Acts 28:1-31
28 And when we were safe ashore, then we ascertained that the island was called Malta.
2 * And the natives treated us with uncommon kindliness, for they lighted a bonfire and freshened us all up because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold.
3 And when Paul had got together a quantity of small wood and laid it on the fire, a viper came out, getting away from the heat, and fastened on his hand.
4 And when the natives saw the creature hanging to his hand they said to each other “Decidedly this man is a murderer who has come safe in from the sea but whom Justice would not let live.”
5 So he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm,
6 * but they were expecting he was going to swell up or suddenly drop dead; but when they had been expecting a good while and saw that nothing out of the way was happening to him, they changed about and said he was a god.
7 And in the environs of that place there were properties belonging to the headman of the island, a man named Publius, who took us in and gave us cordial hospitality for three days.
8 And it befell that Publius’s father was sick abed suffering with fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to him and prayed and laid his hands on him and healed him.
9 And after this event the rest of those on the island who had sicknesses came and were cured,
10 and they both paid many honors to us and loaded us up with supplies when we were setting sail.
11 And after three months we set sail in a ship that had wintered at the island, the “Castor and Pollux” of Alexandria,
12 and we put into Syracuse and made a stay of three days,
13 * and from there we went round about and reached Rhegium, and, as after one day a south wind came up, on the second day we came to Puteoli,
14 where we found brothers and accepted an invitation to stay with them seven days; and so we came to Rome,
15 and from there the brothers, having heard about us, came as far as Appii Forum and Tres Tabernae to meet us. And at seeing them Paul thanked God and took courage.
16 And when we came into Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself with the soldier that guarded him.
17 And after three days he called together those who were leaders of the Jews; and when they came together he said to them “Brethren, without my having done anything against the people or our fathers’ usages I was given over from Jerusalem as a prisoner into the hands of the Romans, who,
18 upon examining me, wanted to release me because of there not being in the case any grounds for putting me to death;
19 but when the Jews spoke against it I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; not as having any accusation to make against my nation.
20 So on these grounds I applied to see you and talk to you; for it is on account of the hope of Israel I am wearing this chain.”
21 And they said to him “We have neither received letters about you from Jerusalem nor has anyone of the brothers arrived and reported or talked anything bad about you.
22 But we want to hear from you what your ideas are; for as to this doctrine it is well known to us that there is talk against it everywhere.”
23 And they made an appointment with him and a number of them came to him at his lodging, to whom he stated the case, testifying to the Reign of God and making his points about Jesus to them out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening;
24 and some believed what was told them, and some disbelieved.
25 And, being unable to agree with each other, they broke up, Paul saying one word, “Well did the Holy Spirit tell your fathers through the prophet Isaiah
26 ‘Go to this people and say “Hear you shall, and not understand; and see you shall, and not perceive;
27 for this people’s wits are thickened, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut, for fear they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their wits, and turn back, and I should heal them.”’
28 So be it known to you that this salvation of God’s is sent to the foreigners; they will listen, too.”
29 * ——
30 And he stayed in a tenement of his own a whole two years, and made welcome all who went in to him,
31 proclaiming the Reign of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with the utmost outspokenness, without being interfered with.
Footnotes
^ 28:2 Var. and took us all up to it because of
^ 28:6 Or going to be taken with burning pains or
^ 28:13 Var. from there we cast off and reached
^ 28:29 Var. adds verse 29 And when he had said this the Jews went away carrying on a great deal of argument among them.
