תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler sày? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gòds: because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, ís? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears; we would know therefore what these things meèan. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declàre I unto you. 24 God that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the God-head is like unto gold, or silver, or stóne, graven by árt and man's devíce. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repènt: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit, certain men clave unto him, and believed: among -the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

PAUL ACCUSED BEFORE GALLIO.

ACTS XVIII.-12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment-seat,

13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, Ō yē Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: 15. But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it: for I will be no judge of such matters. 16 And he drave them from the judg ment-seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment-seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things.

DEMETRIUS

STIRRETH UP THE EPH ESIANS AGAINST PAUL.

ACTS XIX. 21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia, and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Ròme. 22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. 23 And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silver-smith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sírs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth: 26 Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, that they be no gods which are made with hands. 27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia, and the world worshippeth. 28 And when they heard these

sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephèsians. 29 And the whole city was filled with confusion and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused, and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people. 34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephèsians. 35 And when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephésus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diàna, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. 37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38 Wherefore, if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implèad one another. 39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. 40 For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. 41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

PAUL APPREHENDED.

ACTS XXI.-17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 And the day follow

:

ing Paul went in with us unto James: and all the elders were present. 19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. 20 And when they heard it they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Mòses, saying, That they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. 22 What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come. 23. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 25 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews, which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help. This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this plàce: and further, brought Greeks also in the temple: and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him in the city, Trophimus, an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together; and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple. And forthwith the doors were shut. 31 And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an ùproar: 32 Who immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them. And when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they

left beating of Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two cháins; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne of the soldiers, for the violence of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Gréek? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an upróar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? 39 But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsùs, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city and I beseech thee suffer me to speak unto the people. 40 And when he had given license, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

PAUL DECLARETH HIS CONVERSION.

ACTS XXII.-1 Mén, bréthren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence and he saith,) 3 I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tàrsus, a city in Cilìcia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders; from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.* 6 And it

* Them which were there, bound, i. e. to bind and bring them.

« הקודםהמשך »