     agreement with me." So when Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him. Later, Isaac circumcised

     his son Jacob, and Jacob circumcised his twelve sons. 9These men were our ancestors.

     Joseph was also one of our famous ancestors. His brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave to be

     taken to Egypt. But God was with him 10and rescued him from all his troubles. God made him so wise that the

     Egyptian king Pharaoh thought highly of him. The king even made Joseph governor over Egypt and put him in

     charge of everything he owned. 11Everywhere in Egypt and Canaan the grain crops failed. There was terrible

     suffering, and our ancestors could not find enough to eat. 12But when Jacob heard that there was grain in

     Egypt, he sent our ancestors there for the first time. 13It was on their second trip that Joseph told his

     brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family.

     14Joseph sent for his father and his relatives. In all, there were seventy-five of them. 15His father went to

     Egypt and died there, just as our ancestors did. 16Later their bodies were taken back to Shechem and placed

     in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor.

     17Finally, the time came for God to do what he had promised Abraham. By then the number of our people in

     Egypt had greatly increased. 18Another king was ruling Egypt, and he didn't know anything about Joseph.

     19He tricked our ancestors and was cruel to them. He even made them leave their babies outside, so they

     would die.

     20During this time Moses was born. He was a very beautiful child, and for three months his parents took care

     of him in their home. 21Then when they were forced to leave him outside, the king's daughter found him and

     raised him as her own son. 22Moses was given the best education in Egypt. He was a strong man and a

     powerful speaker.

     23When Moses was forty years old, he wanted to help the Israelites because they were his own people.

     24One day he saw an Egyptian mistreating one of them. So he rescued the man and killed the Egyptian.

     25Moses thought the rest of his people would realize that God was going to use him to set them free. But

     they didn't understand.

     26The next day Moses saw two of his own people fighting, and he tried to make them stop. He said, "Men,

     you are both Israelites. Why are you so cruel to each other?"

     27But the man who had started the fight pushed Moses aside and asked, "Who made you our ruler and judge?

     28Are you going to kill me, just as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" 29When Moses heard this, he ran

     away to live in the country of Midian. His two sons were born there.

     30Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses from a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31Moses

     was surprised by what he saw. He went closer to get a better look, and the Lord said, 32"I am the God who

     was worshiped by your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Moses started shaking all over and didn't dare

     to look at the bush.

     33The Lord said to him, "Take off your sandals. The place where you are standing is holy. 34With my own

     eyes I have seen the suffering of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to

     rescue them. Now I am sending you back to Egypt."

     35This was the same Moses that the people rejected by saying, "Who made you our leader and judge?" God's

     angel had spoken to Moses from the bush. And God had even sent the angel to help Moses rescue the people

     and be their leader.

     36In Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the desert, Moses rescued the people by working miracles and wonders

     for forty years. 37Moses is the one who told the people of Israel, "God will choose one of your people to be a

     prophet, just as he chose me." 38Moses brought our people together in the desert, and the angel spoke to

     him on Mount Sinai. There he was given these life-giving words to pass on to us. 39But our ancestors refused

     to obey Moses. They rejected him and wanted to go back to Egypt. 40The people said to Aaron, "Make some

     gods to lead us! Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what's happened to him now." 41Then they

     made an idol in the shape of a calf. They offered sacrifices to the idol and were pleased with what they had

     done.

     42God turned his back on his people and left them. Then they worshiped the stars in the sky, just as it says

     in the Book of the Prophets, "People of Israel, you didn't offer sacrifices and offerings to me during those forty

     years in the desert. 43Instead, you carried the tent where the god Molech is worshiped, and you took along

     the star of your god Rephan. You made those idols and worshiped them. So now I will have you carried off

     beyond Babylonia."

     44The tent where our ancestors worshiped God was with them in the desert. This was the same tent that

     God had commanded Moses to make. And it was made like the model that Moses had seen. 45Later it was

     given to our ancestors, and they took it with them when they went with Joshua. They carried the tent along

     as they took over the land from those people that God had chased out for them. Our ancestors used this tent

     until the time of King David. 46He pleased God and asked him if he could build a house of worship for the

     people of Israel. 47And it was finally King Solomon who built a house for God. 48But the Most High God

     doesn't live in houses made by humans. It is just as the prophet said, when he spoke for the Lord,

     49"Heaven is my throne,

     and the earth

     is my footstool.

     What kind of house

     will you build for me?

     In what place will I rest?

     50I have made everything."

     51You stubborn and hardheaded people! You are always fighting against the Holy Spirit, just as your

     ancestors did. 52Is there one prophet that your ancestors didn't mistreat? They killed the prophets who told

     about the coming of the One Who Obeys God. And now you have turned against him and killed him. 53Angels

     gave you God's Law, but you still don't obey it.

     Stephen Is Stoned to Death

     54When the council members heard Stephen's speech, they were angry and furious. 55But Stephen was filled

     with the Holy Spirit. He looked toward heaven, where he saw our glorious God and Jesus standing at his right

     side. 56Then Stephen said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!" 57The

     council members shouted and covered their ears. At once they all attacked Stephen 58and dragged him out

     of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put

     their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59As Stephen was being stoned to death, he called out,

     "Lord Jesus, please welcome me!" 60He knelt down and shouted, "Lord, don't blame them for what they have

     done." Then he died.

chapter 8

     1-2Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned

     very much for him.

     At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All of the Lord's followers, except the apostles, were

     scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria.

     Saul Makes Trouble for the Church

     3Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women

     and putting them in jail.

     The Good News Is Preached in Samaria

     4The Lord's followers who had been scattered went from place to place, telling the good news. 5Philip went

     to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ. 6They crowded around Philip because they were

     eager to hear what he was saying and to see him work miracles. 7Many people with evil spirits were healed,

     and the spirits went out of them with a shout. A lot of crippled and lame people were also healed. 8Everyone

     in that city was very glad because of what was happening.

     9For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practiced

     witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great. 10Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said,

     "This man is the power of God called `The Great Power.' "

     11For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him. 12But

     when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they

     were all baptized. 13Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marveled

     at all the miracles and wonders.

     14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent

     Peter and John. 15When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit.

     16Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been

     baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith

     in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.

     18Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he

     brought money 19and said to Peter and John, "Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on

     will also be given the Holy Spirit."

     20Peter said to him, "You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21You

     don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask

     God to forgive you. 23I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways."

     24Simon said, "Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me."

     25After Peter and John had preached about the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem. On their way they told the

     good news in many villages of Samaria.

     Philip and an Ethiopian Official

     26The Lord's angel said to Philip, "Go south along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27So

     Philip left. An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the

     chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship 28and was

     now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.

     29The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot. 30Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud

     from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

     31The official answered, "How can I understand unless someone helps me?" He then invited Philip to come up

     and sit beside him.

     32The man was reading the passage that said,

     "He was led like a sheep

     on its way to be killed.

     He was silent as a lamb

     whose wool

     is being cut off,

     and he did not say

     a word.

     33He was treated like a nobody

     and did not receive

     a fair trial.

     How can he have children,

     if his life

     is snatched away?"

     34The official said to Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?" 35So

     Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus.

     36-37As they were going along the road, they came to a place where there was some water. The official

     said, "Look! Here is some water. Why can't I be baptized?" 38He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both

     went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39After they had come out of the water, the Lord's Spirit

     took Philip away. The official never saw him again, but he was very happy as he went on his way.

     40Philip later appeared in Azotus. He went from town to town, all the way to Caesarea, telling people about

     Jesus.

chapter 9

     Saul Becomes a Follower of the Lord

     (Acts 22.6-16; 26.12-18)

     1Saul kept on threatening to kill the Lord's followers. He even went to the high priest 2and asked for letters

     to the Jewish leaders in Damascus. He did this because he wanted to arrest and take to Jerusalem any man

     or woman who had accepted the Lord's Way. 3When Saul had almost reached Damascus, a bright light from

     heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice that said, "Saul! Saul! Why are

     you so cruel to me?" 5"Who are you?" Saul asked.

     "I am Jesus," the Lord answered. "I am the one you are so cruel to. 6Now get up and go into the city, where

     you will be told what to do."

     7The men with Saul stood there speechless. They had heard the voice, but they had not seen anyone. 8Saul

     got up from the ground, and when he opened his eyes, he could not see a thing. Someone then led him by

     the hand to Damascus, 9and for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink.

     10A follower named Ananias lived in Damascus, and the Lord spoke to him in a vision. Ananias answered,

     "Lord, here I am."

     11The Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the house of Judas on Straight Street. When you get there, you

     will find a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. Saul is praying, 12and he has seen a vision. He saw a man

     named Ananias coming to him and putting his hands on him, so that he could see again."

     13Ananias replied, "Lord, a lot of people have told me about the terrible things this man has done to your

     followers in Jerusalem. 14Now the chief priests have given him the power to come here and arrest anyone

     who worships in your name."

     15The Lord said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen him to tell foreigners, kings, and the people of Israel about

     me. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for worshiping in my name."

     17Ananias left and went into the house where Saul was staying. Ananias placed his hands on him and said,

     "Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me. He is the same one who appeared to you along the road. He wants you to

     be able to see and to be filled with the Holy Spirit."

     18Suddenly something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see. He got up and was baptized.

     19Then he ate and felt much better.

     For several days Saul stayed with the Lord's followers in Damascus.

     Saul Preaches in Damascus

     20Soon he went to the Jewish meeting places and started telling people that Jesus is the Son of God.

     21Everyone who heard Saul was amazed and said, "Isn't this the man who caused so much trouble for those

     people in Jerusalem who worship in the name of Jesus? Didn't he come here to arrest them and take them to

     the chief priests?"

     22Saul preached with such power that he completely confused the Jewish people in Damascus, as he tried to

     show them that Jesus is the Messiah.

