“ You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over to councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

但你们要谨慎；因为人要把你们交给公会，并且你们在会堂里要受鞭打，又为我的缘故站在诸侯与君王面前，对他们作见证。

但你们自己要谨慎；因为有人要把你们交给议会，并且你们在会堂里要受鞭打，又为我的缘故站在统治者和君王面前，对他们作见证。

但你们自己要谨慎；因为有人要把你们交给议会，并且你们在会堂里要受鞭打，又为我的缘故站在统治者和君王面前，对他们作见证。

“你们要小心，因为你们将被送上法庭，将在会堂里受鞭打，又将为了我的缘故在官长和君王面前做见证。

但你们要小心！因为人要把你们交给公议会，你们要在会堂里被鞭打，又要为我的缘故站在总督和君王面前，向他们作见证。

“你们自己要当心。他们将要把你们送交议会；你们会在会堂里受鞭打。为我的缘故，你们将站在总督和君王面前，好对他们做见证。

但你們要謹慎；因為人要把你們交給公會，並且你們在會堂裏要受鞭打，又為我的緣故站在諸侯與君王面前，對他們作見證。

但你們自己要謹慎；因為有人要把你們交給議會，並且你們在會堂裏要受鞭打，又為我的緣故站在統治者和君王面前，對他們作見證。

但你們自己要謹慎；因為有人要把你們交給議會，並且你們在會堂裏要受鞭打，又為我的緣故站在統治者和君王面前，對他們作見證。

「你們要小心，因為你們將被送上法庭，將在會堂裡受鞭打，又將為了我的緣故在官長和君王面前做見證。

但你們要小心！因為人要把你們交給公議會，你們要在會堂裡被鞭打，又要為我的緣故站在總督和君王面前，向他們作見證。

『但是你們、要自己謹慎；因為人必把你們送交議會，你們必在會堂裏受打；你們必為我的緣故站在統治官和君王面前，對他們作見證。

「你們自己要當心。他們將要把你們送交議會；你們會在會堂裡受鞭打。為我的緣故，你們將站在總督和君王面前，好對他們做見證。

爾宜自慎、人將付爾於公會、撻爾於會堂、且為我故、將立於侯王前而為之證、

故當自謹、蓋為我故、人將解爾至公會、扑爾於會堂、立爾於侯王前以為證、

爾當自慎、蓋人將解爾於公會、撲爾於會堂、且為我故、爾將被解至侯王前、以為之證、

爾當戒慎、爾將因予之故、被人執交公會、撻於會堂、解至王侯之前、以證吾道。

“ You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.

“ Watch out! You will be handed over to the local courts. You will be whipped in the synagogues. You will stand in front of governors and kings because of me. In that way you will be witnesses to them.

“ But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.

“ When these things begin to happen, watch out! You will be handed over to the local councils and beaten in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me.

“ But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to local courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them.

“ But be on your guard; for they will hand you over to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.

“ But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.

But take ye heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in synagogues shall ye be beaten; and before governors and kings shall ye stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them.

“ But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them.

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

But watch yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils. You will be beaten in synagogues. You will stand before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony to them.

Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues.And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.

Jesus began to say to them,“ Watch out that no one misleads you.

They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.

Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.So the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul to him.Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, they urged Festus to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush to kill him along the way.Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly.“ So,” he said,“ let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him.”After Festus had stayed not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he sat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought.When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges that they were not able to prove.Paul said in his defense,“ I have committed no offense against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.”But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul,“ Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there on these charges?”Paul replied,“ I am standing before Caesar’s judgment seat, where I should be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well.If then I am in the wrong and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, but if not one of their charges against me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”Then, after conferring with his council, Festus replied,“ You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go!”After several days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus.While they were staying there many days, Festus explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, saying,“ There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me about him, asking for a sentence of condemnation against him.I answered them that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone before the accused had met his accusers face to face and had been given an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation.So after they came back here with me, I did not postpone the case, but the next day I sat on the judgment seat and ordered the man to be brought.When his accusers stood up, they did not charge him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected.Rather they had several points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive.Because I was at a loss how I could investigate these matters, I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.”Agrippa said to Festus,“ I would also like to hear the man myself.”“ Tomorrow,” he replied,“ you will hear him.”So the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience hall, along with the senior military officers and the prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the order, Paul was brought in.Then Festus said,“ King Agrippa, and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting loudly that he ought not to live any longer.But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, and when he appealed to His Majesty the Emperor, I decided to send him.But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this preliminary hearing I may have something to write.

