Then he said, &#8216;The God of our ancestors<n id="1" /> has already chosen<n id="2" /> you to know his will, to see<n id="3" /> the Righteous One,<n id="4" /> and to hear a command<n id="5" /> from his mouth,

<t /><p class="bodytext">The crowd<n id="1" /> was listening to him until he said this.<n id="2" /> Then<n id="3" /> they raised their voices and shouted,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Away with this man<n id="5" /> from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!&#8221;<n id="6" />

Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away<n id="1" /> from him, and the commanding officer<n id="2" /> was frightened when he realized that Paul<n id="3" /> was<n id="4" /> a Roman citizen<n id="5" /> and that he had had him tied up.<n id="6" />p>

<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>

<p class="bodytext">The following night the Lord<n id="1" /> stood near<n id="2" /> Paul<n id="3" /> and said, &#8220;Have courage,<n id="4" /> for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem,<n id="5" /> so you must also testify in Rome.&#8221;<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.

When Paul<n id="1" /> had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,<n id="2" /> saying, &#8220;We have experienced a lengthy time<n id="3" /> of peace through your rule,<n id="4" /> and reforms<n id="5" /> are being made in this nation<n id="6" /> through your foresight.<n id="7" />

But I confess this to you, that I worship<n id="1" /> the God of our ancestors<n id="2" /> according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law<n id="3" /> and that is written in the prophets.

<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" />

After two years<n id="1" /> had passed, Porcius Festus<n id="2" /> succeeded Felix,<n id="3" /> and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.<n id="4" />p>

<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" />

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.

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>

Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided<n id="1" /> to put out to sea<n id="2" /> from there. They hoped that<n id="3" /> somehow they could reach<n id="4" /> Phoenix,<n id="5" /> a harbor of Crete facing<n id="6" /> southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

<p class="bodytext">As day was about to dawn,<n id="1" /> Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, &#8220;Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense<n id="2" /> and have gone<n id="3" /> without food; you have eaten nothing.<n id="4" />