     23Later some of them made plans to kill Saul, 24but he found out about it. He learned that they were

     guarding the gates of the city day and night in order to kill him. 25Then one night his followers let him down

     over the city wall in a large basket.

     Saul in Jerusalem

     26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the followers. But they were all afraid of him, because they

     did not believe he was a true follower. 27Then Barnabas helped him by taking him to the apostles. He

     explained how Saul had seen the Lord and how the Lord had spoken to him. Barnabas also said that when

     Saul was in Damascus, he had spoken bravely in the name of Jesus.

     28Saul moved about freely with the followers in Jerusalem and told everyone about the Lord. 29He was

     always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. 30But the followers found out

     about this and took Saul to Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.

     31The church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria now had a time of peace and kept on worshiping the Lord. The

     church became stronger, as the Holy Spirit encouraged it and helped it grow.

     Peter Heals Aeneas

     32While Peter was traveling from place to place, he visited the Lord's followers who lived in the town of

     Lydda. 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who for eight years had been sick in bed and could not move.

     34Peter said to Aeneas, "Jesus Christ has healed you! Get up and make up your bed." Right away he stood

     up. 35Many people in the towns of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas and became followers of the Lord.

     Peter Brings Dorcas Back to Life

     36In Joppa there was a follower named Tabitha. Her Greek name was Dorcas, which means "deer." She was

     always doing good things for people and had given much to the poor. 37But she got sick and died, and her

     body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38Joppa wasn't far from Lydda, and the followers heard

     that Peter was there. They sent two men to say to him, "Please come with us as quickly as you can!" 39Right

     away, Peter went with them.

     The men took Peter upstairs into the room. Many widows were there crying. They showed him the coats and

     clothes that Dorcas had made while she was still alive.

     40After Peter had sent everyone out of the room, he knelt down and prayed. Then he turned to the body of

     Dorcas and said, "Tabitha, get up!" The woman opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41He

     took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.

     Peter called in the widows and the other followers and showed them that Dorcas had been raised from death.

     42Everyone in Joppa heard what had happened, and many of them put their faith in the Lord. 43Peter stayed

     on for a while in Joppa in the house of a man named Simon, who made leather.

chapter 10

     Peter and Cornelius

     1In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, who was the captain of a group of soldiers called "The Italian

     Unit." 2Cornelius was a very religious man. He worshiped God, and so did everyone else who lived in his house.

     He had given a lot of money to the poor and was always praying to God.

     3One afternoon at about three o'clock, Cornelius had a vision. He saw an angel from God coming to him and

     calling him by name. 4Cornelius was surprised and stared at the angel. Then he asked, "What is this all

     about?" The angel answered, "God has heard your prayers and knows about your gifts to the poor. 5Now send

     some men to Joppa for a man named Simon Peter. 6He is visiting with Simon the leather maker, who lives in a

     house near the sea." 7After saying this, the angel left.

     Cornelius called in two of his servants and one of his soldiers who worshiped God. 8He explained everything to

     them and sent them off to Joppa.

     9The next day about noon these men were coming near Joppa. Peter went up on the roof of the house to

     pray 10and became very hungry. While the food was being prepared, he fell sound asleep and had a vision.

     11He saw heaven open, and something came down like a huge sheet held up by its four corners. 12In it were

     all kinds of animals, snakes, and birds. 13A voice said to him, "Peter, get up! Kill these and eat them." 14But

     Peter said, "Lord, I can't do that! I've never eaten anything that is unclean and not fit to eat." 15The voice

     spoke to him again, "When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't fit to eat."

     16This happened three times before the sheet was suddenly taken back to heaven.

     17Peter was still wondering what all of this meant, when the men sent by Cornelius came and stood at the

     gate. They had found their way to Simon's house 18and were asking if Simon Peter was staying there.

     19While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men are here looking for

     you. 20Hurry down and go with them. Don't worry, I sent them." 21Peter went down and said to the men, "I

     am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?"

     22They answered, "Captain Cornelius sent us. He is a good man who worships God and is liked by the Jewish

     people. One of God's holy angels told Cornelius to send for you, so he could hear what you have to say."

     23Peter invited them to spend the night.

     The next morning, Peter and some of the Lord's followers in Joppa left with the men who had come from

     Cornelius. 24The next day they arrived in Caesarea where Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited

     his relatives and close friends.

     25When Peter arrived, Cornelius greeted him. Then he knelt at Peter's feet and started worshiping him. 26But

     Peter took hold of him and said, "Stand up! I am nothing more than a human."

     27As Peter entered the house, he was still talking with Cornelius. Many people were there, 28and Peter said

     to them, "You know that we Jews are not allowed to have anything to do with other people. But God has

     shown me that he doesn't think anyone is unclean or unfit. 29I agreed to come here, but I want to know why

     you sent for me."

     30Cornelius answered:

     Four days ago at about three o'clock in the afternoon I was praying at home. Suddenly a man in bright

     clothes stood in front of me. 31He said, "Cornelius, God has heard your prayers, and he knows about your

     gifts to the poor. 32Now send to Joppa for Simon Peter. He is visiting in the home of Simon the leather maker,

     who lives near the sea."

     33I sent for you right away, and you have been good enough to come. All of us are here in the presence of

     the Lord God, so that we can hear what he has to say.

     34Peter then said:

     Now I am certain that God treats all people alike. 35God is pleased with everyone who worships him and does

     right, no matter what nation they come from. 36This is the same message that God gave to the people of

     Israel, when he sent Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, to offer peace to them.

     37You surely know what happened everywhere in Judea. It all began in Galilee after John had told everyone

     to be baptized. 38God gave the Holy Spirit and power to Jesus from Nazareth. He was with Jesus, as he went

     around doing good and healing everyone who was under the power of the devil. 39We all saw what Jesus did

     both in Israel and in the city of Jerusalem. Jesus was put to death on a cross. 40But three days later, God

     raised him to life and let him be seen. 41Not everyone saw him. He was seen only by us, who ate and drank

     with him after he was raised from death. We were the ones God chose to tell others about him.

     42God told us to announce clearly to the people that Jesus is the one he has chosen to judge the living and

     the dead. 43Every one of the prophets has said that all who have faith in Jesus will have their sins forgiven in

     his name.

     44While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit took control of everyone who was listening. 45Some Jewish

     followers of the Lord had come with Peter, and they were surprised that the Holy Spirit had been given to

     Gentiles. 46Now they were hearing Gentiles speaking unknown languages and praising God.

     Peter said, 47"These Gentiles have been given the Holy Spirit, just as we have! I am certain that no one

     would dare stop us from baptizing them." 48Peter ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ,

     and they asked him to stay on for a few days.

chapter 11

     Peter Reports to the Church in Jerusalem

     1The apostles and the followers in Judea heard that Gentiles had accepted God's message. 2So when Peter

     came to Jerusalem, some of the Jewish followers started arguing with him. They wanted Gentile followers to

     be circumcised, and 3they said, "You stayed in the homes of Gentiles, and you even ate with them!"

     4Then Peter told them exactly what had happened:

     5I was in the town of Joppa and was praying when I fell sound asleep and had a vision. I saw heaven open,

     and something like a huge sheet held by its four corners came down to me. 6When I looked in it, I saw

     animals, wild beasts, snakes, and birds. 7I heard a voice saying to me, "Peter, get up! Kill these and eat

     them."

     8But I said, "Lord, I can't do that! I've never taken a bite of anything that is unclean and not fit to eat." 9The

     voice from heaven spoke to me again, "When God says that something can be used for food, don't say it isn't

     fit to eat." 10This happened three times before it was all taken back into heaven.

     11Suddenly three men from Caesarea stood in front of the house where I was staying. 12The Holy Spirit told

     me to go with them and not to worry. Then six of the Lord's followers went with me to the home of a man

     13who told us that an angel had appeared to him. The angel had ordered him to send to Joppa for someone

     named Simon Peter. 14Then Peter would tell him how he and everyone in his house could be saved.

     15After I started speaking, the Holy Spirit was given to them, just as the Spirit had been given to us at the

     beginning. 16I remembered that the Lord had said, "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with

     the Holy Spirit." 17God gave those Gentiles the same gift that he gave us when we put our faith in the Lord

     Jesus Christ. So how could I have gone against God?

     18When they heard Peter say this, they stopped arguing and started praising God. They said, "God has now

     let Gentiles turn to him, and he has given life to them!"

     The Church in Antioch

     19Some of the Lord's followers had been scattered because of the terrible trouble that started when Stephen

     was killed. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they told the message only to the Jews.

     20Some of the followers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and started telling Gentiles the good news

     about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's power was with them, and many people turned to the Lord and put their

     faith in him. 22News of what was happening reached the church in Jerusalem. Then they sent Barnabas to

     Antioch. 23When Barnabas got there and saw what God had been kind enough to do for them, he was very

     glad. So he begged them to remain faithful to the Lord with all their hearts. 24Barnabas was a good man of

     great faith, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many more people turned to the Lord.

     25Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. 26He found Saul and brought him to Antioch, where they met

     with the church for a whole year and taught many of its people. There in Antioch the Lord's followers were

     first called Christians.

     27During this time some prophets from Jerusalem came to Antioch. 28One of them was Agabus. Then with the

     help of the Spirit, he told that there would be a terrible famine everywhere in the world. And it happened

     when Claudius was Emperor. 29The followers in Antioch decided to send whatever help they could to the

     followers in Judea. 30So they had Barnabas and Saul take their gifts to the church leaders in Jerusalem.

chapter 12

     Herod Causes Trouble for the Church

     1At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. 2He ordered soldiers to

     cut off the head of James, the brother of John. 3When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had

     Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. 4He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to

     guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival. 5While Peter was being kept in jail,

     the church never stopped praying to God for him.

     Peter Is Rescued

     6The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was

     guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7Suddenly an angel

     from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him

     up. Then he said, "Quick! Get up!"

     The chains fell off his hands, 8and the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Peter did what he

     was told. Then the angel said, "Now put on your coat and follow me." 9Peter left with the angel, but he

     thought everything was only a dream. 10They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to

     the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at

     once the angel disappeared.

     11Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, "I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue

     me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me." 12Then Peter went to the house

     of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together

     there and were praying.

     13Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she heard Peter's voice,

     she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.

     15"You are crazy!" everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, "It must be his

     angel." 16But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely

     amazed. 17Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also

     said, "Tell James and the others what has happened." After that, he left and went somewhere else. 18The

     next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to

     Peter. 19Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned

     the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.

     Herod Dies

     20Herod and the people of Tyre and Sidon were very angry with each other. But their country got its food

     supply from the region that he ruled. So a group of them went to see Blastus, who was one of Herod's high

     officials. They convinced Blastus that they wanted to make peace between their cities and Herod, 21and a

     day was set for them to meet with him.

     Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22The people shouted,

     "You speak more like a god than a man!" 23At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took

     the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.

     24God's message kept spreading. 25And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do,

     they went back to Jerusalem with John, whose other name was Mark.

chapter 13

     Barnabas and Saul Are Chosen and Sent

     1The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger,

     Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's close friend, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord

     and going without eating, the Holy Spirit told them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I

     have chosen them." 3Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their

     hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them

     on their way.

     Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus

     4After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to

     the island of Cyprus. 5They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the Jewish meeting

     places. They also had John as a helper. 6Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the

     other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a

     false prophet. 7He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island.

     Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. 8But Bar-Jesus, whose

     other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.

     9Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10and said,

     "You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop

     speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind

     for a while."

     Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him

     by the hand. 12When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord.

     So he put his faith in the Lord.

     Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia

     13Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to

     Jerusalem. 14The rest of them went on from Perga to Antioch in Pisidia. Then on the Sabbath they went to

     the Jewish meeting place and sat down. 15After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders sent

     someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, "Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please

     say it." 16Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said:

     People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! 17The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and

     he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, 18and

     for about forty years he took care of them in the desert. 19He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan

     and gave their land to our people. 20All this happened in about 450 years. Then God gave our people judges

     until the time of the prophet Samuel, 21but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them

     King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. 22Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his

     place. God said about him, "David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does

     everything I want him to do."

     23God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is

     Jesus. 24But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized.

     25Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, "Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the

     Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals."

     26Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God!

     Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. 27The people of Jerusalem and

     their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets that they

     read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said.

     28-29They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put

     Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.

     After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. 30But God raised

     him from death! 31Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to

     Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him. 32God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are

     here to tell you the good news 33that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says

     about Jesus,

     "You are my son because today

     I have become your Father."

     34God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,

     "I will make to you

     the same holy promise

     that I made to David."

     35And in another psalm it says, "God will never let the body of his Holy One decay."

     36When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body

     decayed. 37But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay.

     38My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from

     all your sins. 39But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. 40Make sure that what the prophets have

     said doesn't happen to you. They said,

     41"Look, you people

     who make fun of God!

     Be amazed

     and disappear.

     I will do something today

     that you won't believe,

     even if someone

     tells you about it!"

     42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same

     things on the next Sabbath. 43After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went

     with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them.

     44The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord. 45When the Jewish

     people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said.

     46But Paul and Barnabas bravely said:

     We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This

     proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. 47The Lord has given us this

     command,

     "I have placed you here

     as a light

     for the Gentiles.

     You are to take

     the saving power of God

     to people everywhere on earth."

     48This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who

     had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord.

     49The message about the Lord spread all over that region. 50But the Jewish leaders went to some of the

     important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul

     and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of that part of the country.

     51Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium. 52But

     the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.

chapter 14

     Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

     1Paul and Barnabas spoke in the Jewish meeting place in Iconium, just as they had done at Antioch, and

     many Jews and Gentiles put their faith in the Lord. 2But the Jews who did not have faith in him made the

     other Gentiles angry and turned them against the Lord's followers. 3Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a

     while, having faith in the Lord and bravely speaking his message. The Lord gave them the power to work

     miracles and wonders, and he showed that their message about his great kindness was true.

     4The people of Iconium did not know what to think. Some of them believed the Jewish group, and others

     believed the apostles. 5Finally, some Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, decided to make trouble

     for Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to death.

     6-7But when the two apostles found out what was happening, they escaped to the region of Lycaonia. They

     preached the good news there in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the nearby countryside.

     Paul and Barnabas in Lystra

     8In Lystra there was a man who had been born with crippled feet and had never been able to walk. 9The man

     was listening to Paul speak, when Paul saw that he had faith in Jesus and could be healed. So he looked

     straight at the man 10and shouted, "Stand up!" The man jumped up and started walking around.

     11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they yelled out in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have

     turned into humans and have come down to us!" 12The people then gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and they

     gave Paul the name Hermes, because he did the talking. 13The temple of Zeus was near the entrance to the

     city. Its priest and the crowds wanted to offer a sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul. So the priest brought some

     bulls and flowers to the city gates. 14When the two apostles found out about this, they tore their clothes in

     horror and ran to the crowd, shouting:

     15Why are you doing this? We are humans just like you. Please give up all this foolishness. Turn to the living

     God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In times past, God let each nation go

     its own way. 17But he showed that he was there by the good things he did. God sends rain from heaven and

     makes your crops grow. He gives food to you and makes your hearts glad.

     18Even after Paul and Barnabas had said all this, they could hardly keep the people from offering a sacrifice

     to them.

     19Some Jewish leaders from Antioch and Iconium came and turned the crowds against Paul. They hit him with

     stones and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. 20But when the Lord's followers gathered

     around Paul, he stood up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe.

     Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

     21Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in Derbe and won some people to the Lord. Then they went

     back to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia. 22They encouraged the followers and begged them to remain

     faithful. They told them, "We have to suffer a lot before we can get into God's kingdom." 23Paul and Barnabas

     chose some leaders for each of the churches. Then they went without eating and prayed that the Lord would

     take good care of these leaders. 24Paul and Barnabas went on through Pisidia to Pamphylia, 25where they

     preached in the town of Perga. Then they went down to Attalia 26and sailed to Antioch in Syria. It was there

     that they had been placed in God's care for the work they had now completed. 27After arriving in Antioch,

     they called the church together. They told the people what God had helped them do and how he had made it

     possible for the Gentiles to believe. 28Then they stayed there with the followers for a long time.

chapter 15

     1Some people came from Judea and started teaching the Lord's followers that they could not be saved,

     unless they were circumcised as Moses had taught. 2This caused trouble, and Paul and Barnabas argued with

     them about this teaching. So it was decided to send Paul and Barnabas and a few others to Jerusalem to

     discuss this problem with the apostles and the church leaders.

     The Church Leaders Meet in Jerusalem

     3The men who were sent by the church went through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling how the Gentiles had

     turned to God. This news made the Lord's followers very happy. 4When the men arrived in Jerusalem, they

     were welcomed by the church, including the apostles and the leaders. They told them everything God had

     helped them do. 5But some Pharisees had become followers of the Lord. They stood up and said, "Gentiles

     who have faith in the Lord must be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses."

     6The apostles and church leaders met to discuss this problem about Gentiles. 7They had talked it over for a

     long time, when Peter got up and said:

     My friends, you know that God decided long ago to let me be the one from your group to preach the good

     news to the Gentiles. God did this so that they would hear and obey him. 8He knows what is in everyone's

     heart. And he showed that he had chosen the Gentiles, when he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he had

     given his Spirit to us. 9God treated them in the same way that he treated us. They put their faith in him, and

     he made their hearts pure.

     10Now why are you trying to make God angry by placing a heavy burden on these followers? This burden was

     too heavy for us or our ancestors. 11But our Lord Jesus was kind to us, and we are saved by faith in him, just

     as the Gentiles are.

     12Everyone kept quiet and listened as Barnabas and Paul told how God had given them the power to work a

     lot of miracles and wonders for the Gentiles.

     13After they had finished speaking, James said: My friends, listen to me! 14Simon Peter has told how God first

     came to the Gentiles and made some of them his own people. 15This agrees with what the prophets wrote,

     16"I, the Lord, will return

     and rebuild

     David's fallen house.

     I will build it from its ruins

     and set it up again.

     17Then other nations

     will turn to me

     and be my chosen ones.

     I, the Lord, say this.

     18I promised it long ago."

     19And so, my friends, I don't think we should place burdens on the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20We

     should simply write and tell them not to eat anything that has been offered to idols. They should be told not

     to eat the meat of any animal that has been strangled or that still has blood in it. They must also not commit

     any terrible sexual sins. 21We must remember that the Law of Moses has been preached in city after city for

     many years, and every Sabbath it is read when we Jews meet.

     A Letter to Gentiles Who Had Faith in the Lord

     22The apostles, the leaders, and all the church members decided to send some men to Antioch along with

     Paul and Barnabas. They chose Silas and Judas Barsabbas, who were two leaders of the Lord's followers.

     23They wrote a letter that said: We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who

     are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

     24We have heard that some people from here have terribly upset you by what they said. But we did not send

     them! 25So we met together and decided to choose some men and to send them to you along with our good

     friends Barnabas and Paul. 26These men have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We are also

     sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you in person the same things that we are writing.

     28The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you. 29But you should not eat

     anything offered to idols. You should not eat any meat that still has the blood in it or any meat of any animal

     that has been strangled. You must also not commit any terrible sexual sins. If you follow these instructions,

     you will do well.

     We send our best wishes.

     30The four men left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. Then they called the church members together and gave

     them the letter. 31When the letter was read, everyone was pleased and greatly encouraged. 32Judas and

     Silas were prophets, and they spoke a long time, encouraging and helping the Lord's followers.

     33The men from Jerusalem stayed on in Antioch for a while. And when they left to return to the ones who

     had sent them, the followers wished them well. 34-35But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, where they

     and many others taught and preached about the Lord.

     Paul and Barnabas Go Their Separate Ways

     36Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the Lord's followers in the cities where we

     preached his message. Then we will know how they are doing." 37Barnabas wanted to take along John, whose

     other name was Mark. 38But Paul did not want to, because Mark had left them in Pamphylia and had stopped

     working with them.

     39Paul and Barnabas argued, then each of them went his own way. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus,

     40but Paul took Silas and left after the followers had placed them in God's care. 41They traveled through

     Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.

chapter 16

     Timothy Works with Paul and Silas

     1Paul and Silas went back to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a follower named Timothy. His mother was

     also a follower. She was Jewish, and his father was Greek. 2The Lord's followers in Lystra and Iconium said

     good things about Timothy, 3and Paul wanted him to go with them. But Paul first had him circumcised,

     because all the Jewish people around there knew that Timothy's father was Greek. 4As Paul and the others

     went from city to city, they told the followers what the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem had decided, and

     they urged them to follow these instructions. 5The churches became stronger in their faith, and each day

     more people put their faith in the Lord.

     Paul's Vision in Troas

     6Paul and his friends went through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Holy Spirit would not let them preach in Asia.

     7After they arrived in Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not let them. 8So

     they went on through Mysia until they came to Troas. 9During the night, Paul had a vision of someone from

     Macedonia who was standing there and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!" 10After Paul had

     seen the vision, we began looking for a way to go to Macedonia. We were sure that God had called us to

     preach the good news there.

     Lydia Becomes a Follower of the Lord

     11We sailed straight from Troas to Samothrace, and the next day we arrived in Neapolis. 12From there we

     went to Philippi, which is a Roman colony in the first district of Macedonia. We spent several days in Philippi.

     13Then on the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to a place by the river, where we thought there would

     be a Jewish meeting place for prayer. We sat down and talked with the women who came. 14One of them

     was Lydia, who was from the city of Thyatira and sold expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the

     Lord God, and he made her willing to accept what Paul was saying. 15Then after she and her family were

     baptized, she kept on begging us, "If you think I really do have faith in the Lord, come stay in my home."

     Finally, we accepted her invitation.

     Paul and Silas Are Put in Jail

     16One day on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl. She had a spirit in her that gave

     her the power to tell the future. By doing this she made a lot of money for her owners. 17The girl followed

     Paul and the rest of us and kept yelling, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are telling you

     how to be saved."

     18This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, "In the name

     of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!" At once the evil spirit left her.

     19When the girl's owners realized that they had lost all chances for making more money, they grabbed Paul

     and Silas and dragged them into court. 20They told the officials, "These Jews are upsetting our city! 21They

     are telling us to do things we Romans are not allowed to do."

     22The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and

     ordered them to be beaten with a whip. 23After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the

     jailer was told to guard them carefully. 24The jailer did as he was told. He put them deep inside the jail and

     chained their feet to heavy blocks of wood.

     25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened.

     26Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from

     all the prisoners.

     27When the jailer woke up and saw that the doors were open, he thought that the prisoners had escaped. He

     pulled out his sword and was about to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! No one has

     escaped."

     29The jailer asked for a torch and went into the jail. He was shaking all over as he knelt down in front of Paul

     and Silas. 30After he had led them out of the jail, he asked, "What must I do to be saved?"

     31They replied, "Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in

     your home."

     32Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord. 33While it was still night, the

     jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home

     were baptized. 34They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and

     Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.

     35The next morning the officials sent some police with orders for the jailer to let Paul and Silas go. 36The

     jailer told Paul, "The officials have ordered me to set you free. Now you can leave in peace."

     37But Paul told the police, "We are Roman citizens, and the Roman officials had us beaten in public without

     giving us a trial. They threw us into jail. Now do they think they can secretly send us away? No, they cannot!

     They will have to come here themselves and let us out." 38When the police told the officials that Paul and

     Silas were Roman citizens, the officials were afraid. 39So they came and apologized. They led them out of the

     jail and asked them to please leave town. 40But Paul and Silas went straight to the home of Lydia, where

     they saw the Lord's followers and encouraged them. Then they left.

chapter 17

     Trouble in Thessalonica

     1After Paul and his friends had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they went on to Thessalonica. A

     Jewish meeting place was in that city. 2So as usual, Paul went there to worship, and on three Sabbaths he

     spoke to the people. He used the Scriptures 3to show them that the Messiah had to suffer, but that he would

     rise from death. Paul also told them that Jesus is the Messiah he was preaching about. 4Some of them

     believed what Paul had said, and they became followers with Paul and Silas. Some Gentiles and many

     important women also believed the message. 5The Jewish leaders were jealous and got some worthless bums

     who hung around the marketplace to start a riot in the city. They wanted to drag Paul and Silas out to the

     mob, and so they went straight to Jason's home. 6But when they did not find them there, they dragged out

     Jason and some of the Lord's followers. They took them to the city authorities and shouted, "Paul and Silas

     have been upsetting things everywhere. Now they have come here, 7and Jason has welcomed them into his

     home. All of them break the laws of the Roman Emperor by claiming that someone named Jesus is king."

     8The officials and the people were upset when they heard this. 9So they made Jason and the other followers

     pay bail before letting them go.

     People in Berea Welcome the Message

     10That same night the Lord's followers sent Paul and Silas on to Berea, and after they arrived, they went to

     the Jewish meeting place. 11The people in Berea were much nicer than those in Thessalonica, and they gladly

     accepted the message. Day after day they studied the Scriptures to see if these things were true. 12Many of

     them put their faith in the Lord, including some important Greek women and several men.

     13When the Jewish leaders in Thessalonica heard that Paul had been preaching God's message in Berea, they

     went there and caused trouble by turning the crowds against Paul.

     14Right away the followers sent Paul down to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea. 15Some men

     went with Paul as far as Athens, and then returned with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon

     as possible.

     Paul in Athens

     16While Paul was waiting in Athens, he was upset to see all the idols in the city. 17He went to the Jewish

     meeting place to speak to the Jews and to anyone who worshiped with them. Day after day he also spoke to

     everyone he met in the market. 18Some of them were Epicureans and some were Stoics, and they started

     arguing with him. People were asking, "What is this know-it-all trying to say?"

     Some even said, "Paul must be preaching about foreign gods! That's what he means when he talks about

     Jesus and about people rising from death." 19They brought Paul before a council called the Areopagus, and

     said, "Tell us what your new teaching is all about. 20We have heard you say some strange things, and we

     want to know what you mean."

     21More than anything else the people of Athens and the foreigners living there loved to hear and to talk

     about anything new. 22So Paul stood up in front of the council and said:

     People of Athens, I see that you are very religious. 23As I was going through your city and looking at the

     things you worship, I found an altar with the words, "To an Unknown God." You worship this God, but you

     don't really know him. So I want to tell you about him. 24This God made the world and everything in it. He is

     Lord of heaven and earth, and he doesn't live in temples built by human hands. 25He doesn't need help from

     anyone. He gives life, breath, and everything else to all people. 26From one person God made all nations who

     live on earth, and he decided when and where every nation would be.

     27God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us,

     28and he gives us the power to live, to move, and to be who we are. "We are his children," just as some of

     your poets have said.

     29Since we are God's children, we must not think that he is like an idol made out of gold or silver or stone. He

     isn't like anything that humans have thought up and made. 30In the past, God forgave all this because people

     did not know what they were doing. But now he says that everyone everywhere must turn to him. 31He has

     set a day when he will judge the world's people with fairness. And he has chosen the man Jesus to do the

     judging for him. God has given proof of this to all of us by raising Jesus from death.

     32As soon as the people heard Paul say that a man had been raised from death, some of them started

     laughing. Others said, "We will hear you talk about this some other time." 33When Paul left the council

     meeting, 34some of the men put their faith in the Lord and went with Paul. One of them was a council

     member named Dionysius. A woman named Damaris and several others also put their faith in the Lord.

chapter 18

     Paul in Corinth

     1Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, 2where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this,

     Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to

     leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla 3and found out that they were tent makers. Paul was a tent

     maker too. So he stayed with them, and they worked together. 4Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish

     meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over. 5But after Silas and Timothy came

     from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. 6Finally, they turned

     against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, "Whatever happens to you

     will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles." 7Paul then

     moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish

     meeting place. 8Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in

     the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were

     baptized.

     9One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, "Don't be afraid to keep on preaching. Don't stop! 10I

     am with you, and you won't be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me." 11Paul stayed on in Corinth

     for a year and a half, teaching God's message to the people.

     12While Gallio was governor of Achaia, some of the Jewish leaders got together and grabbed Paul. They

     brought him into court 13and said, "This man is trying to make our people worship God in a way that is against

     our Law!"

     14Even before Paul could speak, Gallio said, "If you were charging this man with a crime or some other wrong,

     I would have to listen to you. 15But since this concerns only words, names, and your own law, you will have

     to take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters." 16Then he sent them out of the court. 17The crowd

     grabbed Sosthenes, the Jewish leader, and beat him up in front of the court. But none of this mattered to

     Gallio.

     Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

     18After Paul had stayed for a while with the Lord's followers in Corinth, he told them good-by and sailed on to

     Syria with Aquila and Priscilla. But before he left, he had his head shaved at Cenchreae because he had made

     a promise to God. 19The three of them arrived in Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He then went

     into the Jewish meeting place to talk with the people there. 20They asked him to stay longer, but he refused.

