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XXI.

assist four

Nazarite.

nistry.

temple." (For they had seen before 29 with him Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) And the 30 whole city was in motion, and the people ran together, and seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors

XXI.

sias, and

CHAP. house of James, and all the elders And when the seven days fired CHAP were present; and when he had sa- for the continuance of their vows, 19 luted them, he declared particular-were almost ended, the Jews of He is vio. ly what things God had wrought Asia, seeing him in the temple, set ed, and lently seiz among the Gentiles by his mi- all the multitude in an uproar, and dragged laid hands on him, crying out, out of the 20 Now, when they heard these" Men of Israel, help! This is the temple i He is per- things, they glorified God, and man who is teaching all men every 28 suaded to said unto Paul, "Thou seest, where against this people, and the men who brother, how many thousands of law, and this place, and besides, were under Jewish believers there are, all zcal-hath brought Greeks also into the the vows of ous for the law. But they have been informed concerning thee, 21 that thou teachest all the Jews, who live among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses; commanded them not to circumcise their children, nor to walk according to the customs of 22 the law. What then is to be done? A multitude will certainly get to-were shut. gether, for they will hear that thou Now, as they were about to kill 31 23 art come, Do this, therefore, him, tidings came to the captain of but reses which we advise thee: There are the guard, that all Jerusalem was in ed by Ly among us four men, who have a confusion; so he took with him carried to 24 yow on them. Take these with immediately soldiers and centuri- the castic ; thee, and purify thyself with ons, and ran down upon them; and 32 them, and be at expence for them, when they saw the captain and the that they may shave their heads, soldiers, they left off beating Paul. and all may know that those things Then the captain came near and 33 of which they were informed con-laid hold on him, and ordered him cerning thee are nothing, but that to be bound with two chains, and thou thyself also walkest in obedi-enquired who he was, and what he 25 ence to the law. But as to the Gen-had done. But as some cried one 34 tile believers, we have sent by let-thing, and some another, among the ter our judgment, that they only multitude, the captain was unable keep themselves from what is offer-to know the certainty, because of ed to idols, and from blood, and the uproar, and therefore ordered from things strangled, and from him to be carried into the castle. 26 fornication. Upon this, Paul took And when Paul came upon the 35 the men with him, and on the next steps leading into the castle, it so day he purified himself, and went happened that he was carried by into the temple with them, declar-the soldiers, owing to the violence ing what would be the end of the of the people; for the multitude of 36 days of purification, and intending the people followed, crying out, to stay there until an offering were "Kill him." made for every one of them.

2

'Put thyself in a state of separation, or abstinence, with them, for the remainder of the days which will complete their vow.

In furnishing their sacrifices as well as thy own. It was a common and popular act in such Jews as could afford it, thus to

And as Paul was about to be taken 37

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XXII.

CHAP. into the castle, he said unto the captain, "May I be allowed to 38 speak to thee." The captain said, "Canst thou speak Greek? Art thou not that Egyptian, who some time ago made a disturbance, and led out into the desart four thous39 and ruffians?" But Paul said, "I am a Jew, of Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.

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XXII.

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XXII.

And I answered, Who art thou, CHAP.
Sir? And he said unto me, I am
Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou art
persecuting.' Now they who were 9
with me saw indeed the light, but
understood not the voice of him
who was speaking to me. And I 10
said, "What must I do, Sir?' And
the Lord said unto me, Arise, go
to Damascus; and there thou wilt
be told of all that is appointed for
thee to do.' But as I was unable 11
to see, because of the excessive
brightness of that light, I was led
by the hands of my companions to
Damascus. Now one Ananias, a 12
religious man, according to the
law, well spoken of by all the Jews
who dwelt there, came unto me,
and said, as he was standing by me,
Brother Saul, recover thy sight;' 13
and I looked upon him that very
moment.

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40 Then Paul, when leave was givom the en, stood upon the steps, and waved with his hand unto the peodresses ple, and a great silence taking place, people. he addressed them in the Hebrew CHAP. tongue, saying, "Brethren and fathers, hear my defence, which I 2 make now unto you." (Now when they heard him speak in the Hebrew tongue, they were the more 3 silent and he went on,) "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city of Ci- "Then he said, The God of our 14 licia, but brought up in this city, fathers hath specially chosen thee being instructed at the feet of Ga- for himself, to know his will, and maliel, according to the exactness to see the righteous Jesus, and to of the law of our fathers, and zeal-hear a voice from his mouth; for 15 ous in the service of God, as ye are thou shalt be his witness to all men 4 all this day. And I persecuted of what thou hast seen and heard. this doctrine unto death, binding, And now, why delayest thou? 16 and delivering into prisons both arise, be baptized, and wash away 5 men and women, as even the thy sins, taking upon thyself his high priest and all the elders can name.' Now, after my return to 17 bear me witness, from whom I re- Jerusalem, as I was praying in the ceived letters also unto the bre-temple, I fell into a trance, and saw thren, and went to Damascus, to bring bound unto Jerusalem those also that were there, that they might be punished.

