BibleRead365

WEBC: World English Bible, Catholic Edition

View Reading Plan Day 332 of 365 91%

Day

Day 1 Day 365

Early World
Patriarchs
Egypt and Exodus
Desert Wanderings
Conquest and Judges
Royal Kingdom
Divided Kingdom
Exile
Royal Kingdom
Divided Kingdom
Exile
Return
Maccabean Revolt
Wisdom & Poetry
Exile
Divided Kingdom
Return
Messianic Fulfillment
The Church

Day 332 of 365

about 17 minutes

Acts 26-28

Acts Chapter 26

¹Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense. ²“I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things the Jews accuse me of, ³especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. ⁴“Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem; ⁵having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. ⁶Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers, ⁷which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa! ⁸Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead? ⁹“I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. ¹⁰I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them. ¹¹Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. ¹²“Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests, ¹³at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me. ¹⁴When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ ¹⁵“I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ¹⁶But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you; ¹⁷delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you, 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 an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ ¹⁹“Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance. ²¹For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. ²²Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen, ²³how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.” ²⁴As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!” ²⁵But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness. ²⁶For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner. ²⁷King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” ²⁸Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?” ²⁹Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.” ³⁰The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them. ³¹When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.” ³²Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

1: Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand, and made his defense.

2: “I think myself happy, King Agrippa, that I am to make my defense before you today concerning all the things the Jews accuse me of,

3: especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently.

4: “Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

5: having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

6: Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

7: which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!

8: Why is it judged incredible with you if God does raise the dead?

9: “I myself most certainly thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

10: I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

11: Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

12: “Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

13: at noon, O king, I saw on the way a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who traveled with me.

14: When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15: “I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ “He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

16: But arise, and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose: to appoint you a servant and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will reveal to you;

17: delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles, to whom I send you,

18: to 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 an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

19: “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

20: but declared first to them of Damascus, at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

21: For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

22: Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would happen,

23: how the Christ must suffer, and how, by the resurrection of the dead, he would be first to proclaim light both to these people and to the Gentiles.”

24: As he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are crazy! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

25: But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

26: For the king knows of these things, to whom also I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none of these things is hidden from him, for this has not been done in a corner.

27: King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.”

28: Agrippa said to Paul, “With a little persuasion are you trying to make me a Christian?”

29: Paul said, “I pray to God, that whether with little or with much, not only you, but also all that hear me today, might become such as I am, except for these bonds.”

30: The king rose up with the governor and Bernice, and those who sat with them.

31: When they had withdrawn, they spoke to one another, saying, “This man does nothing worthy of death or of bonds.”

32: Agrippa said to Festus, “This man might have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

Acts Chapter 27

¹When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band. ²Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us. ³The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself. ⁴Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. ⁵When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. ⁶There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board. ⁷When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. ⁸With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. ⁹When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them ¹⁰and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹¹But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul. ¹²Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest. ¹³When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore. ¹⁴But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon. ¹⁵When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. ¹⁶Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat. ¹⁷After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along. ¹⁸As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard. ¹⁹On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands. ²⁰When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away. ²¹When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss. ²²Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. ²³For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve, ²⁴saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ ²⁵Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me. ²⁶But we must run aground on a certain island.” ²⁷But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land. ²⁸They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms. ²⁹Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight. ³⁰As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow, ³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.” ³²Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off. ³³While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing. ³⁴Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.” ³⁵When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat. ³⁶Then they all cheered up, and they also took food. ³⁷In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship. ³⁸When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea. ³⁹When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it. ⁴⁰Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach. ⁴¹But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves. ⁴²The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape. ⁴³But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land; ⁴⁴and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

1: When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

2: Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea, Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica being with us.

3: The next day, we touched at Sidon. Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him permission to go to his friends and refresh himself.

4: Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

5: When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

6: There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us on board.

7: When we had sailed slowly many days, and had come with difficulty opposite Cnidus, the wind not allowing us further, we sailed under the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone.

8: With difficulty sailing along it we came to a certain place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.

9: When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them

10: and said to them, “Sirs, I perceive that the voyage will be with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

11: But the centurion gave more heed to the master and to the owner of the ship than to those things which were spoken by Paul.

12: Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking southwest and northwest.

13: When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, close to shore.

14: But before long, a stormy wind beat down from shore, which is called Euroclydon.

15: When the ship was caught and couldn’t face the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

16: Running under the lee of a small island called Clauda, we were able, with difficulty, to secure the boat.

