Dan. 3:1‑6:28• 1Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits, and its breadth six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2And Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
3Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the justices, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4And the herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
5that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up;
6and whosoever doth not fall down and worship shall that same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7Therefore at that time when all the peoples heard the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8Whereupon at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
9They spoke and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever!
10Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;
11and that whosoever doth not fall down and worship, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: these men, O king, regard thee not; they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up.
13Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then were these men brought before the king.
14Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, Is it of purpose, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that ye serve not my god, nor worship the golden image that I have set up?
15Now if ye be ready at the time that ye hear the sound of the cornet, pipe, lute, sambuca, psaltery, and bagpipe, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast that same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this matter.
17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king.
18But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image that thou hast set up.
19Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. He spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21Then these men were bound in their hosen, their tunics, and their cloaks, and their garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22Forasmuch as the king's commandment was rigorous, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that had taken up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.
23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste; he spoke and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said to the king, True, O king.
25He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.
26Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the opening of the burning fiery furnace; he spoke and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth from the midst of the fire.
27And the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had had no power, nor was the hair of their head singed, neither were their hosen changed, nor had the smell of fire passed on them.
28Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants who trusted in him, and who changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God!
29Therefore I make a decree, that in every people, nation, and language, he who shall speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and his house shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that is able to deliver after this sort.
30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.
1Nebuchadnezzar the king unto all the peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
2It hath seemed good unto me to declare the signs and wonders that the Most High God hath wrought toward me.
3How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.
4I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace.
5I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6And I made a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7Then came in the scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers; and I told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the interpretation of it.
8But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name is Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream:
9O Belteshazzar, master of the scribes, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret is too hard for thee, tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation of it.
10Thus were the visions of my head upon my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
11The tree grew, and was strong, and its height reached unto the heavens, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.
12Its leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all: the beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from the heavens;
14he cried aloud, and said thus: Hew down the tree, and cut off its branches, shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the birds from its branches.
15Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
16Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.
17This sentence is by the decree of the watchers, and the decision by the word of the holy ones: that the living may know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
18This dream I, king Nebuchadnezzar, have seen; and thou, Belteshazzar, tell the interpretation, forasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
19Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, nor its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies!
20The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heavens, and the sight of it to all the earth;
21whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation:
22it is thou, O king, who art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
23And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heavens, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him:
24this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which cometh upon my lord the king:
25They shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and thou shalt be bathed with the dew of heaven; and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
26And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall remain unto thee, after that thou shalt know that the heavens do rule.
27Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28All this came upon king Nebuchadnezzar.
29At the end of twelve months he was walking upon the royal palace of Babylon:
30the king spoke and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?
31While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from the heavens: King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom is departed from thee;
32and they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33The same hour was the word fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen; and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.
34And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto the heavens, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation.
35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of the heavens, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
36At the same time mine understanding returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my nobles sought me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent greatness was added unto me.
37Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of the heavens, all whose works are truth, and his paths judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
1Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his nobles, and drank wine before the thousand.
2Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink in them.
3Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, drank in them.
4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7The king cried aloud to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.
8Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation.
9Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his nobles were confounded.
10--The queen, by reason of the words of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet-house. The queen spoke and said, O king, live for ever! let not thy thoughts trouble thee, neither let thy countenance be changed.
11There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, even the king thy father, made him master of the scribes, magicians, Chaldeans, and astrologers;
12forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and solving of problems, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
13Then was Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14And I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15And now the wise men, the magicians, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing.
16But I have heard of thee, that thou canst give interpretations, and solve problems. Now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet will I read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty;
19and for the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he exalted, and whom he would he humbled.
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened unto presumption, he was deposed from the throne of his kingdom, and they took his glory from him;
21and he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the Most High God ruleth over the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
22And thou, Belshazzar, his son, hast not humbled thy heart, although thou knewest all this;
23but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of the heavens; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
24then from before him was sent the part of the hand, and this writing hath been written.
25And this is the writing that is written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it;
27TEKEL, Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting;
28PERES, Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be in all the kingdom;
2and over these, three presidents--of whom Daniel was one--to whom these satraps should render account, and that the king should suffer no loss.
3Now this Daniel surpassed the presidents and the satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to appoint him over the whole realm.
4Then the presidents and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel with respect to the kingdom; but they could not find any pretext or fault; inasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
5Then said these men, We shall not find any pretext against this Daniel, unless we find it against him touching the law of his God.
