21After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara.G1161G1096G5613G2248G645G575G846G321G2064G2113G1519G2972G1161G1836G1519G4499G2547G1519G39592There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia.G2532G2147G4143G1276G1519G5403G1910G3213We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload its cargo.G1161G398G2954G2532G2641G846G2176G4126G1519G4947G2532G2609G1519G5184G1063G1566G4143G2258G670G11174We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.G2532G429G3101G1961G847G2033G2250G3748G3004G3972G1223G4151G305G3361G305G1519G24195When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including women and children, left the city and came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed,G1161G3753G2248G1096G1822G2250G1831G4198G3956G4311G2248G4311G4862G1135G2532G5043G2193G1854G4172G2532G5087G1119G1909G123G43366and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home.G2532G782G240G1910G1519G4143G1161G1565G5290G1519G2398G52907The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day.G1161G2249G1274G4144G575G5184G2658G1519G4424G2532G782G80G3306G3844G846G3391G22508The next day we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food.G1161G1887G4012G3972G4012G1831G2064G2064G1519G2542G2532G1525G1519G3624G5376G2099G5607G1537G2033G3306G3844G8469He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.G1161G5129G2258G5064G2364G3933G439510Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea.G1161G2257G1961G4119G2250G2718G575G2449G5100G4396G3686G1311He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles.'"G2532G2064G4314G2248G2532G142G3972G2223G5037G1210G846G5495G2532G4228G2036G3592G3004G40G4151G3779G1210G2453G1722G2419G1210G435G3739G2076G3778G2223G2532G3860G1519G5495G148412When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.G1161G5613G191G5023G5037G2249G2532G1786G3870G846G3361G305G1519G241913But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus."G1161G3972G611G5101G4160G2799G2532G4919G3450G2588G1063G1473G2192G2093G3756G1210G3440G2532G235G599G1519G2419G5228G3686G2962G242414When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."G1161G846G3982G3361G3982G2270G2036G2307G2962G1096
Paul Arrives at Jerusalem
15After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.G1161G3326G5025G2250G643G305G1519G241916Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early believers.G1161G4905G4862G2254G2532G3101G575G2542G71G3844G5100G3416G2953G744G3101G3739G357917When we arrived, the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us warmly.G1161G2257G1096G1519G2414G80G1209G2248G78018The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present.G1161G1966G3972G1524G4862G2254G4314G2385G5037G3956G4245G385419After greeting them, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry.G2532G782G846G1834G2596G1520G1538G3739G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G846G124820After hearing this, they praised God. And then they said, "You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all follow the law of Moses very seriously.G1161G191G1392G2962G5037G2036G846G2334G80G4214G3461G2453G1526G3588G4100G2532G5225G3956G2207G355121But the Jewish believers here in Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They've heard that you teach them not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs.G1161G2727G4012G4675G3754G1321G3956G2453G2596G1484G575G646G3475G3004G846G4059G3361G4059G5043G3366G4043G148522What should we do? They will certainly hear that you have come.G5101G2076G3767G4128G1163G3843G4905G1063G191G3754G206423"Here's what we want you to do. We have four men here who have completed their vow.G4160G3767G5124G3739G3004G4671G2254G1526G5064G435G2171G2192G1909G143824Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.G5128G3880G48G4862G846G2532G1159G1909G846G2443G3587G2776G2532G3956G1097G3754G3739G2727G4012G4675G2076G3762G235G846G2532G4748G5442G355125"As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality."G1161G4012G1484G4100G2249G1989G2919G846G5083G3367G5108G1508G5442G846G5037G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202
Paul Is Arrested
