Acts 4:1‑21• 1And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
2being distressed on account of their teaching the people and preaching by Jesus the resurrection from among the dead;
3and they laid hands on them, and put them in ward till the morrow; for it was already evening.
4But many of those who had heard the word believed; and the number of the men had become about five thousand.
5And it came to pass on the morrow that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem,
6and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the high priestly family;
7and having placed them in the midst they inquired, In what power or in what name have *ye* done this?
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, Rulers of the people and elders of Israel,
9if *we* this day are called upon to answer as to the good deed done to the infirm man, how *he* has been healed,
10be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazaraean, whom *ye* have crucified, whom God has raised from among the dead, by *him* this man stands here before you sound in body.
11*He* is the stone which has been set at nought by you the builders, which is become the corner stone.
12And salvation is in none other, for neither is there another name under heaven which is given among men by which we must be saved.
13But seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered and uninstructed men, they wondered; and they recognised them that they were with Jesus.
14And beholding the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to reply;
15but having commanded them to go out of the council they conferred with one another,
16saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed an evident sign has come to pass through their means is manifest to all that inhabit Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17But that it be not further spread among the people, let us threaten them severely no longer to speak to any man in this name.
18And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John answering said to them, If it be righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge ye;
20for as for us *we* cannot refrain from speaking of the things which we have seen and heard.
21But they, having further threatened them, let them go, finding no way how they might punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified God for what had taken place; (Acts 4:1‑21)
Acts 5:17‑40• 17And the high priest rising up, and all they that were with him, which is the sect of the Sadducees, were filled with wrath,
18and laid hands on the apostles and put them in the public prison.
19But an angel of the Lord during the night opened the doors of the prison, and leading them out, said,
20Go ye and stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21And when they heard it, they entered very early into the temple and taught. And when the high priest was come, and they that were with him, they called together the council and all the elderhood of the sons of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22And when the officers were come, they did not find them in the prison; and returned and reported
23saying, We found the prison shut with all security, and the keepers standing at the doors; but when we had opened them, within we found no one.
24And when they heard these words, both the priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests were in perplexity as to them, what this would come to.
25And some one coming reported to them, Lo, the men whom ye put in the prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.
26Then the captain, having gone with the officers, brought them, not with violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.
27And they bring them and set them in the council. And the high priest asked them,
28saying, We strictly enjoined you not to teach in this name: and lo, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and purpose to bring upon us the blood of this man.
29But Peter answering, and the apostles, said, God must be obeyed rather than men.
30The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom *ye* have slain, having hanged on a cross.
31Him has God exalted by his right hand as leader and saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins.
32And *we* are his witnesses of these things, and the Holy Spirit also, which God has given to those that obey him.
33But they, when they heard these things, were cut to the heart, and took counsel to kill them.
34But a certain man, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, held in honour of all the people, rose up in the council, and commanded to put the men out for a short while,
35and said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves as regards these men what ye are going to do;
36for before these days Theudas rose up, alleging himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, were joined; who was slain, and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed and came to nothing.
37After him rose Judas the Galilean in the days of the census, and drew away a number of people after him; and *he* perished, and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered abroad.
38And now I say to you, Withdraw from these men and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work have its origin from men, it will be destroyed;
39but if it be from God, ye will not be able to put them down, lest ye be found also fighters against God.
40And they listened to his advice; and having called the apostles, they beat them, and enjoined them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. (Acts 5:17‑40)
Acts 21:11,31‑40• 11and coming to us and taking the girdle of Paul, and having bound his own hands and feet, said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, The man whose this girdle is shall the Jews thus bind in Jerusalem, and deliver him up into the hands of the Gentiles.
31And as they were seeking to kill him, a representation came to the chiliarch of the band that the whole of Jerusalem was in a tumult;
32who, taking with him immediately soldiers and centurions, ran down upon them. But they, seeing the chiliarch and the soldiers, ceased beating Paul.
33Then the chiliarch came up and laid hold upon him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he might be, and what he had done.
34And different persons cried some different thing in the crowd. But he, not being able to know the certainty on account of the uproar, commanded him to be brought into the fortress.
35But when he got upon the stairs it was so that he was borne by the soldiers on account of the violence of the crowd.
36For the multitude of the people followed, crying, Away with him.
37But as he was about to be led into the fortress, Paul says to the chiliarch, Is it allowed me to say something to thee? And he said, Dost thou know Greek?
38Thou art not then that Egyptian who before these days raised a sedition and led out into the wilderness the four thousand men of the assassins?
39But Paul said, *I* am a Jew of Tarsus, citizen of no insignificant city of Cilicia, and I beseech of thee, allow me to speak to the people.
40And when he had allowed him, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people; and a great silence having been made, he addressed them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, (Acts 21:11,31‑40)
Acts 25:1‑26:32• 1Festus therefore, being come into the eparchy, after three days went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
2And the chief priests and the chief of the Jews laid informations before him against Paul, and besought him,
3asking as a grace against him that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying people in wait to kill him on the way.
4Festus therefore answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to set out shortly.