Remember what I told you,‘ A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed my word, they will obey yours too.

After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought formal charges against Paul to the governor.When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying,“ We have experienced a lengthy time of peace through your rule, and reforms are being made in this nation through your foresight.Most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way with all gratitude.But so that I may not delay you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.For we have found this man to be a troublemaker, one who stirs up riots among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.He even tried to desecrate the temple, so we arrested him.

When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said,“ These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jewsand are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.”The crowd joined the attack against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be beaten with rods.After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.We are fools for Christ, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, we are dishonored!To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, poorly clothed, brutally treated, and without a roof over our heads.We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure,when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now.

For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for him,

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priestand requested letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

Do not be afraid of the things you are about to suffer. The devil is about to have some of you thrown into prison so you may be tested, and you will experience suffering for ten days. Remain faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown that is life itself.

But Ananias replied,“ Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!”

‘ I know where you live– where Satan’s throne is. Yet you continue to cling to my name and you have not denied your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed in your city where Satan lives.

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will have some of you put to death.You will be hated by everyone because of my name.Yet not a hair of your head will perish.

Are they servants of Christ?( I am talking like I am out of my mind!) I am even more so: with much greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with more severe beatings, facing death many times.Five times I received from the Jews forty lashes less one.Three times I was beaten with a rod. Once I received a stoning. Three times I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day I spent adrift in the open sea.I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own countrymen, in dangers from Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers from false brothers,in hard work and toil, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, many times without food, in cold and without enough clothing.

Now when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been violently killed because of the word of God and because of the testimony they had given.They cried out with a loud voice,“ How long, Sovereign Master, holy and true, before you judge those who live on the earth and avenge our blood?”Each of them was given a long white robe and they were told to rest for a little longer, until the full number was reached of both their fellow servants and their brothers who were going to be killed just as they had been.

While they were trying to kill him, a report was sent up to the commanding officer of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When they saw the commanding officer and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.Then the commanding officer came up and arrested him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; he then asked who he was and what he had done.But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, and when the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth because of the disturbance, he ordered Paul to be brought into the barracks.When he came to the steps, Paul had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob,for a crowd of people followed them, screaming,“ Away with him!”As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commanding officer,“ May I say something to you?” The officer replied,“ Do you know Greek?Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion and led the four thousand men of the‘ Assassins’ into the wilderness some time ago?”Paul answered,“ I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Please allow me to speak to the people.”When the commanding officer had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and gestured to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, he addressed them in Aramaic,

If a place will not welcome you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.”

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day( for it was already evening).But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came together in Jerusalem.Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family.After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire,“ By what power or by what name did you do this?”Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied,“ Rulers of the people and elders,if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man– by what means this man was healed–let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this.But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another,saying,“ What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.But Peter and John replied,“ Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.

I replied,‘ Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues who believed in you.And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing nearby, approving, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing him.’

“ Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another.

Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him( that is, the religious party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,“ Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life.”When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin– that is, the whole high council of the Israelites– and sent to the jail to have the apostles brought before them.But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,“ We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.But someone came and reported to them,“ Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!”Then the commander of the temple guard went with the officers and brought the apostles without the use of force( for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, and the high priest questioned them,saying,“ We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name. Look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood on us!”But Peter and the apostles replied,“ We must obey God rather than people.The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.”Now when they heard this, they became furious and wanted to execute them.But a Pharisee whose name was Gamaliel, a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up in the council and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time.Then he said to the council,“ Men of Israel, pay close attention to what you are about to do to these men.For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, and incited people to follow him in revolt. He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, it will come to nothing,but if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found fighting against God.” He convinced them,and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said,“ The Holy Spirit says this:‘ This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

When they heard these things, they became furious and ground their teeth at him.But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.“ Look!” he said.“ I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”But they covered their ears, shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent.When they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed,“ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice,“ Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.And Saul agreed completely with killing him. Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.But Saul was trying to destroy the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them.He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword.When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too.( This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.)

Paul looked directly at the council and said,“ Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God to this day.”At that the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

This is evidence of God’s righteous judgment, to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which in fact you are suffering.

He told him,“ See that you do not say anything to anyone, but go, show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

“ For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town,so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.I tell you the truth, this generation will be held responsible for all these things!“ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

Then they secretly instigated some men to say,“ We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council.They brought forward false witnesses who said,“ This man does not stop saying things against this holy place and the law.For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”All who were sitting in the council looked intently at Stephen and saw his face was like the face of an angel.

I, John, your brother and the one who shares with you in the persecution, kingdom, and endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony about Jesus.