17: After they had hoisted it up, they used cables to help reinforce the ship. Fearing that they would run aground on the Syrtis sand bars, they lowered the sea anchor, and so were driven along.

18: As we labored exceedingly with the storm, the next day they began to throw things overboard.

19: On the third day, they threw out the ship’s tackle with their own hands.

20: When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

21: When they had been long without food, Paul stood up in the middle of them and said, “Sirs, you should have listened to me, and not have set sail from Crete and have gotten this injury and loss.

22: Now I exhort you to cheer up, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.

23: For there stood by me this night an angel, belonging to the God whose I am and whom I serve,

24: saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. Behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

25: Therefore, sirs, cheer up! For I believe God, that it will be just as it has been spoken to me.

26: But we must run aground on a certain island.”

27: But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were driven back and forth in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors surmised that they were drawing near to some land.

28: They took soundings and found twenty fathoms. After a little while, they took soundings again, and found fifteen fathoms.

29: Fearing that we would run aground on rocky ground, they let go four anchors from the stern, and wished for daylight.

30: As the sailors were trying to flee out of the ship and had lowered the boat into the sea, pretending that they would lay out anchors from the bow,

31: Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these stay in the ship, you can’t be saved.”

32: Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the boat and let it fall off.

33: While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

34: Therefore I beg you to take some food, for this is for your safety; for not a hair will perish from any of your heads.”

35: When he had said this and had taken bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all; then he broke it and began to eat.

36: Then they all cheered up, and they also took food.

37: In all, we were two hundred seventy-six souls on the ship.

38: When they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.

39: When it was day, they didn’t recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

40: Casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time untying the rudder ropes. Hoisting up the foresail to the wind, they made for the beach.

41: But coming to a place where two seas met, they ran the vessel aground. The bow struck and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up by the violence of the waves.

42: The soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

43: But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, stopped them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should throw themselves overboard first to go toward the land;

44: and the rest should follow, some on planks and some on other things from the ship. So they all escaped safely to the land.

Acts Chapter 28

¹When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta. ²The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold. ³But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand. ⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.” ⁵However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed. ⁶But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god. ⁷Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and courteously entertained us for three days. ⁸The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him. ⁹Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured. ¹⁰They also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed. ¹¹After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.” ¹²Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days. ¹³From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli, ¹⁴where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome. ¹⁵From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. ¹⁶When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him. ¹⁷After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans, ¹⁸who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me. ¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation. ²⁰For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.” ²¹They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you. ²²But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.” ²³When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening. ²⁴Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. ²⁵When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, ²⁶saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive. ²⁷For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’ ²⁸“Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.” ²⁹When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. ³⁰Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, ³¹preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

1: When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.

2: The natives showed us uncommon kindness; for they kindled a fire and received us all, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

3: But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

4: When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped from the sea, yet Justice has not allowed to live.”

5: However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn’t harmed.

6: But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

7: Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the chief man of the island, named Publius, who received us and courteously entertained us for three days.

8: The father of Publius lay sick of fever and dysentery. Paul entered in to him, prayed, and laying his hands on him, healed him.

9: Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came and were cured.

10: They also honored us with many honors; and when we sailed, they put on board the things that we needed.

11: After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose figurehead was “The Twin Brothers.”

12: Touching at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

13: From there we circled around and arrived at Rhegium. After one day, a south wind sprang up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli,

14: where we found brothers, and were entreated to stay with them for seven days. So we came to Rome.

15: From there the brothers, when they heard of us, came to meet us as far as The Market of Appius and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

16: When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

17: After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

18: who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

19: But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

20: For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

21: They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

22: But we desire to hear from you what you think. For, as concerning this sect, it is known to us that everywhere it is spoken against.”

23: When they had appointed him a day, many people came to him at his lodging. He explained to them, testifying about God’s Kingdom, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning until evening.

24: Some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.

25: When they didn’t agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one message: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

26: saying, ‘Go to this people and say, in hearing, you will hear, but will in no way understand. In seeing, you will see, but will in no way perceive.

27: For this people’s heart has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing. Their eyes they have closed. Lest they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, then I would heal them.’

28: “Be it known therefore to you that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”

29: When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.

30: Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him,

31: preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.

Track your progress

Scripture text: World English Bible, Catholic Edition (WEBC) — public domain

Donate Privacy Policy

View the full reading schedule