Acts 22-26

New International Version

22 ¹ “Brothers and fathers,^(A) listen now to my defense.”

² When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic,^(B) they became very quiet.

Then Paul said: ³ “I am a Jew,^(C) born in Tarsus^(D) of Cilicia,^(E) but brought up in this city. I studied under^(F) Gamaliel^(G) and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors.^(H) I was just as zealous^(I) for God as any of you are today. ⁴ I persecuted^(J) the followers of this Way^(K) to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison,^{(L) 5} as the high priest and all the Council^(M) can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates^(N) in Damascus,^(O) and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.^{(P) 7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’

⁸ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,^(Q) whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. ⁹ My companions saw the light,^(R) but they did not understand the voice^(S) of him who was speaking to me.

¹⁰ “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked.

“ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’^{(T) 11} My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.^(U)

¹² “A man named Ananias came to see me.^(V) He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there.^{(W) 13} He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.

¹⁴ “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors^(X) has chosen you to know his will and to see^(Y) the Righteous One^(Z) and to hear words from his mouth. ¹⁵ You will be his witness^(AA) to all people of what you have seen^(AB) and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized^(AC) and wash your sins away,^(AD) calling on his name.’^(AE)

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(AF) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(AG) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(AH) and beat^(AI) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(AJ)

²¹ “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”^(AK)

Paul the Roman Citizen

²² The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!^(AL) He’s not fit to live!”^(AM)

²³ As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks^(AN) and flinging dust into the air,^{(AO) 24} the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.^(AP) He directed^(AQ) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. ²⁵ As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”^(AR)

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

²⁷ The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

²⁸ Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

²⁹ Those who were about to interrogate him^(AS) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,^(AT) in chains.^(AU)

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

³⁰ The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.^(AV) So the next day he released him^(AW) and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin^(AX) to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

23 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin^(AY) and said, “My brothers,^(AZ) I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience^(BA) to this day.” ² At this the high priest Ananias^(BB) ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.^{(BC) 3} Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall!^(BD) You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”^(BE)

⁴ Those who were standing near Paul said, “How dare you insult God’s high priest!”

⁵ Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’^[b]”^(BF)

⁶ Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees^(BG) and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers,^(BH) I am a Pharisee,^(BI) descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.”^{(BJ) 7} When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection,^(BK) and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

⁹ There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees^(BL) stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,”^(BM) they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”^{(BN) 10} The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.^(BO)

¹¹ The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage!^(BP) As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”^(BQ)

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹² The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy^(BR) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^{(BS) 13} More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴ They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.^{(BT) 15} Now then, you and the Sanhedrin^(BU) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

¹⁶ But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks^(BV) and told Paul.

¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸ So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,^(BW) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹ The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰ He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin^(BX) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.^{(BY) 21} Don’t give in to them, because more than forty^(BZ) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.^(CA) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²² The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³ Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[c] to go to Caesarea^(CB) at nine tonight.^{(CC) 24} Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(CD)

²⁵ He wrote a letter as follows:

³¹ So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³² The next day they let the cavalry^(CP) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^{(CQ) 33} When the cavalry^(CR) arrived in Caesarea,^(CS) they delivered the letter to the governor^(CT) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴ The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^{(CU) 35} he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(CV) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(CW) in Herod’s palace.

Paul’s Trial Before Felix

24 Five days later the high priest Ananias^(CX) went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges^(CY) against Paul before the governor.^{(CZ) 2} When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. ³ Everywhere and in every way, most excellent^(DA) Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. ⁴ But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly.

⁵ “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots^(DB) among the Jews^(DC) all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene^(DD) sect^{(DE) 6} and even tried to desecrate the temple;^(DF) so we seized him. ^{[7] [d] 8} By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.”

⁹ The other Jews joined in the accusation,^(DG) asserting that these things were true.

¹⁰ When the governor^(DH) motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. ¹¹ You can easily verify that no more than twelve days^(DI) ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. ¹² My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple,^(DJ) or stirring up a crowd^(DK) in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. ¹³ And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me.^{(DL) 14} However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors^(DM) as a follower of the Way,^(DN) which they call a sect.^(DO) I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets,^{(DP) 15} and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection^(DQ) of both the righteous and the wicked.^{(DR) 16} So I strive always to keep my conscience clear^(DS) before God and man.