6 "But it came to pass, as I was on the road near Damascus, about noon, that a great light from heaven suddenly flashed around me, 7 and I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?'

An impostor, who, pretending that he would miraculously take Jerusalem, was put to flight by Felix, and six hundred of his men killed on the Mount of Olives,

Jesus, saying unto me, Make 18 haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.' And I said, Lord, they know that 19 I have been accustomed to imprison, and beat throughout the synagogues, them who believe on thee. And when the blood of thy witness 20 Stephen was shed, I stood by, consenting to his death, and taking care

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CHAP. of the upper garments of his mur-
XXIII. derers.'
But he said unto me,
21 Go, for I will send thee hence far
off to the Gentiles."

22

by the ve

XXIII.

pleading

the high

myself with a good conscience be- CHAP.
fore God, even to this day." Upon
this, Ananias the high priest com- Whilst
manded those who stood by to his cause,
smite him on the mouth. Then he is ill
Paul said unto him, "God will treated by
smite thee thou' whited wall: for order of
sittest thou to judge me according priest.
to the law, and yet commandest me
to be smitten contrary to the law ?”
And the standers-by, said, "Dost 4
thou revile God's high priest ?"
Then Paul said, "I knew not 5
brethren, that he was the high
priest, otherwise I would not have
expressed myself in this manner;
for it is written, Thou shalt not Exodus,
revile a ruler of thy people."

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xxii. 28.

And they gave him an hearing to He is in these words, and then lifted up their terrupted voices, saying, "Away with such hement a fellow from the earth, for it is clamours of not fit that he should live." And the people; as they cried, and shook their upper 23 garments, and threw dust into the 24 air, the captain ordered him to be brought into the castle, and examined by scourging, that he might know for what cause they cried out 25 so against him. And when they had stretched him out with cords, Paul said to the centurion, who Then Paul, perceiving one part 6 was standing by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman-citizen, to be Sadducees, and the other Pha- The Pha26 and uncondemned?" Now, when risees, cried out in the council, risees take his part the centurion had heard this, he "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, the against the went and told the captain, saying, son of a Pharisee; concerning the Sadducees. "Take care what thou art about, hope of a resurrection of the dead, for this man is a Roman-citizen." I am now judged." And when he had 7 27 Then the captain came up and said this, a dissension arose between said unto Paul," Tell me, art thou the Pharisees and Sadducees, and a Roman citizen?" And he the multitude was divided; for the 8 said, "Yes." Then the captain Sadducees maintain that there is no Sanhedrim. answered, "I bought the freedom resurrection, and no angel, or spi29 of that city with a great sum." And rit, but the Pharisees allow both. Paul said," But I was born free." And there was great shouting; and 9 Upon this, they who were going to the Scribes on the part of the Phaexamine him by scourging, imme-risees rose up, and strove earnestly, diately left him; and the captain al- saying, "We find nothing amiss so was afraid, when he knew that in this man; and if an angel, or a 30 Paul was a Roman-citizen. Now, spirit have spoken to him, let us on the morrow, wishing to know not fight against God." So a great 10 from the Jews the certainty of what dissension taking place, the captain, he was accused, he loosed him through fear that Paul would be from his bonds, and ordered the torn in pieces by them, ordered chief priests, and all their council, the soldiers to go down, and to to meet, and brought Paul down, take him by force from among and set him before them. them, and bring him into the castle.

and the next day brought before the

CHAP.

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Then Paul looking earnestly upXXIII. on the council, said thus, "Brethren, I have always conducted

Meaning the whited wall of a tomb, fair without, and polluted within. There seems to have been too much warmth in this rely.

3

Now the night following, the 11 Lord stood by him, and said,

Ananias had been dispossessed of his office, and had now taken upon him a trust to which he was not entitled.

3 Spiritual beings, and a resurrection.

CHAP

XXIII.

kill him;

XXIII.

sends him to Cesarea

Take courage Paul, for as thou | charging him, "Tell no one what CHAP. hast testified of me at Jerusalem, thou hast signified to me." The Jews so must thou testify also at Rome." hire to And when it was day, some of the Jews combined together, and bound 12 themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink, until they had killed 13 Paul; and more than forty had 14 taken this oath together; and they went up to the chief priests, and elders, saying, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will taste nothing until we have 15 killed Paul. Now, therefore, do ye and the council signify to the captain, that he bring Paul down unto you to-morrow, as if ye were going to determine more exactly about him, and we are prepared to destroy him before he can come to you."

