Bede

There were about twelve men in all.

“All the men were about twelve, etc. But the judgments of God are a great abyss. Behold, recently deemed unworthy of the visitation of the apostles, Asia is now consecrated by the Apostolic number and elevated by the prophetic gift.”

Eventually, one of the evil spirits answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”

“Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize. About this verse, Arator says, Know your madness, enemy race, the demon admits to reigning, Whom you deny has come, and you are convicted by this very fact, By the one who drives you to ruin.”

He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.

“Sending two of his ministers to Macedonia, etc. He sent disciples ahead to prepare alms, which he was to bring to Jerusalem, so that collections would not be made when he came himself.”

It began with a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of Artemis, bringing much business to the craftsmen.

“A certain Demetrius, a silversmith, etc. This Demetrius, who tries to disturb the way of the Lord, fulfills his name by his actions. For it means "excessive persecutor."”

Soon the whole city was in disarray. They rushed together into the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.

“And they rushed with one accord into the theater. The theater is a place having the shape of a semicircle, where people standing inside watched scenic plays. Hence, it received its name in Greek, from the spectacle.”

And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.

“With him we came to Mytilene. We have written in the first book, following Pliny the Younger, that Mytilene is an island off Asia; but Pliny elsewhere writes that Mytilene is a city on the island of Cyprus.”

Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day…

“For he was hastening, if it were possible for him, to observe the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. In Greek, it is written as the Day of Pentecost, that is, the fiftieth day.”

But when our time there had ended, we set out on our journey. All the disciples, with their wives and children, accompanied us out of the city and knelt down…

“We set out, being escorted by wives and children, etc. The prophecy which sings of the Church is fulfilled: The daughters of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the rich among the people (Psalm XLIV), and the rest, up to the end of the…”

After we had been there several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

“A certain prophet came down from Judea. He says from Judea because Caesarea, where they were staying, belongs to the region of Samaria, situated at the border of Phoenicia and Palestine.”

As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and…

“About those who believed from among the Gentiles, we wrote judging that they abstain from idols, sacrifices, etc.”

When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

“And when the seven days were nearly completed. These days were not yet completed, but their course was ongoing, the completion was awaited. Hence it is more clearly said in Greek: When the seven days were beginning to be completed.”

crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place.

“Here is the man who speaks against the people, the law, and this place, teaching everyone everywhere. Because they saw that the followers of the new grace attended the ceremonies of the law and the solemnities of the temple less, they feared, as it is…”

Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be…

“He ordered him to be taken into the camp. And in this place, and in this whole narration, wherever the name of the camp is positioned, it must be taught that it is placed in the singular in Greek: for this reason the Latin interpreter…”

When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.

“When he reached the steps, it happened that he was carried, and the rest. The steps signify not the descent from the temple, but the ascent into the camp.”

As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied.

“He said: Do you know Greek? Are you not the Egyptian, etc.? For an Egyptian had come to Judea, who by magical art claimed prophecy for himself, gathered about thirty thousand Jews; and leading them through the desert, he came to the Mount of Olives…”

I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? In Greek, in this place as well it is added: It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”

Later, when I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord saying to me, ‘Hurry!

“But it happened that when I was returning to Jerusalem and praying in the temple, I fell into a trance, and saw him. For the trance of the mind, some Codices have a mental ecstasy, others a fear, others an alienation.”

As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust into the air,

“As they were shouting, throwing off their cloaks, and throwing dust into the air. In the Lord's passion, the priest alone leaping from the throne tears his garments, because then the old priesthood was to be changed to the new.”

When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

“And they vowed themselves saying they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. Vowed signifies cursed.”

and he even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. By examining him yourself, you will be able to learn the truth about all our charges against him.”

“Whom we also apprehended. From whom you will be able, by judging all these things, to know. In this place, some of our Codices have several verses which read in Greek as follows: Whom we also apprehended, and according to our law wished to judge.”

After several years, then, I returned to Jerusalem to bring alms to my people and to present offerings.

“However, after many years, I came to my nation to give alms and make offerings and vows. Alms pertain to those things which he had brought for the use of the saints, of which he makes frequent mention in his Epistles; offerings and vows, however…”

After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.

“After two years were completed, Felix receives his successor Porcius Festus. He refers to the two years of Paul's stay in Caesarea, not Felix's procuratorship. For it is said above that he was a judge for that nation for many years.”

The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium, along with the commanders and leading men of the city.

“When Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, etc. For "pomp," in Greek it is written φαντασία, by which term is designated a great display and royal pomp, with which he, being surrounded on all sides, was encircled.”

At this stage of Paul’s defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You are insane, Paul! Your great learning is driving you to madness!”

“Festus said in a loud voice: You are insane, Paul. He deemed it insanity that a man in chains, instead of just defending himself from external accusations, made a speech about the conscience by which he gloried inside and reviewed all the miracles of the…”

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

“Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe. This he speaks not in flattery, as some think, but truly.”