     21He told them good-by and said, "If God lets me, I will come back."

     22Paul sailed to Caesarea, where he greeted the church. Then he went on to Antioch. 23After staying there

     for a while, he left and visited several places in Galatia and Phrygia. He helped the followers there to become

     stronger in their faith.

     Apollos in Ephesus

     24A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos had been born in the city of Alexandria. He was a

     very good speaker and knew a lot about the Scriptures. 25He also knew much about the Lord's Way, and he

     spoke about it with great excitement. What he taught about Jesus was right, but all he knew was John's

     message about baptism. 26Apollos started speaking bravely in the Jewish meeting place. But when Priscilla

     and Aquila heard him, they took him to their home and helped him understand God's Way even better.

     27Apollos decided to travel through Achaia. So the Lord's followers wrote letters, encouraging the followers

     there to welcome him. After Apollos arrived in Achaia, he was a great help to everyone who had put their

     faith in the Lord Jesus because of God's kindness. 28He got into fierce arguments with the Jewish people, and

     in public he used the Scriptures to prove that Jesus is the Messiah.

chapter 19

     Paul in Ephesus

     1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled across the hill country to Ephesus, where he met some of the

     Lord's followers. 2He asked them, "When you put your faith in Jesus, were you given the Holy Spirit?"

     "No!" they answered. "We have never even heard of the Holy Spirit."

     3"Then why were you baptized?" Paul asked.

     They answered, "Because of what John taught." 4Paul replied, "John baptized people so that they would turn

     to God. But he also told them that someone else was coming, and that they should put their faith in him.

     Jesus is the one that John was talking about." 5After the people heard Paul say this, they were baptized in

     the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then Paul placed his hands on them. The Holy Spirit was given to them, and

     they spoke unknown languages and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in this group.

     8For three months Paul went to the Jewish meeting place and talked bravely with the people about God's

     kingdom. He tried to win them over, 9but some of them were stubborn and refused to believe. In front of

     everyone they said terrible things about God's Way. Paul left and took the followers with him to the lecture

     hall of Tyrannus. He spoke there every day 10for two years, until every Jew and Gentile in Asia had heard the

     Lord's message.

     The Sons of Sceva

     11God gave Paul the power to work great miracles. 12People even took handkerchiefs and aprons that had

     touched Paul's body, and they carried them to everyone who was sick. All of the sick people were healed, and

     the evil spirits went out.

     13Some Jewish men started going around trying to force out evil spirits by using the name of the Lord Jesus.

     They said to the spirits, "Come out in the name of that same Jesus that Paul preaches about!"

     14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this, 15when an evil spirit said to them, "I

     know Jesus! And I have heard about Paul. But who are you?" 16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on

     them and beat them up. They ran out of the house, naked and bruised.

     17When the Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus heard about this, they were so frightened that they praised the

     name of the Lord Jesus. 18Many who were followers now started telling everyone about the evil things they

     had been doing. 19Some who had been practicing witchcraft even brought their books and burned them in

     public. These books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20So the Lord's message spread and

     became even more powerful.

     The Riot in Ephesus

     21After all of this had happened, Paul decided to visit Macedonia and Achaia on his way to Jerusalem. Paul

     had said, "From there I will go on to Rome." 22So he sent his two helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to

     Macedonia. But he stayed on in Asia for a while.

     23At that time there was serious trouble because of the Lord's Way. 24A silversmith named Demetrius had a

     business that made silver models of the temple of the goddess Artemis. Those who worked for him earned a

     lot of money. 25Demetrius brought together everyone who was in the same business and said:

     Friends, you know that we make a good living at this. 26But you have surely seen and heard how this man

     Paul is upsetting a lot of people, not only in Ephesus, but almost everywhere in Asia. He claims that the gods

     we humans make are not really gods at all. 27Everyone will start saying terrible things about our business.

     They will stop respecting the temple of the goddess Artemis, who is worshiped in Asia and all over the world.

     Our great goddess will be forgotten!

     28When the workers heard this, they got angry and started shouting, "Great is Artemis, the goddess of the

     Ephesians!" 29Soon the whole city was in a riot, and some men grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, who had come

     from Macedonia with Paul. Then everyone in the crowd rushed to the place where the town meetings were

     held.

     30Paul wanted to go out and speak to the people, but the Lord's followers would not let him. 31A few of the

     local officials were friendly to Paul, and they sent someone to warn him not to go.

     32Some of the people in the meeting were shouting one thing, and others were shouting something else.

     Everyone was completely confused, and most of them did not even know why they were there.

     33Several of the Jewish leaders pushed a man named Alexander to the front of the crowd and started telling

     him what to say. He motioned with his hand and tried to explain what was going on. 34But when the crowd

     saw that he was Jewish, they all shouted for two hours, "Great is Artemis, the goddess of the Ephesians!"

     35Finally, a town official made the crowd be quiet. Then he said:

     People of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that our city is the center for worshiping the great goddess

     Artemis? Who doesn't know that her image which fell from heaven is right here? 36No one can deny this, and

     so you should calm down and not do anything foolish. 37You have brought men in here who have not robbed

     temples or spoken against our goddess.

     38If Demetrius and his workers have a case against these men, we have courts and judges. Let them take

     their complaints there. 39But if you want to do more than that, the matter will have to be brought before the

     city council. 40We could easily be accused of starting a riot today. There is no excuse for it! We cannot even

     give a reason for this uproar.

     41After saying this, he told the people to leave.

chapter 20

     Paul Goes through Macedonia and Greece

     1When the riot was over, Paul sent for the followers and encouraged them. He then told them good-by and

     left for Macedonia. 2As he traveled from place to place, he encouraged the followers with many messages.

     Finally, he went to Greece 3and stayed there for three months. Paul was about to sail to Syria. But some of

     the Jewish leaders plotted against him, so he decided to return by way of Macedonia. 4With him were

     Sopater, son of Pyrrhus from Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica. Gaius from Derbe was

     also with him, and so were Timothy and the two Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5They went on ahead to

     Troas and waited for us there. 6After the Festival of Thin Bread, we sailed from Philippi. Five days later we

     met them in Troas and stayed there for a week.

     Paul's Last Visit to Troas

     7On the first day of the week we met to break bread together. Paul spoke to the people until midnight

     because he was leaving the next morning. 8In the upstairs room where we were meeting, there were a lot of

     lamps. 9A young man by the name of Eutychus was sitting on a window sill. While Paul was speaking, the

     young man got very sleepy. Finally, he went to sleep and fell three floors all the way down to the ground.

     When they picked him up, he was dead. 10Paul went down and bent over Eutychus. He took him in his arms

     and said, "Don't worry! He's alive." 11After Paul had gone back upstairs, he broke bread, and ate with us. He

     then spoke until dawn and left. 12Then the followers took the young man home alive and were very happy.

     The Voyage from Troas to Miletus

     13Paul decided to travel by land to Assos. The rest of us went on ahead by ship, and we were to take him

     aboard there. 14When he met us in Assos, he came aboard, and we sailed on to Mitylene. 15The next day we

     came to a place near Chios, and the following day we reached Samos. The day after that we sailed to

     Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail on past Ephesus, because he did not want to spend too much time in Asia.

     He was in a hurry and wanted to be in Jerusalem in time for Pentecost.

     Paul Says Good-By to the Church Leaders of Ephesus

     17From Miletus, Paul sent a message for the church leaders at Ephesus to come and meet with him. 18When

     they got there, he said:

     You know everything I did during the time I was with you when I first came to Asia. 19Some of the Jews

     plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble.

     20When I preached in public or taught in your homes, I didn't hold back from telling anything that would help

     you. 21I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus.

     22I don't know what will happen to me in Jerusalem, but I must obey God's Spirit and go there. 23In every

     city I visit, I am told by the Holy Spirit that I will be put in jail and will be in trouble in Jerusalem. 24But I don't

     care what happens to me, as long as I finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do. And that work is to

     tell the good news about God's great kindness.

     25I have gone from place to place, preaching to you about God's kingdom, but now I know that none of you

     will ever see me again. 26I tell you today that I am no longer responsible for any of you! 27I have told you

     everything God wants you to know. 28Look after yourselves and everyone the Holy Spirit has placed in your

     care. Be like shepherds to God's church. It is the flock that he bought with the blood of his own Son. 29I

     know that after I am gone, others will come like fierce wolves to attack you. 30Some of your own people will

     tell lies to win over the Lord's followers. 31Be on your guard! Remember how day and night for three years I

     kept warning you with tears in my eyes.

     32I now place you in God's care. Remember the message about his great kindness! This message can help you

     and give you what belongs to you as God's people. 33I have never wanted anyone's money or clothes. 34You

     know how I have worked with my own hands to make a living for myself and my friends. 35By everything I did,

     I showed how you should work to help everyone who is weak. Remember that our Lord Jesus said, "More

     blessings come from giving than from receiving."

     36After Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37Everyone cried and hugged

     and kissed him. 38They were especially sad because Paul had told them, "You will never see me again."

     Then they went with him to the ship.

chapter 21

     Paul Goes to Jerusalem

     1After saying good-by, we sailed straight to Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and from there sailed on

     to Patara. 2We found a ship going to Phoenicia, so we got on board and sailed off.

     3We came within sight of Cyprus and then sailed south of it on to the port of Tyre in Syria, where the ship

     was going to unload its cargo. 4We looked up the Lord's followers and stayed with them for a week. The Holy

     Spirit had told them to warn Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. 5But when the week was over, we started on our

     way again. All the men, together with their wives and children, walked with us from the town to the seashore.

     We knelt on the beach and prayed. 6Then after saying good-by to each other, we got into the ship, and they

     went back home.

