Let some of your leaders come with me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they can press charges against him there.”

When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them.

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

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!”

When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

“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.

For I think it is unreasonable to send a prisoner on to Rome without specifying the charges against him.”

“King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,

And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.

Paul Preaches at Rome Under Guard

Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

The Jews objected, so I was compelled to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people.

But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect.”