¹⁷ “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor^(DT) and to present offerings. ¹⁸ I was ceremonially clean^(DU) when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.^{(DV) 19} But there are some Jews from the province of Asia,^(DW) who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.^{(DX) 20} Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin— ²¹ unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’”^(DY)

²² Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way,^(DZ) adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” ²³ He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard^(EA) but to give him some freedom^(EB) and permit his friends to take care of his needs.^(EC)

²⁴ Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.^{(ED) 25} As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control^(EE) and the judgment^(EF) to come, Felix was afraid^(EG) and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” ²⁶ At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

²⁷ When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus,^(EH) but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews,^(EI) he left Paul in prison.^(EJ)

Paul’s Trial Before Festus

25 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus^(EK) went up from Caesarea^(EL) to Jerusalem, ² where the chief priests and the Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.^{(EM) 3} They requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.^{(EN) 4} Festus answered, “Paul is being held^(EO) at Caesarea,^(EP) and I myself am going there soon. ⁵ Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

⁶ After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court^(EQ) and ordered that Paul be brought before him.^{(ER) 7} When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him,^(ES) but they could not prove them.^(ET)

⁸ Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple^(EU) or against Caesar.”

⁹ Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor,^(EV) said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”^(EW)

¹⁰ Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews,^(EX) as you yourself know very well. ¹¹ If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”^(EY)

¹² After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”

Festus Consults King Agrippa

¹³ A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea^(EZ) to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner.^{(FA) 15} When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him^(FB) and asked that he be condemned.

¹⁶ “I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges.^{(FC) 17} When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in.^{(FD) 18} When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. ¹⁹ Instead, they had some points of dispute^(FE) with him about their own religion^(FF) and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges.^{(FG) 21} But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”^(FH)

²² Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.”

He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”^(FI)

Paul Before Agrippa^(FJ)

²³ The next day Agrippa and Bernice^(FK) came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high-ranking military officers and the prominent men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. ²⁴ Festus said: “King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish community^(FL) has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.^{(FM) 25} I found he had done nothing deserving of death,^(FN) but because he made his appeal to the Emperor^(FO) I decided to send him to Rome. ²⁶ But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write. ²⁷ For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”^(FP)

So Paul motioned with his hand^(FQ) and began his defense: ² “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you^(FR) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,^{(FS) 3} and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs^(FT) and controversies.^(FU) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

⁴ “The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,^(FV) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. ⁵ They have known me for a long time^(FW) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect^(FX) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.^{(FY) 6} And now it is because of my hope^(FZ) in what God has promised our ancestors^(GA) that I am on trial today. ⁷ This is the promise our twelve tribes^(GB) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.^(GC) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.^{(GD) 8} Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?^(GE)

⁹ “I too was convinced^(GF) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose^(GG) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.^{(GH) 10} And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people^(GI) in prison,^(GJ) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.^{(GK) 11} Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,^(GL) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

¹² “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. ¹³ About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. ¹⁴ We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice^(GM) saying to me in Aramaic,^[e](GN) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

¹⁵ “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.^(GO) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.^{(GP) 17} I will rescue you^(GQ) from your own people and from the Gentiles.^(GR) I am sending you to them ¹⁸ to open their eyes^(GS) and turn them from darkness to light,^(GT) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins^(GU) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’^(GV)

¹⁹ “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient^(GW) to the vision from heaven. ²⁰ First to those in Damascus,^(GX) then to those in Jerusalem^(GY) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,^(GZ) I preached that they should repent^(HA) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.^{(HB) 21} That is why some Jews seized me^(HC) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.^{(HD) 22} But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(HE)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(HF) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(HG) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(HH)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(HI) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(HJ) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(HK) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(HL) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”^(HM)

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”^(HN)

³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice^(HO) and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”^(HP)

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free^(HQ) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^(HR)