But the Jews became jealous,<n id="1" /> and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace,<n id="2" /> they formed a mob<n id="3" /> and set the city in an uproar.<n id="4" /> They attacked Jason&#8217;s house,<n id="5" /> trying to find Paul and Silas<n id="6" /> to bring them out to the assembly.<n id="7" />

When they opposed him<n id="1" /> and reviled him,<n id="2" /> he protested by shaking out his clothes<n id="3" /> and said to them, &#8220;Your blood<n id="4" /> be on your own heads! I am guiltless!<n id="5" /> From now on I will go to the Gentiles!&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Paul, after staying<n id="1" /> many more days in Corinth,<n id="2" /> said farewell to<n id="3" /> the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by<n id="4" /> Priscilla and Aquila.<n id="5" /> He<n id="6" /> had his hair cut off<n id="7" /> at Cenchrea<n id="8" /> because he had made a vow.<n id="9" />

When Apollos<n id="1" /> wanted to cross over to Achaia,<n id="2" /> the brothers encouraged<n id="3" /> him<n id="4" /> and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he<n id="5" /> assisted greatly those who had believed by grace,

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now after all these things had taken place,<n id="1" /> Paul resolved<n id="2" /> to go to Jerusalem,<n id="3" /> passing through Macedonia<n id="4" /> and Achaia.<n id="5" /> He said,<n id="6" /> &#8220;After I have been there, I must also see Rome.&#8221;<n id="7" />

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus<n id="1" /> so as not to spend time<n id="2" /> in the province of Asia,<n id="3" /> for he was hurrying<n id="4" /> to arrive in Jerusalem,<n id="5" /> if possible,<n id="6" /> by the day of Pentecost.

<p class="bodytext">When they arrived, he said to them, &#8220;You yourselves know how I lived<n id="1" /> the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot<n id="2" /> in the province of Asia,<n id="3" />

Then Paul replied, &#8220;What are you doing, weeping and breaking<n id="1" /> my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up,<n id="2" /> but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.&#8221;

But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,<n id="1" /> and when the commanding officer<n id="2" /> was unable<n id="3" /> to find out the truth<n id="4" /> because of the disturbance,<n id="5" /> he ordered Paul<n id="6" /> to be brought into the barracks.<n id="7" />

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,<n id="1" /> he said<n id="2" /> to the commanding officer,<n id="3" /> &#8220;May I say<n id="4" /> something to you?&#8221; The officer<n id="5" /> replied,<n id="6" /> &#8220;Do you know Greek?<n id="7" />

So I asked,<n id="1" /> &#8216;What should I do, Lord?&#8217; The Lord said to me, &#8216;Get up<n id="2" /> and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything<n id="3" /> that you have been designated<n id="4" /> to do.&#8217;

<t /><p class="bodytext">The next day, because the commanding officer<n id="1" /> wanted to know the true reason<n id="2" /> Paul<n id="3" /> was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council<n id="4" /> to assemble. He then brought<n id="5" /> Paul down and had him stand before them.p>

When the argument became<n id="1" /> so great the commanding officer<n id="2" /> feared that they would tear Paul to pieces,<n id="3" /> he ordered the detachment<n id="4" /> to go down, take him away from them by force,<n id="5" /> and bring him into the barracks.<n id="6" />p>

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>

He replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council<n id="2" /> tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him.

<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" />

<p class="bodytext">After Festus<n id="1" /> had stayed<n id="2" /> not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea,<n id="3" /> and the next day he sat<n id="4" /> on the judgment seat<n id="5" /> and ordered Paul to be brought.

But Festus,<n id="1" /> wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, &#8220;Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried<n id="2" /> before me there on these charges?&#8221;<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">So the next day Agrippa<n id="1" /> and Bernice came with great pomp<n id="2" /> and entered the audience hall,<n id="3" /> along with the senior military officers<n id="4" /> and the prominent men of the city. When Festus<n id="5" /> gave the order,<n id="6" /> Paul was brought in.

When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,<n id="1" /> &#8216;Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself<n id="2" /> by kicking against the goads.&#8217;<n id="3" />