them all to take nourishment, saying, Four days, even this day, ye have waited and continue fasting, having taken nothing: 34 wherefore, I beseech you to take some nourishment; for this concerns your preservation: for, not an hair of the head of any one of you shall perish : 35 and when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God before them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat : 36 and all being thus encouraged, they also took nourish ment: 37 and all we in the ship, were about seventy souls: 38 and when they were tho but the stern was shattered by the force of the sea. 42 And the soldiers' counsel was, to kill the prisoners, lest any should swim out, and escape; 43 but the centurion, wishing to save Paul, withheld them from their purpose; and commanded, that those who could swim should cast themselves out, and get first to the land; 44 and the rest, some on planks, and others on some article of the ship: and thus it came to pass, that all were brought safe to the land. CHAPTER XXVIII. roughly satisfied with food, they AND when we were saved, unburthened the ship, casting out the corn into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land; but they perceived a certain creek with a beach, into which they determined, if it were possible, to run the ship; 40 and cutting away the anchors, they let them fall into the sea at the same time, loosing the rudder-bands, and hoisting the mainsail, they drove down before the gale towards the beach : 41 but, falling into a place where the sea was divided by a headland, they ran the ship aground; and the head sticking fast, remained unmoveable, we then knew that the island was called Melita. 2 And the natives shewed us no ordinary kindness; for they received us all, and kindled a fire, both on account of the present rain, and on account of the cold: 3 but, when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and was laying them on the fire, a viper came out from the heat, and fastened on his hand : 4 and when the natives saw the beast hanging on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped from the sea, vengeance suffereth not to live; 5 but he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm: 6 yet they expected that he would have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but, after they had waited a long while, and saw no harm happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7 And in the neighbourhood of that place were possessions of the chief person of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us courteously three days: 8 and it came to pass, that the father of Publius was lying ill of a fever and dysentery; to whom Paul entered, and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him, and healed him : 9 and when this was done, all the others also, in the island, that had diseases, came, and were healed: 10 who also rendered to us many attentions; and, when we departed, put on board such things as were needful for us. 11 And at the end of three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the island, whose ensign was Castor and Pollux; 12 and landing at Syracuse, we remained there three days: from whence, sailing round, we came to Rhegium: south wind blowing, we came the next day to Puteoli: 14 where we found brethren, and were entreated to stay with them seven days: and so we went toward Rome: 15 but when the brethren there heard of us, they came from thence to meet us, as far as Appii Forum, and the Three Taverns; whom when Paul saw, he gave thanks to God, and took courage. 16 And when we came to Rome, Paul was permitted to lodge by himself, with the soldier that guarded him: 17 and it came to pass, that after three days he called together the chiefs of the Jews; and when they were assembled, he said to them, Brethren, though I had done nothing against the people, or customs of our fathers, I was delivered a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans; 18 who, when they had examined me, would have released me, because there was no cause of death in me; 19 but, because the Jews opposed them, I was constrained to appeal to Cesar: not that I have any thing of which to accuse my nation: 20 for this cause, therefore, I have requested to see you, and to speak with you; because, for the hope of Israel I am bound 13 and after one day the with this chain : 21 and they said to him, We neither have received letters from Judea concerning thee, nor hath any one of the brethren that is come here, told or spoken any ill of thee: 22 but, we are desirous to hear from thee what thou thinkest; for, as to this sect, it is notorious to us that it is every where opposed. 23 And having appointed him a day, many came to him, to his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, endeavouring to persuade them of the things concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening: 24 and some believed the words which were spoken: 25 but some believed them not; and being at variance among themselves, they separated, when Paul had spoken to them this one word; Well spake the Holy Spirit to our fathers, by the prophet Isaiah, THE EPISTLE OF PAUL THE APOSTLE ΤΟ THE ROMANS. CHAPTER I. PAUL, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle; separated for the gospel of God, 2 which he had before promised, by his prophets, in the holy scriptures, 3 concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who, according to his flesh, was born of the seed of David; 4 but, according to his Spirit of holiness, was demonstrated with power to be the Son of God, by his resurrection from the dead; 5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith in his name, among all the Gentiles, 6 among whom ye, also, are the called of Jesus Christ: 7 to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 And first, I thank my God, through Jesus Christ, concerning you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world: 9 for, the God whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, is my witness, that I have you unceasingly in remembrance; 10 making request always in my prayers, that, by the will of God, I may now at length be happily directed to go to you: 11 for I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, in order that ye may be established; 12 that is, that I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 And I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that I often purposed to go to you, (though I have hitherto been hindered,) that I might have some fruit also among you: 14 and as, among the other Cor. i. 18. ab. ii. 4. al. iii. 11. eb. x. 38. Gentiles, I am a debtor both 15 so am I ready, as far as 16 For, I am not ashamed of the gospel; because it is the power of God for salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew indeed first, but also to the Greek. 17 For in it, the justification of God by faith, is revealed for faith as it is written, "The 66 just, shall live by his faith:" 18 for, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all impiety and iniquity of men, who keep down the truth by iniquity; 19 because, that which may be known of God is manifest within them, for God hath c. ii. 14. manifested it in them: 20 for, the things that are invisible in him, even his eternal power and Godhead, are clearly seen by the mind, from the creation of the world, in the things that he hath made. 21 So that they are without excuse; because, though they thus knew God, they neither glorified Him, nor gave Him thanks, as God; but became vain in their thoughts, and their senseless heart was darkened: 23 and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things: 24 wherefore, God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts; to dishonour their bodies among themselves, 25 who changed the truth of God into falsehood, and worshipped and served the creature, instead of the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen! 26 For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women changed their natural use to that which is against nature; 27 and, in like manner also, the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is shameful, and receiving in themselves the due recompense of their error: 28 and, as they did not choose to retain God in their know- v. 21. ledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do the things which they ought not: 29 being filled with all iniquity, malice, covetousness, mischief; full of envy, murder, contention, deceit, malignity; 30 whisperers of slander; haters of God; despiteful, 22 declaring themselves to be proud, boasters, devisers of wise, they became fools; evils, disobedient to parents, |