Bible Verses About Paul

So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with much pageantry; they entered the audience room accompanied by military commanders and the prominent men of the city. Then, at the command of Festus, Sha’ul was brought in.

Festus said, “King Agrippa and all of you here with us, do you see this man? The whole Judean community has complained to me about him both in Yerushalayim and here, crying that he shouldn’t be allowed to remain alive.

But I discovered that he had done nothing that deserves a death sentence. Now when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

However, I have nothing specific to write to His Majesty about him. This is why I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa — so that after we have examined him, I might have something to write.

It seems irrational to me to send a prisoner without also indicating what the charges against him are.”

“So then! All Jews know how I lived my life from my youth on, both in my own country and in Yerushalayim.

They have known me for a long time; and if they are willing, they can testify that I have followed the strictest party in our religion — that is, I have lived as a Parush.

“I used to think it was my duty to do all I could to combat the name of Yeshua from Natzeret;

and in Yerushalayim I did so. After receiving authority from the head cohanim, I myself threw many of God’s people in prison; when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

Often I went from one synagogue to another, punishing them and trying to make them blaspheme; and in my wild fury against them, I even went so far as to persecute them in cities outside the country.

“On one such occasion, I was traveling to Dammesek with the full authority and power of the head cohanim.

I was on the road, and it was noon, your Majesty, when I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions.

We all fell to the ground; and then I heard a voice saying to me, in Hebrew, ‘Sha’ul! Sha’ul! Why do you keep persecuting me? It’s hard on you to be kicking against the ox-goads!’

I said, ‘Who are you, sir?’ and the Lord answered, ‘I am Yeshua, and you are persecuting me!

But get up, and stand on your feet! I have appeared to you to appoint you to serve and bear witness to what you have already seen of me, and to what you will see when I appear to you in the future.

I will deliver you from the People and from the Goyim. I am sending you

to open their eyes; so that they will turn from darkness to light, from the power of the Adversary to God, and thus receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who have been separated for holiness by putting their trust in me.’

Once it had been decided that we should set sail for Italy, they handed Sha’ul and some other prisoners over to an officer of the Emperor’s Regiment named Julius.

We embarked in a ship from Adramyttium which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and put out to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica.

The next day, we landed at Tzidon; and Julius considerately allowed Sha’ul to go visit his friends and receive what he needed.

Putting to sea from there, we sailed close to the sheltered side of Cyprus because the winds were against us,

then across the open sea along the coasts of Cilicia and Pamphylia; and so we reached Myra in Lycia.

There the Roman officer found an Alexandrian vessel sailing to Italy and put us aboard.

For a number of days we made little headway, and we arrived off Cnidus only with difficulty. The wind would not let us continue any farther along the direct route; so we ran down along the sheltered side of Crete from Cape Salmone;

and, continuing to struggle on, hugging the coast, we reached a place called Pleasant Harbor, near the town of Lasea.