The Bible (Old and New Testaments)

O King Agrippa, beleeuest thou the Prophets? I know that thou beleeuest.

Then Agrippa said vnto Paul, Almost thou perswadest me to become a Christian.

Then Paul sayd, I would to God that not onely thou, but also all that heare me to day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.

And when he had thus spoken, the King rose vp, and the gouernour, and Bernice, and they that sate with them.

And when they were gone apart, they talked betweene themselues, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death, nor of bonds.

Then sayd Agrippa vnto Festus, This man might haue bene loosed, if hee had not appealed vnto Cesar.

Now when it was concluded, that we should sayle into Italie, they deliuered both Paul, and certaine other prisoners vnto a Centurion named Iulius, of the band of Augustus.

And we entred into a ship of Adramyttium purposing to saile by the coastes of Asia, and launched foorth, and had Aristarchus of Macedonia, a Thessalonian, with vs.

And the next day we arriued at Sidon: and Iulius courteously entreated Paul, and gaue him libertie to go vnto his friends, that they might refresh him.

And from thence we launched, and sayled hard by Cyprus, because ye windes were contrarie.

Then sayled we ouer the sea by Cilicia, and Pamphilia, and came to Myra, a citie in Lycia.

And there the Centurion found a ship of Alexandria, sayling into Italie, and put vs therein.

And when we had sayled slowly many dayes, and scarce were come against Gnidum, because the winde suffered vs not, we sailed hard by Candie, neere to Salmone,

And with much adoe sayled beyond it, and came vnto a certaine place called the Faire hauens, neere vnto the which was the citie Lasea.

So when much time was spent, and sayling was now ieopardous, because also the Fast was nowe passed, Paul exhorted them,

And sayde vnto them, Syrs, I see that this voiage will be with hurt and much damage, not of the lading and ship onely, but also of our liues.

Neuertheles the Centurion beleeued rather the gouernour and the master of the ship, then those things which were spoken of Paul.

And because the hauen was not commodious to winter in, many tooke counsell to depart thence, if by any meanes they might attaine to Phenice, there to winter, which is an hauen of Candie, and lyeth toward the Southwest and by West, and Northwest and by West.

And when the Southerne winde blew softly, they supposing to atteine their purpose, loosed neerer, and sailed by Candie.

But anon after, there arose by it a stormy winde called Euroclydon.

And when the ship was caught, and could not resist the winde, we let her goe, and were caried away.

And we ran vnder a litle Yle named Clauda, and had much a doe to get the boat.

Which they tooke vp and vsed all helpe, vndergirding the ship, fearing least they should haue fallen into Syrtes, and they strake saile, and so were caried.

The next day when we were tossed with an exceeding tempest, they lightened the ship.

And the third day we cast out with our owne hands the tackling of the ship.

And when neither sunne nor starres in many dayes appeared, and no small tempest lay vpon vs, all hope that we should be saued, was then taken away.

But after long abstinece, Paul stood forth in the mids of them, and said, Syrs, ye should haue hearkened to me, and not haue loosed from Candie: so should ye haue gained this hurt and losse.

But now I exhort you to be of good courage: for there shalbe no losse of any mans life among you, saue of the ship onely.

For there stood by me this night the Angel of God, whose I am, and whome I serue,

Saying, Feare not, Paul: for thou must be brought before Cesar: and lo, God hath giuen vnto thee freely all that sayle with thee.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good courage: for I beleeue God, that it shall be so as it hath bene tolde me.

Howbeit, we must be cast into a certaine Iland.

And when ye fourteenth night was come, as we were caried to and from in the Adriaticall sea about midnight, the shipmen deemed that some countrey approched vnto them,

And sounded, and found it twentie fathoms: and when they had gone a litle further, they sounded againe, and found fifteene fathoms.

Then fearing least they should haue fallen into some rough places, they cast foure ancres out of the sterne, and wished that the day were come.

Nowe as the mariners were about to flee out of the ship, and had let downe the boat into the sea vnder a colour as though they would haue cast ankers out of the foreship,

Paul sayde vnto the Centurion and the souldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye can not be safe.

Then the souldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let it fall away.

And when it began to be day, Paul exhorted them all to take meate, saying, This is the fourteenth day that ye haue taried, and continued fasting, receiuing nothing:

Wherefore I exhort you to take meate: for this is for your safegarde: for there shall not an heare fall from the head of any of you.

And when he had thus spoken, hee tooke bread and gaue thankes to God, in presence of them all, and brake it, and began to eate.

Then were they all of good courage, and they also tooke meate.

Nowe we were in the ship in all two hundreth three score and sixteene soules.

And whe they had eaten ynough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.

And when it was day, they knewe not the countrey, but they spied a certaine creeke with a banke, into the which they were minded (if it were possible) to thrust in the ship.

So when they had taken vp the ankers, they committed the ship vnto the sea, and loosed the rudder bonds, and hoised vp the maine saile to the winde, and drewe to the shore.

And when they fell into a place, where two seas met, they thrust in the ship: and the forepart stucke fast, and could not be moued, but the hinderpart was broken with the violence of the waues.

Then the souldiers counsell was to kill the prisoners, least any of them, when he had swomme out, should flee away.

But the Centurion willing to saue Paul, stayed them from this counsell, and commanded that they that coulde swimme, shoulde cast them selues first into the sea, and goe out to land:

And the other, some on boardes, and some on certaine pieces of the ship: and so it came to passe that they came all safe to land.