     7We sailed from Tyre to Ptolemais, where we greeted the followers and stayed with them for a day. 8The

     next day we went to Caesarea and stayed with Philip, the preacher. He was one of the seven men who

     helped the apostles, 9and he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. 10We had been in Caesarea for

     several days, when the prophet Agabus came to us from Judea. 11He took Paul's belt, and with it he tied up

     his own hands and feet. Then he told us, "The Holy Spirit says that some of the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem

     will tie up the man who owns this belt. They will also hand him over to the Gentiles." 12After Agabus said this,

     we and the followers living there begged Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

     13But Paul answered, "Why are you crying and breaking my heart? I am not only willing to be put in jail for the

     Lord Jesus. I am even willing to die for him in Jerusalem!"

     14Since we could not get Paul to change his mind, we gave up and prayed, "Lord, please make us willing to

     do what you want."

     15Then we got ready to go to Jerusalem. 16Some of the followers from Caesarea went with us and took us to

     stay in the home of Mnason. He was from Cyprus and had been a follower from the beginning.

     Paul Visits James

     17When we arrived in Jerusalem, the Lord's followers gladly welcomed us. 18Paul went with us to see James

     the next day, and all the church leaders were present. 19Paul greeted them and told how God had used him

     to help the Gentiles. 20Everyone who heard this praised God and said to Paul: My friend, you can see how

     many tens of thousands of the Jewish people have become followers! And all of them are eager to obey the

     Law of Moses. 21But they have been told that you are teaching those who live among the Gentiles to disobey

     this Law. They claim that you are telling them not to circumcise their sons or to follow Jewish customs.

     22What should we do now that our people have heard that you are here? 23Please do what we ask, because

     four of our men have made special promises to God. 24Join with them and prepare yourself for the ceremony

     that goes with the promises. Pay the cost for their heads to be shaved. Then everyone will learn that the

     reports about you are not true. They will know that you do obey the Law of Moses.

     25Some while ago we told the Gentile followers what we think they should do. We instructed them not to eat

     anything offered to idols. They were told not to eat any meat with blood still in it or the meat of an animal

     that has been strangled. They were also told not to commit any terrible sexual sins. 26The next day Paul took

     the four men with him and got himself ready at the same time they did. Then he went into the temple and

     told when the final ceremony would take place and when an offering would be made for each of them.

     Paul Is Arrested

     27When the period of seven days for the ceremony was almost over, some of the Jewish people from Asia

     saw Paul in the temple. They got a large crowd together and started attacking him. 28They were shouting,

     "Friends, help us! This man goes around everywhere, saying bad things about our nation and about the Law of

     Moses and about this temple. He has even brought shame to this holy temple by bringing in Gentiles." 29Some

     of them thought that Paul had brought Trophimus from Ephesus into the temple, because they had seen them

     together in the city.

     30The whole city was in an uproar, and the people turned into a mob. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out

     of the temple. Then suddenly the doors were shut. 31The people were about to kill Paul when the Roman

     army commander heard that all Jerusalem was starting to riot. 32So he quickly took some soldiers and officers

     and ran to where the crowd had gathered.

     As soon as the mob saw the commander and soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33The army commander

     went over and arrested him and had him bound with two chains. Then he tried to find out who Paul was and

     what he had done. 34Part of the crowd shouted one thing, and part of them shouted something else. But

     they were making so much noise that the commander could not find out a thing. Then he ordered Paul to be

     taken into the fortress. 35As they reached the steps, the crowd became so wild that the soldiers had to lift

     Paul up and carry him. 36The crowd followed and kept shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"

     Paul Speaks to the Crowd

     37When Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he asked the commander, "Can I say something to

     you?"

     "How do you know Greek?" the commander asked. 38"Aren't you that Egyptian who started a riot not long ago

     and led four thousand terrorists into the desert?"

     39"No!" Paul replied. "I am a Jew from Tarsus, an important city in Cilicia. Please let me speak to the crowd."

     40The commander told him he could speak, so Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the people. When

     they were quiet, he spoke to them in Aramaic:

chapter 22

     1"My friends and leaders of our nation, listen as I explain what happened!" 2When the crowd heard Paul speak

     to them in Aramaic, they became even quieter. Then Paul said:

     3I am a Jew, born and raised in the city of Tarsus in Cilicia. I was a student of Gamaliel and was taught to

     follow every single law of our ancestors. In fact, I was just as eager to obey God as any of you are today.

     4I made trouble for everyone who followed the Lord's Way, and I even had some of them killed. I had others

     arrested and put in jail. I didn't care if they were men or women. 5The high priest and all the council members

     can tell you that this is true. They even gave me letters to the Jewish leaders in Damascus, so that I could

     arrest people there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. 6One day about noon I was getting close to

     Damascus, when a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a

     voice asking, "Saul, Saul, why are you so cruel to me?"

     8"Who are you?" I answered.

     The Lord replied, "I am Jesus from Nazareth! I am the one you are so cruel to." 9The men who were traveling

     with me saw the light, but did not hear the voice.

     10I asked, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

     Then he told me, "Get up and go to Damascus. When you get there, you will be told what to do." 11The light

     had been so bright that I couldn't see. And the other men had to lead me by the hand to Damascus.

     12In that city there was a man named Ananias, who faithfully obeyed the Law of Moses and was well liked by

     all the Jewish people living there. 13He came to me and said, "Saul, my friend, you can now see again!"

     At once I could see. 14Then Ananias told me, "The God that our ancestors worshiped has chosen you to

     know what he wants done. He has chosen you to see the One Who Obeys God and to hear his voice. 15You

     must tell everyone what you have seen and heard. 16What are you waiting for? Get up! Be baptized, and

     wash away your sins by praying to the Lord." 17After this I returned to Jerusalem and went to the temple to

     pray. There I had a vision 18of the Lord who said to me, "Hurry and leave Jerusalem! The people won't listen

     to what you say about me."

     19I replied, "Lord, they know that in many of our meeting places I arrested and beat people who had faith in

     you. 20Stephen was killed because he spoke for you, and I stood there and cheered them on. I even guarded

     the clothes of the men who murdered him."

     21But the Lord told me to go, and he promised to send me far away to the Gentiles.

     22The crowd listened until Paul said this. Then they started shouting, "Get rid of this man! He doesn't deserve

     to live." 23They kept shouting. They waved their clothes around and threw dust into the air.

     Paul and the Roman Army Commander

     24The Roman commander ordered Paul to be taken into the fortress and beaten with a whip. He did this to

     find out why the people were screaming at Paul.

     25While the soldiers were tying Paul up to be beaten, he asked the officer standing there, "Is it legal to beat

     a Roman citizen before he has been tried in court?"

     26When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and said, "What are you doing? This man is a

     Roman citizen!"

     27The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?"

     "Yes," Paul answered.

     28The commander then said, "I paid a lot of money to become a Roman citizen." But Paul replied, "I was born

     a Roman citizen."

     29The men who were about to beat and question Paul quickly backed off. And the commander himself was

     frightened when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.

     Paul Is Tried by the Council

     30The next day the commander wanted to know the real reason why the Jewish leaders had brought charges

     against Paul. So he had Paul's chains removed, and he ordered the chief priests and the whole council to

     meet. Then he had Paul led in and made him stand in front of them.

chapter 23

     1Paul looked straight at the council members and said, "My friends, to this day I have served God with a clear

     conscience!"

     2Then Ananias the high priest ordered the men standing beside Paul to hit him on the mouth. 3Paul turned to

     the high priest and said, "You whitewashed wall! God will hit you. You sit there to judge me by the Law of

     Moses. But at the same time you order men to break the Law by hitting me." 4The men standing beside Paul

     asked, "Don't you know you are insulting God's high priest?"

     5Paul replied, "Oh! I didn't know he was the high priest. The Scriptures do tell us not to speak evil about a

     leader of our people."

     6When Paul saw that some of the council members were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted,

     "My friends, I am a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee. I am on trial simply because I believe that the dead

     will be raised to life."

     7As soon as Paul said this, the Pharisees and the Sadducees got into a big argument, and the council

     members started taking sides. 8The Sadducees do not believe in angels or spirits or that the dead will rise to

     life. But the Pharisees believe in all of these, 9and so there was a lot of shouting. Some of the teachers of

     the Law of Moses were Pharisees. Finally, they became angry and said, "We don't find anything wrong with

     this man. Maybe a spirit or an angel really did speak to him."

     10The argument became fierce, and the commander was afraid that Paul would be pulled apart. So he ordered

     the soldiers to go in and rescue Paul. Then they took him back into the fortress.

     11That night the Lord stood beside Paul and said, "Don't worry! Just as you have told others about me in

     Jerusalem, you must also tell about me in Rome."

     A Plot To Kill Paul

     12-13The next morning more than forty Jewish men got together and vowed that they would not eat or drink

     anything until they had killed Paul. 14Then some of them went to the chief priests and the nation's leaders

     and said, "We have promised God that we would not eat a thing until we have killed Paul. 15You and everyone

     in the council must go to the commander and pretend that you want to find out more about the charges

     against Paul. Ask for him to be brought before your court. Meanwhile, we will be waiting to kill him before he

     gets there."

     16When Paul's nephew heard about the plot, he went to the fortress and told Paul about it. 17So Paul said to

     one of the army officers, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something to tell him."

     18The officer took him to the commander and said, "The prisoner named Paul asked me to bring this young

     man to you, because he has something to tell you."

     19The commander took the young man aside and asked him in private, "What do you want to tell me?"

     20He answered, "Some men are planning to ask you to bring Paul down to the Jewish council tomorrow. They

     will claim that they want to find out more about him. 21But please don't do what they say. More than forty

     men are going to attack Paul. They have made a vow not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him.

     Even now they are waiting to hear what you decide."

