After we sighted Cyprus<n id="1" /> and left it behind on our port side,<n id="2" /> we sailed on to Syria and put in<n id="3" /> at Tyre,<n id="4" /> because the ship was to unload its cargo there.

When they heard this, they praised<n id="1" /> God. Then they said to him, &#8220;You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews<n id="2" /> there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers<n id="3" /> of the law.<n id="4" />

take them and purify<n id="1" /> yourself along with them and pay their expenses,<n id="2" /> so that they may have their heads shaved.<n id="3" /> Then<n id="4" /> everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told<n id="5" /> about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with<n id="6" /> the law.<n id="7" />

Paul answered,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am a Jew<n id="2" /> from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city.<n id="3" /> Please<n id="4" /> allow me to speak to the people.&#8221;

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders<n id="1" /> can testify about me. From them<n id="2" /> I also received<n id="3" /> letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way<n id="4" /> to make arrests there and bring<n id="5" /> the prisoners<n id="6" /> to Jerusalem<n id="7" /> to be punished.

And when the blood of your witness<n id="1" /> Stephen was shed,<n id="2" /> I myself was standing nearby, approving,<n id="3" /> and guarding the cloaks<n id="4" /> of those who were killing him.&#8217;<n id="5" />

So now you and the council<n id="1" /> request the commanding officer<n id="2" /> to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine<n id="3" /> his case<n id="4" /> by conducting a more thorough inquiry.<n id="5" /> We are ready to kill him<n id="6" /> before he comes near this place.&#8221;<n id="7" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, &#8220;Because I know<n id="1" /> that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense.<n id="2" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Some days later, when Felix<n id="1" /> arrived with his wife Drusilla,<n id="2" /> who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak<n id="3" /> about faith in Christ Jesus.<n id="4" />

Paul replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am standing before Caesar&#8217;s<n id="2" /> judgment seat,<n id="3" /> where I should be tried.<n id="4" /> I have done nothing wrong<n id="5" /> to the Jews, as you also know very well.<n id="6" />

If then I am in the wrong<n id="1" /> and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying,<n id="2" /> but if not one of their charges against me is true,<n id="3" /> no one can hand me over to them.<n id="4" /> I appeal to Caesar!&#8221;<n id="5" />

While<n id="1" /> they were staying there many days, Festus<n id="2" /> explained Paul&#8217;s case to the king to get his opinion,<n id="3" /> saying, &#8220;There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.

I answered them<n id="1" /> that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone<n id="2" /> before the accused had met his accusers face to face<n id="3" /> and had been given<n id="4" /> an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation.<n id="5" />

For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely<n id="1" /> to him,<n id="2" /> because I cannot believe<n id="3" /> that any of these things has escaped his notice,<n id="4" /> for this was not done in a corner.<n id="5" />

Paul replied, &#8220;I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time<n id="1" /> not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

&#8220;Men, I can see the voyage is going to end<n id="1" /> in disaster<n id="2" /> and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.&#8221;<n id="3" />

When the local people<n id="1" /> saw the creature hanging from Paul&#8217;s<n id="2" /> hand, they said to one another, &#8220;No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself<n id="3" /> has not allowed him to live!&#8221;<n id="4" />

But they were expecting that he was going to swell up<n id="1" /> or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited<n id="2" /> a long time and had seen<n id="3" /> nothing unusual happen<n id="4" /> to him, they changed their minds<n id="5" /> and said he was a god.<n id="6" />p>

So they began to leave,<n id="1" /> unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: &#8220;The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors<n id="2" /> through the prophet Isaiah

<p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Andi>b> in the last days<n id="1" /> <b><i>it will be,i>b>&#8217; <b><i>God says,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>that I will pour out my Spirit on all people,i>b><n id="2" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>and your young men will see visions,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>and your old men will dream dreamsb>.i>p>