And when they were come safe, then they knewe that the Yle was called Melita.

And the Barbarians shewed vs no litle kindnesse: for they kindled a fire, and receiued vs euery one, because of the present showre, and because of the colde.

And when Paul had gathered a nomber of stickes, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heate, and leapt on his hand.

Nowe when ye Barbarians saw the worme hang on his hand, they said among themselues, This man surely is a murtherer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet Vengeance hath not suffered to liue.

But he shooke off the worme into the fire, and felt no harme.

Howbeit they wayted whe he should haue swolne, or fallen downe dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and sawe no inconuenience come to him, they changed their mindes, and said, That he was a God.

In the same quarters, the chiefe man of the Yle (whose name was Publius) had possessions: the same receiued vs, and lodged vs three dayes courteously.

And so it was, that the father of Publius lay sicke of the feauer, and of a bloodie flixe: to whom Paul entred in, and when he prayed, he laide his hands on him, and healed him.

When this then was done, other also in the Yle, which had diseases, came to him, and were healed,

Which also did vs great honour: and when we departed, they laded vs with things necessarie.

Nowe after three moneths we departed in a shippe of Alexandria, which had wintred in the Yle, whose badge was Castor and Pollux.

And when we arriued at Syracuse, we taried there three dayes.

And from thence we set a compasse, and came to Rhegium: and after one day, the South wind blewe, and we came the seconde day to Putioli:

Where we found brethren, and were desired to tary with them seuen dayes, and so we went toward Rome.

And from thence, when the brethren heard of vs, they came to meete vs at the Market of Appius, and at the Three tauernes, whom when Paul sawe, he thanked God, and waxed bolde.

So when we came to Rome, the Centurion deliuered the prisoners to the generall Captaine: but Paul was suffered to dwell by him selfe with a souldier that kept him.

And the third day after, Paul called the chiefe of the Iewes together: and when they were come, he said vnto them, Men and brethren, though I haue committed nothing against the people, or Lawes of the fathers, yet was I deliuered prisoner from Hierusalem into the handes of the Romanes.

Who when they had examined me, would haue let me goe, because there was no cause of death in me.

But when the Iewes spake contrary, I was constrained to appeale vnto Cesar, not because I had ought to accuse my nation of.

For this cause therefore haue I called for you, to see you, and to speake with you: for that hope of Israels sake, I am bound with this chaine.

Then they saide vnto him, We neither receiued letters out of Iudea concerning thee, neither came any of the brethren that shewed or spake any euill of thee.

But we will heare of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect, we knowe that euery where it is spoken against.

And when they had appointed him a day, there came many vnto him into his lodging, to whom he expounded testifying the kingdome of God, and persuading them those things that concerne Iesus, both out of the Lawe of Moses, and out of the Prophets, from morning to night.

And some were persuaded with ye things which were spoken, and some beleeued not.

Therefore when they agreed not among themselues, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, to wit, Well spake the holy Ghost by Esaias the Prophet vnto our fathers,

Saying, Goe vnto this people, and say, By hearing ye shall heare, and shall not vnderstand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceiue.

For the heart of this people is waxed fatte, and their eares are dull of hearing, and with their eyes haue they winked, least they shoulde see with their eyes, and heare with their eares, and vnderstand with their heartes, and should returne that I might heale them.

Be it knowen therefore vnto you, that this saluation of God is sent to the Gentiles, and they shall heare it.

And when he had saide these things, the Iewes departed, and had great reasoning among themselues.

And Paul remained two yeeres full in an house hired for himselfe, and receiued all that came in vnto him,

Preaching the kingdome of God, and teaching those things which concerne the Lord Iesus Christ, with all boldnesse of speache, without let.

Paul a seruant of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle, put apart to preache the Gospel of God,

(Which he had promised afore by his Prophetes in the holy Scriptures)

Concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord (which was made of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh,

And declared mightily to be the Sonne of God, touching the Spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead)

By whom we haue receiued grace and Apostleship (that obedience might be giuen vnto ye faith) for his Name among al ye Gentiles,

Among whom ye be also the called of Iesus Christ:

To all you that be at Rome beloued of God, called to be Saints: Grace be with you, and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Iesus Christ.

First I thanke my God through Iesus Christ for you all, because your faith is published throughout the whole world.

For God is my witnesse (whom I serue in my spirit in the Gospel of his Sonne) that without ceasing I make mention of you

Alwayes in my prayers, beseeching that by some meanes, one time or other I might haue a prosperous iourney by the will of God, to come vnto you.

For I long to see you, that I might bestowe among you some spirituall gift, that you might be strengthened:

That is, that I might be comforted together with you, through our mutuall faith, both yours and mine.

Now my brethren, I would that ye should not be ignorant, how that I haue oftentimes purposed to come vnto you (but haue bene let hitherto) that I might haue some fruite also among you, as I haue among the other Gentiles.

I am detter both to the Grecians, and to the Barbarians, both to the wise men and vnto the vnwise.

Therefore, as much as in me is, I am readie to preach ye Gospel to you also that are at Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth, to the Iewe first, and also to the Grecian.

For by it the righteousnesse of God is reueiled from faith to faith: as it is written, The iust shall liue by faith.

For the wrath of God is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlinesse, and vnrighteousnesse of men, which withhold the trueth in vnrighteousnesse.

Forasmuch as that, which may be knowe of God, is manifest in them: for God hath shewed it vnto them.