26So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.G5119G3972G3880G435G2192G2250G48G4862G846G1524G1519G2411G1229G1604G2250G49G2193G3739G4376G4374G5228G1538G1520G84627The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him,G1161G5613G2033G2250G3195G4931G2453G575G773G2300G846G1722G2411G4797G3956G3793G2532G1911G5495G1909G84628yelling, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles."G2896G435G2475G997G3778G2076G444G1321G3956G3837G2596G2992G2532G3551G2532G5126G5117G5037G2089G1521G1672G2532G1519G2411G2532G2840G5127G40G511729(For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)G1063G2258G4308G4862G846G1722G4172G5161G2180G3739G3543G3754G3972G1521G1519G241130The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.G5037G3650G4172G2795G2532G2992G1096G4890G2532G1949G3972G1670G846G1854G2411G2532G2112G2374G280831As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.G1161G2212G615G846G5334G305G5506G4686G3754G3650G2419G479732He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.G3739G1824G3880G4757G2532G1543G2701G1909G846G1161G1492G5506G2532G4757G3973G5180G397233Then the commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. He asked the crowd who he was and what he had done.G5119G5506G1448G1949G846G2532G2753G1210G1417G254G2532G4441G5101G302G1498G2532G5101G2076G416034Some shouted one thing and some another. Since he couldn't find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, he ordered that Paul be taken to the fortress.G1161G243G994G5100G243G1722G3793G1161G1410G3361G1097G804G1223G2351G2753G846G71G1519G392535As Paul reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift him to their shoulders to protect him.G1161G3753G1096G1909G304G4819G941G5259G4757G1223G970G379336And the crowd followed behind, shouting, "Kill him, kill him!"G1063G4128G2992G190G2896G142G846
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, "May I have a word with you?" "Do you know Greek?" the commander asked, surprised.G5037G3972G3195G1521G1519G3925G3004G5506G1487G1832G3427G2036G5100G4314G4571G1161G3588G5346G1097G167638"Aren't you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?"G1488G3756G4771G686G124G4253G5130G2250G387G2532G1806G1519G2048G5070G435G460739"No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew and a citizen of Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people."G1161G3972G2036G1473G1510G3303G444G2453G5018G2791G4177G3756G767G4172G1161G1189G4675G2010G3427G2980G4314G299240The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic.G1161G2010G846G2010G3972G2476G1909G304G2678G5495G2992G1161G1096G4183G4602G4377G1446G1258G3004
Acts 22
22"Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense."G435G80G2532G3962G191G3450G627G3568G4314G52092When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater.G1161G191G3754G4377G1446G1258G846G3930G3123G2271G2532G53463Then Paul said, "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today.G1473G1510G3303G435G2453G1080G1722G5019G2791G1161G397G1722G5026G4172G3844G4228G1059G3811G2596G195G3551G3971G5225G2207G2316G2531G5210G3956G2075G45944And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison.G3739G1377G5026G3598G891G2288G1195G2532G3860G1519G5438G5037G435G2532G11355The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.G5613G2532G749G3140G3427G3140G2532G3956G4244G3844G3739G2532G1209G1992G4314G80G2532G4198G1519G1154G71G5607G1566G1210G1519G2419G2443G50976"As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me.G1161G1096G4198G3427G4198G2532G1448G1154G4012G3314G1810G4015G1537G3772G2425G5457G4015G4012G16917I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'G5037G4098G1519G1475G2532G191G5456G3004G3427G4549G4549G5101G1377G31658"'Who are you, lord?' I asked. "And the voice replied, 'I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.'G1161G1473G611G5101G1488G2962G5037G2036G4314G3165G1473G1510G2424G3480G3739G4771G13779The people with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice speaking to me.G1161G5607G4862G1698G2300G3303G5457G2532G1096G1719G1161G191G3756G5456G2980G342710"I asked, 'What should I do, Lord?' "And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.'G1161G2036G5101G4160G2962G1161G2962G2036G4314G3165G450G4198G1519G1154G2546G2980G4671G4012G3956G3739G5021G4671G416011"I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led by the hand to Damascus by my companions.G1161G5613G1689G3756G1689G575G1391G1565G5457G5496G5259G4895G3427G2064G1519G115412A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man, deeply devoted to the law, and well