6Then these presidents and satraps came in a body to the king, and said thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever!
7All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.
8Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.
9Therefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and, his windows being open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11But those men came in a body, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask anything of any god or man within thirty days, except of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be revoked.
13Then they answered and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore distressed thereby, and set his heart on Daniel to save him; and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15Then these men came in a body unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed.
16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will save thee.
17And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his nobles, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting; neither were concubines brought before him; and his sleep fled from him.
19Then the king arose with the light at break of day, and went in haste unto the den of lions.
20And when he came near unto the den, he cried with a mournful voice unto Daniel: the king spoke and said unto Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God whom thou servest continually been able to save thee from the lions?
21Then Daniel spoke unto the king, O king, live for ever!
22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me; forasmuch as before him innocence was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt.
23Thereupon was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
24And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces ere they came to the bottom of the den.
25Then king Darius wrote unto all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.
26I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27He saveth and delivereth, and he worketh signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth: who hath saved Daniel from the power of the lions.
28And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Dan. 3:1‑6:28)
Acts 14:1‑21:16• 1And it came to pass in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake that a great multitude of both Jews and Greeks believed.
2But the Jews who did not believe stirred up the minds of those of the nations and made them evil-affected against the brethren.
3They stayed therefore a good while, speaking boldly, confiding in the Lord, who gave witness to the word of his grace, giving signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4And the multitude of the city was divided, and some were with the Jews and some with the apostles.
5And when an assault was making, both of those of the nations and the Jews with their rulers, to use them ill and stone them,
6they, being aware of it, fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding country,
7and there they were announcing the glad tidings.
8And a certain man in Lystra, impotent in his feet, sat, being lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.
9This man heard Paul speaking, who, fixing his eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10said with a loud voice, Rise up straight upon thy feet: and he sprang up and walked.
11But the crowds, who saw what Paul had done, lifted up their voices in Lycaonian, saying, The gods, having made themselves like men, are come down to us.
12And they called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury, because he took the lead in speaking.
13And the priest of Jupiter who was before the city, having brought bulls and garlands to the gates, would have done sacrifice along with the crowds.
14But the apostles Barnabas and Paul, having heard it, rent their garments, and rushed out to the crowd, crying
15and saying, Men, why do ye these things? *We* also are men of like passions with you, preaching to you to turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all things in them;
16who in the past generations suffered all the nations to go in their own ways,
17though indeed he did not leave himself without witness, doing good, and giving to you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.
18And saying these things, they with difficulty kept the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19But there came Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds and stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing him to have died.
20But while the disciples encircled him, he rose up and entered into the city. And on the morrow he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.
21And having announced the glad tidings to that city, and having made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and Iconium, and Antioch,
22establishing the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to abide in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.
23And having chosen them elders in each assembly, having prayed with fastings, they committed them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
24And having passed through Pisidia they came to Pamphylia,
25and having spoken the word in Perga, they came down to Attalia;
26and thence they sailed away to Antioch, whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.
27And having arrived, and having brought together the assembly, they related to them all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.
28And they stayed no little time with the disciples.
1And certain persons, having come down from Judaea, taught the brethren, If ye shall not have been circumcised according to the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2A commotion therefore having taken place, and no small discussion on the part of Paul and Barnabas against them, they arranged that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others from amongst them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
3They therefore, having been set on their way by the assembly, passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of those of the nations. And they caused great joy to all the brethren.
4And being arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, and related all that God had wrought with them.
5And some of those who were of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, rose up from among them, saying that they ought to circumcise them and enjoin them to keep the law of Moses.
6And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.
7And much discussion having taken place, Peter, standing up, said to them, Brethren, *ye* know that from the earliest days God amongst you chose that the nations by my mouth should hear the word of the glad tidings and believe.
8And the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit as to us also,
9and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
10Now therefore why tempt ye God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also.
12And all the multitude kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all the signs and wonders which God had wrought among the nations by them.
13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me:
14Simon has related how God first visited to take out of the nations a people for his name.
15And with this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written:
16After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and will set it up,
17so that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, and all the nations on whom my name is invoked, saith the Lord, who does these things
18known from eternity.
19Wherefore *I* judge, not to trouble those who from the nations turn to God;
20but to write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
21For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.
22Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, with the whole assembly, to send chosen men from among them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, Judas called Barsabas and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
23having by their hand written thus: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are from among the nations at Antioch, and in Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
24Inasmuch as we have heard that some who went out from amongst us have troubled you by words, upsetting your souls, saying that ye must be circumcised and keep the law; to whom we gave no commandment;
25it seemed good to us, having arrived at a common judgment, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves also will tell you by word of mouth the same things.
28For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; keeping yourselves from which ye will do well. Farewell.
30They therefore, being let go, came to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude delivered to them the epistle.
31And having read it, they rejoiced at the consolation.
32And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with much discourse, and strengthened them.
33And having passed some time there, they were let go in peace from the brethren to those who sent them.
34(Verse 34 is omitted in this translation.)
35And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and announcing the glad tidings, with many others also, of the word of the Lord.
36But after certain days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city where we have announced the word of the Lord, and see how they are getting on.
37And Barnabas proposed to take with them John also, called Mark;
38but Paul thought it not well to take with them him who had abandoned them, going back from Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
39There arose therefore very warm feeling, so that they separated from one another; and Barnabas taking Mark sailed away to Cyprus;
40but Paul having chosen Silas went forth, committed by the brethren to the grace of God.
41And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
1And he came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, by name Timotheus, son of a Jewish believing woman, but the father a Greek,
2who had a good testimony of the brethren in Lystra and Iconium.
3Him would Paul have go forth with him, and took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews who were in those places, for they all knew his father that he was a Greek.
4And as they passed through the cities they instructed them to observe the decrees determined on by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.
5The assemblies therefore were confirmed in the faith, and increased in number every day.
6And having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia,
7having come down to Mysia, they attempted to go to Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;
8and having passed by Mysia they descended to Troas.
9And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a certain Macedonian man, standing and beseeching him, and saying, Pass over into Macedonia and help us.
10And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go forth to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to announce to them the glad tidings.
11Having sailed therefore away from Troas, we went in a straight course to Samothracia, and on the morrow to Neapolis,
12and thence to Philippi, which is the first city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city certain days.
13And on the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where it was the custom for prayer to be, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had assembled.
14And a certain woman, by name Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshipped God, heard; whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things spoken by Paul.
15And when she had been baptised and her house, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there. And she constrained us.
16And it came to pass as we were going to prayer that a certain female slave, having a spirit of Python, met us, who brought much profit to her masters by prophesying.
17She, having followed Paul and us, cried saying, These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who announce to you the way of salvation.
18And this she did many days. And Paul, being distressed, turned, and said to the spirit, I enjoin thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out the same hour.
19And her masters, seeing that the hope of their gains was gone, having seized Paul and Silas, dragged them into the market before the magistrates;
20and having brought them up to the praetors, said, These men utterly trouble our city, being Jews,
21and announce customs which it is not lawful for us to receive nor practise, being Romans.
22And the crowd rose up too against them; and the praetors, having torn off their clothes, commanded to scourge them.
23And having laid many stripes upon them they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely;
24who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and secured their feet to the stocks.
25And at midnight Paul and Silas, in praying, were praising God with singing, and the prisoners listened to them.
26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison shook, and all the doors were immediately opened, and the bonds of all loosed.
27And the jailor being awakened out of his sleep, and seeing the doors of the prison opened, having drawn a sword was going to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had fled.
28But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm, for we are all here.
29And having asked for lights, he rushed in, and, trembling, fell down before Paul and Silas.
30And leading them out said, Sirs, what must I do that I may be saved?
31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.
32And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, with all that were in his house.
33And he took them the same hour of the night and washed them from their stripes; and was baptised, he and all his straightway.
34And having brought them into his house he laid the table for them, and rejoiced with all his house, having believed in God.
35And when it was day, the praetors sent the lictors, saying, Let those men go.
36And the jailor reported these words to Paul: The praetors have sent that ye may be let go. Now therefore go out and depart in peace.
37But Paul said to them, Having beaten us publicly uncondemned, us who are Romans, they have cast us into prison, and now they thrust us out secretly? no, indeed, but let them come themselves and bring us out.
38And the lictors reported these words to the praetors. And they were afraid when they heard they were Romans.
39And they came and besought them, and having brought them out, asked them to go out of the city.
40And having gone out of the prison, they came to Lydia; and having seen the brethren, they exhorted them and went away.
1And having journeyed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was the synagogue of the Jews.
2And according to Paul's custom he went in among them, and on three sabbaths reasoned with them from the scriptures,
3opening and laying down that the Christ must have suffered and risen up from among the dead, and that this is the Christ, Jesus whom *I* announce to you.
