Betrayal, Flight, and Gospel's Unstoppable Advance

1. When David was a little past the top, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2. The king said to Ziba, “What do you mean by these?” Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that those who are faint in the wilderness may drink.” 3. The king said, “Where is your master’s son?” Ziba said to the king, “Behold, he is staying in Jerusalem; for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore me the kingdom of my father.’” 4. Then the king said to Ziba, “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Ziba said, “I bow down. Let me find favor in your sight, my lord, O king.” 5. When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came. 6. He cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7. Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and wicked fellow! 8. Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of Saul’s house, in whose place you have reigned! Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!” 9. Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” 10. The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said to him, ‘Curse David;’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11. David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him. 12. It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” 13. So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust. 14. The king, and all the people who were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there. 15. Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16. When Hushai the Archite, David’s friend, had come to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17. Absalom said to Hushai, “Is this your kindness to your friend? Why didn’t you go with your friend?” 18. Hushai said to Absalom, “No; but whomever Yahweh, and this people, and all the men of Israel have chosen, his will I be, and with him I will stay. 19. Again, whom should I serve? Shouldn’t I serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in your father’s presence, so will I be in your presence.” 20. Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your counsel what we shall do.” 21. Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines that he has left to keep the house. Then all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” 22. So they spread a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23. The counsel of Ahithophel, which he gave in those days, was as if a man inquired at the inner sanctuary of God. So was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom. 1. Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight. 2. I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make him afraid. All the people who are with him will flee. I will strike the king only, 3. and I will bring back all the people to you. The man whom you seek is as if all returned. All the people shall be in peace.” 4. The saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel. 5. Then Absalom said, “Now call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he says.” 6. When Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke to him, saying, “Ahithophel has spoken like this. Shall we do what he says? If not, speak up.” 7. Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good.” 8. Hushai said moreover, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are fierce in their minds, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Your father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people. 9. Behold, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. It will happen, when some of them have fallen at the first, that whoever hears it will say, ‘There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom!’ 10. Even he who is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men. 11. But I counsel that all Israel be gathered together to you, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that you go to battle in your own person. 12. So shall we come on him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light on him as the dew falls on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him we will not leave so much as one. 13. Moreover, if he has gone into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there isn’t one small stone found there.” 14. Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom. 15. Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Ahithophel counseled Absalom and the elders of Israel that way; and I have counseled this way. 16. Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, ‘Don’t lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people who are with him.’” 17. Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying by En Rogel; and a female servant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David. For they might not be seen to come into the city. 18. But a boy saw them, and told Absalom. Then they both went away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down there. 19. The woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and spread out bruised grain on it; and nothing was known. 20. Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” The woman said to them, “They have gone over the brook of water.” When they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 21. After they had departed, they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said to David, “Arise and pass quickly over the water; for thus has Ahithophel counseled against you.” 22. Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who had not gone over the Jordan. 23. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, arose, and went home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father. 24. Then David came to Mahanaim. Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. 25. Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26. Israel and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. 27. When David had come to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim, 28. brought beds, basins, earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans, lentils, roasted grain, 29. honey, butter, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David, and for the people who were with him, to eat; for they said, “The people are hungry, and weary, and thirsty in the wilderness.” 1. David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2. David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.” 3. But the people said, “You shall not go out; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.” 4. The king said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands. 5. The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom. 6. So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim. 7. The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. 8. For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured. 9. Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on. 10. A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11. Joab said to the man who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver, and a sash.” 12. The man said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man Absalom.’ 13. Otherwise if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against me.” 14. Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the middle of the oak. 15. Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him. 16. Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back. 17. They took Absalom and cast him into the great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent. 18. Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day. 19. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run, and carry the king news, how Yahweh has avenged him of his enemies.” 20. Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s son is dead.” 21. Then Joab said to the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran. 22. Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since that you will have no reward for the news?” 23. “But come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite. 24. Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man running alone. 25. The watchman cried, and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and closer. 26. The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper, and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” 27. The watchman said, “I think the running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes with good news.” 28. Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!” 29. The king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don’t know what it was.” 30. The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came, and stood still. 31. Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “News for my lord the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today of all those who rose up against you.” 32. The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.” 33. The king was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate, and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died for you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

