But the evil spirit replied to them, “I know about Jesus and I am acquainted with Paul, but who are you?”

testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

Even from among your own group men will arise, teaching perversions of the truth to draw the disciples away after them.

What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

Then the commanding officer sent the young man away, directing him, “Tell no one that you have reported these things to me.”

After several years I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings,

But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who should be here before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me.

So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him.

Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly.

Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand and began his defense:

Of course, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene.

“While doing this very thing, as I was going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the chief priests,

They also bestowed many honors, and when we were preparing to sail, they gave us all the supplies we needed.

There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome.

“Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.

After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven?

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”