regarded by all the Jews of Damascus.G1161G5100G367G2152G435G2596G3551G3140G5259G3956G2453G273013He came and stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, regain your sight.' And that very moment I could see him!G2064G4314G3165G2532G2186G2036G3427G80G4549G308G2504G846G5610G2504G308G1519G84614"Then he told me, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak.G1161G2036G2316G2257G3962G4400G4571G1097G846G2307G2532G1492G1342G2532G191G5456G1537G846G475015For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.G3754G2071G846G3144G4314G3956G444G3739G3708G2532G19116What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.'G2532G3568G5101G3195G450G907G2532G628G4675G266G1941G3686G296217"After I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple and fell into a trance.G1161G1096G3427G5290G1519G2419G2532G3450G4336G1722G2411G3165G1096G1722G161118I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't accept your testimony about me.'G2532G1492G846G3004G3427G4692G2532G1831G5034G1722G1537G2419G1360G3858G3756G3858G4675G3141G4012G170019"'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.G2504G2036G2962G846G1987G3754G1473G2252G5439G2532G1194G2596G4864G4100G1909G457120And I was in complete agreement when your witness Stephen was killed. I stood by and kept the coats they took off when they stoned him.'G2532G3753G129G4675G3144G4736G1632G846G2532G2252G2186G2532G4909G846G336G2532G5442G2440G337G84621"But the Lord said to me, 'Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'"G2532G2036G4314G3165G4198G3754G1473G1821G4571G3112G1519G148422The crowd listened until Paul said that word. Then they all began to shout, "Away with such a fellow! He isn't fit to live!"G1161G191G846G191G891G5127G3056G2532G1869G846G5456G3004G142G5108G575G1093G1063G2520G3756G2520G846G219823They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air.G1161G846G2905G2532G4495G2440G2532G906G2868G1519G109
Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
24The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious.G5506G2753G846G71G1519G3925G2036G846G426G3148G2443G1921G1223G3739G156G2019G3779G2019G84625When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?"G1161G5613G4385G4385G846G2438G3972G2036G4314G1543G2476G1487G1832G5213G3147G444G4514G2532G17826When the officer heard this, he went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!"G1161G1543G191G4334G518G5506G3004G3708G5101G3195G4160G1063G3778G444G2076G451427So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied.G1161G5506G4334G2036G846G3004G3427G1487G1488G4771G4514G1161G5346G348328"I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!" Paul answered, "But I am a citizen by birth!"G5037G5506G611G4183G2774G2932G1473G5026G4174G1161G3972G5346G1161G1473G2532G108029The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped.G3767G2112G868G575G846G3588G3195G426G846G1161G5506G2532G5399G1921G3754G2076G4514G2532G3754G2258G1210G846
Paul before the High Council
30The next day the commander ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He wanted to find out what the trouble was all about, so he released Paul to have him stand before them.G1161G1887G1014G1097G804G5101G2723G3844G2453G3089G846G575G1199G2532G2753G749G2532G3650G846G4892G2064G2532G2609G3972G2609G2476G1519G846
Psalms 129
129[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.] From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this.H7892H4609H7227H6887H5271H3478H5592From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me, but they have never defeated me.H7227H6887H5271H32013My back is covered with cuts, as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.H2790H2790H1354H748H4618H46184But the Lord is good; he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.H3068H6662H7112H5688H75635May all who hate Jerusalem be turned back in shameful defeat.H954H5472H268H8130H67266May they be as useless as grass on a rooftop, turning yellow when only half grown,H2682H1406H3001H6927H80257ignored by the harvester, despised by the binder.H7114H4390H3709H6014H26838And may those who pass by refuse to give them this blessing. “The Lord bless you; we bless you in the Lord’s name.”H5674H559H1293H3068H1288H8034H3068
Dublin, OH
, and stayed with them a week. These believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem.G2532
