I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

弟兄们，我愿意你们知道，我所遭遇的事更是叫福音兴旺，

弟兄们，我要你们知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更兴旺，

弟兄们，我要你们知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更兴旺，

弟兄姊妹，我希望你们知道，我的遭遇反而会使福音传得更广，

弟兄们，我愿意你们知道，我所遭遇的反而使福音更加兴旺了，

弟兄们，我愿你们知道，我的遭遇反而促进了福音的进展，

弟兄們，我願意你們知道，我所遭遇的事更是叫福音興旺，

弟兄們，我要你們知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更興旺，

弟兄們，我要你們知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更興旺，

弟兄姊妹，我希望你們知道，我的遭遇反而會使福音傳得更廣，

弟兄們，我願意你們知道，我所遭遇的反而使福音更加興旺了，

弟兄們，我願你們明白我的景況反而促成了福音之進步，

弟兄們，我願你們知道，我的遭遇反而促進了福音的進展，

兄弟乎、我欲爾知、我所遭之事、適以廣福音之傳、

我欲兄弟知我遇難、福音益以廣布、

我欲兄弟知我所遇之事、更有益於福音、

茲欲告慰於兄弟者、即予所遭受之一切、適足促成福音之發揚光大也。

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the good news.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel,

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel;

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel,

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things[ which happened] unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,

And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose,

for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned!

Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus.The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.

No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!

“ Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense that I now make to you.”( When they heard that he was addressing them in Aramaic, they became even quieter.) Then Paul said,“ I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today.I persecuted this Way even to the point of death, tying up both men and women and putting them in prison,as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.As I was en route and near Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.Then I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me,‘ Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’I answered,‘ Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me,‘ I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.So I asked,‘ What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me,‘ Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.’Since I could not see because of the brilliance of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of those who were with me.A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live there,came to me and stood beside me and said to me,‘ Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ And at that very moment I looked up and saw him.Then he said,‘ The God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear a command from his mouth,because you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a tranceand saw the Lord saying to me,‘ Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’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 he said to me,‘ Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted,“ Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks. He told them to interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash so that he could find out the reason the crowd was shouting at Paul in this way.When they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby,“ Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen without a proper trial?”When the centurion heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it, saying,“ What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”So the commanding officer came and asked Paul,“ Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” He replied,“ Yes.”The commanding officer answered,“ I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.”“ But I was even born a citizen,” Paul replied.Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away from him, and the commanding officer was frightened when he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had had him tied up.The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

After we had safely reached shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.The local inhabitants showed us extraordinary kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain and was cold.When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another,“ No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.But they were expecting that he was going to swell up or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.Now in the region around that place were fields belonging to the chief official of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days.The father of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and after praying, placed his hands on him and healed him.After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick also came and were healed.They also bestowed many honors, and when we were preparing to sail, they gave us all the supplies we needed.After three months we put out to sea in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the“ Heavenly Twins” as its figurehead.We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.From there we cast off and arrived at Rhegium, and after one day a south wind sprang up and on the second day we came to Puteoli.There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome.The brothers from there, when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. When he saw them, Paul thanked God and took courage.When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.After three days Paul called the local Jewish leaders together. When they had assembled, he said to them,“ Brothers, although I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, from Jerusalem I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans.When they had heard my case, they wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.But when the Jews objected, I was forced to appeal to Caesar– not that I had some charge to bring against my own people.So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.”They replied,“ We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there and reported or said anything bad about you.But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know that people everywhere speak against it.”They set a day to meet with him, and they came to him where he was staying in even greater numbers. From morning until evening he explained things to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.Some were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.So they began to leave, unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement:“ The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiahwhen he said,‘ Go to this people and say,“ You will keep on hearing, but will never understand, and you will keep on looking, but will never perceive.For the heart of this people has become dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.”’“ Therefore be advised that this salvation from God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen!”

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for in the thing in which they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them.”

In the twelfth month( that is, the month of Adar), on its thirteenth day, the edict of the king and his law were to be executed. It was on this day that the enemies of the Jews had supposed that they would gain power over them. But contrary to expectations, the Jews gained power over their enemies.

shouting,“ Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this sanctuary! Furthermore he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple and made this holy place ritually unclean!”( For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.)The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.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!”

Certainly your angry judgment upon men will bring you praise; you reveal your anger in full measure.