4And some of them believed, and joined themselves to Paul and Silas, and of the Greeks who worshipped, a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
5But the Jews having been stirred up to jealousy, and taken to themselves certain wicked men of the lowest rabble, and having got a crowd together, set the city in confusion; and having beset the house of Jason sought to bring them out to the people;
6and not having found them, dragged Jason and certain brethren before the politarchs, crying out, These men that have set the world in tumult, are come here also,
7whom Jason has received; and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying, that there is another king, Jesus.
8And they troubled the crowd and the politarchs when they heard these things.
9And having taken security of Jason and the rest, they let them go.
10But the brethren immediately sent away, in the night, Paul and Silas to Berea; who, being arrived, went away into the synagogue of the Jews.
11And these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with all readiness of mind, daily searching the scriptures if these things were so.
12Therefore many from among them believed, and of Grecian women of the upper classes and men not a few.
13But when the Jews from Thessalonica knew that the word of God was announced in Berea also by Paul, they came there also, stirring up the crowds.
14And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as to the sea; but Silas and Timotheus abode there.
15But they that conducted Paul brought him as far as Athens; and, having received a commandment to Silas and Timotheus, that they should come to him as quickly as possible, they departed.
16But in Athens, while Paul was waiting for them, his spirit was painfully excited in him seeing the city given up to idolatry.
17He reasoned therefore in the synagogue with the Jews, and those who worshipped, and in the market-place every day with those he met with.
18But some also of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers attacked him. And some said, What would this chatterer say? and some, He seems to be an announcer of foreign demons, because he announced the glad tidings of Jesus and the resurrection to them.
19And having taken hold on him they brought him to Areopagus, saying, Might we know what this new doctrine which is spoken by thee is?
20For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears. We wish therefore to know what these things may mean.
21Now all the Athenians and the strangers sojourning there spent their time in nothing else than to tell and to hear the news.
22And Paul standing in the midst of Areopagus said, Athenians, in every way I see you given up to demon worship;
23for, passing through and beholding your shrines, I found also an altar on which was inscribed, To the unknown God. Whom therefore ye reverence, not knowing him, him I announce to you.
24The God who has made the world and all things which are in it, *he*, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands,
25nor is served by men's hands as needing something, himself giving to all life and breath and all things;
26and has made of one blood every nation of men to dwell upon the whole face of the earth, having determined ordained times and the boundaries of their dwelling,
27that they may seek God; if indeed they might feel after him and find him, although he is not far from each one of us:
28for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring.
29Being therefore the offspring of God, we ought not to think that which is divine to be like gold or silver or stone, the graven form of man's art and imagination.
30God therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, now enjoins men that they shall all everywhere repent,
31because he has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed, giving the proof of it to all in having raised him from among the dead.
32And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, and some said, We will hear thee again also concerning this.
33Thus Paul went out of their midst.
34But some men joining themselves to him believed; among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman by name Damaris, and others with them.
1And after these things, having left Athens, he came to Corinth;
2and finding a certain Jew by name Aquila, of Pontus by race, just come from Italy, and Priscilla his wife, (because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome,) came to them,
3and because they were of the same trade abode with them, and wrought. For they were tent-makers by trade.
4And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.
5And when both Silas and Timotheus came down from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in respect of the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
6But as they opposed and spoke injuriously, he shook his clothes, and said to them, Your blood be upon your own head: *I* am pure; from henceforth I will go to the nations.
7And departing thence he came to the house of a certain man, by name Justus, who worshipped God, whose house adjoined the synagogue.
8But Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised.
9And the Lord said by vision in the night to Paul, Fear not, but speak and be not silent;
10because *I* am with thee, and no one shall set upon thee to injure thee; because I have much people in this city.
11And he remained there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God.
12But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one consent rose against Paul and led him to the judgment-seat,
13saying, This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.
14But as Paul was going to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, If indeed it was some wrong or wicked criminality, O Jews, of reason I should have borne with you;
15but if it be questions about words, and names, and the law that ye have, see to it yourselves; for *I* do not intend to be judge of these things.
16And he drove them from the judgment-seat.
17And having all laid hold on Sosthenes the ruler of the synagogue, they beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio troubled himself about none of these things.
18And Paul, having yet stayed there many days, took leave of the brethren and sailed thence to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow;
19and he arrived at Ephesus, and left them there. But entering himself into the synagogue he reasoned with the Jews.
