When I was in Jerusalem,<n id="1" /> the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed<n id="2" /> me about him,<n id="3" /> asking for a sentence of condemnation<n id="4" /> against him.

But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor,<n id="1" /> I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.&#8221;<n id="2" />

Paul said to the centurion<n id="1" /> and the soldiers, &#8220;Unless these men stay with the ship, you<n id="2" /> cannot be saved.&#8221;

When<n id="1" /> they had entered Jerusalem,<n id="2" /> they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter<n id="3" /> and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there.<n id="4" />

saying, &#8220;What should we do with these men? For it is plain<n id="1" /> to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign<n id="2" /> has come about through them,<n id="3" /> and we cannot deny it.

Which of the prophets did your ancestors<n id="1" /> not persecute?<n id="2" /> They<n id="3" /> killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One,<n id="4" /> whose betrayers and murderers you have now become!<n id="5" />

not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen,<n id="1" /> who ate and drank<n id="2" /> with him after he rose from the dead.

and said, &#8220;You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing,<n id="1" /> you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness &#8211; will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?<n id="2" />

But while John was completing his mission,<n id="1" /> he said repeatedly,<n id="2" /> &#8216;What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!&#8217;<n id="3" />

<p class="otpoetry">&#8216;<b><i>Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish!i>b><n id="1" />p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>For I am doing a work in your days,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><i><b>a work you would never believe, even if someone tells youb>.i>&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

But Paul said to the police officers,<n id="1" /> &#8220;They had us beaten in public<n id="2" /> without a proper trial<n id="3" /> &#8211; even though we are Roman citizens<n id="4" /> &#8211; and they threw us<n id="5" /> in prison. And now they want to send us away<n id="6" /> secretly? Absolutely not! They<n id="7" /> themselves must come and escort us out!&#8221;<n id="8" />

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded<n id="1" /> and turned away<n id="2" /> a large crowd,<n id="3" /> not only in Ephesus<n id="4" /> but in practically all of the province of Asia,<n id="5" /> by saying<n id="6" /> that gods made by hands are not gods at all.<n id="7" />

After the city secretary<n id="1" /> quieted the crowd, he said, &#8220;Men of Ephesus, what person<n id="2" /> is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper<n id="3" /> of the temple of the great Artemis<n id="4" /> and of her image that fell from heaven?<n id="5" />

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;

<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" />

<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.

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" />

But I have nothing definite<n id="1" /> to write to my lord<n id="2" /> about him.<n id="3" /> Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,<n id="4" /> so that after this preliminary hearing<n id="5" /> I may have something to write.

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>