1 Estando já salvos, soubemos então que a ilha se chamava Malta.2 Os indígenas trataram-nos com muita humanidade, porque, acendendo uma fogueira, acolheram-nos a todos por causa da chuva que caía e por causa do frio.3 Tendo Paulo ajuntado e posto sobre a fogueira um feixe de gravetos, uma víbora, fugindo por causa do calor, mordeu-lhe a mão.4 Quando os indígenas viram o réptil pendente da mão de Paulo, diziam uns para os outros: Certamente este homem é homicida, pois embora salvo do mar, a Justiça não o deixou viver.5 Porém ele, sacudindo o réptil no fogo, não sofreu mal algum;6 mas eles esperavam que ele viesse a inchar ou a cair morto de repente. Porém tendo esperado muito tempo e vendo que nada de anormal lhe sucedia, mudando de parecer, diziam que era ele um deus.7 Na vizinhança daquele lugar havia algumas terras pertencentes ao homem principal da ilha, chamado Públio, o qual nos recebeu e hospedou com muita bondade por três dias.8 Estando doente de cama com febre e disenteria o pai de Públio, Paulo foi visitá-lo e, tendo feito oração, impôs-lhe as mãos e o curou.9 Feito isto, os outros doentes da ilha vinham também e eram curados,10 e estes nos distinguiram com muitas honras e, ao partirmos, puseram a bordo o que nos era necessário.11 No fim de três meses fizemos ao mar em um navio de Alexandria, que havia invernado na ilha, o qual tinha por insígnia Castor e Polux.12 Tocando em Siracusa, ficamos aí três dias,13 donde bordejando, chegamos a Régio. No dia seguinte soprou o vento sul, e chegamos em dois dias a Poteoli;14 onde tendo achado alguns irmãos, estes nos rogaram que ficássemos com eles sete dias; e assim fomos a Roma.15 Tendo aí os irmãos sabido notícias nossas, vieram ao nosso encontro até a praça de Ápio e às três vendas, e Paulo, quando os viu, deu graças a Deus e cobrou ânimo.16 Quando chegamos a Roma, permitiu-se a Paulo que ficasse em um aposento particular com o soldado que o guardava.17 Decorridos três dias, convocou ele os judeus principais; e havendo-se reunido eles, disse-lhes: Eu, irmãos, apesar de nada ter feito contra o nosso povo ou contra o rito de nossos pais, desde Jerusalém fui entregue preso nas mãos dos romanos18 que, tendo-me interrogado, queriam soltar-me, por não haver em mim crime algum que merecesse morte;19 mas opondo-se a isso os judeus, fui obrigado a apelar para César, não tendo, contudo, coisa alguma de que acusar a minha nação.20 Por este motivo mandei chamar-vos, para vos ver e falar; pôs pela esperança de Israel estou preso com esta corrente.21 Porém eles lhe disseram: Não recebemos carta da Judéia a teu respeito nem veio de lá irmão algum que contasse ou dissesse mal de ti.22 Mas desejaríamos ouvir de ti o que pensas; pois relativamente a esta seita sabemos que por toda a parte é ela impugnada.23 Tendo-lhe marcado um dia, foram em grande número ter com ele à sua morada; aos quais desde a manhã até a noite, dando testemunho, expunha o reino de Deus, persuadindo-os acerca de Jesus pela Lei de Moisés e pelos profetas.24 Uns se deixavam persuadir por suas palavras, e outros permaneciam incrédulos;25 e não estando entre si concordes, retiravam-se quando Paulo lhes disse estas palavras: Bem falou o Espírito Santo a vossos pais pelo profeta Isaías:26 Vai a este povo e dize: Certamente ouvireis, e de nenhum modo entendereis; Certamente vereis, e de nenhum modo percebereis.27 Pois o coração deste povo se fez pesado, E os seus ouvidos se fizeram tardos E eles fecharam os olhos; Para não suceder que vendo com os olhos E ouvindo com os ouvidos, Entendam no coração, e se convertam, E eu os sare.28 Ficai sabendo, portanto, que esta salvação de Deus é enviada aos gentios; eles também a ouvirão.29 {E havendo ele dito isto, partiram os judeus, tendo entre si grande contenda.}30 Durante dois anos inteiros permaneceu no seu aposento alugado, e recebia todos os que vinham ter com ele,31 pregando o reino de Deus e ensinando as coisas concernentes ao Senhor Jesus Cristo com toda a liberdade e sem impedimento.

1 When we were safely on shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.2 The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, and so they made a fire and welcomed all of us around it.3 Paul gathered a bundle of sticks and put it on the fire. A poisonous snake was forced out by the heat and attached itself to Paul's hand.4 When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live."5 But he shook the snake into the fire and wasn't harmed.6 They were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.7 The governor of the island, whose name was Publius, owned estates in that part of the island, and he welcomed us and entertained us with great hospitality for three days.8 The father of Publius happened to be sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, prayed, and healed him by placing his hands on him.9 After that had happened, the rest of the sick people on the island went to him and were healed.10 They honored us in many ways, and when we were going to sail, they supplied us with everything we needed.11 Three months later, we sailed on an Alexandrian ship that had spent the winter at the island. It had the Twin Brothers as its figurehead.12 We stopped at Syracuse and stayed there for three days.13 Then we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began to blow, and on the second day we came to Puteoli.14 There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.15 The brothers there heard about us and came as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and felt encouraged.16 When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself with the soldier who was guarding him.17 Three days later, he called the leaders of the Jews together. When they assembled, he said to them, "Brothers, although I haven't done anything against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.18 They examined me and wanted to let me go because there was no reason for the death penalty in my case.19 But the Jews objected and forced me to appeal to the emperor, even though I have no countercharge to bring against my own people.20 That's why I asked to see you and speak with you, since it is for the hope of Israel that I'm wearing this chain."21 They told him, "We haven't received any letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or mentioned anything bad about you.22 However, we would like to hear from you what you think, because everywhere people are talking against this sect."23 So they set a day to meet with him and came in large numbers to see him where he was staying. From morning until evening he continued to explain the kingdom of God to them, trying to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the Prophets.24 Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others wouldn't believe.25 They disagreed with one another as they were leaving, and Paul added a statement: "How well did the Holy Spirit speak to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah!26 He said, ‘Go to this people and say,"You will listen and listenbut never understand,and you will look and lookbut never see!27 For this people's heart has become dull,and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyesso that they may never see with their eyes, and listen with their ears,and understand with their heart and turn and let me heal them."’28 "You must understand that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen."30 For two whole years he lived in his own rented place and welcomed everyone who came to him.31 He continued to preach the kingdom of God and to teach about the Lord Jesus Christ with perfect boldness and freedom.