¹⁷ After we arrived in Jerusalem, ^(A)the brothers and sisters received us gladly. ¹⁸ And the following day Paul went in with us to ^[a](B)James, and all ^(C)the elders were present. ¹⁹ After he had greeted them, he ^(D)began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ^(E)ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard about them, they began ^(F)glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many ^[b]thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all ^(G)zealous for the Law; ²¹ and they have been told about you, that you are ^(H)teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them ^(I)not to circumcise their children nor to ^[c]walk according to ^(J)the customs. ²² So what is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³ Therefore, do ^[d]as we tell you: we have four men who ^(K)have a ^[e]vow upon themselves; ²⁴ take them along and ^(L)purify yourself together with them, and ^[f]pay their expenses so that they may ^(M)shave their ^[g]heads; and then everyone will know that there is nothing to what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also conform, keeping the Law.

³ “^(A)I am ^(B)a Jew, born in ^(C)Tarsus of ^(D)Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated ^[a]under ^(E)Gamaliel, ^[b](F)strictly according to the Law of our fathers, being zealous for God just as ^(G)you all are today.

¹⁴ But I confess this to you, that in accordance with ^[a](A)the Way, which they call a ^(B)sect, I do serve ^(C)the God of our fathers, ^(D)believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets; ¹⁵ having a hope in God, which ^(E)these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. ¹⁶ In view of this ^(F)I also do my best to maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before other people, always.

⁶ After Festus had spent no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to ^(A)Caesarea, and on the next day he took his seat on ^(B)the tribunal and ordered that Paul be brought. ⁷ After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing ^(C)many, and serious, charges against him ^(D)which they could not prove, ⁸ while Paul said in his own defense, “^(E)I have not done anything wrong either against the Law of the Jews, or against the temple, or against Caesar.” ⁹ But Festus, ^(F)wanting to do the Jews a favor, replied to Paul and said, “^(G)Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and ^[a]stand trial before me on these charges?” ¹⁰ But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s ^(H)tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know. ¹¹ If, therefore, I am in the wrong and have committed something deserving death, I am not trying to avoid execution; but if there is nothing to the accusations which these men are bringing against me, no one can hand me over to them. I ^(I)appeal to Caesar.” ¹² Then when Festus had conferred with ^[b]his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you shall go.”

⁴ “So then, all Jews know ^(A)my way of life since my youth, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and in Jerusalem, ⁵ since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a ^(B)Pharisee ^(C)according to the strictest ^(D)sect of our religion. ⁶ And now I am standing trial ^(E)for the hope of ^(F)the promise made by God to our fathers; ⁷ the promise ^(G)to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. For this ^(H)hope, O king, I am being ^(I)accused by Jews. ⁸ Why is it considered incredible among you people ^(J)if God raises the dead?

¹⁹ “For that reason, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but continually proclaimed ^(A)to those in Damascus first, and ^(B)in Jerusalem, and then all the region of Judea, and even ^(C)to the Gentiles, that they are to ^(D)repent and turn to God, performing deeds ^(E)consistent with repentance. ²¹ For these reasons some Jews ^(F)seized me in the temple and tried ^(G)to murder me. ²² So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day ^(H)testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what ^(I)the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, ²³ as to ^(J)whether the ^[a]Christ was ^[b]to suffer, and whether, as ^(K)first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim ^(L)light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

¹⁷ After three days ^[a]Paul called together those who were ^(A)the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, “^(B)Brothers, ^(C)though I had done nothing against our people or ^(D)the customs of our ^[b]fathers, yet I was handed over to the Romans as a prisoner from Jerusalem. ¹⁸ And when they had ^(E)examined me, they ^(F)were willing to release me because there were ^(G)no grounds ^[c]for putting me to death. ¹⁹ But when the Jews ^[d]objected, I was forced to ^(H)appeal to Caesar, not that I had any accusation against my nation. ²⁰ For this reason, therefore, I ^[e]requested to see you and to speak with you, since I am wearing ^(I)this chain for ^(J)the sake of the hope of Israel.” ²¹ They said to him, “We have neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor has any of ^(K)the brothers come here and reported or spoken anything bad about you. ²² But we desire to hear from you what ^[f]your views are; for regarding this ^(L)sect, it is known to us that ^(M)it is spoken against everywhere.”

²³ When they had set a day for ^[g]Paul, people came to him at ^(N)his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly ^(O)testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, ^(P)from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.