5Let therefore the persons of authority among you, says he, going down too, if there be anything in this man, accuse him.
6And having remained among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea; and on the next day, having sat down on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought.
7And when he was come, the Jews who were come down from Jerusalem stood round, bringing many and grievous charges which they were not able to prove:
8Paul answering for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I offended in anything.
9But Festus, desirous of obliging the Jews, to acquire their favour, answering Paul, said, Art thou willing to go up to Jerusalem, there to be judged before me concerning these things?
10But Paul said, I am standing before the judgment-seat of Caesar, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as *thou* also very well knowest.
11If then I have done any wrong and committed anything worthy of death, I do not deprecate dying; but if there is nothing of those things of which they accuse me, no man can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar.
12Then Festus, having conferred with the council, answered, Thou hast appealed to Caesar. To Caesar shalt thou go.
13And when certain days had elapsed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to salute Festus.
14And when they had spent many days there, Festus laid before the king the matters relating to Paul, saying, There is a certain man left prisoner by Felix,
15concerning whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews laid informations, requiring judgment against him:
16to whom I answered, It is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man before that the accused have the accusers face to face, and he have got opportunity of defence touching the charge.
17When therefore they had come together here, without putting it off, I sat the next day on the judgment-seat and commanded the man to be brought:
18concerning whom the accusers, standing up, brought no such accusation of guilt as *I* supposed;
19but had against him certain questions of their own system of worship, and concerning a certain Jesus who is dead, whom Paul affirmed to be living.
20And as I myself was at a loss as to an inquiry into these things, I said, Was he willing to go to Jerusalem and there to be judged concerning these things?
21But Paul having appealed to be kept for the cognisance of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I shall send him to Caesar.
22And Agrippa said to Festus, I myself also would desire to hear the man. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him.
23On the morrow therefore, Agrippa being come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and having entered into the hall of audience, with the chiliarchs and the men of distinction of the city, and Festus having given command, Paul was brought.
24And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men who are here present with us, ye see this person, concerning whom all the multitude of the Jews applied to me both in Jerusalem and here, crying out against him that he ought not to live any longer.
25But I, having found that he had done nothing worthy of death, and this man himself having appealed to Augustus, I have decided to send him;
26concerning whom I have nothing certain to write to my lord. Wherefore I have brought him before you, and specially before thee, king Agrippa, so that an examination having been gone into I may have something to write:
27for it seems to me senseless, sending a prisoner, not also to signify the charges against him.
1And Agrippa said to Paul, It is permitted thee to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretching out his hand answered in his defence:
2I count myself happy, king Agrippa, in having to answer to-day before thee concerning all of which I am accused by the Jews,
3especially because thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.
4My manner of life then from my youth, which from its commencement was passed among my nation in Jerusalem, know all the Jews,
5who knew me before from the outset of my life, if they would bear witness, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
6And now I stand to be judged because of the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,
7to which our whole twelve tribes serving incessantly day and night hope to arrive; about which hope, O king, I am accused of the Jews.
8Why should it be judged a thing incredible in your sight if God raises the dead?
9*I* indeed myself thought that I ought to do much against the name of Jesus the Nazaraean.
10Which also I did in Jerusalem, and myself shut up in prisons many of the saints, having received the authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote.
11And often punishing them in all the synagogues, I compelled them to blaspheme. And, being exceedingly furious against them, I persecuted them even to cities out of our own land.
12And when, engaged in this, I was journeying to Damascus, with authority and power from the chief priests,
13at mid-day, on the way, I saw, O king, a light above the brightness of the sun, shining from heaven round about me and those who were journeying with me.
14And, when we were all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against goads.
15And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, *I* am Jesus whom *thou* persecutest:
16but rise up and stand on thy feet; for, for this purpose have I appeared to thee, to appoint thee to be a servant and a witness both of what thou hast seen, and of what I shall appear to thee in,
17taking thee out from among the people, and the nations, to whom *I* send thee,
18to 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 inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
19Whereupon, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision;
20but have, first to those both in Damascus and Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judaea, and to the nations, announced that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
21On account of these things the Jews, having seized me in the temple, attempted to lay hands on and destroy me.
22Having therefore met with the help which is from God, I have stood firm unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing else than those things which both the prophets and Moses have said should happen,
23namely, whether Christ should suffer; whether he first, through resurrection of the dead, should announce light both to the people and to the nations.
24And as he answered for his defence with these things, Festus says with a loud voice, Thou art mad, Paul; much learning turns thee to madness.
25But Paul said, I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but utter words of truth and soberness;
26for the king is informed about these things, to whom also I speak with all freedom. For I am persuaded that of these things nothing is hidden from him; for this was not done in a corner.
27King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28And Agrippa said to Paul, In a little thou persuadest me to become a Christian.
29And Paul said, I would to God, both in little and in much, that not only thou, but all who have heard me this day, should become such as *I* also am, except these bonds.
30And the king stood up, and the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them,
31and having gone apart, they spoke to one another saying, This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.
32And Agrippa said to Festus, This man might have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar. (Acts 25:1‑26:32)