     22The commander sent the young man away after saying to him, "Don't let anyone know that you told me

     this."

     Paul Is Sent to Felix the Governor

     23The commander called in two of his officers and told them, "By nine o'clock tonight have two hundred

     soldiers ready to go to Caesarea. Take along seventy men on horseback and two hundred foot soldiers with

     spears. 24Get a horse ready for Paul and make sure that he gets safely through to Felix the governor."

     25The commander wrote a letter that said:

     26Greetings from Claudius Lysias to the Honorable Governor Felix:

     27Some Jews grabbed this man and were about to kill him. But when I found out that he was a Roman citizen,

     I took some soldiers and rescued him.

     28I wanted to find out what they had against him. So I brought him before their council 29and learned that

     the charges concern only their religious laws. This man isn't guilty of anything for which he should die or even

     be put in jail.

     30As soon as I learned that there was a plot against him, I sent him to you and told their leaders to bring

     charges against him in your court.

     31The soldiers obeyed the commander's orders, and that same night they took Paul to the city of Antipatris.

     32The next day the foot soldiers returned to the fortress and let the soldiers on horseback take him the rest

     of the way. 33When they came to Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to

     him.

     34The governor read the letter. Then he asked Paul and found out that he was from Cilicia. 35The governor

     said, "I will listen to your case as soon as the people come to bring their charges against you." After saying

     this, he gave orders for Paul to be kept as a prisoner in Herod's palace.

chapter 24

     Paul Is Accused in the Court of Felix

     1Five days later Ananias the high priest, together with some of their leaders and a lawyer named Tertullus,

     went to the governor to present their case against Paul. 2So Paul was called in, and Tertullus stated the

     case against him: Honorable Felix, you have brought our people a long period of peace, and because of your

     concern our nation is much better off. 3All of us are always grateful for what you have done. 4I don't want to

     bother you, but please be patient with us and listen to me for just a few minutes.

     5This man has been found to be a real pest and troublemaker for Jews all over the world. He is also a leader

     of a group called Nazarenes. 6-8When he tried to disgrace the temple, we arrested him. If you question him,

     you will find out for yourself that our charges are true. 9The Jewish crowd spoke up and agreed with what

     Tertullus had said.

     Paul Defends Himself

     10The governor motioned for Paul to speak, and he began:

     I know that you have judged the people of our nation for many years, and I am glad to defend myself in your

     court.

     11It was no more than twelve days ago that I went to worship in Jerusalem. You can find this out easily

     enough. 12Never once did the Jews find me arguing with anyone in the temple. I didn't cause trouble in the

     Jewish meeting places or in the city itself. 13There is no way that they can prove these charges that they

     are now bringing against me.

     14I admit that their leaders think that the Lord's Way which I follow is based on wrong beliefs. But I still

     worship the same God that my ancestors worshiped. And I believe everything written in the Law of Moses and

     in the Prophets. 15I am just as sure as these people are that God will raise from death everyone who is good

     or evil. 16And because I am sure, I try my best to have a clear conscience in whatever I do for God or for

     people. 17After being away for several years, I returned here to bring gifts for the poor people of my nation

     and to offer sacrifices. 18This is what I was doing when I was found going through a ceremony in the temple.

     I wasn't with a crowd, and there was no uproar.

     19Some Jews from Asia were there at that time, and if they have anything to say against me, they should be

     here now. 20Or ask the ones who are here. They can tell you that they didn't find me guilty of anything when

     I was tried by their own council. 21The only charge they can bring against me is what I shouted out in court,

     when I said, "I am on trial today because I believe that the dead will be raised to life!"

     22Felix knew a lot about the Lord's Way. But he brought the trial to an end and said, "I will make my decision

     after Lysias the commander arrives." 23He then ordered the army officer to keep Paul under guard, but not to

     lock him up or to stop his friends from helping him.

     Paul Is Kept under Guard

     24Several days later Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, went to the place where Paul was kept under

     guard. They sent for Paul and listened while he spoke to them about having faith in Christ Jesus. 25But Felix

     was frightened when Paul started talking to them about doing right, about self-control, and about the coming

     judgment. So he said to Paul, "That's enough for now. You may go. But when I have time I will send for you."

     26After this, Felix often sent for Paul and talked with him, because he hoped that Paul would offer him a

     bribe.

     27Two years later Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix. But since Felix wanted to do the Jewish

     leaders a favor, he kept Paul in jail.

chapter 25

     Paul Asks To Be Tried by the Roman Emperor

     1Three days after Festus had become governor, he went from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2There the chief

     priests and some Jewish leaders told him about their charges against Paul. They also asked Festus 3if he

     would be willing to bring Paul to Jerusalem. They begged him to do this because they were planning to attack

     and kill Paul on the way. 4But Festus told them, "Paul will be kept in Caesarea, and I am soon going there

     myself. 5If he has done anything wrong, let your leaders go with me and bring charges against him there."

     6Festus stayed in Jerusalem for eight or ten more days before going to Caesarea. Then the next day he took

     his place as judge and had Paul brought into court. 7As soon as Paul came in, the Jewish leaders from

     Jerusalem crowded around him and said he was guilty of many serious crimes. But they could not prove

     anything. 8Then Paul spoke in his own defense, "I have not broken the Law of my people. And I have not

     done anything against either the temple or the Emperor."

     9Festus wanted to please the leaders. So he asked Paul, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried by

     me on these charges?"

     10Paul replied, "I am on trial in the Emperor's court, and that's where I should be tried. You know very well

     that I have not done anything to harm the Jewish nation. 11If I had done something deserving death, I would

     not ask to escape the death penalty. But I am not guilty of any of these crimes, and no one has the right to

     hand me over to these people. I now ask to be tried by the Emperor himself."

     12After Festus had talked this over with members of his council, he told Paul, "You have asked to be tried by

     the Emperor, and to the Emperor you will go!"

     Paul Speaks to Agrippa and Bernice

     13A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to visit Festus. 14They had been there for

     several days, when Festus told the king about the charges against Paul. He said:

     Felix left a man here in jail, 15and when I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the Jewish leaders came

     and asked me to find him guilty. 16I told them that it isn't the Roman custom to hand a man over to people

     who are bringing charges against him. He must first have the chance to meet them face to face and to

     defend himself against their charges.

     17So when they came here with me, I wasted no time. On the very next day I took my place on the judge's

     bench and ordered him to be brought in. 18But when the men stood up to make their charges against him,

     they did not accuse him of any of the crimes that I thought they would. 19Instead, they argued with him

     about some of their beliefs and about a dead man named Jesus, who Paul said was alive.

     20Since I did not know how to find out the truth about all this, I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to

     Jerusalem and be put on trial there. 21But Paul asked to be kept in jail until the Emperor could decide his

     case. So I ordered him to be kept here until I could send him to the Emperor.

     22Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear what this man has to say."

     Festus answered, "You can hear him tomorrow."

     23The next day Agrippa and Bernice made a big show as they came into the meeting room. High ranking army

     officers and leading citizens of the town were also there. Festus then ordered Paul to be brought in 24and

     said:

     King Agrippa and other guests, look at this man! Every Jew from Jerusalem and Caesarea has come to me,

     demanding for him to be put to death. 25I have not found him guilty of any crime deserving death. But

     because he has asked to be judged by the Emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.

     26I have to write some facts about this man to the Emperor. So I have brought him before all of you, but

     especially before you, King Agrippa. After we have talked about his case, I will then have something to write.

     27It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the Emperor without stating the charges against him.

chapter 26

     Paul's Defense before Agrippa

     1Agrippa told Paul, "You may now speak for yourself."

     Paul stretched out his hand and said:

     2King Agrippa, I am glad for this chance to defend myself before you today on all these charges that my own

     people have brought against me. 3You know a lot about our religious customs and the beliefs that divide us.

     So I ask you to listen patiently to me.

     4-5All the Jews have known me since I was a child. They know what kind of life I have lived in my own

     country and in Jerusalem. And if they were willing, they could tell you that I was a Pharisee, a member of a

     group that is stricter than any other. 6Now I am on trial because I believe the promise God made to our

     people long ago.

     7Day and night our twelve tribes have earnestly served God, waiting for his promised blessings. King Agrippa,

     because of this hope, the Jewish leaders have brought charges against me. 8Why should any of you doubt

     that God raises the dead to life?

     9I once thought that I should do everything I could to oppose Jesus from Nazareth. 10I did this first in

     Jerusalem, and with the authority of the chief priests I put many of God's people in jail. I even voted for them

     to be killed. 11I often had them punished in our meeting places, and I tried to make them give up their faith.

     In fact, I was so angry with them, that I went looking for them in foreign cities.

     12King Agrippa, one day I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and permission of the chief priests.

     13About noon I saw a light brighter than the sun. It flashed from heaven on me and on everyone traveling

     with me. 14We all fell to the ground. Then I heard a voice say to me in Aramaic, "Saul, Saul, why are you so

     cruel to me? It's foolish to fight against me!"

     15"Who are you?" I asked.

     Then the Lord answered, "I am Jesus! I am the one you are so cruel to. 16Now stand up. I have appeared to

     you, because I have chosen you to be my servant. You are to tell others what you have learned about me

     and what I will show you later."

     17The Lord also said, "I will protect you from the Jews and from the Gentiles that I am sending you to. 18I

     want you to open their eyes, so that they will turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to

     God. Then their sins will be forgiven, and by faith in me they will become part of God's holy people."

     19King Agrippa, I obeyed this vision from heaven. 20First I preached to the people in Damascus, and then I

     went to Jerusalem and all over Judea. Finally, I went to the Gentiles and said, "Stop sinning and turn to God!

     Then prove what you have done by the way you live."