20And when they asked him that he would remain for a longer time with them he did not accede,
21but bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep the coming feast at Jerusalem; I will return to you again, if God will: and he sailed away from Ephesus.
22And landing at Caesarea, and having gone up and saluted the assembly, he went down to Antioch.
23And having stayed there some time, he went forth, passing in order through the country of Galatia and Phrygia, establishing all the disciples.
24But a certain Jew, Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, who was mighty in the scriptures, arrived at Ephesus.
25He was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in his spirit, he spoke and taught exactly the things concerning Jesus, knowing only the baptism of John.
26And *he* began to speak boldly in the synagogue. And Aquila and Priscilla, having heard him, took him to them and unfolded to him the way of God more exactly.
27And when he purposed to go into Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples engaging them to receive him, who, being come, contributed much to those who believed through grace.
28For he with great force convinced the Jews publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
1And it came to pass, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper districts, came to Ephesus, and finding certain disciples,
2he said to them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye had believed? And they said to him, We did not even hear if the Holy Spirit was come.
3And he said, To what then were ye baptised? And they said, To the baptism of John.
4And Paul said, John indeed baptised with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on him that was coming after him, that is, on Jesus.
5And when they heard that, they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus.
6And Paul having laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
7And all the men were about twelve.
8And entering into the synagogue, he spoke boldly during three months, reasoning and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9But when some were hardened and disbelieved, speaking evil of the way before the multitude, he left them and separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10And this took place for two years, so that all that inhabited Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
11And God wrought no ordinary miracles by the hands of Paul,
12so that even napkins or aprons were brought from his body and put upon the sick, and the diseases left them, and the wicked spirits went out.
13And certain of the Jewish exorcists also, who went about, took in hand to call upon those who had wicked spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, I adjure you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches.
14And there were certain men, seven sons of Sceva, Jewish high priest, who were doing this.
15But the wicked spirit answering said to them, Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with; but *ye*, who are ye?
16And the man in whom the wicked spirit was leaped upon them, and having mastered both, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17And this became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who inhabited Ephesus, and fear fell upon all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18And many of those that believed came confessing and declaring their deeds.
19And many of those that practised curious arts brought their books of charms and burnt them before all. And they reckoned up the prices of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20Thus with might the word of the Lord increased and prevailed.
21And when these things were fulfilled, Paul purposed in his spirit to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, After I have been there I must see Rome also.
22And having sent into Macedonia two of those ministering to him, Timotheus and Erastus, he remained himself awhile in Asia.
23And there took place at that time no small disturbance about the way.
24For a certain man by name Demetrius, a silver-beater, making silver temples of Artemis, brought no small gain to the artisans;
25whom having brought together, and those who wrought in such things, he said, Men, ye know that our well-living arises from this work,
26and ye see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great crowd, not only of Ephesus, but almost of all Asia, saying that they are no gods which are made with hands.
27Now not only there is danger for us that our business come into discredit, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be counted for nothing, and that her greatness should be destroyed whom the whole of Asia and the world reveres.
28And having heard this, and being filled with rage, they cried out, saying, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
29And the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one accord to the theatre, having seized and carried off with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, fellow-travellers of Paul.
30But Paul intending to go in to the people, the disciples suffered him not;
31and some of the Asiarchs also, who were his friends, sent to him and urged him not to throw himself into the theatre.
32Different persons therefore cried out some different thing; for the assembly was tumultuous, and the most did not know for what cause they had come together.
33But from among the crowd they put forward Alexander, the Jews pushing him forward. And Alexander, beckoning with his hand, would have made a defence to the people.
34But, recognising that he was a Jew, there was one cry from all, shouting for about two hours, Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.
35And the townclerk, having quieted the crowd, said, Ephesians, what man is there then who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of Artemis the great, and of the image which fell down from heaven?
36These things therefore being undeniable, it is necessary that ye should be calm and do nothing headlong.
37For ye have brought these men, who are neither temple-plunderers, nor speak injuriously of your goddess.
38If therefore Demetrius and the artisans who are with him have a matter against any one, the courts are being held, and there are proconsuls: let them accuse one another.
39But if ye inquire anything concerning other matters, it will be settled in the regular assembly.
40For also we are in danger to be put in accusation for sedition for this affair of to-day, no cause existing in reference to which we shall be able to give a reason for this concourse.
41And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
1But after the tumult had ceased, Paul having called the disciples to him and embraced them, went away to go to Macedonia.
