Acts 21-23

21st Century King James Version

21 And it came to pass that after we had parted from them and had launched, we came on a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara.

² And finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard and set forth.

³ Now when we had sighted Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her burden.

⁴ And having found disciples, we tarried there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵ And when those days there had been accomplished, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, until we were out of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore and prayed.

⁶ And when we had taken our leave one of another, we boarded ship, and they returned home again.

⁷ And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais and saluted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

⁸ The next day, we who were in Paul’s company departed and came unto Caesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and lodged with him.

⁹ And this man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied.

¹⁰ And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus.

¹¹ And when he had come unto us, he took Paul’s girdle and bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus saith the Holy Ghost, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

¹² And when we heard these things, both we and those at that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³ Then Paul answered, “What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am not only ready to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

¹⁴ And when he would not be dissuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”

¹⁵ And after those days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶ There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, who brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷ And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸ And the day following, Paul went with us unto James, and all the elders were present.

¹⁹ And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, “Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous for the law.

²¹ And they are informed about thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the customs.

²² What is therefore to be done? The multitude must surely come together, for they will hear that thou art come.

²³ Do therefore this which we say to thee: We have four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.

²⁴ Take them and purify thyself with them, and bear their charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and all may know that those things of which they have been informed concerning thee are nothing, butthat thou thyself also walkest orderly and keepest the law.

²⁵ And as to the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication.”

²⁶ Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself with them, he entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷ And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on him,

²⁸ crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teacheth all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and furthermore brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.”

²⁹ (For they had seen previously with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰ And all the city was moved and the people ran together, and they took Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut.

³¹ And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar,

³² who immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down unto them; and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.

³³ Then the chief captain came near, and took him and commanded that he be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was and what he had done.

³⁴ And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. And when he could learn nothing with certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵ And when Paul came upon the stairs, so it was that he had to be borne by the soldiers because of the violence of the people.

³⁶ For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, “Away with him!”

³⁷ And as Paul was about to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, “May I speak unto thee?” And he said, “Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸ Art not thou that Egyptian who prior to these days madest an uproar and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men who were murderers?”

³⁹ But Paul said, “I am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people.”

⁴⁰ And when he had given him leave, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with his hand unto the people. And when there fell a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying:

22 “Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you.”

² (And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they were the more silent.) And he said,

³ “I am verily a man who am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taughtaccording to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

⁴ And I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

⁵ as also the high priest doth bear me witness and all the council of the elders. From them I also received letters unto the brethren, and I went to Damascus to bring those who were there bound unto Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶ “And it came to pass that, as I made my journey and had come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁷ And I fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, ‘Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?’

⁸ And I answered, ‘Who art Thou, Lord?’ And He said unto me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.’

⁹ And those who were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of Him that spoke to me.

¹⁰ And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said unto me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all the things which are appointed for thee to do.’

¹¹ And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹² “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, of good report among all the Jews who dwelt there,

¹³ came unto me and stood and said unto me, ‘Brother Saul, receive thy sight!’ And that same hour I looked up upon him.

¹⁴ And he said, ‘The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth.

¹⁵ For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

¹⁷ “And it came to pass that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance

¹⁸ and saw Him saying unto me, ‘Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me.’

¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in Thee.

²⁰ And when the blood of Thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept the raiment of those who slew him.’

²¹ And He said unto me, ‘Depart, for I will send thee far hence, unto the Gentiles.’”

²² And the crowd gave him an audience up to this word; and then they lifted up their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live!”

²³ And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

²⁴ the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging, so that he might find out why they cried so against him.

²⁵ And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who stood by, “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?”

²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, “Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman.”

²⁷ Then the chief captain came and said unto him, “Tell me, art thou a Roman?” And he said, “Yea.”

²⁸ And the chief captain answered, “With a great sum I obtained this freedom.” And Paul said, “But I was free born.”

²⁹ Then straightway those who should have examined him departed from him, and the chief captain also was afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰ On the morrow, because he would know with certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, “Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day.”

² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

³ Then said Paul unto him, “God shall smite thee, thou whited wall! For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?”

⁴ And those who stood by said, “Revilest thou God’s high priest?”

⁵ Then said Paul, “I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.’”

⁶ But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out to the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called into question!”

⁷ And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

⁹ And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were on the Pharisees’ side arose and strove, saying, “We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”

¹⁰ And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

¹¹ And that night the Lord stood by him and said, “Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified for Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.”

¹² And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³ And there were more than forty who entered into this conspiracy.

¹⁴ And they came to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

¹⁵ Now, therefore, ye, of the council, ask the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire somewhat more thoroughly concerning him; and we, even before he comes near, are ready to kill him.”

¹⁶ But when Paul’s sister’s son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul.

¹⁷ Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him and said, “Bring this young man unto the chief captain, for he hath a certain thing to tell him.”

¹⁸ So he took him and brought him to the chief captain and said, “Paul, the prisoner, called me unto him and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, as he hath something to say unto thee.”

¹⁹ Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside with him privately, asked him, “What is it that thou hast to tell me?”

²⁰ And he said, “The Jews have agreed to request thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they wished to inquire of him somewhat more thoroughly.

²¹ But do not thou yield unto them, for there lie in wait for him more than forty of their men, who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, looking for consent from thee.”

²² So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged him, “See thou tell no man that thou hast revealed these things to me.”

²³ And he called unto him two centurions, saying, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and threescore and ten horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night;

²⁴ and provide them with beasts that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor.”

²⁵ And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶ “Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting:

²⁷ This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them. Then came I with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

²⁸ And desiring to know the cause whereof they accused him, I brought him forth into their council.

²⁹ I perceived him to be accused about questions of their law, but there was nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

³⁰ And when it was told me how the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him straightway to thee, and gave a command to his accusers also to speak before thee what they have against him. Farewell.”

³¹ Then the soldiers took Paul, as it was commanded them, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

³² On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle,

³³ who, when they had come to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

³⁴ And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province Paul was. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia,

³⁵ he said, “I will hear thee when thine accusers have also come.” And he commanded him to be kept in Herod’s judgment hall.