Then he called unto him two 23 centurions, and said, “Make rea- Lysias dy two hundred soldiers, to go as far as Cesarea, and seventy horse- with a letmen, and two hundred spearmen, ter toFelix, at the third hour of the night: and 24 provide them beasts, that they set Paul on one of them, and convey him safe to Felix the governor. 32 And he wrote a letter to this pur- 25 pose:

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16 Now Paul's sister's son heard of but the plot this plot and came up and went into the castle, and told Paul of it. Paul's ne- Then Paul called one of the centurions to him, and said, "Take 17 this young man to the captain; for he hath something to tell him." 18 Accordingly the centurion brought him to the captain, and saith, "Paul the prisoner called me to him, and desired me to bring this young man, who hath something 19 to tell thee." So the captain took the young man by the hand, and going aside privately, asked him, "What hast thou to tell me?" 20 And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask thee to bring Paul down into the council to-morrow, as if they were going to enquire 21 more exactly concerning him; but do not thou be persuaded by them; for more than forty of them, who have bound themselves by an oath, neither to eat nor drink until they have killed him, are lying in wait for that purpose, and are now in readiness, expecting this promise 22 from thee." Then the captain sent away the young man, after

"Claudius Lysias to the most 26
excellent governor Felix, send-
eth, greeting: This man, who had 27
been seized by the Jews, in a body,
and was on the point of being kill-
ed by them, I rescued by coming
up to him with a band of soldiers;
and have since learned, that he is
a Roman citizen. And being de- 28
sirous of knowing their charge
against him, I brought him down
into their council, but I found him 29
accused only upon some questions
of their law; and nothing laid to
his charge worthy of death, or of
bonds. But having been informed 30
of a plot laid against the man, by
the Jews, I sent him immediately
to thee; and have given notice to
his accusers, also, to bring their
charges against him before thee.
Farewell."

his trial

Then the soldiers, according to 31 their orders, took Paul, and con- who defers veyed him by night to Antipatris ; until his and on the morrow, leaving the accusers horsemen to go with him, they re- come. turned to the castle; but the horse- 33 men came to Cesarea, and delivered the letter to the governor, and presented Paul also to him. Now when the governor had read 34 the letter, he asked of what province Paul was; and understanding that he was of Cilicia, "I will 35 give thee a full hearing," saith he,

when thy accusers are also come." And the governor commanded him

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CHAP to be kept in 'Herod's judgment-
XXIII. hall.

Tertullus, before

Felix,

XXIV.

ther, either in the synagogues, or CHAP
about the city; nor can they prove
before thee what they now accuse 13
me of. This, indeed, I confess 14
unto thee, that according to that
doctrine, which they call a heresy,
so I worship the God of our fa-
thers, believing all that is written
in the law, and in the prophets;
having a hope in God, which 15
they also entertain, that there will
be a resurrection from death, both of
the righteous and the unrighteous.
And this is my endeavour, to have 16
always a conscience without of-
fence towards God, and men.

CHAP. Now, five days after, Ananias,
XXIV. the high priest, and the elders,
He is ac- came down to Cesarea, with one
cused by Tertullus, an orator; and laid an
information before the governor,
against Paul. And when he was
2 called up, Tertullus began to ac-
cuse him, saying, "That we en-
joy through thee great peace, and
much prosperity, arising to this
nation at all times and in all places,
through thy prudent administration,
3 we acknowledge, most excellent
4 Felix, with all thankfulness. But
that I may not trouble thee too "Now after many years absence, 17
far, I beseech thee to hear me of I came to Jerusalem to bring alms
5 thy goodness, a few words. Find- to my nation, and offerings, at 18
ing then this man to be a pestilent which time some Jews of Asia found
one, and a mover of insurrection me purified in the temple; but
among all the Jews throughout the with no croud, and without dis- 19
world, and a ringleader of the sect turbance; who ought to have been
6 of the Nazarenes, and one also here before thee, and to have ac-
who presumed to profane the tem-cused me, if they had any charge
ple, we laid hold on him, and against me. But as it is, let these 20
would have judged him according very people here speak, if they
7 to our law but Lysias, the cap- found any injustice in me before
tain, came up with great violence, the council, unless it be with re- 21
and took him out of our hands, gard to this one declaration, which
8 commanding his accusers to come I proclaimed among them, "Con-
to thee; and by examining him thy-cerning a resurrection of the dead,
self, thou wilt be able to gain a I am this day judged before you."
knowledge of all those things, of
9 which we accuse him." Now the
Jews also assented, declaring that
these things were so.
10 Then Paul, after the governor
had beckoned to him to speak,
thus answered, "As I know thee
to have been a judge unto this na-in custody, but without confine-
tion for many years, I the more ment, and to hinder none of his
cheerfully enter on my defence. friends from serving him or coming
11 Now, thou must know that it is to him.
not more than twelve days since
I went up to worship at Jerusalem;
12 and the Jews neither found me in
the temple, disputing with any one,
nor bringing the multitudes toge-

His defence.

:

Then Felix put them off by 22 saying, "When Lysias the cap- Felix detain, is come down, after I have lays giving judgment. gained a more exact knowledge of this doctrine, I will enquire fully into your business. And he gave 23 orders to a centurion to have Paul

office, an

And after some days, Felix came 24 with his wife Drusilla, a Jewess, Goes out and sent for Paul, and heard him leaves Pau concerning the faith in Christ. in custody And as he discoursed of righteous- 25

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