Safe on Malta

28 Once we were safely on shore, we learned that the island was called Malta. ² The natives showed us extraordinary kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all, because it had started to rain and was cold.

³ As Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and laid it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. ⁴ When the natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer. Though he escaped from the sea, Justice^[a] has not allowed him to live.”

⁵ However, Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not harmed. ⁶ The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited for a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷ In the nearby vicinity was an estate that belonged to a man named Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as his guests for three days. ⁸ The father of Publius happened to be sick in bed, suffering from a fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, laid his hands on him, and healed him.

⁹ After that happened, others on the island who were sick also came and were healed. ¹⁰ They honored us in many ways, and when we were going to sail, they put on board whatever we needed.

On to Rome

¹¹ After three months, we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island. Its figurehead was the Twin Brothers.^{[b] 12} We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. ¹³ From there we sailed up the coast and arrived at Rhegium. After one day a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁴ There we found some brothers^[c] and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome. ¹⁵ The brothers there heard the news about us and came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged.

God’s Witness Reaches Rome

¹⁶ When we entered Rome,^[d] Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier who guarded him. ¹⁷ Three days later, Paul called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers, although I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was handed over as a prisoner from Jerusalem to the Romans. ¹⁸ After they interrogated me, they wanted to release me, because there were no grounds for the death penalty in my case. ¹⁹ But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar—not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. ²⁰ That is why I asked to see you and speak to you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

²¹ They said to him, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, and none of the brothers who came here has reported or said anything evil about you. ²² But we would like to hear from you what you think, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

²³ They set a day to meet with Paul, and even more of them came to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he explained and testified about the kingdom of God. He also tried to convince them about Jesus, both from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. ²⁴ Some were convinced by what he said, but others continued in their unbelief.

²⁵ They were arguing with one another and began to leave after Paul made this one statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your^[e] fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁸ “Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”^[g]

³⁰ For two whole years Paul stayed in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to visit him. ³¹ He was preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without anyone stopping him.