Chapter 28

1Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

2The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. Because it was raining and cold, they built a fire and welcomed all of us around it.

3Paul gathered a bundle of dry branches and placed it on the fire. Driven out by the heat, a poisonous snake came out and fastened itself onto his hand.

4When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer. He escaped the sea, but Justice has not allowed him to live.”

5Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

6The islanders expected him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. They waited a long time, but when they saw that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

7Near that place were lands belonging to Publius, the leading official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us generously as his guests for three days.

8Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, prayed, placed his hands on him, and healed him.

9After this happened, the other sick people on the island also came and were healed.

10They honored us in many ways, and when we were preparing to sail, they provided everything we needed.

11After three months, we sailed on an Alexandrian ship that had spent the winter at the island. Its emblem was the Twin Gods.

12We landed at Syracuse and stayed there three days.

13From there we set sail and reached Rhegium. The next day a south wind began to blow, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.

14There we found fellow believers, who invited us to stay with them for seven days. In this way we came to Rome.

15The believers in Rome heard about us and came as far as the Market of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

16When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

17Three days later, Paul invited the leading Jewish men in Rome to meet with him. When they had gathered, he said, “My fellow Jews, I did nothing against our people or the customs handed down by our ancestors. Yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

18“After questioning me, the Romans wanted to release me because I had done nothing deserving death.

19“But when the Jewish leaders objected, I was forced to appeal to the emperor—not because I had any accusation to make against my own nation.

20“That is why I asked to see you and speak with you. I am wearing this chain because of the hope Israel has been waiting for.”

21They replied, “We have received no letters about you from Judea, and none of our fellow Jews who arrived here has reported or said anything bad about you.

22“But we would like to hear what you think, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this movement.”

23They arranged a day to meet Paul, and an even larger number came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he explained God’s rule to them and spoke earnestly about it. Using the Law of Moses and the writings of the prophets, he tried to persuade them about Jesus.

24Some were persuaded by what Paul said, but others refused to believe.

25They disagreed with one another and began to leave after Paul made one final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke truly to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah,

26saying, ‘Go to this people and tell them: You will certainly hear, but you will never understand. You will certainly look, but you will never truly see.

27For the hearts of this people have become dull. They barely listen with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, turn back to me, and I would heal them.’

28Paul continued, “Therefore, understand this: God has sent this rescue to the non-Jews, and they will listen.”

30Paul stayed for two full years in a house he rented, and he welcomed everyone who came to him.

31He openly announced God’s rule and taught about the Lord Jesus the Messiah with complete boldness, and no one stopped him.