     21That is why some men grabbed me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22But all this time God has helped me,

     and I have preached both to the rich and to the poor. I have told them only what the prophets and Moses

     said would happen. 23I told them how the Messiah would suffer and be the first to be raised from death, so

     that he could bring light to his own people and to the Gentiles.

     24Before Paul finished defending himself, Festus shouted, "Paul, you're crazy! Too much learning has driven

     you out of your mind."

     25But Paul replied, "Honorable Festus, I am not crazy. What I am saying is true, and it makes sense. 26None

     of these things happened off in a corner somewhere. I am sure that King Agrippa knows what I am talking

     about. That's why I can speak so plainly to him."

     27Then Paul said to Agrippa, "Do you believe what the prophets said? I know you do."

     28Agrippa asked Paul, "In such a short time do you think you can talk me into being a Christian?"

     29Paul answered, "Whether it takes a short time or a long time, I wish you and everyone else who hears me

     today would become just like me! Except, of course, for these chains."

     30Then King Agrippa, Governor Festus, Bernice, and everyone who was with them got up. 31But before they

     left, they said, "This man isn't guilty of anything. He doesn't deserve to die or to be put in jail."

     32Agrippa told Festus, "Paul could have been set free, if he had not asked to be tried by the Roman Emperor."

chapter 27

     Paul Is Taken to Rome

     1When it was time for us to sail to Rome, Captain Julius from the Emperor's special troops was put in charge

     of Paul and the other prisoners. 2We went aboard a ship from Adramyttium that was about to sail to some

     ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus from Thessalonica in Macedonia sailed on the ship with us.

     3The next day we came to shore at Sidon. Captain Julius was very kind to Paul. He even let him visit his

     friends, so they could give him whatever he needed. 4When we left Sidon, the winds were blowing against us,

     and we sailed close to the island of Cyprus to be safe from the wind. 5Then we sailed south of Cilicia and

     Pamphylia until we came to the port of Myra in Lycia. 6There the army captain found a ship from Alexandria

     that was going to Italy. So he ordered us to board that ship.

     7We sailed along slowly for several days and had a hard time reaching Cnidus. The wind would not let us go

     any farther in that direction, so we sailed past Cape Salmone, where the island of Crete would protect us

     from the wind. 8We went slowly along the coast and finally reached a place called Fair Havens, not far from

     the town of Lasea.

     9By now we had already lost a lot of time, and sailing was no longer safe. In fact, even the Great Day of

     Forgiveness was past. 10Then Paul spoke to the crew of the ship, "Men, listen to me! If we sail now, our ship

     and its cargo will be badly damaged, and many lives will be lost." 11But Julius listened to the captain of the

     ship and its owner, rather than to Paul. 12The harbor at Fair Havens wasn't a good place to spend the winter.

     Because of this, almost everyone agreed that we should at least try to sail along the coast of Crete as far as

     Phoenix. It had a harbor that opened toward the southwest and northwest, and we could spend the winter

     there.

     The Storm at Sea

     13When a gentle wind from the south started blowing, the men thought it was a good time to do what they

     had planned. So they pulled up the anchor, and we sailed along the coast of Crete. 14But soon a strong wind

     called "The Northeaster" blew against us from the island. 15The wind struck the ship, and we could not sail

     against it. So we let the wind carry the ship.

     16We went along the island of Cauda on the side that was protected from the wind. We had a hard time

     holding the lifeboat in place, 17but finally we got it where it belonged. Then the sailors wrapped ropes around

     the ship to hold it together. They lowered the sail and let the ship drift along, because they were afraid it

     might hit the sandbanks in the gulf of Syrtis.

     18The storm was so fierce that the next day they threw some of the ship's cargo overboard. 19Then on the

     third day, with their bare hands they threw overboard some of the ship's gear. 20For several days we could

     not see either the sun or the stars. A strong wind kept blowing, and we finally gave up all hope of being

     saved.

     21Since none of us had eaten anything for a long time, Paul stood up and told the men:

     You should have listened to me! If you had stayed on in Crete, you would not have had this damage and loss.

     22But now I beg you to cheer up, because you will be safe. Only the ship will be lost.

     23I belong to God, and I worship him. Last night he sent an angel 24to tell me, "Paul, don't be afraid! You will

     stand trial before the Emperor. And because of you, God will save the lives of everyone on the ship." 25Cheer

     up! I am sure that God will do exactly what he promised. 26But we will first be shipwrecked on some island.

     27For fourteen days and nights we had been blown around over the Mediterranean Sea. But about midnight

     the sailors realized that we were getting near land. 28They measured and found that the water was about

     one hundred twenty feet deep. A little later they measured again and found it was only about ninety feet.

     29The sailors were afraid that we might hit some rocks, and they let down four anchors from the back of the

     ship. Then they prayed for daylight.

     30The sailors wanted to escape from the ship. So they lowered the lifeboat into the water, pretending that

     they were letting down an anchor from the front of the ship. 31But Paul said to Captain Julius and the

     soldiers, "If the sailors don't stay on the ship, you won't have any chance to save your lives." 32The soldiers

     then cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall into the sea.

     33Just before daylight Paul begged the people to eat something. He told them, "For fourteen days you have

     been so worried that you haven't eaten a thing. 34I beg you to eat something. Your lives depend on it. Do

     this and not one of you will be hurt."

     35After Paul had said this, he took a piece of bread and gave thanks to God. Then in front of everyone, he

     broke the bread and ate some. 36They all felt encouraged, and each of them ate something. 37There were

     276 people on the ship, 38and after everyone had eaten, they threw the cargo of wheat into the sea to make

     the ship lighter.

     The Shipwreck

     39Morning came, and the ship's crew saw a coast that they did not recognize. But they did see a cove with a

     beach. So they decided to try to run the ship aground on the beach. 40They cut the anchors loose and let

     them sink into the sea. At the same time they untied the ropes that were holding the rudders. Next, they

     raised the sail at the front of the ship and let the wind carry the ship toward the beach. 41But it ran aground

     on a sandbank. The front of the ship stuck firmly in the sand, and the rear was being smashed by the force of

     the waves.

     42The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners to keep them from swimming away and escaping. 43But Captain

     Julius wanted to save Paul's life, and he did not let the soldiers do what they had planned. Instead, he

     ordered everyone who could swim to dive into the water and head for shore. 44Then he told the others to

     hold on to planks of wood or parts of the ship. At last, everyone safely reached shore.

chapter 28

     On the Island of Malta

     1When we came ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta. 2The local people were very friendly,

     and they welcomed us by building a fire, because it was rainy and cold.

     3After Paul had gathered some wood and had put it on the fire, the heat caused a snake to crawl out, and it

     bit him on the hand. 4When the local people saw the snake hanging from Paul's hand, they said to each

     other, "This man must be a murderer! He didn't drown in the sea, but the goddess of justice will kill him

     anyway."

     5Paul shook the snake off into the fire and wasn't harmed. 6The people kept thinking that Paul would either

     swell up or suddenly drop dead. They watched him for a long time, and when nothing happened to him, they

     changed their minds and said, "This man is a god."

     7The governor of the island was named Publius, and he owned some of the land around there. Publius was

     very friendly and welcomed us into his home for three days. 8His father was in bed, sick with fever and

     stomach trouble, and Paul went to visit him. Paul healed the man by praying and placing his hands on him.

     9After this happened, everyone on the island brought their sick people to Paul, and they were all healed.

     10The people were very respectful to us, and when we sailed, they gave us everything we needed.

     From Malta to Rome

     11Three months later we sailed in a ship that had been docked at Malta for the winter. The ship was from

     Alexandria in Egypt and was known as "The Twin Gods." 12We arrived in Syracuse and stayed for three days.

     13From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day a south wind began to blow, and two days later we arrived

     in Puteoli. 14There we found some of the Lord's followers, who begged us to stay with them. A week later we

     left for the city of Rome. 15Some of the followers in Rome heard about us and came to meet us at the Market

     of Appius and at the Three Inns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.

     Paul in Rome

     16We arrived in Rome, and Paul was allowed to live in a house by himself with a soldier to guard him.

     17Three days after we got there, Paul called together some of the Jewish leaders and said:

     My friends, I have never done anything to hurt our people, and I have never gone against the customs of our

     ancestors. But in Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. 18They looked into the charges

     against me and wanted to release me. They found that I had not done anything deserving death. 19The

     Jewish leaders disagreed, so I asked to be tried by the Emperor.

     But I don't have anything to say against my own nation. 20I am bound by these chains because of what we

     people of Israel hope for. That's why I have called you here to talk about this hope of ours.

     21The leaders replied, "No one from Judea has written us a letter about you. And not one of them has come

     here to report on you or to say anything against you. 22But we would like to hear what you have to say. We

     understand that people everywhere are against this new group."

     23They agreed on a time to meet with Paul, and many of them came to his house. From early morning until

     late in the afternoon, Paul talked to them about God's kingdom. He used the Law of Moses and the Books of

     the Prophets to try to win them over to Jesus. 24Some of the leaders agreed with what Paul said, but others

     did not. 25Since they could not agree among themselves, they started leaving. But Paul said, "The Holy Spirit

     said the right thing when he sent Isaiah the prophet 26to tell our ancestors,

     `Go to these people

     and tell them:

     You will listen and listen,

     but never understand.

     You will look and look,

     but never see.

     27All of you

     have stubborn hearts.

     Your ears are stopped up,

     and your eyes are covered.

     You cannot see or hear

     or understand.

     If you could,

     you would turn to me,

     and I would heal you.' "

     28-29Paul said, "You may be sure that God wants to save the Gentiles! And they will listen." 30For two years

     Paul stayed in a rented house and welcomed everyone who came to see him. 31He bravely preached about

     God's kingdom and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ, and no one tried to stop him.