1. Festus therefore, having come into the province, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2. Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him, 3. asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way. 4. However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly. 5. “Let them therefore”, said he, “that are in power among you go down with me, and if there is anything wrong in the man, let them accuse him.” 6. When he had stayed among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and on the next day he sat on the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought. 7. When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing against him many and grievous charges which they could not prove, 8. while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.” 9. But Festus, desiring to gain favor with the Jews, answered Paul and said, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem, and be judged by me there concerning these things?” 10. But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11. For if I have done wrong, and have committed anything worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die; but if none of those things is true that they accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12. Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you shall go.” 13. Now when some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea, and greeted Festus. 14. As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix; 15. about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him. 16. To whom I answered that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction, before the accused has met the accusers face to face, and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him. 17. When therefore they had come together here, I didn’t delay, but on the next day sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought. 18. Concerning whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no charge of such things as I supposed; 19. but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20. Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21. But when Paul had appealed to be kept for the decision of the emperor, I commanded him to be kept until I could send him to Caesar.” 22. Agrippa said to Festus, “I also would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he said, “you shall hear him.” 23. So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and the principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. 24. Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying that he ought not to live any longer. 25. But when I found that he had committed nothing worthy of death, and as he himself appealed to the emperor I determined to send him, 26. of whom I have no certain thing to write to my lord. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, that, after examination, I may have something to write. 27. For it seems to me unreasonable, in sending a prisoner, not to also specify the charges against him.” 1. Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense. 2. “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things that I am accused by the Jews, 3. especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. 4. “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; 5. having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6. Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, 7. which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! 8. Why is it judged incredible with you, if God does raise the dead? 9. “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10. This I also did in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. 11. Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. 12. “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, 13. at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. 14. When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15. “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16. But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen, and of the things which I will reveal to you; 17. delivering you from the people, and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 18. to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ 19. “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20. but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. 21. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple, and tried to kill me. 22. Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, 23. how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.” 24. As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 25. But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness. 26. For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner. 27. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28. Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?” 29. Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.” 30. The king rose up with the governor, and Bernice, and those who sat with them. 31. When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” 32. Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.” 1. When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. 2. Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 3. The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly, and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. 4. Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. 5. When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. 6. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board. 7. When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8. With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9. When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them, 10. and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” 11. But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. 12. Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast. 13. When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. 14. But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. 15. When the ship was caught, and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along. 16. Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. 17. After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. 18. As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. 19. On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. 20. When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away. 21. When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them, and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete, and have gotten this injury and loss. 22. Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23. For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, 24. saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25. Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. 26. But we must run aground on a certain island.” 27. But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. 28. They took soundings, and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. 29. Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. 30. As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship, and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, 31. Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” 32. Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat, and let it fall off. 33. While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. 34. Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” 35. When he had said this, and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all, and he broke it, and began to eat. 36. Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. 37. In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. 38. When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. 39. When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. 40. Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. 41. But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. 42. The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. 43. But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; 44. and the rest should follow, some on planks, and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land. 1. When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta. 2. The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire, and received us all, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.” 5. However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed. 6. But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god. 7. Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us, and courteously entertained us for three days. 8. The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. 9. Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured. 10. They also honored us with many honors, and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed. 11. After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was “The Twin Brothers.” 12. Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. 13. From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, 14. where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. 15. From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God, and took courage. 16. When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. 17. After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, 18. who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. 19. But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. 20. For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” 21. They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. 22. But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” 23. When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. 24. Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25. When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word, “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah, the prophet, to our fathers, 26. saying, ‘Go to this people, and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. 27. For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’ 28. “Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.” 29. When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. 30. Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who were coming to him, 31. preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

1. I will give you thanks with my whole heart. Before the gods, I will sing praises to you. 2. I will bow down toward your holy temple, and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth; for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all. 3. In the day that I called, you answered me. You encouraged me with strength in my soul. 4. All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, Yahweh, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5. Yes, they will sing of the ways of Yahweh; for great is Yahweh’s glory. 6. For though Yahweh is high, yet he looks after the lowly; but the proud, he knows from afar. 7. Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me. You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies. Your right hand will save me. 8. Yahweh will fulfill that which concerns me; your loving kindness, Yahweh, endures forever. Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.