2And having passed through those parts, and having exhorted them with much discourse, he came to Greece.
3And having spent three months there, a treacherous plot against him having been set on foot by the Jews, as he was going to sail to Syria, the resolution was adopted of returning through Macedonia.
4And there accompanied him as far as Asia, Sopater son of Pyrrhus, a Berean; and of Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus, and Gaius and Timotheus of Derbe, and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
5These going before waited for us in Troas;
6but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and we came to them to Troas in five days, where we spent seven days.
7And the first day of the week, we being assembled to break bread, Paul discoursed to them, about to depart on the morrow. And he prolonged the discourse till midnight.
8And there were many lights in the upper room where we were assembled.
9And a certain youth, by name Eutychus, sitting at the window-opening, overpowered by deep sleep, while Paul discoursed very much at length, having been overpowered by the sleep, fell from the third story down to the bottom, and was taken up dead.
10But Paul descending fell upon him, and enfolding him in his arms, said, Be not troubled, for his life is in him.
11And having gone up, and having broken the bread, and eaten, and having long spoken until daybreak, so he went away.
12And they brought away the boy alive, and were no little comforted.
13And we, having gone before on board ship, sailed off to Assos, going to take in Paul there; for so he had directed, he himself being about to go on foot.
14And when he met with us at Assos, having taken him on board, we came to Mitylene;
15and having sailed thence, on the morrow arrived opposite Chios, and the next day put in at Samos; and having stayed at Trogyllium, the next day we came to Miletus:
16for Paul thought it desirable to sail by Ephesus, so that he might not be made to spend time in Asia; for he hastened, if it was possible for him, to be the day of Pentecost at Jerusalem.
17But from Miletus having sent to Ephesus, he called over to him the elders of the assembly.
18And when they were come to him, he said to them, *Ye* know how I was with you all the time from the first day that I arrived in Asia,
19serving the Lord with all lowliness, and tears, and temptations, which happened to me through the plots of the Jews;
20how I held back nothing of what is profitable, so as not to announce it to you, and to teach you publicly and in every house,
21testifying to both Jews and Greeks repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.
22And now, behold, bound in my spirit *I* go to Jerusalem, not knowing what things shall happen to me in it;
23only that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and tribulations await me.
24But I make no account of my life as dear to myself, so that I finish my course, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the glad tidings of the grace of God.
25And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
26Wherefore I witness to you this day, that I am clean from the blood of all,
27for I have not shrunk from announcing to you all the counsel of God.
28Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, wherein the Holy Spirit has set you as overseers, to shepherd the assembly of God, which he has purchased with the blood of his own.
29For *I* know this, that there will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock;
30and from among your own selves shall rise up men speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them.
31Wherefore watch, remembering that for three years, night and day, I ceased not admonishing each one of you with tears.
32And now I commit you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give to you an inheritance among all the sanctified.
33I have coveted the silver or gold or clothing of no one.
34Yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my wants, and to those who were with me.
35I have shewed you all things, that thus labouring we ought to come in aid of the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36And having said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.
37And they all wept sore; and falling upon the neck of Paul they ardently kissed him,
38specially pained by the word which he had said, that they would no more see his face. And they went down with him to the ship.
1And when, having got away from them, we at last sailed away, we came by a direct course to Cos, and on the morrow to Rhodes, and thence to Patara.
2And having found a ship passing over into Phoenicia, we went on board and sailed;
3and having sighted Cyprus, and left it on the left hand, we sailed to Syria, and made the land at Tyre, for there the ship was to discharge her cargo.
4And having found out the disciples, we remained there seven days; who said to Paul by the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.
5But when we had completed the days, we set out and took our journey, all of them accompanying us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And kneeling down upon the shore we prayed.
6And having embraced one another, we went on board ship, and they returned home.
7And we, having completed the voyage, arrived from Tyre at Ptolemais, and having saluted the brethren, we remained one day with them.
8And leaving on the morrow, we came to Caesarea; and entering into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was of the seven, we abode with him.
9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10And as we stayed there many days, a certain man, by name Agabus, a prophet, came down from Judaea,
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.
12And when we heard these things, both we and those of the place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13But Paul answered, What do ye, weeping and breaking my heart? for *I* am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.
14And when he would not be persuaded, we were silent, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
15And after these days, having got our effects ready, we went up to Jerusalem.
16And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing with them a certain Mnason, a Cyprian, an old disciple, with whom we were to lodge. (Acts 14:1‑21:16)