Acts 28

1Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.

3Paul gathered a pile of sticks and put them on the fire. The heat drove out a poisonous snake, and it bit onto his hand.

4When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other: This man must be a murderer. He escaped from the sea, but the goddess Justice will not let him live.

5But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days.

8His father was sick in bed with fever and a bad stomach illness. Paul went in to see him, prayed, placed his hands on him, and healed him.

9When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured.

10They honored us in many ways, and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

11After three months, we set sail in a ship that had spent the winter on the island. It was a ship from Alexandria with the carved figures of the twin gods Castor and Pollux on the front.

12We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days.

13From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli.

14There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome.

15The believers there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people, Paul thanked God and was encouraged.

16When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

17Three days later he called together the local Jewish leaders. When they had gathered, he said to them: My brothers, I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. But I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

18They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.

19The Jews objected, so I was compelled to appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not intend to bring any charge against my own people.

20For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.

21They replied: We have not received any letters from Judea concerning you, and none of our people who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you.

22But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people everywhere are talking against this group.

23They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He told them about the kingdom of God from morning until evening. Using the Law of Moses and the Prophets, he tried to convince them about Jesus.

24Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe.

25They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when He said through Isaiah the prophet:

26Go to this people and say: You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

27This people's hearts have become stubborn. They can barely hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn back to me, and I would heal them.

28Therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the non-Jewish people, and they will listen!

29When he had said these words, the Jews left and had a great argument among themselves.

30For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him.

31He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance!